Dear Friends,

While we may sing “Onward Christian Soldiers,” too many of us fail to realize that we are in a war! Today’s devotional will explain. God bless you.

Because of Calvary,

John Janney

• Ephesians 6:10-18

  Ephesians 6:10-18   (ESV)

  The Whole Armor of God

  ¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. ¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. ¹⁴ Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; ¹⁷ and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, ¹⁸ praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,

Ephesians 6:10-18

“A practiced soldier may guard himself against the full swing of the sword, but the rapier leaps in on a sudden, and reaches the heart. Armour protected the ancient warrior from the sword-cut, but the thrust found out the joint of the harness, and penetrated the body. Thus Satan deals with us. We stand upon our guard against him, and we fancy we have shielded ourselves at all points from head to foot; and we watch him, for we are not ignorant of his devices, and when he smites, we turn his blow aside. Again falls his stroke, and we ward it off; but just when we half think that we may rest a minute, the rapier is thrust in, and the blood flows. Ah, me! I have heard of a ruler who, in olden times, wore armor all day and all night long for a full year, for he was aware that an assassin dogged his footsteps; but it grew burdensome to wear this heavy suit continually, so he took it off, and within five minutes he was stabbed and dead. Mind that you never remove your armor, for the foe who seeks your destruction watches you so carefully that he will perceive your momentary carelessness. Even with your armor on, you may not be secure, for he knows where the joints are, where one piece of the harness fits into another, and how to give his thrust where it will tell. O God, if thy servants are kept throughout life secure from such a foe as this, how they will glorify thy blessed name! In each case where ‘that evil one toucheth him not,’ the Lord will have a grateful minstrel to sound forth his praise eternally, even as I do this day.”

[Charles Haddon Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit XLIII, (London: Passmore and Alabaster, 1897), p. 486]