Adversity
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Adversity

When we lose sight of the real enemy, we will fight fake foes—including each other. Alistair Begg directs our attention to our true adversary, Satan, and cautions us to stay vigilant against the devil’s schemes. The moment we begin to get lazy or unguarded, we are immediately vulnerable to the Evil One’s lies. By staying alert and sober-minded, we can resist his ploys and cling to Jesus Christ, resting in His absolute defeat of our principal enemy.


8aBe sober-minded; bbe watchful. Your cadversary the devil dprowls around elike a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9fResist him, gfirm in your faith, knowing that hthe same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.

The Whole Armor of God

10Finally, ebe strong in the Lord and in fthe strength of his might. 11gPut on hthe whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against ithe schemes of the devil. 12For jwe do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against kthe rulers, against the authorities, against lthe cosmic powers over mthis present darkness, against nthe spiritual forces of evil oin the heavenly places. 13Therefore ptake up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in qthe evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14Stand therefore, rhaving fastened on the belt of truth, and shaving put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15and, tas shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16In all circumstances take up uthe shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all vthe flaming darts of wthe evil one; 17and take sthe helmet of salvation, and xthe sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18praying yat all times zin the Spirit, awith all prayer and supplication. To that end, bkeep alert with all perseverance, making csupplication for all the saints, 19and dalso for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth eboldly to proclaim fthe mystery of the gospel, 20for which I gam an ambassador hin chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

Copyright © 2024, Alistair Begg. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language.

Alistair Begg
Alistair Begg is Senior Pastor at Parkside Church in Cleveland, Ohio, and the Bible teacher on Truth For Life, which is heard on the radio and online around the world.