Ephesians 6.1-12 (5)
Pray Psalm 46.1-3.
God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear,
Even though the earth be removed,
And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
Though its waters roar and be troubled,
Though the mountains shake with its swelling.
Selah
Sing Psalm 46.1-3.
(St. Chrysostom: We Have Not Know Thee As We Ought )
God is our refuge and our strength; He is our help in times of need.
Thus though the earth beneath us should change, the sea engulf the mountain range.
Waters may roar with raging speed; yet God will rescue us at length.
Read Ephesians 6.1-12; meditate on verses 10, 11.
What does being strong in the Lord look like in your life?
Preparation
1. How are we to be strong in the Lord?
2. What will that enable us to do?
Meditation
It is possible to know the strength and power of God throughout the course of the day—His strength directing our mind, refreshing our heart, firming up our convictions, and thus empowering us in our body, by word and deed, to spread His grace and glorify His Name. This means we must not depend on our own wiles, wits, or abilities to fulfill our calling. Indeed, if that’s all we have to rely on, we’re doomed to fail. God has called us to His Kingdom and glory (1 Thess. 2.12), and we must through many trials enter and make progress there (Acts 14.22). If we’re going to stand strong in this life, we’ll need more than our wits, resolve, and strength.
Instead, God can fill and direct us in His might, His power, the power of the indwelling Spirit and Word of God. That power is transformative, emboldening, and enabling. He can make us will and do whatever lines up with the pleasure of God (Phil. 2.13). But to tap into and dwell in this power, we must fight the spiritual warfare continually, taking up all the armor of God so that we are not pulled off course or drawn away from contemplating Him as we do our work. The devil is wily and persistent, but we can stand firm against him.
We can all improve our use of all these spiritual weapons, and if we do, the strength and power of God will be at work within us, to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ever dare to ask or think.
God, grant us this power, that we may be strong to live for Your glory!
Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
When the disciples could not stand against the wiles of the devil—Exhibit A: they could not heal the young man being seized by the devil who was throwing him down, causing him to foam at the mouth, gnash his teeth, and become rigid—the father was disappointed, and the disciples baffled.
Jesus said to the crowd observing the scene: “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.” Jesus then questioned the father further about his son’s condition, and then said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Then the child’s father, with tears in his eyes, cried out and said, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” Then Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit and healed the son.
“And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, ‘Why could we not cast it out?’ So He said to them, ‘This kind can come out by nothing but prayer’” (Mk. 9.17-29).
Since we know from reading this story that Jesus did not stop at that moment and spend a long time in prayer, we can assume that His preparation and much prayer for situations just like this, happened at another time specifically, and all the time chronically.
And that is just what we are to do:
“Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might” (Eph. 6.10).
Specifically and chronically.
“So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed” (Lk. 5.16).
“Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray,
and continued all night in prayer to God” (Lk. 6.12).
“Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight,
He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed” (Mk. 1.35).
“Pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5.17).
“Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Ps. 119.105).
“He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength” (Is. 40.29).
Through God’s Word and prayer—daily, hourly, always, continually—we will find strength to stand against all the wily tricks of the one who passionately hates us: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
Resist him, steadfast in the faith…” (1 Pet. 5.8, 9).
We can be used by God, to do those things which seem impossible,
when we are saturated in prayer and the Word.
We can Be Strong!
“Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”
Reflection
1. How would you counsel a new believer to work on being strong in the Lord?
2. What will being strong in the Lord enable you to do each day?
3. What is it about prayer that makes it so important for standing strong in the Lord?
To be “strong in the Lord” is to be strengthened in word and wisdom and the contemplation of truth. All these qualities are encompassed in the titles applying to Christ. The greatest of these is the strength of his might, which is stronger than all human virtues combined. Origen (185-254), Epistle to the Ephesians
Pray Psalm 46.8-11.
Thank the Lord for ways He has given you strength to serve Him. Call on Him to supply you with His strength for specific situations and opportunities today.
Sing Psalm 46.8-11.
(St. Chrysostom: We Have Not Know Thee As We Ought )
Come see the works of God’s Right Hand! He breaks the nations of the earth,
shatters their foolish weapons and pride, sets all their sinful strength aside.
Them He will show His infinite worth as they before His judgment stand.
Rest in the LORD and be at peace, all who are mired in sore travail.
Lift up our God, praise Jesus our Lord; proclaim to all the earth His Word!
God is our stronghold, never to fail; thus may our hope and joy increase!
T. M. and Susie Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment to give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
