Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power; put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil, for our struggle is not against 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.  
–Ephesians 6:10-12

In her commentary for this series, Mary Hinkle Shore tells us:

The last reading in our series (Ephesians 6:10-20) gives voice to our sense that many of the problems our neighborhood, our world, and we ourselves face are beyond our capacity just to roll up our sleeves and muscle our way to a solution. Throughout Paul’s letters, sin is a power rather than a type of human action, and Ephesians continues this idea: “Our battle is not against enemies of blood and flesh…” (6:12). Christian life, individually or collectively, means persevering in the still-contested arena of human life, standing when we would prefer to fold, or fight, or flee.

Old Testament prophets used the same armor metaphor to speak of how God would defend against injustice and evil (see, for example, Isaiah 59:15-17). In Ephesians, God’s own armor is available to believers; we have God’s own protection as we stand against the “powers of this present darkness” (6:12). The armor pieces are all defensive, with the exception of the side arm “sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (6:17).

In conclusion in this text from Paul in his jail cell, he asks for prayer that he, an “ambassador in chains,” may speak freely. Like what we see at the end of Acts, Paul is proclaiming boldly the kingdom of God and the teachings of Jesus. Paul was constantly adapting to the movement of the Spirit. Lest we forget, at first Paul was a chief persecutor of Christianity. Plans change, and to withstand the evils of the world we must adapt and trust God to be present with us.

Before signing off for this week, I wish to thank Karol Priester for sharing her amazing gift of office coordination with us. Working with her for the past several months has been a delight and a gift as we settled in as congregation and pastor together. She and Mike are a wonderful blessing to Sun City Christian Church, and we are most grateful for all they have done.

Karol has been most helpful in training our new Office Coordinator, Michele Lundborg! Michele is a delight with experience and a true compassionate spirit that will serve us well going forward. Be sure to welcome Michele when you contact the office next. Her office hours will be on Monday and Tuesday.

Many blessings and I look forward to worshipping with you on Sunday. 

Brett