“And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no weekend war that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.

Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out” (Ephesians 6:10-18, The Message).

Again, sometimes The Message has a way of putting a fresh spin on a familiar verse that gives it new life. I know sometimes Eugene Peterson got a little too loose with the paraphrase, but sometimes he got it right on the money.

Life is hard. If we want to survive and thrive, we’ll need every weapon that God has made available to us. Those aren’t guns or swords but prayer, Scripture, and community. We’ll need every bit of all of these if we want to still be standing when it’s all over but the shouting.

As I’m learning from my current community group, we really are in this together. We have to learn how to be strong for those who are weak and to believe for those in moments when they can’t. We can look to the four friends of the paralytic who would stop at nothing to get their friend to Jesus, even if it meant tearing a hole in the roof and lowering him like something out of a Mission Impossible movie. The Bible even says that Jesus healed the man because of the faith of his friends, which is why your circle matters (as I read recently).

May we avail ourselves of every weapon of faith that God offers to us so that we will be ready for the inevitable assault from the enemy (that is already here by the way). May we stand together and stand strong in the faith of those who have gone before, never wavering and never compromising until all the world has heard the good news of Jesus. As the slogan goes, everyone must know. May we never rest until God’s promise of worshippers from every tribe, tongue, race, and nation is a reality.