“Be strong!” Has anyone ever told you that in a difficult time. One of my favorite physicians told me once when I was in great pain after surgery, “Duane, I need you to be tough.” In my pain-agitated mindset, I replied, “At what point of this journey did somebody tell you that I was tough?” Be strong. Okay. But how. Paul writes to the believers in Ephesus with a great answer: “in the Lord.” We cannot be strong on our own. But in the Lord, all things are possible.
Jesus equips those he calls. Are you wearing your armor? The Super Bowl reminds us that equipment is important. If you lose your helmet, you are not allowed to participate in the play. I remember the one year I played football, I lugged my shoulder pads and helmet with me to school. Apparently they helped me because I was not injured that year. We made our kids wear bicycle helmets to protect them in case of an injury.
Paul likely looked at a Roman soldier as he wrote, “Put on the full armor of God.” God’s armor has a purpose. With it we can take our stand against the devil’s schemes. Satan is a roaring lion seeking to devour us. Luther wrote, “The prince of darkness grim, we tremble not for him. His rage we can endure. For, lo, his doom is sure.” The first sermon Melanie and I heard after our wedding was preached by E. V. Hill on television. I suggested I might preach the day after the wedding. She disagreed. So we watched E. V. on T. V. as he preached an unforgettable sermon on this text called, “Report for duty!” You are up. Now pray up and stay up, fully armed with the armor of the Lord.
