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5 October 2007
Ephesians 6 v 10-13
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his great power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can fight against the devil's evil tricks. Our fight is not against people on earth but against the rulers and authorities and the powers of this world's darkness, against the spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly world. That is why you need to put on God's full armor. Then on the day of evil you will be able to stand strong. And when you have finished the whole fight, you will still be standing.
Have you ever watched the film 'The Karate Kid'? This kid, Daniel LaRusso, persuades a karate master to teach him the art of karate, but is confused when this 'expert' just puts him to work painting fences, waxing cars and sanding down wood. He sticks with it for a while, but understandably begins to resent being used as a household slave. Just when Daniel's about to quit, his teacher throws a punch at him and he discovers that all the actions he's been using to do household chores have taught him the basic movements for self-defence. It all fits together! I feel a bit like that with this passage.
We've been told to yield to one another, to love each other, to honour our parents, treat our children fairly, obey our 'masters' and be good to our slaves. But why? It's because of this battle going on against 'the powers of this world's darkness' and 'the spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly world'. This is happening right here, right now, and all around us. Surely one of the devil's worst tricks is to divide families, split relationships and undermine authority so that we live alone and in chaos? Paul's instructions have taught us the basic movements of self-defence by showing us how to hold relationships together.
We might feel outraged when a friend lets us down, a parent deals with us unfairly or a teacher criticises our work, but let's not waste our energies fighting against people on earth when there are bigger fish to fry! Where's your battleground?
Father, we praise you that you've already won the battle against evil and that we don't have to worry whether we're strong enough. Thank you that you have sent us your Spirit to protect us and strengthen us against evil. Lord, give us the vision to see where the battle is taking place in our lives and the weapons to fight for you. Amen
Written by Tom Cockburn
Ephesians 6 v 10-13
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his great power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can fight against the devil's evil tricks. Our fight is not against people on earth but against the rulers and authorities and the powers of this world's darkness, against the spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly world. That is why you need to put on God's full armor. Then on the day of evil you will be able to stand strong. And when you have finished the whole fight, you will still be standing.
Have you ever watched the film 'The Karate Kid'? This kid, Daniel LaRusso, persuades a karate master to teach him the art of karate, but is confused when this 'expert' just puts him to work painting fences, waxing cars and sanding down wood. He sticks with it for a while, but understandably begins to resent being used as a household slave. Just when Daniel's about to quit, his teacher throws a punch at him and he discovers that all the actions he's been using to do household chores have taught him the basic movements for self-defence. It all fits together! I feel a bit like that with this passage.
We've been told to yield to one another, to love each other, to honour our parents, treat our children fairly, obey our 'masters' and be good to our slaves. But why? It's because of this battle going on against 'the powers of this world's darkness' and 'the spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly world'. This is happening right here, right now, and all around us. Surely one of the devil's worst tricks is to divide families, split relationships and undermine authority so that we live alone and in chaos? Paul's instructions have taught us the basic movements of self-defence by showing us how to hold relationships together.
We might feel outraged when a friend lets us down, a parent deals with us unfairly or a teacher criticises our work, but let's not waste our energies fighting against people on earth when there are bigger fish to fry! Where's your battleground?
Father, we praise you that you've already won the battle against evil and that we don't have to worry whether we're strong enough. Thank you that you have sent us your Spirit to protect us and strengthen us against evil. Lord, give us the vision to see where the battle is taking place in our lives and the weapons to fight for you. Amen
Written by Tom Cockburn
God Bless
