God does not ask us to do more than we are able.
He does, however, expect us to do what we can. Regardless of our talent level, we must use it for the cause of Christ, no more or less. We must do this because of what God and Christ have done for us.
God’s Blessings in Christ
Paul’s letter to the Ephesians reminds us that we are blessed “with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (1:3); that we are chosen “in Him” (verse 4); that we have the opportunity to become God’s “sons by Jesus Christ” (verse 5); that we are “accepted in the Beloved” (verse 6); that we have “redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (verse 7); and that when we are in Him we are “sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance” (verse 14).
In view of these blessings, and others revealed in the letter, we should echo Paul’s words to the Corinthians: “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15).
God’s Willingness to Bless
Besides revealing how we have been blessed by God when we are “in Christ,” the book of Ephesians conveys His willingness to continue to bless those who seek to faithfully serve Him. Paul prayed for God to do this very thing for the Christians in Ephesus when he asked for them to be “strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man” (Ephesians 3:16).
In our lesson text, Ephesians 6:10-20, the apostle elaborates on how God is willing to help Christians withstand the schemes of the devil. Rather than being devoured by the evil one, we can withstand him by putting “on the whole armor of God” (verse 11).
God’s Blessings Give Us Hope
The book of Ephesians thus begins and ends with powerful reminders of God’s care for His people.
Because of His grace and mercy, we can be saved (Ephesians 2:8). And because of His provisions, we can “take up the whole armor of God” and “withstand in the evil day” (Ephesians 6:13).
This final reminder is especially important, for it leaves us with hope. God understands our struggles and trials, and He has equipped us to win our spiritual battle with evil.
We no longer have to live “according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2). We can “be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might” (Ephesians 6:10).
No matter how powerful the devil and his temptations may seem, God “is greater than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4). Our task is to rely upon Him.
Chad Ramsey preaches for the Gloster Street Church of Christ in Tupelo, Mississippi. You can access their Bible classes and Chad’s sermons on Gloster Street’s YouTube page.
Chad was - and still is - “my preacher” from when I spent my high school and early college years at Gloster Street. I’m thankful to be able to share some of his writings with you.
