Defiance, Faith, and Victory

Read

Read Ephesians 6:10–18 slowly.

Ephesians 6:10–11

10 Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength.

11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil.

Ephesians 6:12–13

12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens.

13 For this reason take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand.

Ephesians 6:14–17

14 Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest,

15 and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace.

16 In every situation take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit—which is the word of God.

Ephesians 6:18

18 Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints.

As you read, notice that Paul does not tell us to fight in our own strength. He says, “Be strengthened by the Lord and by His vast strength.” The battle is real, but the strength does not come from us. We stand firm by being armed in faith, covered in God’s truth, righteousness, protection, provision, salvation, Spirit, and Word.

That matters because more often, our battles are not physical. They are spiritual.

Reflect

The story of David and Goliath reminds us that there will be giants in our lives that we will not be able to defeat on our own. In some cases, we may have even become reliant on the giant. It becomes part of our identity. For Saul, the giant of pride became part of his identity. For Goliath, the giant of strength and revenge became part of his.

And we can be in danger of allowing a giant of greed, lust, approval, control, grief, fear, shame, doubt, or unworthiness to become part of ours.

If we don’t recognize it and surrender it to God, it will continue to grow until we feel like we will never be free from its tyrannical reign over our heart and mind. Only God can rescue us from it.

That is why Ephesians 6 matters so much. We do not fight with swords, spears, or bows and arrows. It’s not us wielding something in our strength. We must rely on Him, armor ourselves in Him, and protect ourselves through Him.

Our faith in God’s truth, righteousness, protection, provision, salvation, Spirit, and Word protects and delivers us from the giants that stand in defiance to His will for our lives. When we stand firm in God, we can resist. But it is God who wins the battle.

And after Paul tells us to put on the armor of God, he tells us to pray. Pray to stay alert. Pray for perseverance. Pray for boldness to speak out against and resist the giants in your life.

Respond

This week has invited you to identify the difference between outward defiance and inward defiance. It is easy to spot and call out defiance or disobedience in somebody else, but what about in our own lives?

What sin stands in defiance of God in your life? What selfish motive or plan is the opposite of God’s will? Where has God clearly called you, or where has His Word convicted you, but you chose to disobey? What has God called you to surrender, but you’re still choosing to control?

What giant are you facing in your life?

Fear. Pride. Doubt. Pleasure. Failure. Loss. Hopelessness. Unworthiness. Unforgiveness.

For each of us, it will be different, and there may be multiple giants of varying sizes attempting to leave us too terrified to step out in faith.

The question becomes: Will you choose to cower and retreat in surrender to the giants, or will you choose to stand firm and resist in surrender to God?

If this week has helped you recognize a “41 story” in your own life, consider taking time to write it out at www.kairos.church/41story as a way to reflect further and possibly encourage others.

Pray

Lord, help me recognize the giants in my life that I have allowed to grow. Show me where fear, pride, shame, doubt, grief, control, or sin has tried to become part of my identity. Teach me to surrender those giants to You instead of letting them define me. Strengthen me by Your vast strength. Help me stand firm in Your truth, righteousness, salvation, Spirit, and Word. Give me perseverance to resist, boldness to step forward, and faith to trust that You are the One who wins the battle. Amen.