Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. (NRSV)

Be strong in the Lord was a command the Israelites had received before. It was a command given before battle (Joshua 1:9, Deuteronomy 31:23). You might remember stories about how God had delivered them from enemies that “made them appear as grasshoppers” (Numbers 13). Paul is calling to mind the capable power of God to defeat enemies that seem unconquerable.

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Paul says we are engaged in a struggle. The Christian life is no cakewalk. The word used here describes wrestling - the contest in which the victor is able to pin down an opponent with a hand on the neck. That’s what we’re fighting against. Those kinds of contests are not won on accident.

Part of being in the military is having piles and piles of gear. Rummaging through it to pack for training exercises forces me to think about why I have it. It’s not so I look cool. It’s to keep me alive. Some of it keeps me alive because Alaska is dangerous, and some of it because there’s a formidable enemy that wants to kill me and all my coworkers. Whether you wear body armor or just recognize cotton socks aren’t good for a winter hike - you get it. This armor matters.

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Paul calls us to put on the whole armor of God for the same reasons. Remember that Satan’s purpose is to “kill, steal and destroy” (John 10:10). Life, with all its challenges, is enough to steal our joy, and Satan does a good job making us question our joy. With joy gone, our witness is stolen, and then he can move in to destroy our life for good.

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This is why the armor is important. Yes, it’s lots of work to engage in spiritual discipline and development but we cannot expect to fight otherwise. Staying connected to God and a community of believers is how we piece together armor, how we cloth ourselves for victory. We arm ourselves with truth, righteousness, peace, faith and are reminded and assured of our salvation through the Word and ministry of the Spirit. We pray always. With all this in place we can withstand the struggle and experience the strength of the Lord.

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What we fight is more dangerous than just comfort or complacency in our faith. Those are merely tools Satan uses to get at us. The real thing we fight is a very active power, an enemy we cannot ignore, and he’s trying to pin us by our neck. It’s time to get in the fight.

Father, knowing you is more than friendship. You are also my ally. You bring victory. You are my only hope for withstanding the plans of the devil. Teach me how to wear your armor. Fill my heart with your Word. Please help me learn to discern your voice so I will always be alert. Amen.