Be Strong in the Lord
Ephesians 6:10–20
A few years ago I went to the dentist expecting a routine visit. I assumed it was a simple cavity appointment. Nothing serious. But when I arrived, the receptionist casually mentioned the dentist was preparing for surgery. A few minutes later I heard the words root canal, and I realized I didn't read the instructions ahead of time. That moment taught me something simple: instructions matter, especially when you are heading into danger.
That is exactly how Paul ends the book of Ephesians. He is not offering random closing thoughts. He is giving urgent instructions to believers living in a real spiritual battle.
Paul begins with a command: “Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.” Notice he does not say be strong in yourself. The strength the Christian needs does not come from effort or discipline alone. It comes from the Lord.
Then Paul tells us why this strength is necessary: “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” The Christian life is not a playground. It is a battlefield. Our struggle is not merely against circumstances or difficult seasons. Beneath those struggles is a deeper conflict involving spiritual forces that oppose the work of Christ.
When Paul speaks about the armor of God, he is not inventing a new idea. He is drawing from the Old Testament picture of the Lord as the divine warrior. In Isaiah 59:17 the Lord is described this way: “He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on his head.”
And in Isaiah 11:5 we read, “Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins.”
The armor Paul describes is God’s armor. The strength believers stand in is not their own strength but the strength of the Lord.
Paul then describes how this armor equips us to stand.
The belt of truth holds everything together. A life shaped by God’s truth and lived with integrity keeps believers from tripping over hidden sin and deception.
The breastplate of righteousness protects the heart. It is a life brought under obedience to God, where areas of compromise are surrendered to Him.
The shoes of the gospel of peace give readiness and stability. The gospel grounds our lives and sends us forward on the mission of Christ.
The shield of faith is what we list up to extinguish the enemy’s flaming darts, lies, accusations, and despair, by trusting the promises of God.
The helmet of salvation guards the mind with assurance that Christ has already secured our redemption.
And the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, is the believer’s offensive weapon.
Scripture brought to mind and spoken in faith cuts through deception and exposes lies.
Paul closes by reminding the church to pray at all times in the Spirit. Prayer keeps believers alert and dependent on God, and it is the very thing that makes the Word alive and active in our lives.
Perhaps you are struggling to believe your identity in Christ. Perhaps you are wrestling with doubt. Maybe your marriage is hanging on by a thread. The call of God in this passage is to remember that your enemy is not your spouse, and it is not merely the difficult circumstances around you.
Our battle is deeper than what we see.
Paul reminds us that “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood.” Our struggle is against the devil and the spiritual forces at work behind the scenes of our lives; forces that seek to keep conflict alive in our homes, to keep hidden sin buried in the dark, and to push us further away from God’s purposes.
But the encouragement of this passage is that God has not left His people defenseless. He has given us His armor, His Word, and the gift of prayer so that we can stand firm in Christ.
Jesus has already won the victory. Our call is simple: stand firm in Him, by putting on His armor.
That is exactly how Paul ends the book of Ephesians. He is not offering random closing thoughts. He is giving urgent instructions to believers living in a real spiritual battle.
Paul begins with a command: “Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.” Notice he does not say be strong in yourself. The strength the Christian needs does not come from effort or discipline alone. It comes from the Lord.
Then Paul tells us why this strength is necessary: “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” The Christian life is not a playground. It is a battlefield. Our struggle is not merely against circumstances or difficult seasons. Beneath those struggles is a deeper conflict involving spiritual forces that oppose the work of Christ.
When Paul speaks about the armor of God, he is not inventing a new idea. He is drawing from the Old Testament picture of the Lord as the divine warrior. In Isaiah 59:17 the Lord is described this way: “He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on his head.”
And in Isaiah 11:5 we read, “Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins.”
The armor Paul describes is God’s armor. The strength believers stand in is not their own strength but the strength of the Lord.
Paul then describes how this armor equips us to stand.
The belt of truth holds everything together. A life shaped by God’s truth and lived with integrity keeps believers from tripping over hidden sin and deception.
The breastplate of righteousness protects the heart. It is a life brought under obedience to God, where areas of compromise are surrendered to Him.
The shoes of the gospel of peace give readiness and stability. The gospel grounds our lives and sends us forward on the mission of Christ.
The shield of faith is what we list up to extinguish the enemy’s flaming darts, lies, accusations, and despair, by trusting the promises of God.
The helmet of salvation guards the mind with assurance that Christ has already secured our redemption.
And the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, is the believer’s offensive weapon.
Scripture brought to mind and spoken in faith cuts through deception and exposes lies.
Paul closes by reminding the church to pray at all times in the Spirit. Prayer keeps believers alert and dependent on God, and it is the very thing that makes the Word alive and active in our lives.
Perhaps you are struggling to believe your identity in Christ. Perhaps you are wrestling with doubt. Maybe your marriage is hanging on by a thread. The call of God in this passage is to remember that your enemy is not your spouse, and it is not merely the difficult circumstances around you.
Our battle is deeper than what we see.
Paul reminds us that “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood.” Our struggle is against the devil and the spiritual forces at work behind the scenes of our lives; forces that seek to keep conflict alive in our homes, to keep hidden sin buried in the dark, and to push us further away from God’s purposes.
But the encouragement of this passage is that God has not left His people defenseless. He has given us His armor, His Word, and the gift of prayer so that we can stand firm in Christ.
Jesus has already won the victory. Our call is simple: stand firm in Him, by putting on His armor.
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