Be Strong in the Lord part 2

The Armor of God – Ephesians 6:10 – 13

 ¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³ 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.

It is so amazing to me that God knew all along the trials that I’d face.  He knew that apart from Him I would not be strong enough to stand.

Jeremiah 1:5
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart;

What a comfort to know that not only did He know me before I was even born, but Elohim, Creator God, also knew what tools I would need to be able to survive the onslaught of the world that would try to take me away from Him.

Over and over throughout Scripture, there are examples of God providing for His people.

Genesis 22:8
Abraham answered, “God himself will provide…”

Sometimes, the provision is physical, sometimes emotional, sometimes material, sometimes spiritual.  The key is that God meets the needs of His people when they turn to Him.

All through the days of Israel and even today in our society, we see how when  people turn their backs on God they are led to destruction.   Poor choices and worse consequences plague people who believe in their own self sufficiency.

In our humanness, we will always make mistakes.  We will always fall.  That doesn’t mean, however, that we are defeated.  What we do when we fall may show more about us than what caused us to fall in the first place.  We will face trials and temptations and the choice presents itself: will we allow ourselves to become mired in them or whether we will allow God to direct our paths and trust Him to guide us through and bring us out of the snares that daily challenge us.

1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

Reading God’s Word gives us the instruction we need to not repeat some of these mistakes.

Romans 15:4
For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.

God has very deliberately given us instruction in His Word so that we might prosper and grow in Him.  Allowing Him to suit us in His armour, as David did when he went to battle with Goliath, will guard us better than any other means we may try to make it through the trappings of this life.

Proverbs 3:6
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.