Stand On the Word
ICS Daily Devotions
Ephesians 6:11,13-14 (NKKJV) Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil…. Therefore take up the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
We need to remember that the devil is a master of deception. Even though he is defeated, he can still speak through people and circumstances. During an economic downturn, the devil will lie to you that your future is bleak, especially if you are in your 40’s or 50’s and working in a sunset industry. Unless we walk by faith and not by sight, it can be pretty depressive and oppressive. Therefore, we must stand on the theological conviction of who we are in Christ and use it to counter these thoughts.
We need to get used to the disruptions to our jobs and career advancement as we are uncertain how Artificial Intelligence will bring about more changes in the future. We might even need to continue reskilling and upgrading our knowledge to stay relevant to the market as we age. Nevertheless, while we should be open to constant education and learning, we mustn’t lose hope and be obsessed with the rapid changes. One can slip into depression if we do not meditate on the Word of God and focus on Jesus because the devil will put thoughts into your mind that God has abandoned you. If we fail to guard our minds, oppression and depression will slowly creep into our lives. One of the schemes of the devil to destroy our lives is by putting hopelessness in us. The way to fight against these thoughts is to stand in faith in God’s Word and maintain peace in our hearts and minds by meditating on God’s Word. We should also stand in the gap to pray for and pray with our spouses or children if they are uncertain about their future.
To stand in faith, we must take God’s Word seriously and step out to trust Him without being moved by the circumstances. Therefore, the belt of truth and the sword of the Spirit are crucial during these times. Our identity in Christ also forms the breastplate of righteousness so that the devil cannot attack us through condemnation and hopelessness.
The biggest battle is in the mind and the temptation that comes through the work of the flesh through our five senses. The best way to counter the works and temptation of the evil one is by practising what Jesus did when He dealt with the devil by quoting, “It is written” (Luke 4:4-13). We need to know what is written in the Bible about us so that we can stand on our convictions of the truth and withstand the devil in the evil day. Finally, we should watch and pray, especially in the Spirit, who will help us discern the devil’s scheme.
Sermon Series: STAND!
