Moreover, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the mightiness of His power. Put on the complete armor of God, that you may stand against the assaults of the devil. For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, and against the spiritual wickedness in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:10-12)

We know that prosperity often puffs people up, making them believe they are privileged and exempt from the common rules. In short, they think they can do whatever they like. On the contrary, the poorer sort, who are despised and cast off, sometimes think that God has forgotten them, and thus, they cannot conceive that He has any care for them.

Therefore, it is necessary that those who are drunk with presumptuousness, thinking they can do too much because they are in a position of authority or credit, have their courage abated and be reminded that they have a master in heaven who will punish them even if they escape the hands of men. On the other side, it is necessary to comfort those who are ready to falter and tempted to fall into despair. Saint Paul addresses both here.

He tells the servants not to be afraid because God regards them as long as they walk in His fear. God accepts their service just as though they were in an honorable state and held great worldly dignity. To the masters, Paul says that they have a superior in heaven before whom they must give an account, and their greatness and high status will not serve as payment there. All such worldly appearances vanish before the Sovereign Judge.

This also follows what is said in another passage, that those who are faint-hearted must be comforted, for otherwise, they may falter, believing that God does not care for them, speaking of those who are despised in the eyes of the world. Therefore, they must be told that God has not forgotten them, even though it is His will to keep them low for a time.

It behooves every one of us to apply this to our own situation, according to the state God has set us in. When we are wrongfully troubled, despised, or dismissed by men, if we imagine that God has also given us up, we cannot call upon Him. And likewise, we cannot serve Him with a free heart, as we think our labor is in vain.

Therefore, when we are assailed by such temptations, let us remember this lesson: Even though we are afflicted in this world, scorned, mocked, and endure all manner of reproach, we are still in the safe keeping of our God. He esteems us, values us, and will, in the end, show that He does. Even if we linger and wither away, even if He withholds Himself as if hidden, and a man might think, according to natural understanding, that we are forgotten by Him, yet, after He has kept us low for a while and tested our humility and obedience, we shall find that our faithful and uncorrupt walking in His fear will be recognized. In the end, we will realize that we have not labored in vain.

That is the lesson we must bear in mind when the great persons of the world exalt themselves in their pride and seem to have the power to trample us under their feet.

Howbeit, let all those who have superiority over others, carefully advise themselves and consider that God has not given them the bridle without reserving His own right to Himself. Both great and small must appear before His judgment seat, and there will be no accepting of persons. Therefore, let those who are rich, those who are in authority, and those who have any advantage over their neighbors, remember this well: there is no accepting of persons before God. Although in this world one man goes before and another follows after, when the trumpet sounds and we all come before the Great Judge, there will no longer be such a difference.

For this reason, even kings and princes are brought to this point and to this understanding in the Psalms: "You are gods, and you are children of the Highest," (Psalm 82:6), which means that God has ordained them to be His lieutenants and set them in high degrees. It is true that this must stand for a time, but yet, "you shall die like men," (Psalm 82:7), and as any one of the common people, and then you shall be driven to know that you were but mortal men. All these great and glorious shows shall then be laid aside.

In truth, the very use of the word person should remind us that the things being referred to are but temporary and cannot be brought before God as if they were our own. It is true that in our common speech we take the word person to mean a man or a woman. But when Scripture speaks of it, it refers to external things such as riches, statuses, offices, nobility, great birth, and all the things men possess in this world, things they can also be deprived of.

Therefore, when it is said that there is no accepting of persons before God, it means that He will judge us simply as mortal men, as fragile and frail creatures. We cannot shield ourselves with any external thing, for the richest cannot bring their treasures, lands, or possessions with them to elevate themselves above others. Those who have been in great dignity will not be able to say, "How so? Everyone trembled under me." Such things will hold no value before God. All worldly greatness and authority will serve no purpose, for every man shall be taken as a child of Adam.

So, let those who have any reason to exalt themselves remember well that all the things that bear glory and esteem in this world will fade away like smoke and be consumed to nothing when we come to be judged by God. Therefore, let all men, both great and small, live in humility and trust.

This is why Saint James says, "Let the brother of humble circumstances glory in his high position," (James 1:9). Why so? Because God has adopted us as His children, and although we may be poor worms of the earth, and even though men may consider us filth and refuse, God has vouchsafed to imprint His mark on us, that we might be known as His children. He has given us the privilege to call upon Him as our Father with full confidence. Therefore, we have just cause to glory, even though we are of low degree, for we have a high position by which God exalts us above the world.

