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"Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil."

Text: Ephesians 6:11

THAT YOU MAY BE ABLE TO STAND

Paul wanted to convey two vital thoughts to his readers, even as he sought to brace them for the spiritual battle that lay be fore them.

1. “That you may be able” (“dunasthai”)

a) Lexical meaning

i) Enablement is in mind.

ii) The armour of God is in view here; it will enable the solider to battle well.

b) Grammatical/Theological significance

i) The purpose of the armour of God is to be noted.

ii) The design of God’s armour will bear itself out at the end of the day; the soldier will be enabled to stand up to the enemy’s might.

2. “To stand against” (“stenai”)

a) Lexical meaning

i) The literal meaning is “to stand up”.

ii) The use of this word in context is that the solider is able to stand toe to toe against the enemy.

b) Grammatical/Theological significance

i) When God designed this armour He knew its strength and power; the Christian soldier will be able to stand against any enemy in the panoply of God.

ii) The soldier must learn to trust in the armour that God has given; it will not fail him in the heat of the battle.

THE WILES OF THE DEVIL

The word “wiles” (“methodeias”- from where we get the word “method”) was carefully chosen by Paul. The implications must not be lost.

1. The devil’s attacks are never done randomly.

2. He devises cunning methods/ strategies in all his battles.

3. We are warned that he wages an intelligent warfare!