The Fall of Rome (Ephesians 6)

The Fall of Rome (Ephesians 6)

Ephesians 6.10-11 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. [nkjv]

The Roman Empire was one of the most powerful and influential in human history. At its territorial peak, it controlled approximately 6,500,000 square kilometers of land surface. In fact, Roman influence on language, religion, architecture, philosophy, law and government are still evident today all around the globe.

One of the strengths of the Roman Empire was its military. The Roman army was highly structured and one of the most disciplined military organizations ever. Soldiers trained daily. The threat of severe punishment was used to keep order in the ranks. Minor punishments included the reduction of a soldier's food ration, while corporal punishment and execution was used for more serious offenses such as falling asleep on duty or leaving your post during a battle.

But this vast empire met its downfall. Although there are many contributing factors as to why this happened, most historians agree that Rome brought about her own demise.

Having conquered the world, soldiers became more relaxed and stopped their daily exercises and training. They convinced their officers that their weapons were too heavy and so the sword and shield were put aside. Eventually the neighboring Goths and Huns attacked and the once powerful Roman army was easily overwhelmed.

As Christians, we are in a fight and our adversary is the devil. It's a spiritual battle. To be victorious Paul is telling us that there are two things we need to do; we need to be strong in the Lord and we must put on the whole armour of God.

It's not enough to just do one without the other. If you take a weak man and put him in the best armour, he will still fall. And if you take a strong man and give him little armour, he is exposed and vulnerable.

The Amplified Bible says that to be strong in the Lord is to 'be empowered through our union with Him'. This 'union' is crucial. Our strength in battle is directly related to the strength of our relationship with God. We need to ensure that we don't neglect doing those things which help build that relationship. Things like prayer and reading God's Word.

Just like the Roman soldiers, when we relax and stop our daily disciplines, we put ourselves in a dangerous position. The attack may not come straight away but it is inevitable. The question I ask myself is, if the enemy launched an attack on my life today, would I stand or would I fall?