Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 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. (Ephesians 6:10-12 NIV)
Many Christians in the USA today see the Church like a cruise ship. It is a place to come and taste the spiritual buffet of good things to feed the soul and make us feel good in the midst of a life full of struggle. The focus is all too easily upon me and what I get out of church. The Bible depicts the Church rather as a battleship. By faith in Jesus we enter into a life of spiritual warfare against "...the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."
The enemy of our souls is a powerful, fallen angel who was cast out of heaven for his rebellion against the one, true God. Lucifer, the morning star, became Satan, the one who seeks the steal, kill and destroy, as Jesus depicted him. (John 10:10) Angels and demons are part of the Biblical world view, not just as symbols of good and evil, but as real, living beings in a spiritual dimension that is just beyond our normal human senses.
When things go horribly wrong in life - when we are feeling attacked and opposed - it is because we have an enemy who prowls the earth like a lion, seeking whom he may devour. Believers in Jesus Christ are not exempt from the attacks of this spiritual enemy. At times we open the door for his attacks in our lives through disobedience. Our culture is full of temptations to dabble with evil in the form of the occult, witchcraft, media and games filled with violence and promiscuity, drugs, alcohol abuse and the like.
Left unchecked, this dabbling with evil can open the door for all kinds of sin to set up camp in our souls and lead to behavior that is unbecoming of one redeemd by the grace of our Savior. Sometimes we follow Jesus and yet harbor in our hearts smoldering anger that lashes out at others, rebelliousness that says, "the rules don't apply to me", and end up in places far from the will of God. Human behaviors that defy our sensibilities like child abuse and racism can be strongholds in the lives of Christian people.
I believe the key to winning the battles that take place in our souls is to fight spiritual war with spiritual weapons. Defeating this enemy takes more than just our being strong enough or more disciplined enough. Jesus is our bondage breaker, and His name carries authority over the powers of darkness. He cast demons out of people. Demons recognized Him for who He was and obeyed Him every time He commanded them. One of the biggest reasons to take the presence of demonic powers seriously is because Jesus did. And the Ruler above all powers has delegated His authority over the demonic to His followers.
Paul's urgent call in Ephesians, chapter six, is for us to put on the whole armor of God, to stand firm in it. and to pray on every occasion. He lists the armor in verses 13 through 18:
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. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 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.
Put on the belt of truth. Study and know the Word of God. Make the truth of God's word the foundation on which you stand.
Put on the breastplate of righteousness. Live in the righteousness of Jesus Christ that has been credited to you by your faith in Him. Let His righteousness become your right living.
Put on the shoes of the Gospel of peace. In the midst of battles, rest in the peace that surpasses all human comprehension (Philippians 4:7). Seek the heart of the Prince of peace, and seek to be a peacemaker in all your relationships.
Take up the shield of faith. When the devil shoots fiery arrows at you, make faith in Jesus your shield. Trust Him in everything - especially in the spiritual battles you fight.
Put on the helmet of salvation. Let your mind be protected from the father of lies by the fact of your redemption. Take every thought captive to the truth of God's Word, applied to your mind and heart by His Holy Spirit.
Take up the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Jesus's own response to His temptations in the wilderness was to stand on the Word of God and tell the enemy, "It is written..." With the truth of God's Word established in your heart and mind through diligent, prayerful study of it, Satan's blows are parried and you are protected.
Stand and pray. Prayer is spiritual warfare against the spiritual enemy. All the armor is enlivened by prayer. Seek to become a person of prayer first, last and always.
We all face battles in our hearts and minds as the enemy attacks us again and again to discourage us, and even to seek to get us to renounce our faith in Jesus. But the gates of hell will not prevail against God's Church, and I am part of it. (Matthew 16:15-18) Like the Elevation Worship song, See A Victory, says:
The weapon may be formed, but it won't prosper
When the darkness falls it won't prevail
'Cause the God I serve knows only how to triumph
My God will never fail
I'm gonna see a victory. I'm gonna see a victory.
For the battle belongs to you, Lord
I'm gonna see a victory. I'm gonna see a victory.
For the battle belongs to you, Lord
There's power in the mighty name of Jesus
Every war He wages He will win
I'm not backing down from any giant
I know how this story ends.
I'm gonna see a victory. I'm gonna see a victory.
For the battle belongs to you, Lord
I'm gonna see a victory. I'm gonna see a victory.
For the battle belongs to you, Lord
You take what the enemy meant for evil
And you turn it for good. You turn it for good.
Listen to the whole song here.
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