That is why you need to get God’s full armor. Then on the day of evil you will be able to stand strong. And when you have finished the whole fight, you will still be standing.
Remember your Creator while you are young, before the bad times \{of old age\} come—before the years come when you say, “I have wasted my life.” {\cf2\super [44]}
“No person can prepare for that time. No person can stand against him when he comes. He will be like a burning fire. He will be like the strong soap people use to make things clean.
So be ready all the time. Pray that you will be strong enough to continue safely through all these things that will happen. And pray that you will be able to stand before the Son of Man. {\cf2\super [336]} ”
What is the seed that fell on rock? That is like the people that hear God’s teaching and accept it gladly. But these people don’t have deep roots. They believe for a while. But when trouble comes, they turn away from God.
The night {\cf2\super [139]} is almost finished. The day {\cf2\super [140]} is almost here. So we should stop doing things that belong to darkness (sin). We should prepare ourselves to fight evil with the weapons that belong to the light (good).
We fight with weapons that are different from the weapons the world uses. Our weapons have power from God. These weapons can destroy \{the enemy’s\} strong places. We destroy \{people’s\} arguments.
Epaphras also says hello. He is a servant of Jesus Christ. And he is from your group. He always prays for you. He prays that you will grow to be spiritually mature (perfect) and have everything that God wants for you.
Christ suffered while he was in his body. So you should strengthen yourselves with the same kind of thinking Christ had. The person who has suffered in his body is finished with sin.
You followed my command to endure patiently. So I will keep you from the time of trouble that will come to the whole world. This trouble will test the people who live on the earth.