"BE STRONG IN THE LORD!"

Ephesians 6:10-12                 (KJV)

"10 Finally, my brethren, "BE STRONG IN THE LORD", and in the power of his might.

11 Put on the WHOLE armour of GOD, that ye may be able to stand against the WILES of the devil.

12 For we wrestle NOT AGAINST FLESH AND BLOOD, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

 

Today my spirit is grieved.  To begin with, I have a classmate from grade school who has a grandchild that has been diagnosed with an aggressive cancer.  Then the headlines of the local newspaper tell of every imaginable evil.  It seems the enemy is doing his best to cause as much pain and heartache as he can to everyone, especially believers of JESUS!  Shouldn't we be expecting this though? 

One can become beat down with all of pressures and disappointments of our daily lives.  The Apostle Paul instructs us to "BE STRONG IN THE LORD" as the battle will only intensify.  Paul wrote 2000 years ago that the struggle is fierce and we must put on the WHOLE armour of GOD  as we stand against the enemy.  We must not neglect prayer, scripture study, meditation, or anything that can be used to sanctify us in order to be a better equipped workman for our Godly calling.

Our struggle is not and will be not be against humans or subjects, but "against the rulers of the darkness OF THIS WORLD"!  In John 14:30 JESUS tells us that the prince OF THIS WORLD is coming but he has no power over HIM.  The victory has been fought, we just have to rest in the VICTOR!  

"BE STRONG IN THE LORD" is the only proven cure for the virus that the enemy is trying to spread.  The only cure for "the WILES of the devil" is the LOVE of JESUS CHRIST!  We are promised "tribulations" (John 16:33), but in the same verse JESUS says "that in ME you may have PEACE"!  We can "BE STRONG IN THE LORD" because HE has overcome the tribulations we will face.