Takeaway Verse: Ephesians 6:10
Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
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Transcription:
Welcome to The Bible for Busy People. I’m Erica Parkerson. This is the place where we meet up to read half a chapter of God’s Word together and remember how loved we are. Jesus extends an amazing invitation to us in the Bible. He says, come to me and I WILL give you rest. This is us RSVPing: Yes!! to that invitation. So, take a deep breath and let’s get started.
I hope you buckled up for today’s episode. It’s called, “Be Strong is a Great Catchphrase, But How Do You Do It?” I’m so glad you’re here. This is a very powerful, potent section of scripture. This is the second half of Ephesians, chapter six. It’s the last part of Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus. It’s the last part of his encouragement to them and to us today. So, before we dive in, let’s invite the Lord to join us.
Father, we come to you in the name of Jesus. We are so glad that you have instructed us, you’ve explained to us how to be strong. Lord, please open our eyes and our hearts to what you want us to see and understand in your word today, and show us, Lord, show us how to be strong. Give us strong muscles of faith in Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. Lord, we’re so grateful.
Okay, here we go. Second half of Ephesians chapter six, Paul’s letter to the Ephesians and to us. God’s word, hot off the press. Here we go. “A final word, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.” That is our takeaway verse. Again, verse one. I’m gonna read it again. “Be strong in the Lord and in HIS mighty power.” Little inflection changes it, doesn’t it? “Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh and blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world. Against mighty powers in this dark world and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
“Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle, you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes put on the peace that comes from the good news so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet and take the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. And pray for me too.”
Remember, Paul is writing from a prison cell where he is imprisoned for his faith in the Lord Jesus. “Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the good news is for Jews and Gentiles alike.” The word Gentile simply means non-Jews. “I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God’s ambassador.” Maybe you have some type of chains that you’re wearing today. Maybe you’re not in a prison cell, but there’s something else that’s got you down. You’re in a hard, tight spot. You can also preach the message of hope, even though you’re in chains. This is what Paul did by writing this letter to the Ephesians and to us.
“So, pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him as I should. To bring you up to date, Tychicus will give you a full report about what I am doing and how I am getting along. He is a beloved brother and faithful helper in the Lord’s work. I have sent him to you for this very purpose, to let you know how we are doing and to encourage you.”
Take these last couple of verses as if Paul were writing them to you, speaking them over you, “Peace be with you, dear brothers and sisters. And may God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you love with faithfulness.” Isn’t that beautiful. “May God’s grace be eternally upon all who love our Lord Jesus Christ.” isn’t that incredible, a powerful letter to the Ephesians and to us.
I wanna tell you a little story. I have a voicemail on my iPhone that I will not ever delete. It came from my Uncle Joey, and it was before he lost his life in an accident that involved an intoxicated driver. He was riding his motorcycle and he went to heaven pretty much instantly. And my Uncle Joe is the reason you and I are having this conversation right now, the reason why this podcast is happening right now. Because he is the one who shared the good news with me, who told me that Jesus died for my sins and rose again, and that I could ask for forgiveness and have peace here on this earth. And because of the cross and Christ’s sacrifice, go to heaven and be with him forever. My Uncle Joey was very special to me. The voicemail he left for me before he died was this, was our takeaway verse, “Be strong and in the Lord. Be strong IN the Lord.” I was going through a difficult season in my life. My son was literally dying from ulcerative colitis. He’s doing well now, he’s fine. But at the time it was hard. And my uncle wanted to encourage me with those words.
And I want to encourage you today with those words, “Be strong in the Lord”, but finish that verse, “and in HIS mighty power.” Put the inflection on “HIS” because we can’t do it alone. My favorite thing is that you and I are doing it right now, we picked up the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. And I encourage you to keep listening to this podcast, to open up your Bible to the Psalms and Proverbs, they’re right in the middle. And they offer bite size words of wisdom and encouragement. I’m so glad you’re here on this journey with me. I’ll close with the apostle Paul’s words and my uncle’s words. Be strong in the Lord and in HIS mighty power. You are loved.
Thank you so much for listening to the Bible for Busy People. If you need prayer or you’re ready to go a little deeper in your faith, we’ve posted some resources for you in our show notes. We’d love for you to share this podcast with a friend and leave us a review. It helps us reach even more people with the hope of Jesus. This podcast is part of Purposely, a podcast network designed with practical podcasts to help you find and live in God’s purpose for your life. Find more podcasts that will recharge you at onpurposely.com.
