The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Ephesians 6:10-13, “Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might.
11 Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world
forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done
everything, to stand firm.”

Life itself is often a struggle; therefore, we should not be surprised that someone like the Apostle Paul should include mention of it in his letters. It’s not enough for him to tell us (along with the Ephesian believers) that our strength is in the LORD and not in ourselves. That’s the very reason he admonishes us to “put on the full armor of God.”

The battle in which Paul envisions our engagement is not against individuals like ourselves. It’s a tough spiritual battle waged against the devil himself. Remember that Satan (the devil) was originally the supreme angel of the LORD. His pride, however, envisioned him as above Almighty God, so God brought him down, and he became the LORD’s chief adversary. One third of all of the angels in Heaven followed Satan in his rebellion against the LORD. And that’s the subsequent conflict that has invaded mankind ever since.

So, the atmosphere of evil that prevails on Earth today and targets and seeks to draw us into conflict comes from the devil and those spiritual thugs that follow him. It is he who seeks to erase morality and replace it with wicked thoughts in our minds. Those evil intentions that pervade the world had their origin in Satan’s workshop. He tailor-makes them for us. That’s why we need the “full armor of God” to protect us and enable our resistance. We have no resistance apart from the LORD; yet, wrapped in His armor, we are impervious to sin’s attacks and defeat! Do you possess His armor? You must never be without it because you never know when Satan will strike! Stop right now and pray! Tomorrow, we will learn more about the armor of Almighty God!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom