In our ‘Churches Together’ prayer meeting today, we looked at Ephesians 6:10-20, a passage which reminds us that the Christian life involves spiritual warfare. If we want to see real change in our communities, we must be prepared to pray in the Spirit on all occasions (Eph 6:18) and to put on the full armour of God so as to be equipped to stand (Eph 6:11-13).
This passage begins with the command to ‘be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.’ (Eph 6:10) So often, we feel weak and helpless when it comes to life, let alone to prayer. We face situations beyond our control and understanding; we feel vulnerable, inadequate and useless most of the time! But this command reminds us that our strength is in God, not in ourselves. It’s OK to be weak so long as we hide ourselves in the Mighty One! (see 2 Cor 12:9)
The story of David and Goliath which we looked at in our family service reminds us that physical strength is not the answer to life’s battles. We need spiritual strength, divine strength. Nehemiah reminds us that ‘the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ (Neh 8:10) As we give ourselves fully to God, His joy and strength are given to us.