The Upper Room Daily Devotion – Friday, 10 January 2014 - “Maintaining
Strength” Read Ephesians 6: The Whole Armor of God
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his
power. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand
against the wiles of the devil. 12 For our[a] struggle is not against enemies
of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against
the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of
evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so
that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything,
to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your
waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. 15 As shoes for your feet
put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. 16 With
all of these,[b] take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to
quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation,
and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and
supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for
all the saints.
Footnotes:
a. Ephesians 6:12 Other ancient authorities read your
b. Ephesians 6:16 Or In all circumstances
Put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil
comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything,
to stand. (Ephesians 6:13 (NIV))
The pain in my chest was so intense I could hardly breathe as my
husband rushed me to the hospital. That emergency led to surgery and a five-day
hospital stay. The surgery was a success, but the forced inactivity took a toll
on my body. I was weak when I left the hospital, and the struggle to recover my
strength surprised me. Actions that used to be easy took great effort. I have
noticed also that the same deterioration can occur in my spiritual health. When
I take a prolonged rest from Bible reading and prayer, I grow spiritually weak.
Then when confronted by temptation, I have little power to resist. While bodily
exercise helps me stay fit so I can fight the battle against the physical
demands of life, daily exercises of prayer and Bible reading help me fight the
spiritual battles of life — like gossip and greed. To stay healthy, my goal is
to exercise both body and spirit. I do this by walking a couple of miles each
day and by walking daily with Jesus in prayer and in the pages of scripture.
These practices that God provides give me the strength I need to face all the
struggles of life. (The Author-Lynn Karidis (Michigan, USA))
Thought for the Day: To see a picture of Lynn and her husband,
go to devotional.upperroom.org/blog.
Prayer: O God, thank you for providing practices that help us
overcome life’s battles. Help us use these tools to stand our ground. Amen.
Prayer focus: Cardiac patients
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