Waging Spiritual Warfare
Whether we realize it or not, there is an all-out spiritual war raging between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness. To prevail against the enemy, we must avail ourselves of all our spiritual resources in Christ as we come under His authority and depend upon His power.
The need for the armor:
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil” (Eph. 6:10-13).
Being fully aware of the spiritual battle going on in the unseen realm is key to waging a successful warfare. If you’re a Christian, you're in a spiritual battle that has profound implications. You are up against an evil unseen realm with powers that apart from Christ you would have no hope of overcoming. To stand against the spiritual forces of evil, Paul wrote that a Christian must “put on the whole armor of God.” Succinctly, the armor of God represents the spiritual resources in Christ available to the child of God.
Apart from these resources, we would not stand a chance in this cosmic battle. Satan's army that is made up of millions of fallen angels is organized under a hierarchical system that is strategically and diabolically waging war in our world. If you are seeking to live out your faith in your marriage, home, workplace and the world, you will have to confront demonic opposition. Our only hope of standing against the enemy and advancing the cause of Christ is to put on the whole armor of God.
The nature of the armor:
Standing against the enemy is not about learning the right prayer formula or phrase for binding and rebuking the enemy. Paul exhorted believers to put on the armor of God. Moreover, in verse 10, Paul wrote, "be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might." The nature of the armor is the power and presence of God. Putting on the armor is about being strong in the Lord. God is our strength. David, the sweet psalmist of Israel, who knew what it was to face a formidable enemy wrote, “The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped..." (Psalm 27:7).
David knew God as his strength and shield because he was under His authority and was seeking God's glory (1 Samuel 17:45-47). Similarly, we can know the power of God's armor—we can know God as our strength and shield when we wage war against the present darkness in the authority of Christ and for the glory of his name. The armor of God is all that God is for us in Christ (Col. 2:6-15). Putting on the armor of God is about seeking God's presence, surrendering to His purposes, serving in His power and all to the glory of Christ (Col. 1:27-29).
The names of the armor:
To further explain what it means to put on the armor of God, Paul names the individual parts of the armor. He begins with the belt of truth.
1. The belt of truth
2. The breastplate of righteousness
3. The shoes of the gospel
4. The shield of faith
5. The helmet of salvation
6. The sword of the Spirit
Persistence in prayer:
“praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.” (Ephesians 6:18-20)
The main message of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation is that on the cross, Jesus solved man’s greatest problem, sin, and won the victory. Through His death on the cross and resurrection, Jesus triumphed over all demonic principalities and power (Col. 2:13-15). As Paul clearly understood and asked prayer for, our main mission as believers is to spread the saving message of the gospel so that those who hear and believe can be saved (Eph. 6:19-20). To avail ourselves of the grace we need to clearly and boldly proclaim the good news of Jesus and overcome the opposition of the enemy we must persevere in prayer.
Our kingdom-minded prayers have divine power to overcome strongholds in both the visible and invisible realms (2 Cor. 10:3-4; Daniel 10:12-14). As Samuel Chadwick explained, “Satan dreads nothing but prayer. His one concern is to keep the saints from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, he mocks our wisdom, but he trembles when we pray.”
We will prevail in spiritual warfare as we rest in all that God is for us in Christ, come under His authority, and persevere in prayer to advance His kingdom. “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31)
In your service,
Pastor Marco
The need for the armor:
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil” (Eph. 6:10-13).
Being fully aware of the spiritual battle going on in the unseen realm is key to waging a successful warfare. If you’re a Christian, you're in a spiritual battle that has profound implications. You are up against an evil unseen realm with powers that apart from Christ you would have no hope of overcoming. To stand against the spiritual forces of evil, Paul wrote that a Christian must “put on the whole armor of God.” Succinctly, the armor of God represents the spiritual resources in Christ available to the child of God.
Apart from these resources, we would not stand a chance in this cosmic battle. Satan's army that is made up of millions of fallen angels is organized under a hierarchical system that is strategically and diabolically waging war in our world. If you are seeking to live out your faith in your marriage, home, workplace and the world, you will have to confront demonic opposition. Our only hope of standing against the enemy and advancing the cause of Christ is to put on the whole armor of God.
The nature of the armor:
Standing against the enemy is not about learning the right prayer formula or phrase for binding and rebuking the enemy. Paul exhorted believers to put on the armor of God. Moreover, in verse 10, Paul wrote, "be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might." The nature of the armor is the power and presence of God. Putting on the armor is about being strong in the Lord. God is our strength. David, the sweet psalmist of Israel, who knew what it was to face a formidable enemy wrote, “The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped..." (Psalm 27:7).
David knew God as his strength and shield because he was under His authority and was seeking God's glory (1 Samuel 17:45-47). Similarly, we can know the power of God's armor—we can know God as our strength and shield when we wage war against the present darkness in the authority of Christ and for the glory of his name. The armor of God is all that God is for us in Christ (Col. 2:6-15). Putting on the armor of God is about seeking God's presence, surrendering to His purposes, serving in His power and all to the glory of Christ (Col. 1:27-29).
