Twin City church of Christ Blog
“Oct 31, 2024 - The Schemes of the Devil”
Categories: 2024 Reading DevotionalsThe Schemes of the Devil
Reading: Ephesians 6:10-15
Paul takes us to the battlefield. “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 schemes of the devil”(Eph 6:10-11). He reminds the Ephesians that they are in a battle against a powerful enemy; they will need “strength” and “armor” to withstand his attacks. Yet he warns that the enemy has carefully planned “schemes” to deceive, entrap, and defeat us. This term implies that the devil has a battle plan engineered to attack me specifically.
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places”(Eph 6:12). The challenge of the battle is that the fight is not what it appears. Though we seem to battle people who oppose God or tempt us to sin, Paul stresses that “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood.” In reality, we are pawns in the battle between God and Satan. There are dark forces at work in the world (“cosmic powers over this present darkness”) and their sights are set on the people of God. These grim words are intended to motivate us to prepare for the battle. “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”(Eph 6:13). Just as we would not wander out onto a battlefield unprepared, so we need to cling to the tools God has given to equip us for the battle.
This text begs a question: What is Satan’s plan for me? What areas of my life is he trying to attack? What people will he use? What arguments, what temptations, what times of weakness? And much more importantly, what do I have from Jesus to combat these attacks? How will I resist?
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One Thing to Think About: If I were Satan, how would I attack me? My local church?
One Thing to Pray For: Daily awareness of the battle in me and around me
