“Arming”
for Victory
Memory
text: Ephesians 6:13
Therefore
take up the whole armor of God, that you
may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
By
now we have heard a lot about the armor but very little about the victory. What is victory in Biblical terms? Victory is the overcoming of an enemy or
antagonist. Who is our enemy? Some may
say the Devil, and they are right. Some
may say death, and they are right also. However,
when Christ spoke about overcoming He mentioned the world. Jesus told His disciples,
John
16: 33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In
the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the
world.
What
is about the world or what does it represent that needs to be overcome? In a few verses above this chapter Christ
gives us a hint,
John
16: 7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go
away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I
depart, I will send him unto you.
John
16: 8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of
righteousness, and of judgment:
John
16: 9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;
Christ
said to the disciples that when the Holy Spirit comes He will reprove the world
of Sin, among other things. Why
Sin? Because, the world – those who live
in it – do not believe in Him. Why does
the world do not believe in Christ? When
Jesus spoke to Nicodemus He said that the condemnation of the world was “that
light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because
their deeds were evil” (John 3:19). So,
the world is condemned because they have chosen not to believe in the “Light of
the world.” This was the problem of Israel
Unbelief
is used for two Greek terms: one of them meaning no faith, and the other one
apathy. But apathy is a compound word: a
+ pathy . Pathy
comes from pathos. Pathos comes from
peithos, of which the root word is pistis or faith. Paul uses apathy to refer to the Israelites
in the wilderness. Now Paul refer to the
apathy – lack of feeling or concern because of not believing – of the
Israelites to warn the people of his day that they too could fall in the same
trap (Hebrews 4:11). This is an ongoing battle going on in our
hearts and minds. Ellen White also warns
us about it. Ellen White says,
“In
every soul two powers are struggling earnestly for the victory. Unbelief
marshals its forces, led by Satan, to cut us off from the Source of our
strength. Faith marshals its forces, led by Christ, the author and finisher of
our faith. Hour by hour, in the sight of the heavenly universe, the conflict
goes forward. This is a hand-to-hand fight, and the great question is, Which
shall obtain the mastery? This question each must decide for himself. In this
warfare all must take a part, fighting on one side or the other. From the
conflict there is no release. . . . We are urged to prepare for this conflict.
‘Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor
of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.’ The
warning is repeated, ‘Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye
may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.’”
-Ellen G. White, Sons and Daughters of God, p. 328.
So,
the implication is that those who put on the armor will overcome the wiles of
the devil, of which one of the greatest weapons is unbelief. So, to put on the armor then is to be born of
God, because they are the ones who overcome the world. And, they do so by faith – by hearing and
believing the word of God. The Apostle
John says,
1
John 5: 4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the
victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
1
John 5: 5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus
is the Son of God?
So,
there is no need for unbelief to be part of our lives. Christ has given us His victory.
