“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” -Ephesians 2:10-11
My first year of high school began when I reported, early in the summer, to football orientation and practice. I walked into the gym of my new high school with eyes wide open, not knowing what to expect. All first-year students sat down in the gym as the coaches brought us together for a heart-to-heart discussion on what we were about to experience. They described the hard work that was expected, what our schedules would be, and the effort they expected out of us. Before we moved on, the coaches gave us a serious warning! They told us that the older players (just off winning a state title) were serious about this game of football, and we better be too! They warned us that if we didn’t pay attention, we would find ourselves getting hurt. They told us the older students were fast and strong and could hurt us if we didn’t stay focused.
The next thing they did was issue us the equipment we needed to survive the horror they had just described to us. A helmet, shoulder pads, pads for our pants, and cleats for our feet. They did all this so we would still stand at the end of the day. Without it – well, it would not have been a pretty picture.
As we stepped onto the practice field, the coaches gave us a rousing talk about how we were on our way to the next championship. With excitement, we took the field for our first day of practice. It was now practice for what seemed like an approaching battle.
The Apostle Paul described much of life this way…an approaching battle. Each day, we struggle against so many things. Our schedules and demands, the things that are beyond our control and the issues that bring us stress, those things that tempt us in our weakness, and even the spiritual world are part of the struggles we wrestle with daily. Paul understood that life could be filled with joy as much as it could be filled with trials.
Although we are called to stand strong in the face of the overwhelming, we are not called to stand alone. This is good news! To “Be Strong in the Lord” is not something we do by ourselves. It is something that comes from a relationship with Jesus. To be strong in the Lord comes as our faith is developed, day by day, as we intentionally walk with God.
In the book of Ephesians, Paul encourages the faithful to put on “The whole armor of God.” Like a football player takes time to put on their pads, we are encouraged to daily draw closer to God. This is how we prepare ourselves for the work, the struggles, and the trials at hand. God provides us the equipment to stand strong and live a full life. Let us be intentional about putting on the equipment that God has provided. Trials and joy are ahead, and God is with us through it all.
Rev. Keith King, Pastor of Worship
