Our study this week is from Ephesians 6:13:

As a famous Bible teacher once said, every time you see a “therefore” written, you should go back and see what it is there for. In this verse we see that the “therefore” is a reference to the nature of our struggle with principalities and powers that is explained in verse 12. This is also a repetition of the command in verse 11 to “put on the full armor of God.” Anytime something is repeated like this in Scripture we should understand it is because of the increased importance of what is being addressed. If the apostle thought this was so important by repeating it so quickly, then we too should take the time to review the exhortation, which we will do, with the added insights the verse gives.

Again, taking on the full armor of God is a crucial responsibility for every believer, yet, there seems to be very little emphasis of this in much of the church. If we do not put on the armor of God the enemy’s shots will get to us, and we will be repeatedly and unnecessarily, wounded. If we put on the full armor of God the enemy is only wasting his efforts, since we will be protected.

This gives us a simple choice. We are in a battle throughout our life on this earth. Until the kingdom comes so that authority over the earth is restored to God, we are living in enemy territory. If we do not put on the armor that God has provided for us in our mission here, we can expect continual wounding, which is precisely what many believers endure for their entire lives, and could have avoided. We have a choice. What are we going to do about it? I think that only the most foolish would not endeavor to learn how to put on the armor that has been provided for us. This we intend to do as we study the subsequent verses.

Here, the apostle also repeats the exhortation to “stand,” as well as the addendum “firm.” For every soldier of the cross, we must have a commitment from the very beginning that we will never compromise our convictions, and we will never retreat before the enemies of the cross. We will stand firm regardless of the consequences. Retreat is not an option for us. As we read in Proverbs 28:1, “The wicked man flees though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion” (NIV). One of the primary characteristics that is found in every single great man or woman of God in Scripture or in history is their boldness in standing for truth and righteousness. What would our lives register on the “Boldness Scale” in standing for the truth of the gospel?

This is one reason why we are told in Hebrews 11:6, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (NIV). If we really believe in God, and that we have been entrusted with His truth, how can we fail to be bold with it? How can we be intimidated by pseudo-intellectuals or other enemies of the truth if we know the Lord? Every true believer will have a boldness and confidence that is uncommon in the world because we know the power, authority, and truth of the One that we serve.

One reason why many lose their boldness is because they allow the enemy to draw them into a fight on his grounds. One of the highest priorities of any general in warfare is to choose the field of battle. There are some who are equipped by God to fight on different fields. There are those who are equipped to fight on the field of philosophy, science, or to confront witchcraft, etc. One basic wisdom we need to operate under is to refuse to be drawn into battles that are outside of our realm of authority unless we have a special commission from the Lord, which will include a special grace for the purpose.

Even though we may refuse to be drawn into a fight on certain grounds where we are not equipped to fight, this does not mean we should ever retreat. In those cases we still take our stand and refuse to give any of our ground to the enemy. Regardless of how the enemy attacks us, any retreat on our part could only come from a lack of faith in the One we serve. That is why the truly righteous, who are the ones with true faith, will always be as bold as a lion. That is why we are told in II Corinthians 3:12, “Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold” (NIV).

As Christians we have a great advantage in this life—we can go to the end of the book and read the end of the story—we win! As we are promised in II Corinthians 2:14, “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ...” (NKJV). If you were called to do something and told you could absolutely not fail at it, you could be quite bold in it couldn’t you? We have been promised success in this life, and a victory that will last forever! How can we fail to be bold with such a promise from none other than God Himself? That is why those who have true faith in God will stand and not compromise their convictions under any amount of pressure that the devil brings upon them. The devil will test us, but those who really believe will always stand.