So put on all of God’s armor, so that when evil days come, you’ll be able to stand up to anything. After you’ve done everything you can, you’ll still be standing.
So always keep watching. Pray that you will be able to escape all that is about to happen, and pray that you will be able to stand before the Son of Man.”
The seed on rocky ground stands for those who hear the message and receive it with joy, but who have no roots. They believe for a while, but when they are tested, they fall away from the faith.
You’ve kept my command to remain strong in the faith no matter what happens, so I’m going to keep you from the time of suffering that the rest of the world is going to experience. That suffering will test those who live on the earth.
Epaphras, who’s from your community and who’s a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He’s always praying hard for you, that you’ll stand firm in the will of God and that you’ll be confident and mature.
Since Christ suffered in his body, protect yourselves by having the same attitude that he did, because anyone who suffers in their body is finished with sin.