Day 2797 of the 7 day Bible verse challenge. Ephesians 6:11. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. NIV
It’s one of the most well-know, commonly shared, most posterized verses in all of Scripture. It’s plastered on little statuettes and molded into wall decor and printed on tiny cards that people share with others. But, even with it being so well-known and commonly quoted, is it sadly just another message that sounds nice yet has failed to take root in our hearts? Is it yet another passage that we feel emboldened through speaking but fail to exhibit within our actions and choices?
We are called, as this verse in Ephesians reminds us, to put on the full armor of God. To carry our faith with us through every moment, every trial, every situation, every conversation. To fasten the truth around our waist so that it’s always at the ready whenever we need either a reminder of it for ourselves or a bit of its wisdom to share with someone else. To fix righteousness over our hearts so that we constantly know what it is that we’re fighting for. To ready our feet to carry this message wherever the Good Lord may point.
And yet, we look around at the world and see it growing ever darker in many ways. We discussed a few of them yesterday in our discussion on how we could very well be playing a willing party to the death of those we should be fighting to protect. It’s not hard to see. Not hard to find something wrong in this place. Not hard to feel the pressure increase as the odds are clearly swinging in the direction of evil and wickedness. As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, the sinful aren’t hiding their transgressions anymore. So it’s not hard to realize that the day of Christ is growing nearer as we witness the opening volleys of this battle that is no longer looming in the distant future.
But many still find ways to ignore it. Many still find ways to avoid thinking about the challenges that lie ahead. Many still manage to live their lives fully able and willing to letting the world run rampant through the growing embrace of the indoctrination of others with all of the vile practices that the wayward enjoy. Wickedness loves company because lies are more readily available and increasingly powerful when shared among a group who are all equally lost within their deception. Evil thrives in company because it makes it that much easier to think that what you’re doing is okay when surrounded by others who are doing the same things and cheering you on in your ongoing effort to reach a lower level of morality.
And that’s why we’re called to be different. That’s why we’re called to share Christ’s light and love in this world of darkness and depravity. That’s why we’re to hold the line between righteousness and evil. Because the other side is doing that very thing. As we discussed in yesterday’s post, the evil in this place is coming for as many as it can get. The sinful want to inflate their ranks and fill the hearts of as many as possible with the filth that they prefer. And if we don’t stand against it, then we’re simply failing the calling of the cross in every way possible.
Friends, God calls us to stand against the evil in this world. Not turn a blind eye to it. Not allow others to determine their own truth even if it means trampling His. Not to let the darkness in this place lead those around us to their demise. This is a fight, and we simply can’t keep living in fear of battle wounds.
We’re going to be hated for standing up against the vile agendas of the wicked. We’re going to be threatened and persecuted for calling attention to the dirty deeds that so many think are harmless. We’re going to stand out when we stand upon the foundation of God’s Word because so much of this world has grown to loathe the calling for self-control and responsibility that it echoes. But so be it. We can’t keep worrying about what may happen to us to because this is simply bigger than us!
This is about the eternal salvation of everyone on this earth. Will some reject that offer? Absolutely. Will many argue and debate its necessity? Absolutely. Will the darkness in this place fight back viciously against the light we’re called to share? Absolutely. Will it potentially help someone find Christ and therefore repentance that leads to salvation that ends with an eternity of peace in Heaven? Absolutely. And that right there is the value of this fight we’ve been warned was coming and called to undertake.
For so long we’ve lived as sheep who have relegated themselves to quietly existing amongst the fringes of society where we’re not seen, not heard, and therefore not in danger. We’ve let the world push us into a corner where we’ve been cordially invited to keep the message of the Gospel to ourselves while the masses peddle the offerings of sinful indulgence. We’ve given heed to the societal pressure to either conform or at the very least pretend we have. We have lived in surrender to the wrong side. We’ve been everything the world has told us to be, and look where it’s got us.
Sin is celebrated. Wickedness is flaunted. Evil is being shoved down our throats in new ways every single day. Lies are swirling. Rumors are winning. The truth is villainized. Righteousness has been cast the ground. God’s Word is trampled and unwelcome. Our children are being fed filth on golden platters served by the dark forces of this vile society. Lives are being ruined. Souls are being risked. Our family and friends are being attacked and hanging on by a thread. The world is crumbling to the ground.
How long can that full armor of God remain hanging on the wall gathering dust while we find ways to convince ourselves that now’s not the time to stand up?
If not now, when? When is enough truly enough? Where do we draw the line? What will it take to finally convince us that we’re failing this call to stand up for what’s right and fight for those around us who are at risk of being led into the lies and filth and garbage that so much of the world is absolutely enthralled by? At what point will we open our eyes to the reality of what’s going on and say we’re not good with it? Will it be too late?
Friends, we can’t wait for Christ to return to start trying to warn the world that He is coming back. We can’t wait until the horsemen have begun their charge to take up our positions on the battlefield of faith. We cannot continue to put off our duty in the hopeful expectation that Christ will hurry up and come take care of it for us so that we don’t have to risk being hated or harmed in this battle. We cannot continue to whisper God’s truth while much of the world is screaming their lies and gaining a whole heap of invested attention.
“So that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” We each have job. We each have a responsibility. Your stand. Not mine. Not someone else’s. Your stand. We each have ground to stand upon, and if we don’t, then nobody else will stand in the place that God asked us to fill. He gave us a spot, a charge, a mission, a purpose, a calling, a message. He gave us the full armor of His Word so that we could be perfectly equipped to stand against the devil’s schemes.
When will we do so?
The devil is scheming. he is planning. he is lavishing in the detestable ways in which this society is running as he sees his wicked works continue to be glorified and celebrated. he keeps peddling lies that lure people into the dark. And he’s gaining ground as wickedness continues to go ignored by some and praised by others. The devil is infiltrating parts of society that we always kind of either hoped or assumed would be off-limits. Guess what, they’re not. As I said yesterday, when the wicked start aiming for our kids then the gloves should come off. The armor should be dawned. The truth should be taken up. The fight should be undertaken. Not because it’s easy or comfortable or fun.
But because the stakes are real. Because God made us for more than biding our time. Because those around us need us to be who Christ calls us to be. Warriors not worriers. Courageous not cowardly. Bold not beaten. Unmovable not uninterested. Fully willing to lay it all on the line for the One who gave us everything He had to give us that chance. Friends, the devil will take as much as he can, and his spoils only increase should we fail to engage in this fight that’s at hand.
Don’t let this verse be nothing more than something printed on a poster hanging on your wall. It has far more power than that. And it’s a power that we’ll need to be willing to wield should we decided to do something other than sit on the sidelines and watch as the devil drags folks under that we could have helped by speaking the truth and pointing to Christ.
