Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 6:10-12 NIV)
Last time I talked about verse ten. God commands the church to be strong in the Lord. We will be strong as we understand that God provides the strength that we need. Strength comes through joy for the joy of the Lord is our strength. (Nehemiah 8:10 NIV)
This week I want to focus on the phrase take your stand against the devil's schemes.
In this portion of Ephesians, Paul discusses spiritual warfare. God provides armor for us to wear. We are to be strong in the Lord. We do not struggle against people, rather we struggle against the rulers, the authorities, the powers of this dark world, and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
It is important for the believer to refrain from magnifying Satan. The Word of God instructs us to magnify God. Sometimes believers allow themselves to focus their attention on Satan. The primary focus of your attention should always be God and his Word.
Satan is a defeated foe. The purpose of spiritual warfare is to enforce the defeat that Jesus won at Calvary and through his resurrection.
Satan and his forces are intelligent, living spiritual beings. They produce schemes and strategies in an attempt to cause us to stumble in our walk with God. However, Paul said, For we are not unaware of his schemes. (II Corinthians 2:11 NIV)
As believers we should be aware of the schemes of Satan. We should be watchful. Paul said, Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. (Colossians 4:2 NIV)
Part of prayer is being watchful. We should be alert and watchful in prayer. The Holy Spirit will alert you to Satan's schemes. Then you can avoid falling prey to his plan.
The purpose of Satan's scheme are simple. Satan's entices you to take your focus off of God and his will, and to focus on yourself and the circumstances around you. When your focus is God, you are a powerful threat to the kingdom of darkness. However, once your focus turns to yourself and to your circumstances, you effectiveness in the kingdom diminishes greatly.
What are some of the schemes of Satan? Look at the words of Jesus from the parable of the sower and the seed. Then Jesus said to them, "Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? The farmer sows the word. Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown." (Mark 4:13-19 NIV)
The Word of God is a seed. If the Word of God is sown into good ground, it will produce fruit thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times the amount of the seed.
Here are some schemes that Satan uses to prevent the Word of God from producing in your life.
This week I will focus on the first scheme Jesus mentioned....the worries of this life.
- The worries of this life.
- The deceitfulness of wealth.
- The desires for other things.
Here are two powerful passages of Scripture which address the sin of worry.
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes. Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:25-34 NIV)
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7 NIV)
The passage in Matthew comes from the words of Jesus found in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus commands his followers to not worry. He tells us to not worry about what we will eat, or what we will drink, or what we will wear. Jesus illustrates his teaching by saying that the birds do not sow or reap, yet God feeds them. The lilies of the field may not live long, yet they are clothed with more splendor than Solomon. So.....do not worry.
In verse 33 Jesus gives what I call an antidote to worry. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
God knows your needs, and you never need to worry. Seek first his kingdom, and everything you need will be added to you.
A second antidote is found in the passage from Philippians. Paul commands the church to not be anxious about anything. But, here is the antidote to worry....but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Don't be anxious about anything, but bring every troublesome situation in your life to God in prayer. Then, you will be filled with peace, rather than worry.
You cannot afford the luxury of worry. It is a sin. It is a scheme and snare of Satan. Worry will choke the Word of God in your life, and cause you to be impotent in the work of the kingdom of God.
Both Jesus and Paul clearly commanded us to refrain from worry, and they both gave us powerful antidotes to the insidious disease of worry. Don't focus on the negative. Don't focus on the circumstances. Don't focus on the potential of negative results.
Instead, seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. Put God first in every area of your life. Then, do as Paul said. Bring every situation to God in prayer, and allow God's peace to fill your life.
I have experienced anxiety; I have experienced the peace of God. His peace is far better.
Make today the beginning of the end of the reign of anxiety and worry in your life!!
Wayne L. Williams
wayne@fotwm.org
Wisdom From the Word
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