The names of the armor:
To further explain what it means to put on the armor of God, Paul names the individual parts of the armor. He begins with the belt of truth.
1. The belt of truth
“Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth…” (Ephesians 6:14a). When Paul used the metaphor of armor to explain how a Christian could stand strong against the schemes of the enemy, he had in view the armor that Roman soldiers used in his day. The first spiritual connection that he makes is to the belt of a soldier which he likens to truth. A Roman soldier, who typically wore a long robe-like garment, would lift his robe and tuck it in his belt in order to have more freedom of movement and stability. Similarly, without the objective standard or truth which God established, we will not be able to stand against the enemy—we will fall for his lies and deception. The truth will set us free (John 8:31-32).
2. The breastplate of righteousness
“and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,” (Ephesians 6:14b). The breastplate helped to protect a Roman soldier’s most vital organs, like the heart. Without the breastplate, he would be extremely vulnerable to a deadly blow from the enemy. Likewise, when a believer is not walking in the paths of righteousness in the power of the Spirit, he will be easily led by the enemy down the road of sin and destruction. (Galatians 5:16-25). We put on the breastplate of righteousness by walking in the Spirit—by seeking first the kingdom (rule) of God (Matthew 6:31). “We will never be over what God has put under us, until we are under what God has put over us.” Adrian Rogers.
3. The shoes of the gospel
“and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.” (Ephesians 6:15) A Roman soldier was not prepared for battle if he was not wearing his shoes or sandals. The sandals that soldiers wore in battle had spikes underneath them that provided better footing to take the battle to the enemy. Like a Roman soldier, a believer must be prepared to take the gospel behind enemy lines to set captives free. A believer that has on the shoes of the gospel is a believer that is equipped and ready to share the good news of Jesus in a lost world. (1 Peter 3:15; Romans 10:14-15; 2 Tim. 2:24-26)
4. The shield of faith
“In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;” (Ephesians 6:16). Like a shield that helped protect a Roman soldier from the attacks of the enemy, believers also need to be shielded, namely from the flaming darts of the evil one. These flaming darts can be lustful thoughts, fear, disappointment, and doubt. If we do not quench these flaming darts, they can light a fire in us that will paralyze us with fear or lead us to make ungodly and unwise decisions.
According to Paul, what extinguishes these flaming darts is the shield of faith. What is faith? Victorious faith is not faith in faith. It’s not positive thinking. It’s not believe it and you can achieve it. Victorious faith is faith in God and His promises. When the enemy attacks our minds with ungodly thoughts, we must learn to turn our attention to God and the promises of His word. We must say to ourselves, like David, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1). Fear will turn to faith when worry turns to worship.
5. The helmet of salvation
“and take the helmet of salvation,” (Ephesians 6:17a) A Roman soldier wore a helmet to protect the most vulnerable area of his body. As the saying goes, “Cut off the head and the body dies.” The area that a believer must guard most carefully is the mind. We must put on the helmet of salvation. As a result of our salvation, a believer, among other things, has been given a new mind—a mind that is able to discern spiritual truths and realities (Jer. 31:33). But although we have a new mind, it must be guarded and renewed day by day. (2 Corinthians 4:16)
We must avail ourselves of the blessings of our salvation; the ability to understand spiritual truth and grow in the knowledge of God. If we allow our minds to be filled with the ways of the world, and fail to grow in the knowledge of God, we will be easy prey for the enemy. He will build strongholds of deceptive thoughts, beliefs, and desires in our minds and hearts that will make us captive to sin and destructive habits. (2 Corinthians 10:3-4)
6. The sword of the Spirit
“and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God," (Ephesians 6:17b) An elite Roman soldier was trained to wield a sword in battle. Likewise, believers must learn to skillfully wield the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. We must immerse ourselves in the word of God and learn to apply it to our lives. Moreover, we must learn to skillfully wield the sword to destroy the arguments and lofty opinions that rise up against the knowledge of God for our sake and the sake of others (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).
Persistence in prayer:
“praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.” (Ephesians 6:18-20)
The main message of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation is that on the cross, Jesus solved man’s greatest problem, sin, and won the victory. Through His death on the cross and resurrection, Jesus triumphed over all demonic principalities and power (Col. 2:13-15). As Paul clearly understood and asked prayer for, our main mission as believers is to spread the saving message of the gospel so that those who hear and believe can be saved (Eph. 6:19-20). To avail ourselves of the grace we need to clearly and boldly proclaim the good news of Jesus and overcome the opposition of the enemy we must persevere in prayer.
Our kingdom-minded prayers have divine power to overcome strongholds in both the visible and invisible realms (2 Cor. 10:3-4; Daniel 10:12-14). As Samuel Chadwick explained, “Satan dreads nothing but prayer. His one concern is to keep the saints from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, he mocks our wisdom, but he trembles when we pray.”
We will prevail in spiritual warfare as we rest in all that God is for us in Christ, come under His authority, and persevere in prayer to advance His kingdom. “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31)
In your service,
Pastor Marco