Caution

Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-13

          The book of Ephesians was written by the Apostle Paul.  He wrote this book to the believers in Ephesus to strengthen their faith by explaining the nature and purpose of the church, being the body of Christ.  Unlike many of Paul’s letters written to various churches this letter was not to confront any problems that he had heard about or to solve a conflict among the believers.  Yet this letter was written to the believers to encourage the saints.  Paul had spent over three years with the believers at Ephesus, teaching them by example and crying out to the Lord for their needs.  Thus this church was very near and dear to Paul’s heart.  Paul met with the elders of the church for the last time at Miletus (Acts 20:17-38).  It was at this meeting that Paul and the elders were filled with great sadness because Paul was leaving them for the last time.  Before leaving Paul warned them to nourish the believers with God’s truth and to exemplify God’s truth in their own lives.  He also warned them that there would be those who would try and come in and teach untruths and there would even be those that would come from among them that would speak perverse things to make their own disciples, but in spite of all they were to remain loyal to God’s Word. 

Lets begin by looking at Ephesians 6:10-13:

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
11 Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Verse 10-  “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and the power of His might”. The word in which we get ‘be strong’ literally means to receive strength. It is not our strength that equips us to stand; it is God’s strength within us when we submit to God. That is why James 4:7-8 tells us that the power of resisting is found through submitting to God. The Devil does not flee from our power, but from God’s power within us that overcomes him. We have the promise that when we draw near to God, He will draw near to us. Resisting the Devil is no longer measured by our strength, but the strength of God who draws us out of temptation. To make sure we don’t miss the point, James 4:8 concludes with the instruction to “cleanse your hands you sinners; and purify your hearts you double-minded”. To be double-minded means to have a divided interest. Those who are divided between living for Christ and living for the world (Satan) will never experience the power of God in their lives until they allow God to cleanse, purify, and renew them with a Christ-centered focus.