On In Whom We Stand

Ephesians  6:10-18  (Phillips)  – In conclusion be strong – not in yourselves but in the Lord, in the power of His boundless resource.  Put on God’s complete armor so that you can successfully resist all the devil’s methods of attack.  For our fight is not against any physical enemy:  it is against organizations and powers that are spiritual.  We are up against the unseen power that controls this dark world, and spiritual agents from the very headquarters of evil. Therefore you must wear the whole armor of God that you may be able to resist evil in its day of power, and that even when you have fought to a standstill you may still stand your ground.  Take your stand then with truth as your belt, righteousness your breastplate, the Gospel of peace firmly on your feet, salvation as your helmet and in your hand the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. Above all be sure you take faith as your shield, for it can quench every burning missile the enemy hurls at you.  Pray at all times with every kind of spiritual prayer, keeping alert and persistent as you pray for all Christ’s men and women.

Observation

Ephesians is a book about our standing in Christ and God’s purpose to equip, empower and mature us to enforce Christ’s victory on the Cross.  We are called to partner with Him, as a warrior equipped with “His boundless resource,” to enforce the victory won on the Cross so all things can be on earth as it is in Heaven.  “Therefore you must wear the whole armor of God that you may be able to resist evil in its day of power, and that even when you have fought to a standstill you may still stand your ground.”  Remember, as long as our standing is in Christ, He (and we) will not retreat or be defeated.  The victory in this battle is not dependent on our own strengths and abilities but rather on knowing in whom we stand.  He is asking for our faith to trust Him plus our willingness and commitment to submit all we have received from Him to Him. 

“For our fight is not against any physical enemy” and so the battle plan is also different.  God’s armor and weapons above are laughable for the physical battlefield but devastating to the enemy on the spiritual front.  These are some of the weapons against which our Enemy has no defense – salvation, truth, righteousness, peace, faith, the Word.  Mercy, grace, love, forgiveness are some others.  If we refuse to be offended and pray for and forgive our enemies, what defense does the devil have against that?  None!  He has been disarmed.  AND we open a door for those we thought were enemies to find freedom and deliverance from the Enemy’s captivity. The Holy Spirit will teach us the art of this warfare if we allow.

Impact on Me

I love reading the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5-7) because it helps me to see what operating on earth using spiritual weapons looks like. These verses are in red in my Bible, therefore, they are the commands and teachings of Jesus.  I want to listen closely and take Him seriously.  To do otherwise would be a mistake and handicap in my understanding of spiritual warfare.  As difficult as some of these teachings are to embrace (mostly requiring reining in my pride), all things are possible with God and, therefore, all He says to do is possible in Him.  I have found that the first steps are to lay down my pride, my need to be seen as right, my need for the praise of people around me.

“Pray at all times with every kind of spiritual prayer, keeping alert and persistent as you pray for all Christ’s men and women.”  Much spiritual warfare happens through prayer, and it is essential.  Prayer helps to remind me that it is not people or organizations or government that is my true enemy, but the “the unseen power that controls this dark world, and spiritual agents from the very headquarters of evil”. 

Prayer

Lord Jesus, You are our Great Commander, the mightiest of Warriors.  Empower me by Your Holy Spirit as I bow my heart and life to You.  Search me and try me until Your armor is my 24/7 garment, keeping me always on the ready to respond to the tactics and attacks of the Enemy.  Give me wisdom, knowledge and insight to see past the person into their woundedness so my warfare brings not only victory for You and me but also for those who are held captive and deceived by the Enemy.  Make it so, in Jesus’ name.