I have a lot friends who are huge fans of James Bond. Before each mission, the techno-geeks at the British Secret Service equip 007 with the latest and greatest in gadgetry. That crazy dude Q makes sure Bond had all the toys for the job. A watch with a laser. A cigarette case rocket launcher. And don’t forget his Aston Martin which had rotating license plates, smoke screen, oil slick, machine guns and the ever popular ejector seat. I’m assuming these are all aftermarket parts and extras. Like Q telling 007 about the latest toys for espionage, Paul begins telling the believers in Ephesus all about the amazing weapons system God has for every one of Jesus’ followers. “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm” (v13). As followers of Jesus, we have an enemy. He’s going to attack. Be VERY sure of that. God’s armor is just the godly gadget we need to remain standing after Satan’s assault.
In many ways, the apostle repeats what he’s just told us back in verse 11. Previously, he told us to suit up because the devil is going to ambush us when we least expect it. Think of a soldier putting on his helmet and full body armor before heading out on patrol in enemy territory. Here he tells us that our godly gear is the only hope of surviving the satanic sneak attack.
This was an incredibly important and practical piece of equipment for the Ephesians. Just 100 miles away in Colossae, Laodicea and Hierapolis, a team of hucksters have duped believers into falling for a counterfeit gospel. These spiritual snake oil salesmen fooled folks into thinking they needed to finish what Jesus started. According to them, the resurrected Rabbi might have been good but He wasn’t God. They told these Christians that the only way they could ensure their salvation was through self-salvation. Follow a complicated list of religious rules and regs. It just so happens that they had that list with him. How convenient. In order to get them back on track, Paul fires off a letter that we call Colossians. He tells them that Jesus is more God than we can wrap our minds around (Col 1:15-20). Stop trying to finish His work and simply realize that “your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Col 3:3). Before his courier leaves with that letter, Paul writes another one to the Ephesians just down the road. There’s little doubt that this heresy is heading their way. They need to be ready. They need the armor of God.
Once again, he tells us to get our gear on. “Take up the whole armor of God” (v13). Suit up. Get ready. Then for the fifth time in four verses, Paul drops another power term. We climb into God’s armor so that we’re “able to withstand in the evil day” (v13). He uses the verb “be able,” which is the Greek word dunamai. A lot of times this gets translated as able or capable. But this word surges and throbs with strength. It’s where we get words like dynamo and dynamite. It’s probably better understood as to be strong and powerful and have the power. Don’t forget the power source for the armor God. “Be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might” (Eph 6:10). This has nothing to do with my strength (or lack of it!). This has EVERYTHING to do with relying on the unlimited and immeasurable power of Jesus and His Spirit. We have the power to take on our enemy because of the power Christ supplies. The biggest nuclear reactor on earth looks like a dead nine volt battery compared the power of God.
Q always instructs 007 in the reasons and uses for his gadgets. Paul lets us know exactly why we’re given this amazing set of godly gear. When we use God’s armor, Jesus gives us the power to “withstand” Satan’s attack. Paul uses the verb anthistemi. It’s a compound word that literally means to stand against something. It means to resist by using pressure or power, oppose, set one’s self against or refuse to yield. The armor of God gives you and me the ability to stand our ground. The devil will try to knock us off our feet. Brace for impact. The assault is coming.
The apostle then gives us a little glimpse of the end of the battle. Think of flipping to the end of a great book to get a sneak peek of how it all comes out. When we gear up in God’s armor for the devil’s attack, “having done all, to stand firm” (v13). Don’t slide right past that phrase “having done all.” We’re going to need every piece of equipment God gives us to survive the onslaught. All of it. But in the end, we can be sure that we can “stand firm” (v13). This is from the same family of words as “withstand.” It’s histemi, which means to stand after taking position, stand firm and hold one’s ground. We’re taking a stand against evil. We’re taking a stand for truth. We’re taking a stand for the Gospel. We withstand in order to stand. We’re not taking this lying down. We’re not cowering in a foxhole or in a bomb shelter. We stand. When the dust settles, we stand.
Again, I need to continually remind myself that I only have the power to stand because Jesus stood in my place. He lived the perfect life that I’ve failed to live. I take up God’s armor when I trust in what He’s done for me. There are two classic scenes in the Gospels that show us how our Savior withstood Satan in order to stand in victory. The first was His temptation in the desert. The enemy threw the kitchen sink at Christ (Mt 4:1-10). The Lord stood strong and came out on top (Mt 4:11). The second is that gut-wrenching night in Gethsemane. Jesus faced the temptation to abandon His rescue mission just before the cross. But in the end, He agreed to stand strong. He told His heavenly Dad that He would remain faithful, “not as I will, but as You will” (Mt 26:39). In the end, He stood strong. It’s only because He stood strong that I have any hope to do the same.
Q gave Bond the weapons he needed to succeed. Jesus gives us the armor that we need to stand. In the end, we withstand in order to stand.
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