“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand” (Eph. 6:13, NIV).
“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Ps. 118:24, HSCB).
Did you read those two verses, and wonder how they might go together? Could they possibly be talking about the same subject? “The day of evil” and “the day that the Lord has made” – they kind of sound like polar opposites, don’t they?
I would like to lovingly propose to you that, in fact, they are not. It’s not a case of either/or. Consider this Scripture, as we ponder the matter together:
“All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be” (Ps. 139:16, NIV).
Yep. All the days. Even the kind of day described in Ephesians 6:13; even the “day of evil.” Those ever-so-less-than-pleasant days were also inscribed into the story He authored before you were born: the story of your life here on Planet Earth.
Have you had one of those days lately? One of those that would fit perfectly into Paul’s category, the “day of evil?” One of those days when the devil is fighting against you tooth and nail? Or maybe you’ve had several of them?
Here is the beautiful news about that. Even if evil is happening right now, this day is still completely in God’s hand. He is in absolute control. Immeasurably, infinitely ahead of time, He saw that strategy the enemy would bring against you. Before you were even born, He had planned exactly how to ultimately use that evil for your overwhelming good.
“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance…” (Rom. 8:28-29, NLT).
Daddy God also is right now gazing into the future. He is excitedly previewing the beautiful times that are coming in your life. He is full of joy over how He will fulfill His purposes for you. He knows it will all be fully, fully worth it.
This is why we can follow the instructions He gives to us in Ephesians 6:13. We can stand. In the evil day we can stand because we know…
This is not the devil’s story. Not even on the day of evil. On the contrary! You and I are living out the breathtaking story that Daddy God Himself composed. It was our Creator who “fashioned” every day of our lives (Ps. 139:16, NKJV).
This is the day that the Lord has made. And even though fiery darts may be flying right now, Holy Spirit is here. We can tap into and draw enduring strength from the unexplainable, supernatural joy that He provides in the midst of it all.
Yes, this really is the day that He has made. So, dear one, come on with me – let us rejoice and be glad in it!
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How do you, personally, find joy in the “day of evil?”
Listen to the podcast version of this devo here!
Feeding On Jesus 
Awesome encouragement for the day! Thanks!
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You are truly welcome, my brother! Praise the Lord! 🙂 🙂
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The answer to your question lies in one word– faith. When the day is evil, if we live our faith properly (a/k/a putting on that full armor of God), then the evil will have no power against us. It’s not that we won’t notice it; I believe we should notice it. But we can confidently stand tall against it, and wind up having a lovely day in spite of it. — Mike
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Yes and amen! You summed it up exactly 🙂 And I agree, we definitely should pay attention and notice, and, standing firm, extinguish every last one of those fiery darts with the amazing shield of faith He has provided 🙂
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Amen Jennifer! I am ever so grateful to God for having all things always under His control. We must be alert, however, as Peter tells us. The devil is prowling about, looking for easy prey. Once again, our Father provides the protection we need in the form of His armor.
I just preached on Ephesians 6:10-18 this past Sunday May 5th. Should you or any of your readers be interested, it can be heard on our website: http://www.lakesidechristianministries.org.
Continued blessings to you,
Chuck
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Once again, the Holy Spirit confirms His word so wonderfully! Thank you so much, Chuck — I hope to get a chance to listen! And AMEN to the vital importance of staying alert! The richest of blessings to you as well my brother 🙂 🙂
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I did get a chance to check it out last night, and enjoyed it very much! Truly blessed in spirit to listen as the Holy Spirit continues to emphasize this subject, and also to now know what your voice sounds like, since I’ve been reading your words for a while now 🙂 Thank you again for sharing the link!
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Thank you so much for taking the time to listen Jennifer! I share being blessed by this as well, as Betsy and I are currently doing a series on Ephesians 6:10-18 during our “Bible Study on the Road” ministry
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That is awesome! God is so good! And you are welcome 🙂
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Amen.
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😀
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So blessing..God has made all days..Gbu
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Amen Ronal! His richest blessings to you too!
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Amin. Thank you..
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😊
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Great post. Yes, God has ordained all days in our life. I just need to have faith all things, good and bad, are for His purpose.
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Amen. Although He doesn’t cause evil to happen, He ALWAYS has a powerful way to use it in redemptive, beautiful ways! Thank you, CJ 🙂
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I heard a helpful sermon a couple of week ago. If you can become familiar with the wording of the Ephesians passage about the armour of God the suggestion was made as follows. Before you even get out of bed say the Lord’s Prayer and when you know the Presence of God is with you ………. lift up your arms and by faith, put on the Armour of God like you would your underwear. When it is in place…..then and only then STAND. Face your day confident that you are a Beloved Child of God. Sword of the Spirit Word of God……ready for what may eventuate.
On the days I remember it truly changes my attitude. Blessings and Love.
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I really like that a LOT! Thanks so much for sharing it! ❤
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