Ephesians 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints-- 19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
One of the things Christians realize very early in their new walk with Christ is that life is not necessarily easier than it used to be. It is quantifiably better and greatly preferred, but it is not necessarily easier.
Those who preach a gospel of prosperity do a great disservice to those who are contemplating giving their lives to Christ. The modern church has often careened over to a doctrine of a “better life in Christ” without presenting any of the difficulties accompanying that choice. Jesus, on the other hand, said, “Consider the cost.”
The cost of a life in Christ is often great. Even as this particular scripture is written, Paul himself is being held in a Roman prison – and will eventually suffer be-headeding - simply because he chose to follow Christ in all that he did in his life. This made Paul a bold witness for Christ as he followed the leading of the Holy Spirit, and this brought about persecution unto death. Have you considered that cost?
Today Christians largely worship Christ out of convenience, not conviction. It shows. In an era when there is little conviction the power of the church recedes, even as the ability to reach people through technology grows.
The problem is when a person gives their life to Christ, that person immediately gains a new and powerful enemy: Satan. This is what Paul is saying. “Be ready to take a stand for Christ.” Satan will do all he can to immediately turn the new believer away from the proclamation he has made. And it is impossible to defend yourself from a spiritual enemy using physical means. It will take every piece of the armor of God for the Christian to stand against the onslaught from the enemy of God. Get ready!
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