Be Strong In the Lord

One of my favorite contemporary songs is "Be Strong In The Lord," by Linda Lee Johnson (1947) and arranged by Thomas Fettke (1941). It goes like this:

"Be strong in the Lord, and be of good courage:
Your mighty Defender is always the same.

Mount up with wings, as the eagle ascending:
Victory is sure when you call on His name.

Be strong, be strong, be strong in the Lord:
And be of good courage, for He is your guide.

Be strong, be strong, be strong in the Lord:
And rejoice, for the victory is yours."

Ephesians 6:10 tells us as believers to "be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might." We are to "put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles (influences) of the devil." (v. 11)

Picture a Roman soldier preparing to go to battle. He is decked out head to toe in combat uniform to protect himself against the enemy. If he isn't prepared, death could be imminent. The same is true for the Christian soldier. We are to be prepared to do battle every day; not in the physical sense, but the spiritual.

Ephesians 6:14-18a says: "Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit."

The Armor:

The belt of truth (know, speak the truth, affirm belief in the truth, respond to life's problems and challenges with the truth)

The breastplate of righteousness (choosing to do what is right in God's eyes)

The shoes of the gospel of peace (readiness for action in His service)

The shield of faith (live by faith, continually choosinig to trust God and not believe the enemy's lies)

The helmet of salvation (eternally secure)

The sword of the Spirit (know and use God's Word)

An ongoing relationship with our Lord and Savior will enable us to always Be Strong in the Lord.