Spiritual warfare

 

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,

Ephesians 6

Our journey of becoming more and more like our King, has an enemy. The message of hope we carry in the gospel has an enemy. BUT we have been provided for as we have read in this chapter. We have been given our weapons of warfare. Prayer is part of that armour, we are called to pray with the help of the Spirit of God in all circumstances and all kinds of prayers. Let prayer be the first and last things you do in your day. May our Lord continue to equip and enable through His spirit and in His Word.

Walk in wisdom and love

 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.

Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Ephesians 5

Walk in unity in honour of Christ

 

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift

 

Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbour, for we are members one of another.

Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labour, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

mystery of Grace revealed

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,

that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—

that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

 

and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.

 

This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel

Ephesians 3 

In Christ all humanity is blessed. God’s grace is for us all. 

My prayer is if there be anyone reading and does know Christ, He is for you, take the step. 

For us walking in Christ let us never take for granted the sacrifice and privilege we enjoy in fellowship with Him.

Our Lord our peace and cornerstone

 

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Christ Our Peace
For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near.

 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

Christ Our Cornerstone
Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Ephesians 2

In Christ through faith

 

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ

—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

 

For by grace you have been saved through faith.

And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works; which God prepared beforehand; that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 2

 

Our Father initiated for us the undeserving human race.

We do not earn our salvation, our Father chose to rescue us from our own sinful nature.

In Christ through faith we are saved and gain reconciliation to our Father and redemption from sin.

revelation in the knowledge of Him

I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers,

that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him,

having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you,

what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,

and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ

when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,

far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.

And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

We are still continuing with Ephesians chapter1.

I have been struggling a bit and I needed to be encouraged in faith again, and I thought of the book to the Ephesians.

This books shows us the fulfilment of our Fathers plan in Christ and His Spirit.

We are taught about our salvation and how we can never earn it.

It also teaches us about our journey of faith, teaches us about how reliant we are on the Holy Spirit and how with prayer we can overcome.

Christ is our anchor but it is our responsibility to know Him and the Hope He has called us to.

A friend of mine and I were talking this morning about the danger of relying on devotionals, instead of the Bible. For devotional can never give you the full picture of our Father but His Word reveals Him to us.

My prayer is that each and every single one of us, fellow Christ followers would dwell in the Word and learn of our Father, our Lord, and the Holy Spirit.

Completely reconciled and redeemed

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

In him we have obtained an inheritance,

In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

Ephesians 1

Our Father chose to love and redeem us.

 He fulfilled His plan of reconciliation and redemption through Christ, our Lord.

That encourages me and strengthens my faith.

We are more than confident as we surrender our hearts and lives to Him, that He has a plan for us and He will help us as we navigate life.

There is no greater love than the love our Father has shown us in Christ Jesus our Lord.