March 18 - The Full Armor of God

Today's Reading:
1 Chronicles 28:1-29:30
Ephesians 6:1-24
Psalm 110:1-7 
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
Ephesians 6:11-13
11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

Insight:
The struggle for good and evil has a spiritual, cosmic dimension. Paul reminds us that the struggles of humanity are part of a much larger picture. There is a spiritual dimension to the problems we face. To address difficult life issues effectively, we must recognize the spiritual roots and principles at work: hate, greed, malice, dehumanization, fear, rage, envy, pride, lust for power, possessions, self-gratification, godlessness, rebellion, and blasphemy.

To be truly concerned about spiritual issues in our world, we must also recognize and counter the problems and systems that grow out of spiritual depravity: social injustice and war; corporate greed; systemic poverty, starvation, and disease; political corruption; abuse and discrimination; human trafficking, and so much more. Our struggle is not merely with flesh and blood; it is against spiritual powers and principalities. Neither is our struggle merely spiritual; it is against the very material systems and evils brought on by dark powers at work in our world.

Response and Action:
I must recognize the spiritual root of all the evil and human suffering in my world. I must recognize the very practical and physical ways that spiritual evil is corrupting human affairs in my world. I must put on the full armor of God—his truth, his counsel, his word, his righteousness, his peace, and his Spirit—if I am to stand firm in the fight against evil. As a follower of Jesus, in the strength of the Lord, I need to oppose evil and stand up for what is right.

Our Father, who fills the heavens, holy is your name. I long to see your Kingdom come to earth—your will lived out on earth as it is in heaven. Strengthen me, protect me, and help me to stand firm in the face of evil. Help me to raise my voice, give my energy, and exercise my abilities as a force for truth and good against those powers of evil that are destroying the lives of so many in our world. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses:  
James 4:7-8
7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Resources:
Good News About Injustice: A Witness of Courage in a Hurting World
by Gary A. Haugen