Introduction – Saturday, September 09

Imagine waking up one morning and seeing a big, scary army outside your window. That's what happened to a servant in a story found in 2 Kings 6:15-17

KJV ¹⁵ And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? ¹⁶ And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. ¹⁷ And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. CEV ¹⁵ When Elisha's servant got up the next morning, he saw that Syrian troops had the town surrounded. “Sir, what are we going to do?” he asked. ¹⁶ “Don't be afraid,” Elisha answered. “There are more troops on our side than on theirs.” ¹⁷ Then he prayed, “Lord, please help him to see.” And the Lord let the servant see that the hill was covered with fiery horses and flaming chariots all around Elisha.

But his friend, a prophet named Elisha, told him not to be afraid because God was on their side. When the servant looked again, he saw that there were even more powerful angels protecting them. This story reminds us that God is always with us, even in tough times.

Sunday, September 10 – Battle Speech

Read Ephesians 6:10-11

KJV ¹⁰ Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. CEV ¹⁰ Finally, let the mighty strength of the Lord make you strong. ¹¹ Put on all the armor that God gives, so you can defend yourself against the devil's tricks.

In this passage Paul tells us to be strong in the Lord and put on God's armor. It's like getting ready for a big battle against bad things in the world. We should remember this advice today to stand up against the wrong things we might face.

Monday, September 11 – Finding Strength in Christ

Paul ends his letter with a powerful call to battle that draws together themes and ideas important to the letter as a whole. He begins by announcing the overarching theme of the conclusion, offered in the tone of a commander’s battle cry:

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might” (Ephesians 6:10

KJV ¹⁰ Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. CEV ¹⁰ Finally, let the mighty strength of the Lord make you strong.
). The rest of the passage illustrates and unpacks this large theme – Ephesians 6:11-20

KJV ¹¹ Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. ¹² For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. ¹³ Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; ¹⁵ And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; ¹⁶ Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. ¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: ¹⁸ Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; ¹⁹ And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. CEV ¹¹ Put on all the armor that God gives, so you can defend yourself against the devil's tricks. ¹² We are not fighting against humans. We are fighting against forces and authorities and against rulers of darkness and powers in the spiritual world. ¹³ So put on all the armor that God gives. Then when that evil day comes, you will be able to defend yourself. And when the battle is over, you will still be standing firm. ¹⁴ Be ready! Let the truth be like a belt around your waist, and let God's justice protect you like armor. ¹⁵ Your desire to tell the good news about peace should be like shoes on your feet. ¹⁶ Let your faith be like a shield, and you will be able to stop all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Let God's saving power be like a helmet, and for a sword use God's message that comes from the Spirit. ¹⁸ Never stop praying, especially for others. Always pray by the power of the Spirit. Stay alert and keep praying for God's people. ¹⁹ Pray that I will be given the message to speak and that I may fearlessly explain the mystery about the good news. ²⁰ I was sent to do this work, and this is the reason I am in jail. So pray that I will be brave and will speak as I should.

Tuesday, September 12 – The Great Controversy in Paul's Letters

In his letters, Paul frequently employs military language and imagery, inviting believers to mimic exemplary, soldierly behavior. While Ephesians 6:10-20

KJV ¹⁰ Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. ¹² For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. ¹³ Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; ¹⁵ And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; ¹⁶ Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. ¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: ¹⁸ Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; ¹⁹ And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. CEV ¹⁰ Finally, let the mighty strength of the Lord make you strong. ¹¹ Put on all the armor that God gives, so you can defend yourself against the devil's tricks. ¹² We are not fighting against humans. We are fighting against forces and authorities and against rulers of darkness and powers in the spiritual world. ¹³ So put on all the armor that God gives. Then when that evil day comes, you will be able to defend yourself. And when the battle is over, you will still be standing firm. ¹⁴ Be ready! Let the truth be like a belt around your waist, and let God's justice protect you like armor. ¹⁵ Your desire to tell the good news about peace should be like shoes on your feet. ¹⁶ Let your faith be like a shield, and you will be able to stop all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Let God's saving power be like a helmet, and for a sword use God's message that comes from the Spirit. ¹⁸ Never stop praying, especially for others. Always pray by the power of the Spirit. Stay alert and keep praying for God's people. ¹⁹ Pray that I will be given the message to speak and that I may fearlessly explain the mystery about the good news. ²⁰ I was sent to do this work, and this is the reason I am in jail. So pray that I will be brave and will speak as I should.
represents his longest and most concentrated use, military language exhibits one of his major ways of understanding the gospel story. Having conquered the “rulers and authorities” at the cross (Colossians 2:15

