I think it would be good to read Ephesians 6:10-18, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to STAND AGAINST the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to WITHSTAND in the evil day, and having done all, to STAND. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.” 

Notice in this portion we read about standing against, about withstanding, and about having done all, to stand.  If we look at this portion as a whole, I think we will get great benefit and encouragement from it.  Here, we are being exhorted to “BE STRONG in the Lord.”  How we need the strength of the Lord to follow Him and live for Him in this “evil day” in which we live.  Our gracious Lord has provided us with “THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD” to equip us so we may be able to stand against the wiles and ways of the devil.  He is a formidable foe and we truly need the Lord to be able to resist him. 

The whole armor of God consists of:

  • Our loins girt about with truth.
  • The breastplate of righteousness.
  • Feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel.
  • The shield of faith to quench the fiery darts of the wicked.
  • The helmet of salvation.
  • The sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
  • Included also is the exhortation to pray and to be watchful.

Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are engaged in a battle.  This is not a physical battle, but a spiritual battle.  As we just read in Ephesians 6:12, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”  Although we are not in a physical battle, the attacks of the enemy can manifest itself in physical ways, such as tempting us to lust, anger, jealousy, etc.  I encourage you to click on this ANSWERS FROM THE BOOK link to read more about the Armor of God:  https://answersfromthebook.net/what-is-the-armor-of-god/

In Ephesians 6:11, we are exhorted to STAND against the wiles of the devil.  To take a stand is to abide or be firm.  In this case we are to be firm against the plans and plots of the devil.  James 4:7 tells us, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”  We do not run from him, but we resist him, and he will run away from us.  Of course, we MUST submit ourselves to the Lord before we can resist the devil. 

In Ephesians 6:13, we are told that by putting on the whole armor of God, we will be able to WITHSTAND in the evil day.  I believe the “evil day” referred to here is the time we are particularly under the attack of the enemy.  When we are accosted by our formidable foe, having on the armor of God will make us victorious over him in a practical sense.  The believer does not have to live a life of defeat.  We read in 1 John 2:13, “I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because YE HAVE OVERCOME THE WICKED ONE. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father.”

Finally, in Ephesians 6:13, we are told, “and having done all, to STAND.”  Having stood against the enemy, and having withstood his wiles, we must remain on guard.  The devil may flee from us for a season, but he will come back later to tempt us all over again.  Victory is ours, but we must stay alert, we must stay strong so that we might honor our blessed savior and Lord, Christ Jesus.  (CC)  (602.4)