On the contrary, Saint James says that those who are great must glory in their lowliness. While unbelievers are so bewitched with pride that they despise God and, as I said before, convince themselves that they are exempt from all law, believers must understand that all worldly dignity and excellence serve only for a time and will pass away. When we stand before God, we shall have nothing to cover ourselves with, no riches, no honor, no nobility.

In short, the things that Scripture refers to as persons are like clothing. Consider this: if a man dressed in rich apparel thinks he can escape God's judgment because the world marvels at his outward splendor, he deceives himself greatly. All those things must be set aside when God calls us to judgment. Conversely, poor folk who scarcely have enough to cover their bodies with rags must not think they are less esteemed by God because of it. There will be no distinction of persons, neither riches nor poverty, honor nor baseness. We must all appear as we truly are: mortal men, children of Adam.

This, in effect, is the lesson we must gather from this.

After Saint Paul has shown every person's duty particularly, he now returns again to general doctrine. For (as I said before), there is one rule common to all men without exception, which is the same as contained in God's law, namely, that we should lead a holy life, giving ourselves over to His service, and also love one another, living chastely and soberly, in all mildness and honesty. This is common.

But it is said afterward that every man must have an eye to his own calling, as the husband has a special duty toward his wife, and the wife toward her husband, as we have seen previously. For Saint Paul has laid forth all these things. Now he addresses all men, saying, "Moreover, my brethren, be strong in the Lord." (Ephesians 6:10). In this, he shows that we cannot give ourselves to the service of God without facing challenges, but must make efforts to prepare ourselves for it.

It is true that if we were whole and sound, and our nature were uncorrupted, it would not trouble us to live according to God's commandment. Rather, it would be our whole pleasure, as the faithful do experience when God has touched them deeply. For that reason, our Lord Jesus Christ also says, "My yoke is easy, and my burden is light," (Matthew 11:30), meaning that He desires nothing but to guide us by gentle and loving means.

But if we consider what we are, how incapable we are of standing firm and constant, and of holding out in the way that God shows us, we will see that it is not without cause that Saint Paul exhorts us here to be strong. As if he should say, "I have exhorted you to do your duties thus far, but I know well that each of you will find such stubbornness within yourselves that you will not be able to overcome your wicked desires except by fighting manfully."

And though you are weak, do not think that this ought to serve as an excuse. When your passions, on the one side, are stubborn and rebellious against God, and on the other side, you are frail, do not think that this will excuse you before God, for you will be condemned for your sins nonetheless. What then must be done? "Be strong in the Lord," (Ephesians 6:10), meaning that while most people wallow in their sins, thinking themselves discharged because their thoughts and affections are rebellious against God's righteousness, you must recognize your own miseries, dislike them, and seek the remedy for them.

And what is that remedy? Strengthen yourselves. That is to say, we must exert ourselves. As if he were saying, "It is a hard thing to walk rightly, for we will face many obstacles. The devil will not cease to seek every possible means to push us off course, and we will encounter many oppressions and vexations. For he has enough schemes and more, and he will attack us in various ways, and we do not have the strength to resist him. Therefore, we must gain strength."

However, he says, "in the Lord," (Ephesians 6:10), so that men do not imagine themselves able to accomplish this by their own free will or wisdom. Therefore, he says, "Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might," (Ephesians 6:10). This means that God will demonstrate such power that we need not doubt victory against all that the devil can scheme, as long as we are not negligent or fall asleep. Therefore, let us call upon God, that He may help us and come to our aid when we need it.

Thus, two things must accompany us: first, vigilance and the care that the faithful should have to strengthen themselves; and second, a heartfelt desire to call upon God. This is a text well worth noting, as it contains a great matter in few words. For, first, we see that we must not be slothful if we wish to live our lives according to God's will. But since each person makes excuses for themselves, desiring nothing more than to shake off all responsibility and cast aside anything that might trouble them, we must note, first of all, that if we want to serve God, we must exert ourselves, meaning, we must fight against the devil.

For (as I said before), he is not idle, nor will he allow any of us to perform our duty with ease, as though we were strolling in a pleasant garden. Rather, he will set thorns in our path and cast logs before us to stop us. He will also give us such blows as could overthrow us a hundred times before we even take a single step, unless God helps us. Therefore, since we cannot walk in the fear of God without fighting, we ought to remember Saint Paul's warning.

Furthermore, he intends also to make us aware of our own weakness. For we know that men tend to indulge themselves and seek nothing but to wallow in their pleasures. There are also those who presume upon their own strength, convincing themselves that they can perform wonders as though they were as strong as could be desired. This cursed persuasion has deceived wretched men in all ages, and it is by this that the doctrine of free will has been so widely embraced. But Saint Paul tells us here that we need to be strengthened, which implies that we are naturally weak.

