Stand Firm

Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:11, “stand firm against the schemes of the devil.” He continued with the we don’t wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, the powers, the world forces of this darkness, the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12).

Where does the struggle lie? The schemes the devil fall into two attacks; deception and affliction, both designed to attack your faith in Jesus Christ. Satan wants either to confuse you about what you believe is true, or through suffering get you to doubt everything. How can I trust a God who allowed this to happen? The battle ground of affliction is in our emotions; the battle ground of deception centers in our minds, though even here we can’t get away from our emotions. 

We are not enticed into sin by the prospect of committing evil, rather were enticed to believe evil is not evil. We’re convinced there’s some good in it.

So we cheat on our taxes, “it’s not stealing the government is so wasteful and besides, everyone does it.” We gossip, “only passing on truths from those of us who have mature discernment.” We hate, “we are unforgiving as someone must make them pay for what they have done.” And we believe heresy, and even generously support the heretic who teaches it, because they speak of joy, peace, triumphs, who can be against such things? 

Unless we understand this, we’ll be pathetically gullible, sucked into sin, and blown this way and that. We must heed the warning of Paul in Ephesians 5:6, “Let no one deceive you with empty words for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.”