KJV ¹⁵ And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. CEV ¹⁵ There Christ defeated all powers and forces. He let the whole world see them being led away as prisoners when he celebrated his victory.
), the exalted Christ now works out the results of that victory from His position as exalted Lord over the powers (Philippians 2:9-11

KJV ⁹ Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: ¹⁰ That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; ¹¹ And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. CEV ⁹ Then God gave Christ the highest place and honored his name above all others. ¹⁰ So at the name of Jesus everyone will bow down, those in heaven, on earth, and under the earth. ¹¹ And to the glory of God the Father everyone will openly agree, “Jesus Christ is Lord!”
). Recruiting His followers as combatants in the cosmic war, Christ leads the armies of light toward a grand day of victory (1 Corinthians 15:54-58, 2 Thessalonians 2:8

KJV ⁸ And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: CEV ⁸ Then he will appear, but the Lord Jesus will kill him simply by breathing on him. He will be completely destroyed by the Lord's glorious return.
, Romans 16:20

KJV ²⁰ And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen. CEV ²⁰ Then God, who gives peace, will soon crush Satan under your feet. I pray that our Lord Jesus will be kind to you.
).

Wednesday, September 13 – Standing on the Ancient Battlefield

We must understand Paul’s military metaphor in the context of the ancient battlefield. What did it mean to “stand” (Ephesians 6:11

KJV ¹¹ Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. CEV ¹¹ Put on all the armor that God gives, so you can defend yourself against the devil's tricks.
, Ephesians 6:13-14

KJV ¹³ Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; CEV ¹³ So put on all the armor that God gives. Then when that evil day comes, you will be able to defend yourself. And when the battle is over, you will still be standing firm. ¹⁴ Be ready! Let the truth be like a belt around your waist, and let God's justice protect you like armor.
)? Does the verb suggest a defensive-only posture? Battle speeches included in the writings of Thucydides, one of the great classical authors of battle literature, highlight three successive actions that must occur if a side is to be victorious:

soldiers must “close with the enemy,” which means they must march to meet their foes; then,
they must attack and “stand fast,” or “stand our ground,” fighting hand-to-hand with their foes; and finally,
they must “beat back the enemy”.

(Thucydides, The Peloponnesian War, 4.10.1-5).

Thursday, September 14 - Wrestling Against Evil Powers:
Paul describes “our struggle” (Ephesians 6:12

KJV ¹² For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. CEV ¹² We are not fighting against humans. We are fighting against forces and authorities and against rulers of darkness and powers in the spiritual world.
), using a Greek word for the competition between wrestlers (palé). Since wrestling was regarded as excellent preparation for battle, this is an appropriate description of the weapon-against-weapon and hand-to-hand combat that takes place when armies clash. Paul is emphasizing the reality of believers’ close struggle against the evil powers.

Friday, September 15 - Further Thought:
Remember that our fight is not against people but against bad things in the world. We should never give up or give in to the wrong things. Instead, we keep trusting in Jesus and His strength to help us through the battles we face in life.

Discussion Questions:

Have you ever faced something difficult or scary? How did you find the courage to get through it?
If you see someone struggling with bad thoughts or feelings, how can you help them remember that God is with them and they can stand strong?
When you feel like you've done something wrong, remember that Jesus forgives us and helps us start fresh. How can you remind yourself of this when you're feeling down?