And afterward he expresses himself yet better, in saying that it is in the Lord that we must be strong, and that He has all power in Him to give to us as much as needed. Then, if we undertake anything without calling upon Him, we shall be punished for our rashness and pride. Saint Paul, therefore, shows us that men cast themselves into decay by their overconfidence, imagining themselves to have what they do not, which conceit turns them away from calling upon God.

Now, it might be said here that it is a superfluous exhortation to bid us be strong in the Lord, for no man is able to uphold himself; that lies not in anybody's power to do. No, but yet for all that, we feel by effect that God works in such a way in us that we do the same things that He does. But yet, that working must be pleasing to us. If a man has lived a holy life, so that he may have been a mirror of holiness and all virtue, it may well be said, "He has done this or that." And indeed, we are not like inanimate logs, and therefore we do good.

Yet, we must understand that this working comes from elsewhere than from ourselves, and there lies the crux of the matter. So, if it is asked whether men can do good, the answer is yes, but not of themselves, nor of their own volition or kind, but only because they are guided by the Holy Spirit. If it is asked whether men can do evil, the answer is also yes; they are wholly inclined toward it, it is their common tendency. Thus, men do evil of themselves, and the root of it remains in them. The blame of it is rightly imputed to them, and they must not seek to justify themselves by excuses. Whoever has done evil shall remain in condemnation. But let us consider well that God works in us when we do good, and the praise for it ought rightly to be given to Him.

However, although there is nothing in us or on our side when we serve God, yet still Saint Paul does not exhort us in vain, saying that we must be strengthened in God. For we must not be lazy, as he speaks of it in another place where he says, "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:12-13). This saying may seem strange at first when Saint Paul wills us to work out our salvation. For is that within our power? No. But he corrects any presumption or overconfidence by saying that it must be done with trembling, and that we must walk in fear. That is to say, we must distrust ourselves, and indeed be utterly humbled, assuring ourselves that we cannot stir even one of our little fingers, nor think one good thought, as he says in another place, "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God" (2 Corinthians 3:5).

Afterward, which confirms this matter yet better, he adds, as a conclusion, that God gives both the will and the ability to perform the will. Therefore, it is God who does all, and yet we do not cease to act as well. Yes, but that is by Him and through Him, as I have already declared. In short, the Holy Scripture does not say that God renews us so that, when we are born again by His Holy Spirit, we begin to have a good mind and to be well-inclined, to the intent that we should be slothful and idle, but to the intent that God should be glorified, and we should not imagine ourselves to be the workers of our own salvation, but rather yield Him the honor for all the good that He has put into us.

However the world may go, we must still be watchful. That is to say, we must keep good watch against the devil and endeavor to give ourselves to goodness, so that every one of us may strive. We must imprison our own wit and wicked will to make them obedient to God, but yet, all must be acknowledged to be of Him.

His adding of these words, "of the mighty power of God," is to help us overcome all distrust, for we see that we are prone to lose heart. If we cannot accomplish the things as we would wish, according to His commands, we conclude that, in the end, we must fail. But, on the contrary, Saint Paul says that God will reveal a mighty and victorious power, according to what is said: "He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world" (1 John 4:4). Seeing, then, that God takes our part and upholds us with His power, let us not fear being overcome by Satan and all that he can devise against us. Whatever distress may befall us, in the end, we shall overcome all by resting upon God's invincible power.

And truly, God perfects His power in our weakness. That is to say, He works in such a way that we still limp, are pulled back, stumble, and sometimes step awry, or even start out of the way. You see, then, that the Lord's assistance with His Holy Spirit keeps us in awe, giving us the occasion to humble ourselves. Our weakness, therefore, is mingled with the strength of God's assistance, and this is so that we may know our need to call upon Him and to seek Him as our refuge. We are too quick to diminish God's glory on our own. Therefore, God is compelled to wake us up and say to us, "Wretched creatures, would you not be lost a hundred thousand times if I did not hold you by the hand?"

Now then, the Lord's allowing infirmities in us is to draw us to Him and subdue us to meekness so that we may have cause to praise Him, knowing that He does not allow our falls to be fatal. Again, we should seek Him every minute of every hour, knowing that if He did not help us up again and hold us on our feet, we would perish without any mercy. That is the reason why, to Paul's former statement, we must also join this: God indeed leaves some weakness in us as long as we live in this world, yet He does not cease to display His invincible power in making us prevail. We must dwell on this conclusion: that when Satan has done his utmost, we shall march on nevertheless and continue our journey to its end.

