Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Spiritual Warfare – Ephesians 6:13-14 – Stand Your Ground – Growing As Disciples
Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, Ephesians 6:13-14 (NIV)
Stand
That’s exactly what I want to do. What do you want to do? I want to be able to stand my ground. I want to be able to stand against evil. I want to be able resist temptation. How will you be able to do that? Not with my own power and strength, that is for sure. That sounds like the voice of experience. It is. I have failed miserably trying to stand against evil and resist temptation. Why is that? I am weak. I desperately need your help. Yes, you do. Is that what you are asking for? Are you asking me to make you able to stand against evil and resist temptation? Yes, I am. That’s good. I do have a question for you. Go ahead, ask me, I’m listening.
Why do you want to stand against evil and resist temptation? That seems like an odd question, coming for you. Why is that? Don’t you want me to stand against evil and resist temptation? Yes, I most certainly do want you to stand against evil and resist temptation. But, I want to know what you want. That is a good question. Why do you think so? Well, at one time I think my heart and mind were divided. How so? If I were to be honest with you and with myself, I would say that a part of me enjoyed sinning. A part of me did not fully want to stand against evil and resist temptation. For a time it was fun to enjoy sin. It was pleasurable to give into temptation by engaging in evil. What changed your heart and mind? The pleasures of sin are for a very short time. The long term wages of sin is death. Sin and evil and temptation caught up with me. How so? I began to feel the painful sting of sin. A life that keeps on sinning becomes a bruised and battered and broken life. There is no joy in a life of giving into temptation by engaging in evil. No, there is not.
So, the brokenness of your life is what caused you to completely change your mind about engaging in the short term pleasures of sin? No, I wouldn’t say so. What would you say? I would say that the sting of sin and the death it brought into my life got my attention. What really caused me to want to resist evil and stand against temptation was something else that I wanted. What was that? I wanted to love you with all my heart and mind and soul and strength. You first loved me. I wanted to love you back. I have come to want what you want. I want to live the life that you have called me to live. I want to go where you guide me. I want to do what you ask of me. I want to bear fruit for your kingdom and bring glory to your name. So, you are asking me to help you to put on my full armor so you can stand against evil and resist temptation, so you can be used by me as my witness in the world. That’s right. That is very good. I will hear and answer your prayer.
Lord, I cannot stand against evil and resist temptation solely with my own power and strength. If I rely solely on myself, I will certainly fail. I need your help. I will put on your full armor. I will rely on you. Make me able to stand against evil and resist temptation. Amen
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