March 18 I Wednesday

Deuteronomy 32-34

Mark 15:26-47

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”  —Ephesians 6:10-11

The opening verse of this devotion comes from Paul’s letter to the church of Ephesus. He is well aware of the kingdom of darkness and how it is trying to kill the church in that region. He talks about the source of the problem, “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 6:12). This is not only the source of struggle in the Ephesian church but also ours, as we stand in God’s power against the dominant forces behind our culture that are at play within the city, the nation and the world.

When we enter into our times of prayer, we are taking our stand against the devil’s schemes and Paul reminds us of where the source of our strength comes from: “Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.” We are not doing it with our own strength; we are doing it in the Lord, in His power and in a posture of humility as we pray and seek Him.

Paul talks about how we prepare for battle by putting on the armour of God. “Therefore put on the full armour 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. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled round your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:13-17).

After outlining the different pieces of armour we wear in spiritual warfare, Paul directs his attention to what drives it all. He tells us, “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people” (Ephesians 6:18).

As Christians living in the world, we are engaged in a spiritual battle daily but the key is that we need to be clothed with Christ and pray. We need to be praying in all occasions, whether we are in good times, bad times or whatever situation we find ourselves in. May we give ourselves to a life of prayer—it is the most important thing we can do.

Prayer: Dear Lord, help me to pray in all occasions, lifting all my concerns into Your hands. I ask for Your protection against the devil’s schemes as I wear the armour of God. Thank You, Lord.