DEVOTIONAL

The Apostle Paul dedicated his life completely to the service of The Lord. While this letter was being written by the inspiration of the Holy Spirt, he was in chains. He had been taking captive for the sake of righteousness and was imprisoned in Caesar’s household awaiting possible execution. During this intense trial, the Apostle sought only one thing for himself, to know Christ and the power of his resurrection, the fellowship of His sufferings, and to be conformed to the image of His death so that he may attain the resurrection from the dead. The Apostle was no stranger to war and took delight in serving his master. As a matter of fact concerning suffering, the scriptures tell us, “Three times he was beaten with rods, once he was stoned, three times he was shipwrecked, a night and a day he spent in the deep. He had been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.” There is no doubt that he had suffered with great travail for the sake of the kingdom of God, longing to see Christ glorified.

Yes, Paul was a soldier of valor, a veteran of suffering, one who was relentless in fulfilling the calling The Lord had placed upon his life. He placed his entire life into the hands of Almighty God; he took up rank under the commander of the armies of heaven, The Lord Jesus Christ, bowing his knees before His throne. The Apostle waged war against the world, the devil, and his flesh, becoming more than a conqueror in Christ, Who is the Captain of his salvation. He understood that the weapons of this world would not combat the principalities of darkness and the rulers of the unseen world. So he clothed himself with heavenly apparel, the royal vestments for the King’s service. He gird himself with truth, putting on the whole armor of God, taking up the sword of the Spirt, and the shield of faith, rendering his life as nothing. He laid his life down as a battering ram to destroy the fortresses of the enemy and to see the captives set free. In the midst of this brutal battle he found strength in the Lord and in the power of His might. Now the Apostle seeks to encourage other soldiers of faith by telling them, “Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.” He was engaging the minds of this first century church to fight, to be prepared for battle,to be willing to lay down their lives, to be done with wanton pleasures, and to surrender their lives to the obedience to God’s word.

Come now soldier’s of truth, pick up your cross daily and follow Christ, for as Jesus said in His own words, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it.” Now is the time to be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might, for there is a day the Lord has set to send His Son back for His bride, the church. On that day will you be numbered with the transgressors and cast into everlasting fire, or will you enter into the eternal rest the Lord has provided for His children?

“Finally, be strong n the Lord and in the strength of His might.” Ephesians 6:10 NASBS