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. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God…(Ephesians 6:10-17)
Getting the Church Inside People: Gearing up for Spiritual Warfare
Ephesians 6:10-17
Paul’s words about Gearing up for Spiritual Warfare are a way of restating everything he’s already said in Ephesians about living a life of faith, love, and holiness amid a sinful and broken world. He reminds us that the evil one is not thrilled about the victory of King Jesus over sin and death and does all that he can to trip us up in our spiritual walk. It’s easy to forget, but there are evil forces at work in the world, behind the scenes, that stand at odds with God and His purposes for our lives. The devil is a formidable adversary that we should not take for granted. Yet, we have no reason to fear. Our Lord is victorious over the forces of evil and simply asks us to stand firm in our commitment and loyalty to Him. The armor we need to put on to withstand the devil’s schemes are truth and righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, the assurance of salvation, and the word of God. A quick survey of this equipment for spiritual battle reminds us that our assured victory is not based on our ability, but on the “strength of His might” (6:10). John White offered us this good reminder in his book The Fight:
God’s answer to your guilty conscience is the death of His Son. Your answer to a guilty conscience is usually something you do, like confessing harder, praying more, reading your Bible, paying more than your tithe in the offering, and so on. Do you not understand? The Father does not welcome you because you have been trying hard, because you have made a thoroughgoing confession, or because you have been making spiritual strides recently. He does not welcome you because you have something you can be proud about. He welcomes you because His Son died for you. Are you blasphemous enough to suppose that your dead works, your feeble efforts can add to the finished work of a dying Savior? “It is finished!” he cried. Completed. Done. Forever ended. He crashed through the gates of hell, set prisoners free, abolished death and burst in new life from the tomb. All to set you free from sin and open the way for you to run into the loving arms of God.
Now do you understand how ‘the brethren’ overcame the Accuser by the blood of the Lamb? They refused to let his accusations impede their access to God. A simple confession was enough. They face the Accuser boldly saying, “We already know the worst you could ever tell us, and so does God. What is more the blood of Jesus is enough.” Therefore, when you find the grey cloud descending, whether it be as you pray, as you work, as you testify or whatever, when you find the ring of assurance going from your words because of a vague sense of guilt, look up to God and say, “Thank you, my Father, for the blood of your Son. Thank you, even now, that you accept me gladly, lovingly in spite of all I am and have done—because of His death. Father and God, I come” (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1976, 87).[1]
As we take up the whole armor of God, may we always remember that we are participants in this great battle, who are able to stand firm because of the gracious, saving, resurrection power of Jesus.
· Two negative extremes related to the concept of spiritual warfare are: (1) fixating upon the enemy in a fearful, all-encompassing way and (2) denying or overlooking the existence of spiritual conflict. Have you ever experienced or been around anyone who exemplified either of those extremes? Describe that experience.
· What is a more positive approach to the concept of spiritual warfare from Paul’s instructions on the subject? How can we maintain that spiritually healthy kind of approach?
· Taken out of context, this passage is often read like an aside about the devil and his demons. What is a better reading of these words in the larger context of Ephesians which focuses on God and His saving work in Jesus and the resurrection power that’s at work among us by the Spirit?
· Take a few moments and reflect on White’s perspective on spiritual warfare. Pray that God would daily saturate our lives with the power of the crucified and resurrected Lord so that spiritual armor might be the natural byproduct of that relationship.
If you missed Sunday’s message, you can catch up here. Join us next week as we look at the last few verses of this foundational letter.