Why? It is not only said that God will humble us and have pity on us, but also that His power shall show itself in rescuing us, not with a mere ordinary operation but with a mighty power. That is to say, with a power that shall overcome all the obstacles of the world.

Now then, we see the great difference between the doctrine of the Papists and the doctrine that we follow, which is grounded upon Holy Scripture. These blind wretches say they can work wonders by their free will. Indeed, they will give some small acknowledgment to God, saying that He helps them because they are inclined to evil and vice, but that they are restrained by Him. To them, God is merely a helper at a dead lift, but in the meantime, it is their own free will and natural power that holds sway.

But when they have done all they can with their own strength, men are still left in doubt, and if they manage to hold their ground for an hour, soon after, they stumble and cannot rise again. But we, on the contrary, hold the view that man must be utterly broken down, as the Holy Ghost teaches us, so that not a single drop of power remains in ourselves, and we are completely emptied. Once we are at that point, our Lord shows us the remedy.

If we turn to Him, acknowledge our lack, and are ready to beg with open mouths, not puffed up with pride but utterly emptied, then our Lord assures us that He will not fail us. We shall have confidence, but not in the manner of the Papists, who boast and then fall short of their reckoning and are put to utter shame. On our part, when we have acknowledged that we are nothing and can do nothing, we resort to God, to glory against Satan, against all his assaults, against all the powers of hell, and against all the impediments and temptations of the world.

Thus, you see how we ought to put this lesson of Saint Paul's into practice.

After he has spoken of the mighty power of God, now he adds that we must arm ourselves with His complete armor. As if he should say that it is due to none but ourselves that we are not well armed and equipped to overcome all Satan's assaults, and that our own negligence is the cause that we are so often vanquished and foiled. Why? Because God not only promises to help us with His power, in such measure that we shall gain the upper hand, but He also provides us with the means and arms us. Yet, despite this, we hang up our armor on the wall. Is it any wonder then, if we are caught unawares or unable to resist in the moment of need, when we scorn to use the means God offers us, which are so near at hand?

Now, what is this armor? Saint Paul will show it in due time. For now, let it suffice for us to understand his intent. When it is said that we must be armed with God's complete armor, it serves to rebuke and awaken us from our carelessness in neglecting the things He offers us. Indeed, we gladly hear it said that God is ready and willing to help us and that we need not fear victory against all our enemies as long as He is on our side. We accept this willingly. But, in the meantime, we are content to sit still, for we think it is not for us to encounter our enemy, as he is far too strong for us.

However, we must, in this case, engage in hand-to-hand combat. We would rather have God's armor prepared for us without needing to use it. For this reason, we are commanded to "put it on," meaning that we are to apply it to our use, since our state requires that we engage in battle. It pleases God that we should be so armed, and that the devil should not attack us unprepared.

Saint Paul not only uses the word "armor" but also adds "all the equipment," as if to say that we must be armed from head to toe. This will be explained in more detail later. However, his current meaning is that our ungratefulness is all the more apparent in that God arms us at every point, so that nothing is lacking unless the fault is our own. Indeed, we may be willing to put on some part of the armor that God gives us, but it is as if one man puts on a helmet just for appearance and takes neither a shield nor breastplate nor anything else, another grabs a sword, and a third picks up a spear. Meanwhile, each of them lacks many other things they will need.

Likewise, we may apply some part of God's armor to ourselves, that is to say, we may not utterly reject or refuse all the grace He offers us. But none of us arms himself as he should. That is to say, we are not fully equipped with all the virtues that God gives us. For it is certain that from every side, whether right or left, above or beneath, God provides means for us to fight, which are sufficient if we do not despise them but, realizing our need, receive what He gives us so freely.

To encourage us further to arm ourselves and receive the help God provides, Saint Paul adds, "that you may withstand all the assaults of the devil." Here, he confirms what I mentioned earlier: that we cannot serve God at our own ease as though nothing hinders us. A man may go about his work all day long, and it shall progress smoothly because he is not disturbed. But it is not so in the obedience that the faithful owe to their God. Why? Because the devil never ceases to trouble them and works a thousand ways to spite and hinder them.

Therefore, if we desire to walk in the fear of our God, we must be armed and ready for battle, for our enemy will never let us rest. For this reason, Saint Paul speaks of many assaults from Satan. As if he should say, Satan's attacks to lead us into wickedness are not just for once or twice and then gone. Rather, he maintains a continual battle, and when he has given us one alarm on one side, he comes around again on the other. Thus, besides strengthening and encouraging ourselves, we also need armor to repel our enemy, no matter which side he attacks us from.

