THE K I N G ’ S BUS I NESS
729
SATURDAY, August 29. Eph. 6:11, 12. We must not only be continually being made powerful “ in the Lord,” we must also be armored without as well as empowered within, so Paul adds still further, “ put on the whole armor of God.” The word translated “ whole armor” is the word from which we get our word panoply, i. e., the armor cov ering the entire person from head to foot (cf. vs. 14-17). No armor of man’s devising will prevail; it must be “ the armor of God,” t. e., the armor God fur nishes (cf. Isa. 5:9, 16, 17). But why this need of the power, strength and might of Christ and of putting on “ the whole armor of God” ? Paul gives the answer in the remaider of the verse, and the answer is, because there is “ the- Devil,” the enemy and accuser (cf. Job, ch. 1, 2; Zech. 3:1, 2, R. V. Marg.; Rev. 12:10), and because he assaults every believer with his “ wiles,” i. e., skillfully planned strategems. The Devil has been well characterized as “ the most subtle of created intelligences” - (cf. 2 Cor. 2: 11; 11:3, 14). We need “ the whole armor of God” that we may be able to stand against his wiles. If we have on ‘‘the whole armor of God” we shall “ stand.” If we leave any part off,.we shall fall. Paul in verse 12 gives the full reason for the solemn exhortations of verses 10 and lit, and the reason is a most startling one. The reason is ' this: we have a “ wrestling” i. e., a hand to hand conflict before us, and this con flict is not with “ flesh and blood,” i. e., with mere mortal men like ourselves, / even the mightiest of men; our hand to/ hand conflict is with great spiritual dig-! nitaries headed up under the supreme leadership of that mighty intelligence, the Devil, that lofty dignitary who stood so high that even Michael the arch angel “ durst not bring against him a > railing judgment” (Jude 9.) Our wrestl ing is “ against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” These are tremendous words. They teach first that under the Devil are great hosts of subordinate evil personages. Second, that these hosts are skillfully organized under ranks of leaders of such great dignity and power as to be called “ principalities,” “ powers” (cf. ch. 1:20, 21), “ world-rulers.” This last word is especially significant. The Devil is “ the prince of this world,” i. e., of fallen humanity as a whole, and he is also the “ god of this age” (cf. John 14: 30; 16:11; Luke 4:6; 1 John 5:19).
There is reason to'suppose that God assigned this world to him in his unfallen state as his especial sphere of power. At all events he is “ the prince of this world.” “ The world-rulers” are the head potentates under him. Such world-rulers as Alexander and Caesar and Charlemagne had petty power indeed compared with these real world- rulers, and our conflict is against such. They are not only “ world-rulers,” but they are “ the world-rulers of this dark ness,” i. e., of the present order of things under the midnight shadows of error, sin and death. Further still, these evil dignitaries are “ in the heavenly places,” i. e., in heayen (cf. ch. 1:20, 21; Job 2:2; Rev. 12:9; Luke 10:18). Sin is a far more awful and far-reaching evil than our petty human philosophies imagine. It has not only desolated the earth, but invaded and polluted heaven. But it will be cast out (2 Pet. 3:13). Such is the fight we have on hand. SUNDAY, August 30. Eph. 6:13. In verses 11 and 12 we have been told how terrific and awful and appall ing is the fight we have on hand, but we shall win this fight, and verse 13 tells us how: “ Take up the whole armor of God” (R. V .). The words “ take up” imply that God has laid this whole armor right at our feet, and so He has. Our business is to take it up and put it on. With this armor and only with this armor, we shall be able to “ with stand,” (i. e., to stand against) the Devil. We are not to withstand or resist the cruelty of the Devil as represented by evil men and as merely directed toward us (Matt. 5:39, R. V .), but we aré to withstand, or resist, his wiles by which he would lure us into sin; and we can withstand (cf. Jas. 4:7; 1 Pet. 5:9, R. V.). There is an “ evil day,” or rather “ the evil day,” coming, a day of especial conflict »(every saint of God has such a day), but even in that day in which evil manifests itself in such overwhelming power, we shall be “ able to withstand.” Furthermore, “ having done (rather, fully done, or worked out) all,” we shall be able “ to stand” without . having budged one inch. MONDAY, August 31. Eph. 6:14. In verses 14 to 17 we have a detailed description of the different parts of “ the whole armor” that God provides for the Christian in his conflict “ against the principalities, against the powers,
Made with FlippingBook Annual report