I’m speaking at a women’s retreat in Connecticut for the weekend. The facility hosting the retreat is in a beautiful wooded area, and our meeting room is beside a serene lake. It’s the perfect setting to retreat from normal activities and be refreshed by fellowshipping with Jesus and other precious ladies.
The theme for the weekend is the Armor of God. It’s a topic that I have never taught on before, and it has caused me to go deep into researching what a Roman soldier’s armor would have looked like back in the days of the New Testament writings. When Paul wrote Ephesians 6, he was actually in prison, literally chained to a Roman soldier. He had an up close and personal view of this soldier, which is why he could articulate the importance of spiritual armor so well.
As I am teaching this weekend and explaining the importance of putting on the armor of God to withstand the attacks of the enemy, it has brought up the experiences of pain and disappointment in my own life, and in the lives of my sisters in Christ here at the retreat. Just because we are Christ followers, we are not promised a life with no suffering. But we are promised that God will never leave us or forsake us. In the midst of our pain, when we aren’t experiencing the breakthrough that we are contending for, we are called to stand! When we have put on all the armor and have prayed every prayer we know how to pray, but we still don’t see a breakthrough, we are called to stand firm in faith. Having done all...stand! Stand firm in faith, stand firm in claiming God’s promises, and stand firm in prayer.
Just stand!!
Ephesians 6:13 Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
