Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Finally, Put On The Full Armor of God So You Can Stand Against The Spiritual Forces of Evil

¹⁰ Finally, become-strong in the Lord and in the might of His strength. ¹¹ Put-on the full-armor of God so-that you may be able to stand against the schemes^[a] of the devil, ¹² because the struggle^[b] for us is not against blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world-powers^[c] of this darkness, against the spiritual forces^[d] of evilness in the heavenly-places. ¹³ For this reason, take-up the full-armor of God in order that you may be able to resist^[e] on the evil day, and having worked^[f] everything, to stand.

Stand Armored With Truth, Righteousness, And Faith, Wielding God’s Word And Prayer

¹⁴ Stand [firm] therefore, having girded^[g] your waist with truth, and having put-on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and having sandaled your feet with the readiness^[h] of the good-news of peace, ¹⁶ with all these having taken-up the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword^[i] of ^[j] the Spirit, which is the Word of God, ¹⁸ praying with every-kind-of prayer and petition at every opportunity^[k] in the Spirit, and keeping-alert for it with all perseverance and petition concerning all the saints— ¹⁹ and for me, that a word may be given to me in connection with the opening of my mouth with boldness to make-known the mystery of the good-news ²⁰ for the sake of which I am-an-ambassador in a chain, that with^[l] it I may speak-boldly^[m] as I ought-to speak.

⁵⁶ The one eating My flesh and drinking My blood abides in Me, and I in him. ⁵⁷ Just as the living Father sent Me forth, and I live because of the Father, indeed the one eating Me— that one also will live because of Me. ⁵⁸ This is the bread having come down from heaven; not as the manna the fathers ate and died. The one eating this bread will live forever”. ⁵⁹ He said these things in a synagogue while teaching in Capernaum.

These Words Are Spirit And Life. But Some of You Disciples Do Not Believe

⁶⁰ Then many of His disciples, having heard, said, “This statement is hard^[a]. Who can hear^[b] it?” ⁶¹ But Jesus, knowing in Himself that His disciples are grumbling about this, said to them, “Does this offend you? ⁶² Then what if you see the Son of Man going up where He was formerly? ⁶³ The Spirit is the One giving-life. The flesh profits nothing. The words which I have spoken to you are spirit, and are life. ⁶⁴ But there are some of you who do not believe”. For Jesus knew from the beginning who the ones not believing were, and who the one who will hand Him over was. ⁶⁵ And He was saying, “For this reason I have said to you that no one is able to come to Me unless it has been granted to him from the Father”.

From This Time, Many of His Disciples No Longer Followed Him

⁶⁶ From this time, many of His disciples went back, and were no longer walking with Him. ⁶⁷ So Jesus said to the twelve, “You also are not wanting to go-away, are you?” ⁶⁸ Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. ⁶⁹ And we have believed, and have come-to-know that You are the Holy One of God”.