And again, he amplifies it even further, saying that our fighting is not only against flesh and blood but also against the powers and principalities of the air, against the lords of the world, and against wicked spirits, which fight from heaven against us. Commonly, when we have to deal with an enemy that is not greatly able to harm us, so that we fear not what he can do, we tend to despise him, and this often causes those who would be regarded as the most valiant to come up short. Why? Because they despised their enemy.

But Saint Paul tells us that we have to deal with other kinds of beings than mortal men, and yet we do not fear them. If a man hates us, even if he is not of great ability, we still take precautions (as they say), thinking it wise to prevent whatever schemes our enemy might practice against us. But especially if our enemies are mighty and strong, and we are unable to stand against them or repel them, then we are greatly amazed. And yet, they are but mortal men like us. However, Saint Paul tells us that we do not fight against mortal men, but against enemies far stronger. For that reason, he calls them "powers" and "principalities," giving them authority as though they already have the upper hand over us.

If we were to fight with an enemy who had the advantage, it would greatly trouble us. Such are the devils, for they are even called "kings of this world." Moreover, they have a thousand wiles and tricks. Therefore, it is said that they not only attack us with force, but they also lay many traps and ambushes to ensnare us, such that we could not escape them if we did not remain constantly vigilant. It behooves us to be fully awake, even if we were not merely asleep but in a swoon. Yet, despite this warning, it does little good, for we see how cold we are in preparing ourselves for battle.

Saint Peter tells us the same thing, though he does not use the same words. For in saying that the devil is like a roaring lion, going about seeking someone to devour, so that he will swallow us up if we are not watchful, he shows us that it is not for us to be careless and unafraid but rather to remain steadfast in our duty. Not that we should be overly afraid, for the intent of both Saint Peter and Saint Paul in describing the devil's force is not to discourage or dismay us, leading us to think, "How shall we ever prevail? We are beyond hope." No, but Saint Peter adds, "Resist him, firm in your faith" (1 Peter 5:9), and Saint Paul also tells us that although the devil is strong and mighty, God is even stronger. If we are armed with His power, we need not fear, for we will certainly overcome Satan and all his assaults and, in the end, gain victory over him.

So then, what we must remember is that whenever we see obstacles hindering our walk with God and preventing us from enduring as we ought, we should acknowledge our own weakness and reject all the foolish overconfidence of popery, such as their belief in free will, their works of preparation, and all the things they imagine they bring to God. Let all such things vanish away. When we have acknowledged that we can do nothing on our own, we must also recognize the strength of our enemy and fear, not as those who fall into despair, but as those who are awakened to seek help from God through prayer and supplication and to embrace His promises with faith, which shall triumph over all the world. And let us not doubt that God will always prevail over Satan and all his schemes, for He has promised to wield infinite power whenever it concerns our deliverance.

Thus, we must walk in fear and vigilance. Why? Because we are besieged by many enemies and are, of ourselves, destitute of all goodness and inclined to all evil. Therefore, we must distrust our own strength and mourn over it. We should be stirred to action by the awareness of our enemies, who could utterly destroy us with a mere glance, as it were, for we would be completely undone a hundred thousand times over by the devil's power if our Lord did not uphold us.

But no matter how we fare, let us march on with our heads held high, trusting in the help that is promised from above, and we will experience it in such a way that we will remain unvanquished. And though we may falter at times and endure fierce skirmishes, and though at times we feel deep, overwhelming distress (for indeed, God perfects His strength in our weakness), let us not doubt that all will work out for our benefit. Even our troubles will serve to humble us, acting as spurs to drive us to call upon God and, moreover, to move us to give Him thanks and honor when we see that He has granted us the grace to overcome our enemy. Thus, we will continually acknowledge the goodness we have received from His hand.

The way for us to order our lives well is, first, to know God, and secondly, to understand that we owe Him for all the goodness and blessings we receive. Therefore, let us not be cold or lazy, but let each one of us strive to glorify Him, walking continually in His fear.

Now let us fall down before the Majesty of our good God, with acknowledgment of our faults, praying Him to make us perceive them better than we have done, and that our doing so may cause us to resort to Him. May we not only obtain forgiveness for our past faults, but also be so strengthened that we may order our whole life according to His holy commandments, even according to the measure of grace that He shall have given us, until He takes us out of this world and rids us of all the vices and spots with which we are stained as of now. And so let us all say: Almighty God, heavenly Father, etc.