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"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." (Ephesians 6:13 NIV)
Is there any doubt in any of our minds that we are in the “day of evil”? The entire planet is in pain. Thousands of pepe are dying because of something so tiny we can’t even see it. This small, terrible virus, COVID-19, came to all the countries of our planet with just one goal: Destruction!
There are those who condemn our Heavenly Father – Not for causing this virus, but for allowing it to continue. They forget that our struggle is not against flesh and blood (and remember, Jesus is flesh and blood!) (Eph 6:12b NIV). Let’s not forget that our battle is against the devil! And let’s remember that God knew in advance that such horrible things would touch our planet, and He gave us armour so that we can be prepared.
Never has there been such an evil day in our generation. Now is the time to put on God’s armament and stand your ground.
It is interesting to see the way vs. 13 is worded. First we are told to put on God’s armor. Then after telling us that there would be evil days coming, the verse says, “after you have done everything…” Just what is this “everything” we’re talking about here? The “everything” that we can do is to put on God’s armor! Only after this can we even hope to stand!
To illustrate the importance of being properly protected before we enter into hard times, Let’s look at something that we see happening in hospitals around the world. As COVID-19 reeks havoc on all of humanity, those who are at highest risk of infection are the front-line medical workers. No one tells them they can “opt-out” of their duties. Rather, they are (or should be!) given adequate protective equipment. Now let’s say they decide to not put on their protective equipment, and then they are exposed to asymptotic patients with COVID-19. It won’t do them any good to run and put on a mask at that point, will it? And since their patient is asymptomatic, they won’t even realize they need to go and take a good shower! These medical workers who choose to not put on protective equipment will not stand. They can only stand when they fully protect themselves before they go to see their patient.
It is no different for us in our battle against the evil spiritual forces in this world. If we wait until we’ve encountered Satan’s forces before protecting ourselves, it is too late. God tells us to be protected at all times, and unlike the shortages of masks and gowns that the world has seen in its hospitals, His protective equipment NEVER runs out!
Let’s remember that God has all of this prepared in advance. When we follow Him, we are victorious. Why? Because He is victorious!
Join us next Sunday to begin to see just what this armament actually entails, in "God’s Armament", Part 20.
In His love,
Rob Chaffart
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