UNLEASHED: KALEIDOSCOPE



SPIRITUAL LIVING: WARFARE

Ephesians 6

James Sayers, November 4, 2012, RCC

Have you met anyone who is only interested in being seen as a “spiritual person”? I always find that position curious—they recognize the spiritual realm and agree with the idea of a personal spirit, but aren’t interested in tools or a basis to deal with life in the spiritual realm. For the next few weeks, we will focus on spiritual living—how do we engage in the unseen spiritual world? We are spiritual beings, and we live in a world affected by spiritual things. And there is a spiritual battle going on all around us.

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 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. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. 19 Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

Paul lays out three objectives for winning spiritual battles.

Know your enemy.

There may be some Christians who reject the idea of a spiritual battle between good and evil. Jesus certainly believed in Satan and demons and spirits. In Luke 11:17-26, Jesus talks about the reality of demons and spirits. He drove out demons Himself. He understood the necessity of filling oneself with God’s spirit in the absence of evil spirits. They roam, looking for a place to settle and wreak havoc.

A few weeks ago, we talked about the kinetic nature of Jesus’ church. The gates of hell would not prevail against the church Jesus was about to launch. There is a battle implied.

Genesis 3. We see the first vestiges of the spiritual war. Humanity is used as a pawn. We see God’s enemy Satan constantly working to derail the divine plan throughout the Bible. In Genesis 6, the “sons of God” took human women to try to keep “the seed of the woman” from crushing the enemy’s head. In Daniel’s life, we see a fair amount of spiritual struggle. Certainly we see Satan working on Jesus, to defeat God’s plan for Jesus’ victory before it ever got started, both at His birth (Herod’s attempt to kill Jesus) and after His baptism (temptation in the wilderness).

We’re urged to recognize and stand against the devil’s schemes. He is a slanderer, accuser, a liar and father of lies. He has and uses multiple strategies to defeat God’s people. He convinces people to listen and follow through subtle and smooth approach. Paul says about Satan in 2 Corinthians 11:14, “Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.”

Some scholars see in Ephesians 6 a hierarchy of evil. Paul writes about rulers, authorities, powers of this dark world. Any demons with some level of power. Demons with some authority. The devil and his demons. In our realm. There is a sense in which demonic “princes” have some local authority. Michael fought against the “prince of Persia” for three weeks. And there is promise of a conflict with the “prince of Greece,” too (Daniel 10:10-21).

Without giving too much emphasis to the spiritual forces of evil, the key idea Paul stresses is not who or what they are, but how we react to them. We should wrestle against the power of evil. The victor is able to hold his opponent down with his hand upon his neck. Wrestling against evil till you hold it on the ground by the throat. Know the enemy and how you should respond to it. How do we fight?

Will you stay alert, watching for evil influences that will wage war against your soul? Will you be vigilant against the smooth, subtle schemes that Satan will use to take you out of the fight? Will you watch with a spiritually critical eye all the video content you’re faced with each day? Will you listen with spiritually attuned ears to the thousands of messages directed at you daily? Will you seek to identify evil that disguises itself as good?

Use your defenses.

God provides the “armor of God.” Panoply of God, the armor. Spiritual helps needed for overcoming the temptations of the devil

Pretty important thing to note—this protection is given by God to His people. We don’t make it up on our own. Our Father provides what we need to survive this spiritual battle and win the war for our souls. Let’s look at the available equipment:

• Belt of truth. Girded loins with the truth. Equipping oneself with knowledge of truth. It’s the first piece and makes the rest possible. God’s truth must be applied first. Satan is a liar. God speaks truth.

• Breastplate of righteousness . The prophet Isaiah said that the coming Redeemer would wear a breastplate of righteousness and helmet of salvation (59:17). It’s God’s righteousness that we put on—our own righteousness is flawed. It protects our core and makes up the majority of the armor.

• Feet fitted with the readiness of the gospel. Interpreted as greaves or shoes. Shoes makes more sense. An army moves on its feet, so good shoes are vital. The truth of the gospel gives us a solid foundation; we are prepared to stand firm. The gospel is what sends us out; it gives us the objective to snatch people from the grip of darkness and bring them into the light.

• Shield of faith. It is a long shield, like a door, that offers whole-body protection. Our faith in Christ is what enables us to resist temptation and attack. Our faith provides a refuge and escape from Satan’s attacks.

• Helmet of Salvation. No soldier would go into battle without a helmet. It protects the most vital and essential part. Our salvation changes us, primarily from the mind, down. We are transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12). It is a “conversion,” after all.

• Sword of the Spirit. The sword with which the Spirit subdues the impulses to sin and proves its own power. It is the word of God, whatever He has uttered. Most scholars have understood this as the single offensive weapon provided to believers. God’s word is “sharper than any double-edge sword.” God’s word goes far beyond our ability to fend off Satan.

As important as it is for us to understand truth, righteousness, readiness, faith, salvation, and the word of God, it is not enough simply to know or understand these pieces of equipment. With each piece, there are active words associated: Girded/buckled around the waist, having put on/in place, having shod/fitted, take up, take. I’m not sure I ever paid attention to that before. It’s not enough to be equipped unless the pieces are being worn and utilized. The finest armor in the world won’t protect you unless you wear it.

STAND. Put the armor on so you can stand against the devil (11). Put on the armor so you can stand your ground (13). And after everything, to stand (13). So stand firm, then (14) Histemi. Immovable like the foundation of a building. Steadfast mind, unhesitating, unwavering. Resist or withstand, oppose (anthistemi-13).

Armor is only on the front. There is no cover for the backside.

Romans 13:12,14. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. . . . Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not thing about how to gratify the desires of the flesh. Are you prepared to cover yourself with God’s spiritual armor? Are you developing your faith? Learning more of God’s truth? Being transformed by the One who saved you? Applying His words in your life?

Pray. Pray. Pray.

In Daniel 10, the angelic prince Michael—the angel that watched over Daniel and God’s people—came in response to Daniel’s constant PRAYER. In that instance it took a while because of spiritual opposition. Daniel kept praying.

At the end of this passage, Paul urges the believing warrior to prayer. He doesn’t mention it just once, but he hits it over and over.

18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. … be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. 19 Pray also for me, … so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel,…. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

God’s warrior-people should address prayers to Him. One of the two words for prayer here means to implore God’s aid in some matter. We pray all kinds of requests to God on behalf of others in the battle. We pray with alertness—actually “sleeplessly.” We pray for God’s people, the saints. We pray for leaders/equippers. We pray for the declaration of God’s truth. When we pray, we advance God’s kingdom into the world. As we pray, we take the fight to the devil.

Paul believed in the power of the prayer of his fellow believers. He requested their prayers. He urged them to pray. He thanked them for their prayers. He functioned out of the power of those prayers. Are you engaging in prayer for others who are fighting this fight? Are you praying for yourself with an eye toward winning the spiritual war for your own soul? Are you constantly talking with God through the Spirit each day about His marching orders for you, for your family, and for your church?

When we know our enemy’s tactics, when we employ the defenses God has provided, when we commit ourselves to pray through the battle, then we can say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). In the face of spiritual warfare, will you stand?

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