used word from the Greek which means “panoply.” This signifies a complete covering of protection so that nothing is left unguarded. What would you think of a soldier who is being drafted into the armed forces, destined for some foreign shore, coming to the quartermaster for his uniform and supplies, gener ously volunteering, “I appreciate all of this, Sir, but if you don’t mind I have a BB gun I used at home as a boy. I was such a good shot with that I won’t need your rifle; I’ll use my own” ? Or suppose he would say, “I won’t need your boots, you see, I’m used to wearing tennis shoes.” God has provided us just the proper armour. Nothing we ourselves have or could find would ever begin to achieve the desired results. After the command to put on the whole armour, we are further en joined to “stand.” Here is the first overcoming note. As believers, we are not to flee or run from Satan. Let us remind ourselves that the devil is a defeated enemy. Moffat’s translation tells us, “Hold your ground.” Weymouth puts it, “Re main a victor.” Martin Luther, pro claiming the liberty of the just liv ing by faith alone, turned his back on the religious hierarchy of his day and vowed, “Here I stand, I can do no other. God help me.” We read of the “wiles of the dev il.” This is an interesting state ment appearing only twice in the New Testament. The term denotes more than just methods, for it em bodies calculated subtle strategy de signed for entrapment. Satan has but one purpose and that is to de feat you. He will sign no truce or cessation of hostilities. In the lan guage of our day, his warfare against you as a believer is com pletely “escalated.” All of us know what it means to experience discouragement. Martin Luther one day was so defeated that he didn’t see how he could carry on.
Noting that he was so morose of spirit, his wife wisely adopted a plan. She put on her black clothes of mourning. Luther was surprised to see her so dressed, for he had not heard of anyone’s death. “Whose fu neral are you going to?” he asked. His wife answered firmly, “Haven’t you heard, God is dead!” The man of faith was shocked. “How can you say such a thing?” he wanted to know. “That's heresy.” In sweetness of spirit she responded, “But you’ve been living as though He were dead. You don’t seem to be trusting Him, otherwise you wouldn’t be so de- T H E ID E A L H O M E An ideal home cannot be built With compass, rule or square. An ideal home cannot exist Without our Jesus there. An ideal home, where Jesus reigns And all on Him depend, Alone can save our nation, doomed, From her untimely end. An ideal home is filled with faith, And works will coincide, Where trust will ever rest in Thee, Our all, the Crucified. The place you find just filled with love No matter where you roam, Where Jesus Christ does reign supreme, There— is the ideal home. feated.” Let’s not live as though God were dead! Verse 13 exhorts us, “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that you may be able to with stand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” The fact that this word stand is underscored and re peated, reveals the tremendous im portance of it. See how the whole armour of God is delineated for us. We must stand to overcome; there is no reason to run away and hide if we are placing our faith and trust in the Lord. The battle, you see, is not ours, but His! 17
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