October 23
Verse of the Day for October 23
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.Ephesians 6:13 KJV
The Key of Endurance · Day 23 of 31
Reflection · 4 min read
Endurance In the Middle of the Work
Count how often one word appears in these three verses. Withstand, then to stand, then Stand therefore. Paul keeps coming back to it, like a coach shouting the same instruction from the touchline.
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.
It is a surprising goal for a passage about armour. You might expect charge, advance, conquer. Instead the aim is to be still on your feet at the end. Having done all, to stand.
That is good news for anyone in the middle of something long. You may not be winning anything visible. The work is half done and the end is not in sight. Paul does not ask you to finish today. He asks you to remain standing in the evil day, the hard day, whatever yours is.
He also reminds us who the real struggle is with. We wrestle not against flesh and blood. The colleague who frustrates you and the relative who will not listen are not the enemy. That changes how you stand. You stand girded with truth, not with resentment.
Maybe you are on the third night shift of the week at the ward, or in the second year of a degree you are paying for yourself. You do not have to feel strong. You only have to stand, and then stand again.
Paul does not say charge.He says stand.
Still being on your feet at the end of a hard day is a victory.
The people in front of you are not your enemy, even when they are hard.
Carry this today
What would it look like for you simply to keep standing this week?
Pray
Read Ephesians 6:12–14
12For 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. 13Wherefore 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. 14Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
Keep praying
Reflection by Collins Asein, from the daily devotionals in the PrayerKey app. Bible text: King James Version.