I was contemplating the rise of the tide when I went to the beach recently. It is amazing to observe and see the way the water rises from afar as it collides with the land, creating different types of waves. The tide rises and scoops up everything in its path as it slams on the shore then recedes back into the ocean.
What amazed me even more was watching the surfers who skillfully found the right time and moment to ride the waves as they stood up above the tide. They would gracefully glide on top of the water each time, an experience only surpassed by Jesus Himself when He just walked on the the water…The rest of us figured out a way of standing against the waves or swimming into the water to avoid getting knocked down.
We have a part to play, a significant part, in the way spiritual battles play out.
The tide of the ocean often reminds me of the tides and waves of life. We are often faced with daunting challenges and rising tides that we must react to or be swept away in their fury. The word tells us that we should stand, after having done all…What all? Are we to do everything in our power before standing firm against the tide? Are we expected to fight, reason, measure, judge, evaluate, review, renew, then repeat? I believe so, yes!
We have a part to play, a significant part, in the way spiritual battles play out. The scripture quoted above is a verse in the passage in Ephesians 6 that speaks on putting on the full armor of God. It is one of my favorite passages of scripture because it involves warfare and victory.
The full armor entails many defensive tools and only one offensive tool, the Word. It is easy to say this means we’re supposed to protect ourselves more than we fight. I beg to differ. I believe this means that our offense should ONLY be based on the Word of God and nothing else. Everything else we do is to protect ourselves from the wiles of the enemy.
Ephesians 6:13 holds the two parts of the passage together by simply saying, “and having done all to stand…” Standing firm is always a symbol of strength, stability, and security. We stand against the tide not in our own strength or based on the strength of our earthly might but knowing we’re fully covered by the full armor of God.
I believe this means that our offense should ONLY be based on the Word of God and nothing else.
While the tide of the oceans has the ability to knock us down every now and then, the spiritual tide that we encounter every now and then should not. We should not only stand firm against the tide but also rise above the tide like a skilled surfer. We are covered in the full armor of God.
Nelson Masinde 