Stand Firm | Ephesians 6:13
Devotional
“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 firm.”
Growing up, we used to watch a show called Bibleman. For those who grew up in the church, you’re likely familiar, but for those who don’t know, Bibleman was a superhero designed to be a role model for Christians. He was often described as a Christian version of Batman, and got his powers from the Armor of God.
He had the Waistbelt of Truth, Breastplate of Righteousness, Shield of Faith, Shoes of Peace, and Helmet of Salvation. These pieces of armor were corny to me growing up, but they were taken directly from Ephesians 6.
As a child, I didn’t quite grasp literary elements and metaphors, but now that I’m older, I recognize that these weren’t meant to be literal. They are symbols for protecting yourself from the “flaming darts of the evil one” through the mercy and power of the Lord.
Ephesians 6 says that we do not wrestle with the flesh and blood, rather darkness and the spiritual forces of evil. This doesn’t mean physical strength has no value. Rather, it reminds us that physical strength alone is never enough. We also need the armor of God.
A soldier would never enter battle without armor. Likewise, we should never face spiritual battles relying on our own strength alone. A disciplined body is valuable, but it is God’s armor that prepares us to stand firm when trials come.
Paul doesn’t stop with armor. He also gives us a weapon—the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. It doesn’t merely defend us; it equips us to confront lies with truth.
Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
It’s important not to focus solely on the body. While doing so is necessary, it cannot become our sole priority. We must stand firm in our earthly body while preparing our spirit for heaven and defending the gospel on earth.
We spend time strengthening our bodies. We should be just as intentional about strengthening our spirit.
Workout
As we said last week, each devotional for the current cycle will display the week’s worth of workouts. This makes it easier to see the overall picture, rather than taking it day by day. Some people prefer not knowing what’s next, CrossFit style, while others like to prepare mentally for the week’s challenges.
Here at ChristianLifter, we love to mix it up so everyone has something they can utilize.
In our first program, we built foundational strength. In our second program, that we just finished, we implemented circuits, focusing on conditioning. This third one is intended to put them together. We want to go back to improving strength while also having the conditioning to push fast-paced, heart-rate elevating circuits without dropping our intensity due to fatigue.
The goal is to Stand Firm through the whole workout.
Day One (circuit):
4 rounds, if you track HR, aim for 160-180 bpm throughout the circuit
⁃ Rowing Machine: 500m
⁃ KB Swings: 15 reps
⁃ KB Goblet Squats: 10 reps
⁃ Push-ups: 15 reps
Day Two (push):
Strength
1. Bench Press w/ Fat-grip - 8,7,6,5
2. DB Shoulder Press w/ Fat-grip - 3x10
Conditioning (3 rounds)
⁃ Weighted Dips (12)
⁃ Tricep Push-downs (12)
⁃ Ab Wheel (12)
Day Three (pull):
Strength
1. Bent-over Row - 3x8
2. Pull-up - 3x10
Conditioning (3 rounds)
⁃ Wide-grip Pulldowns (12)
⁃ DB Curls (10) - to failure last set
⁃ Back Extensions (12)
Finish with DB curls to failure again
Day Four (legs):
Warmup with 3x5 box jumps
Strength
1. Barbell Squat - 4x5
2. Sissy Squat - 3x10
3. KB Swing - 3x15
Conditioning (3 rounds)
⁃ Leg Extension (12)
⁃ Nordic Curl (12)