Take your stand

Our final study is found in Ephesians 6:10-18. Take Your Stand. Make a decision that you are going to commit your entire life and all of its aspects to Jesus Christ. Put on the full armor of God. Do everything you can to be successful, for, after all, we are headed for eternity.

As you read and study these verses, take note of the following important principles:

The belt of Truth - A belt holds everything together. To know and live by the truth gives us unwavering confidence to move forward. When a belt is fastened, one is ready to go. The only real source of truth comes from the Word of God. When we know His Word we are ready to take our stand for Christ as we live our everyday life. That is why the continuing study of God's Word is so important to every Christian.

The breastplate of Righteousness - A breastplate is a very personal piece of armor that protects the soldier in front and in back. It protects the vital organs of the body. As Christians, righteousness protects our most vital part: Our soul. One scholar (William Barclay) wrote, "When a man is clothed in righteousness, he is impregnable."

Feet fitted with the Gospel of Peace - Our feet represent where we go and what we do. In the wake of our path there should be peace and love. It also presents the idea of being ready. As a person that is ready to go has their shoes on, so the Christian who is ready to take his or her stand against Satan and evil is prepared with the good news of the Gospel.

The shield of Faith - The shield is another form of protection for us. Faith is a complete reliance on God. The greatest protection that a Christian can have against attack is Faith. We are not usually attacked physically but mentally with doubt and fear. Our faith will protect us from these.

The helmet of Salvation - This helmet symbolizes the protection which participation in God's salvation assures us. When you are saved you come under His protection.

The sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God - The sword is a tool we use to fight our battles. In the spiritual battle, it is the Word of God.
Read about the temptations of Jesus in the wilderness in Luke 4:1-13. Each time He is tempted He takes out His sword, the Word of God, to defeat Satan. Again we see the importance of the ongoing study of God's Word.

Be alert and always keep on praying. Paul finishes this section of scripture talking about the importance of alertness in prayer. Praying is keeping the lines of communication open to God on a regular basis. It is important that you spend time in prayer for two major reasons:

It is important that you share your fears, concerns, hurts and joys with God. There will be things that you will not be able to tell anyone else because they will not understand. But God understands our personality, our temperament, our weaknesses, our strengths, our fears, our sorrows, our hurts, and our backgrounds. After all, He created us.

It is important that you let God speak to you. He will help you as you strive every day to live the Christian life, and as you fight the battle against evil and Satan.

This is our final lesson in this series of Bible studies, but this should not be the end of your study of the Word of God. By now you should be in the habit of studying God's Word every week. A suggestion for future studies is to take the scriptures used in sermons and Sunday School Lessons and study them in detail during the week. If you ever have questions or need help of any kind, please feel free to contact your Bible Study partner who will do everything they can to help you.

God bless you as you live a life committed to Christ and His Kingdom.

Pastor David

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