This passage is always for our here and now. Have you ever made that statement “I’ve done all I can do?” This scripture tells us what to do when we’ve done all we can. The Bible has instructed people down through time. It’s always relevant to us as if spoken today. Every time we read it, it helps us.
The devil is relentless and comes as he always does. He’ll keep coming, but we have the same defense. It worked the last time; it will work now. Any failure is on our part. We are more than conquerors through Christ. When you’ve done all you can do, what do you do?
Ephesians 6: 10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand….
If you have served in the military, you didn’t get on a bus and unload into a combat situation. You first had to report to basic training. It was tough. It remade you into a soldier. Daddy was a coal miner; he was already strong. He was a good shot, but he had to be trained a specific way to fight in the Pacific. Those who fought in Germany had to learn a specific way. Viet Nam had its specific training. Every place of deployment has a training guide specific to it.
There is one common enemy behind every assault of our life, and we have plenty of basic training in the Bible to help us. There is not a day we can relax and not worry about a conflict with Satan in one way or another. He’s an aggressive enemy. He never lets up. When you think he has, get ready for the sneak attack. He knows us well. We should know him better than we do because the Bible tells us a lot about him. Because of our lack of study and comprehension of the battles we face, the devil is slick in his pursuit. Don’t underestimate his power. If he were real flesh and blood we could shoot him, but verse 12 reminds us that we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. We’re flesh and blood, but our battle is spiritual. The forces against us are spiritual. The thief is come to kill, steal and destroy. Jesus came to give life more abundantly. If we’ll stand on the Lord’s side and fight the good fight of faith, we can overcome. If we go slack with what we need for the battle, the devil will get to us. He is more powerful than you and I are, but he’s not more power than Jesus and me or Jesus and you.
He has a plan of attack. God provided something we can do. In all our wars, it has not been the general and captains and leaders and politicians that fought. It took the foot soldiers, the manned aircraft and ships. It took working together following good instructions. The Bible says we are to endure hardness as soldiers of Jesus Christ. We’re not to wound and hurt people; we’re to help them. Our enemy is the devil. In his mind, the way to get to the leadership, the best way to get to God, is to destroy God’s people. Many who fought have laid it down and walked away. They willingly surrendered to the devil. I don’t want to go back to my old life. I want to fight the devil.
When we’ve done all we can do to fight and he still comes at us, there is one thing we can do. The devil will tell us to give up. Paul didn’t say surrender. He said stand. Verse 11 says put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. We are able to stand. No matter how many others give up, we don’t have to. At all times the believer is able to stand because God is able to stand us up. No matter what the devil uses against us, we can still stand. If we’re willing to keep the faith, we can stand. We may get wounded but we won’t be destroyed. As long as we keep our eyes on Jesus Christ, we can stand. It is in God’s ability. Be strong in the Lord and the power of his might. We may be worn down, but Jesus is not. When he was on the cross he did not die until he had taken all the sin upon himself. Then, and only then, did he say it is finished. We don’t have the strength of the Almighty. The devil can scare us to death, but God is greater.
On the mountain of temptation, Jesus took the Word of God and dealt blow after blow to the devil. Thus it is written. There is power in the Word of God. If we run out of ideas on what to do, if we come up against a brick wall, and have done all we can do—stand. Verse 13 says wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. We can’t withstand, but we know one who can. All the time he was on this earth he was touched with the feelings of our infirmities. He was not and is not out of touch with us. We can go boldly to the throne of grace in the time of need and find help. Whatever the devil throws at us Jesus has already withstood it. We can too by the help of the Lord.
Verse 14 says therefore, having your loins girt about with truth—truth is armor in a world of lies. Having on the breastplate of righteousness—righteousness is armor in a world of sin. Taking the shield of faith—faith is armor to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. Take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. All these are armor and weaponry that scares the devil and defeats him. The armor fits every one of us. We have armor, weaponry, and ammunition personally made for us. Jesus makes it fit and gives us what we need to fight the devil.
When you’ve done all you can do, you can stand. Therefore—because of all this—stand. We can stand!
Adwolfe Freewill Baptist Church 