Doing All We Can (Ephesians 6:13)

Standing firm in this spiritual fight that is upon us does not happen by accident. Satan continues to go to and fro on the earth and walking back and forth on it (Job 1:7). Peter said that the devil is walking about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). So, Paul tells us that as we arm ourselves for battle, we must do all we can to stand (Ephesians 6:13). This begins with putting on the whole armor of God. We should be thankful that our heavenly Father has given us all that we need to stand against the devil. We have an armor that Satan cannot penetrate. But are you doing all you can to emerge from this warfare victoriously? When it comes to the salvation of our souls, nothing should be left undone. Here are some things we all can be doing to make sure that we continue to stand with Christ.

We can keep the armor of God on at all times. Without the armor we are completely vulnerable to the assaults of Satan. Yes, the armor gets a little heavy sometimes. Yes, it can even get uncomfortable after it has been on all day. However, without it you do not stand a chance against the wily ways of the devil. Truth should not be something you put on and take off constantly. It should be fastened to you like a belt. Righteousness should not be something that comes and goes in your life. It should be your breastplate day and night. Faith should not be something that fluctuates in your life, depending on the circumstances surrounding you. It should protect you like a shield from the moment you get up in the morning until the time you close your eyes and go to sleep at night. If you do not put on the armor of God, and keep it on, you are giving the devil the opportunity to defeat you.

We can make prayer a constant practice in our lives. After Paul described the armor that we must put on to stand against the devil, he said, “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit…” Prayer is a powerful weapon we can use against Satan. James once said, “…Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). James wasn’t guessing about that. He was stating an inspired truth. Just after he tells us to resist the devil, he exhorted us to draw near to God. When we draw near to God, we are resisting the devil. One way to draw near to God; in fact, the best way to draw near to God, is through the avenue of prayer. If your prayer life is lacking, you are not doing all you can to stand. Fortunately, there is an easy way to fix it—just start praying. Purposely put time aside to pray. Separate yourself from all distractions. Enter into the prayer room that Jesus spoke of in Matthew 6:6, and earnestly pray to your heavenly Father. This will give you the power to shoo the devil away like an irritating fly buzzing around your head. Prayer will give you the strength to overcome temptation, or even avoid entering into it altogether (Matthew 26:41).

There are other things you can do as well. Add bible study to your regular routine. Make sure that you are spending time with other Christians who can encourage you (Hebrews 10:24). Make a habit of attending gospel meetings that are in your area. If we really want to defeat that old serpent, we will do all that we can to do so. The salvation of our souls should be our top priority in this life. Of one thing we can be sure—the devil will do everything in his power to knock us down. Let us counter him by doing everything in our power to stand. As you wind down for the night, think on these things.