Text: Ephesians 6:10-18
Apostle Paul starts the statement on the topic of Armor of God by giving the command to the believer to be “be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power”. Paul is telling us that the unlimited power and strength of Christ is the source of strength for those who belong to Him. Despite the fact that God has provided the believer with the necessary apparatus by which to withstand the attack of the enemy, the Christian must not lose sight that every element of the armor of God is the creation of God and thus is His provision.
In verse 10, Paul is teaching us that our primary source of victory is only through Christ and His mighty power. Unfortunately when the battle rages, we fall into the trap of relying on our own strength. As Christians, we are to be strong in the mighty power of God. This means that our strength is not our own; it is not human or fleshly. Our strength is not of the world, but our strength is found in Christ — in having a vibrant, dynamic relationship with Him. As Paul tells us in Philippians: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).
We can trust God's provision for battle, not our own. God's faithfulness to us has already been manifested in the cross and His power is channeled through the Holy Spirit. Paul in Ephesians 3:16 says “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being...”.
How do we obtain God’s strength? Isaiah 40:31 gives us the key - “but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” Waiting and spending time in God's presence is the key in drawing strength from above. Knowing our source of strength is one important criterion in spiritual warfare. It is by first aligning ourselves with the strength of God through our total submission to Him that we are able to withstand the wiles of the evil one: “be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power”.
Total submission is also an act of trusting the Lord. The true source of strength for the believer is not physical weaponry or carnal ability. As Paul saliently notes, the armor of God is only effective if the believer places complete trust in God.
Be Blessed.
