| Isaiah 54:1-57:14; Ephesians 6:1-24; Psalm 70:1-5; Proverbs 24:8
“Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength. Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the tactics of the Devil. For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. This is why you must take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. Stand therefore…” (Ephesians 6:10-14)
Paul starts Chapter 6:1-9 by telling children that they are to honor their parents, that it is the first commandment with a promise. You’ll note Paul didn’t put stipulations as to the greatness of the parents, he merely said that if you want life to go well you will honor your parents. Kids, recognize that you didn’t come with an instruction manual. Your parents are and have probably done the best they know how to do in raising you. Know that God is the only perfect parent and you aren’t going to understand why He does some of the things He does either.
By the same token Paul instructs the fathers not to provoke the children. Hey dad, kids are kids, they weren’t born forty-five, they aren’t going to see things from your perspective and they aren’t going to do things exactly like you would. Like us, they are little human beings in a growing process. We can’t expect children to act and reason like adults, they are children. The goal is to raise good adults not perfect kids! Train them in the way of the Lord and trust Him to make up what you lack.
Next, the apostle moves on to the relationship between slaves and masters. You can equate this to bosses and employees (and some marriages-haha), or if you live in an area where slavery still exists then take it at face value. Know that the Bible doesn’t condone slavery but acknowledges its existence and seeks to help people rise above it by changing the way they look at one another. And by causing them to consider how they would like to be treated if the shoe were on the other foot. At any rate, Paul says we are to work as unto the Lord, not with the mentality of pleasing a man. We are to work hard with a great attitude knowing that our Father sees all that we endure.
People may be able to affect your circumstance but they can’t take your joy and they can’t suppress your spirit. You are totally in control of that aspect of your life. Masters and employers are to treat their subordinates fairly knowing that God is watching. In His kingdom everyone is on equal ground, there is no slave, no Jew or Greek, male nor female, we are all one in Christ. We will all give an account for how we treat others one day.
Finally, Paul addresses the spiritual warfare behind many situations we will face in life. He tells us to do all that we do as unto the Lord, keep a good attitude, honor people, etc. because our true enemy is not a person it is the Devil. I know people like to keep demons in the background kind of like a crazy aunt no one likes to talk about, but they are mentioned throughout the Word. They are real, spiritual warfare is real, and we are engaged whether we want to be or not. So pull your head out of the sand, put on your armor and get ready to fight.
I want you to know that I’m not discounting personal responsibility. We can’t blame Satan for everything, people do yield to wickedness, but many times they are influenced spiritually, and it is our job to not only protect ourselves and others, but to change the spiritual atmosphere. This is another aspect of getting out of the carnal way of thinking and moving towards becoming a supernatural person. You can’t be a supernatural success if you hate people. Hate sin, hate the enemy, pray for people, pray over circumstances and move forward. Checkmate Satan! BAM…I win!!
PRAYER:
Father, open my eyes to the truth behind situations. Help me to not be angry with people but to see the bigger picture. I am determined to use all situations in my life to propel me to a supernatural life of victory in Christ. I’m strapping on my armor and I’m just going to leave it in place so that I am always prepared. Cause me to be a prayer warrior. Forgive me and make me clean Lord so that I know you are on my side. With You I can do anything. In Your name I pray, amen. |
