Verses from Ephesians

“最后，你们要靠主的大能大力，在他里面刚强。要穿戴神所赐的全副军装，使你们能抵挡魔鬼的诡计。因为我们的争战，对抗的不是有血有肉的人，而是执政的、掌权的、管辖这黑暗世界的和天上的邪灵。”

‭‭以弗所书‬ ‭6:10-12‬ ‭

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6:10-12‬ ‭

The book of Ephesians reminds us that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” In other words, we live in a fallen world, and there are factors beyond our control that contribute to the difficulties we face at work. We shouldn’t expect even the best workplace to be perfect. But we should expect the Spirit of God to be with us all the time.

In response to workplace struggles, Ephesians tells us to put on truth, righteousness, peace and faith. We are to remind ourselves of our salvation and gird ourselves with the word of God. We are to “pray in the Spirit with all kinds of prayers and requests.”

This means that we can always trust God to take care of us, so that we don’t need to be tempted to engage in unethical behavior, slander and anger. The powers of evil may indeed threaten, oppress or even cause us harm at work. But we don’t need to resort to dirty deeds to defend ourselves. Truth, right relationships, honest conflict resolution and faithfulness are the best ways for us, whether we are in good situations or bad. These are things we should request the Holy Spirit to give us.

This approach may not deliver overnight results. However, over time, we may find that we have more patience, fortitude, hope and love than we thought possible. And we know that Christ is victorious over every power of darkness and evil in the end.

Dear Lord, 

I need your help when I experience darkness and evil at work. 

Help me to put on the armor of righteousness, peace, truth, faith, your Word and the joy of your salvation. 

Help me rely on your Spirit daily. I pray for the people who make my work difficult. 

Please bless them. 

I confess my own reluctance to love, and I admit that sometimes I’m the one who is difficult to work with. 

I pray for the ability to submit to you, knowing that you care for me. 

Amen.