Put on the Armor

Today I finished Isaiah 13 and read 14-16. I finished Ephesians 6 and read nine verses in Philippians. My favorite verses are:

Isaiah 14:24 and 27 24 The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand: 27 For the LORD of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?

Ephesians 6:13 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.

Today’s verses speak of judgment. It is not a message we want to hear, but it is a true and necessary response of God to the wickedness in the world. When God stretches out His hand to punish the evil ones, He provides protection for His children. We can be covered with the armour of God if we choose to. That is the only way we can be safe in the evil day. God is very patient; He withholds judgment to give the wicked a chance to repent and be saved. But He will not wait forever—He will judge and punish the wicked who refuse to repent. And that punishment will be eternal; once the hand of God is stretched out, it will not turn back. He has complete control, and Satan will be defeated. As long as we Christians are in this world, God gives us the help we need to fight Satan on a daily basis. If we faithfully put on the armor described in the sixth chapter of Ephesians, we can withstand the attacks of the enemy and serve God day by day until the time that He says, “It is enough!” Then He will stretch out His hand and defeat the devil so that he will never rise up again.

Later this morning I am going to another rehearsal of The Christmas House at Stained Glass Theatre.  It is my prayer that we will withstand the attacks of Satan as we prepare to present this play as a witness to the goodness of God in our lives.