第六週■週六

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晨興餧養

弗六11『要穿戴神全副的軍裝，使你們能以站住，抵擋魔鬼的詭計。』

     13『所以要拿起神全副的軍裝，使你們在邪惡的日子能以抵擋，並且作成了一切，還能站立得住。』

神的軍裝是由六項所組成：真理的腰帶、義的胸甲、和平福音的穩固根基、信的盾牌、救恩的頭盔、以及那靈的劍。當我們有了這樣全副軍裝的裝備，我們就能站住抵擋仇敵的攻擊，甚至能進攻仇敵。保羅說過神軍裝的這些項目之後，就轉到禱告上。

以弗所六章十七至十八節說，『還要藉着各樣的禱告和祈求，…時時在靈裏禱告，並盡力堅持，在這事上儆醒，且爲眾聖徒祈求。』『藉着各樣的禱告和祈求』這句話，乃是形容下文的『接受』。藉着禱告，我們不僅接受救恩的頭盔，也接受神的話。這指明我們需要藉着各樣的禱告和祈求，接受神的話。我們接受神的話時，需要禱告。我們已經看見，神全副的軍裝有六項，禱告可視爲第七項。這一項是惟一、具決定性、不可或缺的憑藉，叫我們藉以應用其他各項，使軍裝實際的供我們使用（以弗所書生命讀經，六六一頁）。

信息選讀

我們乃是藉着各樣的禱告和祈求，用真理束腰，穿上義的胸甲，以和平福音的穩固根基當作鞋穿在腳上。不僅如此，藉着禱告，我們拿起信的盾牌，並接受救恩的頭盔，和那靈的劍，那靈就是神的話。每當我們要穿上軍裝或拿起軍裝的任何一項時，都需要禱告。我們不能，也不該沒有禱告，就
想使用神軍裝的任何部分。禱告是應用神軍裝惟一的路。

我們需要穿戴神全副的軍裝，好使我們『能以站住』（弗六11）。在以弗所六章，『站住』這辭非常緊要。在二章，我們是與基督一同坐在諸天界裏（6）；在四章和五章，我們是在地上，在基督的身體裏行事爲人（四1、17，五2、8、15）。然後在六章，我們是在諸天界裏，在基督的大能裏站住。與基督同坐，是有分於祂一切所成就的；在基督的身體裏行事爲人，是成就神永遠的定旨；在基督的大能裏站住，乃是抵擋神的仇敵。…藉着穿戴神全副的軍裝，我們就能以站住，抵擋魔鬼的詭計。這些詭計指明魔鬼邪惡的計謀。魔鬼不僅有邪惡的意志，他還有詭詐的計謀來成功他的意志。甚至現在撒但也在忙着作工，圖謀施行他邪惡、詭詐的計謀。

十一節告訴我們，要穿戴神的軍裝。十三節吩咐我們，要拿起神的軍裝。…神的軍裝乃是神爲我們豫備並提供給我們的。但是我們需要拿起並穿戴；我們需要使用並應用神的供備。…不管我們是穿戴或是拿起神全副的軍裝，我們都必須厲害的運用我們的意志。…我們要打屬靈的仗，需要『神全副的軍裝』，…這需要基督的身體來拿起，單個的信徒是不行的。

藉着拿起神全副的軍裝，我們在邪惡的日子就能抵擋。抵擋就是站住抵擋。在爭戰中，站住是非常重要的。保羅在五章十六節說，日子是邪惡的。在這邪惡的世代（加一4），每天都是邪惡的日子，因爲那邪惡者撒但每天都在工作。…保羅以『作成了一切，還能站立得住』結束以弗所六章十三節。在爭戰中，我們需要站住到底。我們作成了一切，還必須站立得住（以弗所書生命讀經，六六二、六四○至六四一、六四三至六四四頁）。

參讀：生命的經歷，第十八篇。

WEEK 6 — DAY 6

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Morning Nourishment

Eph. 6:11 Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the stratagems of the devil.

          13 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.

The armor of God is composed of six items: the girdle of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the firm foundation of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit. When we are equipped with such a full armor, we can stand against the attack of the enemy and even take the offensive against him. After these items of the armor of God, Paul turns to prayer.

Ephesians 6:18 says, “By means of all prayer and petition, praying at every time in spirit and watching unto this in all perseverance and petition concerning all the saints.” The phrase by means of all prayer and petition modifies the word receive in verse 17. By prayer we receive both the helmet of salvation and the word of God. This indicates that we need to receive the word of God by means of all prayer and petition. We need to pray as we are receiving the word of God. We have seen that the whole armor of God is composed of six items. Prayer may be considered the seventh. It is the unique, crucial, and vital means by which we apply the other items, making the armor available to us in a practical way. (Life-study of Ephesians, p. 537)

Today’s Reading

It is by means of all prayer and petition that we gird our loins with truth, put on the breastplate of righteousness, and have our feet shod with the firm foundation of the gospel of peace. Furthermore, it is by prayer that we take up the shield of faith and receive the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which Spirit is the word of God. Whenever we are about to put on the armor or to take up any item of the armor, we need to pray. We cannot and we should not attempt to use any part of God’s armor without prayer. Prayer is the unique way to apply the armor of God.

We need to put on the whole armor of God so that we “may be able to stand” (Eph. 6:11). In chapter 6 the word stand is crucial. In chapter 2 we sit with Christ in the heavenlies (v. 6), and in chapters 4 and 5 we walk in His Body on the earth (4:1, 17; 5:2, 8, 15). Then in chapter 6 we stand in His power in the heavenlies. To sit with Christ is to participate in all His accomplishments; to walk in His Body is to fulfill God’s eternal purpose; and to stand in His power is to fight against God’s enemy. By putting on the whole armor of God, we are able to stand against the stratagems of the devil. These stratagems are the devil’s evil plans. Not only does the devil have an evil will, but he also has subtle stratagems to work out his will. Even now Satan is busily working and plotting to carry out his evil, subtle stratagems.

In 6:11 we are told to put on the armor of God, and in verse 13 we are charged to take it up…The armor of God is prepared and provided by God for us. But we need to take it up and put it on; we need to use and apply God’s provision…Whether we put on the whole armor of God or take it up, we must exercise our will in a strong way. In order to wage the spiritual warfare, we need the whole armor. This requires the Body of Christ, not only individual believers, to take it up.

By taking up the whole armor of God, we will be able to withstand in the evil day. To withstand is to stand against. In fighting, the most important thing is to stand. In 5:16 Paul says that the days are evil. In this evil age (Gal. 1:4), every day is an evil day because Satan is at work every day. Paul concludes Ephesians 6:13 with the words, “Having done all, to stand.” In fighting we need to stand to the end. Having done all, we still must stand. (Life-study of Ephesians, pp. 537-538, 519-520, 522)

Further Reading: CWWL, 1953, vol. 3, “The Experience of Life,” ch. 18