Ephesians 6:10-20 (NRSV)
Read Ephesians 6:10-20 on biblegateway.com
Verse 10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Verse 11Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Verse 12For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Verse 13Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Verse 14Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. Verse 15As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. Verse 16With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Verse 17Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Verse 18Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints.
Verse 19Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, Verse 20for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak.
Devotion
As a participant in the Council for the Parliament of the World's Religions in 2009, I was struck by the common bond that the other participants shared. Peace and love were key ingredients to uniting against oppressive forces in a pluralist society.
In the letter to the Ephesians we get images of the kind of armor that we need to combat oppressive forces in our world—the belt of truth, the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God and boldness in the mystery of the gospel. Some think that the writer is likely a prisoner who is a follower of Paul who speaks against the evils that imprisoned him. Sometimes Christians are accused of using the Bible as a blunt weapon to beat our opinions into others. Yet here in Ephesians these war-like metaphors are actually wrapped and surrounded in themes of peace and love—the images become ways to encourage us to be bold in our faith and have confidence to speak Christ in the face of the rulers and authorities that oppress. When we do this, the Bible opens up for us as a tool for peace.
Prayer
Author of Creation, unite us into peace and provide us the tools to bring about change in a world filled with violence, hate and fear. Lead us to boldness in proclaiming your message to the world. Amen.