Stand

Yesterday we finally reached the end of Ephesians.

After weeks of walking through Paul’s letter, Paul finally says the word every tired church member secretly loves after a multi-week series: “Finally.”

Some of you may have whispered, “Amen.”

But Paul does not stop there. He writes, “Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power,” and then he starts talking about armor.

Yesterday, we took a little trip down history lane. I will be honest and admit that early last week I was not entirely sure I wanted to take that trip. Part of me wanted to stay with the familiar Sunday School version of this passage. Helmet, breastplate, shield, sword, and maybe a cardboard Roman soldier if we got desperate. It would have been easier because everybody knows that version.

However, the more I dove into Ephesians 6, the more convinced I became that we needed the bigger picture. When Paul talked about armor, powers, rulers, authorities, and darkness, he was not being poetic just to sound dramatic. He was naming the world his people lived in.

That context matters. Sometimes we read Ephesians 6 and think Paul is calling us to become spiritual superheroes, as if the point is to pump ourselves up, grit our teeth, and go toe-to-toe with the devil. But Paul says the opposite. He says, “Be strong in the Lord.” Not in yourself.

Be strong in the Lord!

That little phrase carries the whole passage. Paul is very clear that our struggle is not against flesh and blood. That means the deepest battles we face are not simply with people who annoy us, disappoint us, oppose us, or vote differently than us. (Sigh)

Paul says there is something deeper going on. There are powers and forces of darkness at work in the world. The Bible does not treat evil as merely bad habits pr unfortunate circumstances. Evil is real. Darkness is real. Spiritual opposition is real. But here is the good news:

Jesus is more real.

That was the heart of yesterday’s message. We do not put on the armor of God because we are strong enough to defeat evil. We put on the armor because Christ has already won the decisive victory, and now we are called to stand in His strength. That is a very different kind of calling, and it brings us back to the phrase we used yesterday:

“Already, but not yet.”

Christ has already defeated sin, death, and the devil through His cross and resurrection. The victory is not in question, and the outcome is not up for grabs. We are not waiting to see whether Jesus can pull this off. He already has.

And yet, we do not yet see every enemy fully defeated. We still live in a world where darkness does damage. We still see lies take root, fear spread, pride divide, temptation pull, grief wound, and evil destroy. The war has been won, but the battlefield has not yet gone quiet. That is why Paul tells us to stand.

Just stand.

That word struck me this week. Paul repeats it over and over. Stand against the schemes of the devil. Stand your ground. After you have done everything, stand. Stand firm then. Apparently, standing is more spiritual than we sometimes think.

Standing means staying rooted in Christ when everything around you tries to knock you off balance. Some days, standing is all you can do.

There are seasons when faith does not feel like marching forward with a banner raised high. Sometimes faith feels like keeping your feet planted while the storm blows. Sometimes faith is getting up one more morning and saying, “Lord, I am still Yours.” Sometimes faith is refusing to let bitterness have the final word. Sometimes faith is simply not quitting.

That counts, and I think we forget that.

Maybe that is why this is such a fitting end to Ephesians. Paul has spent the whole letter telling us who we are in Christ. At the end, he tells us to stand there. Stand in what Christ has done. Stand in who Christ has made you. Stand in the victory Christ has already won. That is not passive. That is faithful.

Christ is risen. The grave is empty.

The powers have been disarmed, and the victory belongs to Jesus. But the darkness still fires shots. So Paul says, put on the armor of God. The goal is not to look impressive in the helmet, though some of us do.

The goal is to remain faithful until Christ is Lord indeed.

Let’s pray.
Lord Jesus,
You have already won the victory through Your cross and resurrection. Teach us to stand in Your strength and not our own.
Clothe us with truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and Your word. Keep us steady when the darkness feels loud, and remind us that the final victory belongs to You.
Help us stand together as Your church until every enemy is defeated and You are revealed as Lord indeed.

In Your holy and precious name,
Amen.