Reading Through The New Testament In 2016. Day 173. Ephesians 6

To end Ephesians, I’m just going to leave you guys with a section of Spurgeon’s commentary. I had a reflection written up, but what Spurgeon wrote is just all around better.

Ephesians 6:10. Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

Everything depends upon that. Whether you are called upon to work, or to wait, or to watch, or to suffer, you have need to be strong. If you are not yourself strong, the very armor that you wear will be a burden to you. It is of the utmost importance that Christians should be as strong in grace as they can possibly be. And the power that is to be in them is to be the power of God: “the power of his might.” What a wonderful power that is! The power of flesh is weakness, and the power of man is fading but the power of God is almighty and unchangeable; and if we can be girt about with this power there is scarcely any limit to what we may successfully attempt. “Finally,” — as if this were a matter of the highest importance, to be considered first and last. — “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might.” You know how strong Paul himself was; he was a veritable giant for Christ, and he here calls upon his brethren to be as he was, he did not want to be brother to dwarfs, so he appealed to his brethren to “be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.”

Ephesians 6:11. Put on the whole armor of God, —

The armor of God will not serve you unless you yourself are strong. It needs a strong man to carry girdle, and breastplate, and shoes, and shield, and helmet, and sword. Let me impress upon you the fact that we must first of all get strong within, and after that “put on the whole armor of God,” that armor which God has provided for the good soldiers of Jesus Christ, that armor which distinguishes men as belonging to the army of God. Do not merely put on a part of it, but put on the whole of it. Do not simply look at the armor, and clean it up so as to keep it bright, but put it on, wear it, it is meant for you to use in the great battle for the right against the wrong: “Put on the whole armor of God,”