Fighting Spiritual Warfare

¹⁰Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹²For 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. ¹³Therefore 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. ¹⁴Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. ¹⁸And 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 saints.

¹⁹Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

Ephesians 6:10-20

Introduction

• In this final chapter, Paul begins to draw his epistle to a close. To review, he has described to us:
  • The Christian possessions in Christ (“every spiritual blessing” ch. 1)
  • The Christian position in Christ (“fellow citizens with saints and members of the household of God” ch. 2-3)
  • The Christian’s purpose in Christ (“to have a walk worthy of the calling” ch.4-6)

1. Stand against evil (v. 10-12)

• Demonic possession may not exist today as it did in the days of Christ, but there are certainly demonic influences such as “doctrines of demons”

  ¹The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. ²Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. ³They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. 1 Timothy 4:1-3

• To effectively carry out our purpose, we have to be strong, with a strength that comes from the Lord.
  • There is power available to us beyond our own.
  • This strength comes from “the armour of God”, something that we must put on
• We are not left to our own feeble strength, but there is “divine strength” that we can “put on” to protect us in the battles that we must face.
• Satan has various wiles, trickeries that he uses in order to lure us to sin and evil ways.
  • Blinding people via false doctrine
  • Enticing people to indulge in illicit desires of the flesh and mind
  • Bringing persecution upon those who try to do right

Reflection: Can you identify the instances in your life when you think Satan is especially picking on you and making you stumble? If you are a Christian, do you notice if it’s attacks have gotten worse since you accepted Jesus in your life?

2. Dress for battle (v. 13-17)

• The whole armour of God is available to us for protection. This involves:
  • Truth, which serves like a belt, holding our life together with a sense of direction and purpose
  • Righteousness, which acts like a breastplate, helping us to do what is good and right, guarding our hearts against emotional guilt
  • The Gospel of Peace, which are as protective shoes, crucial to our ability to stand
  • Faith, which acts as a shield, protecting us with conviction from every “fiery dart” that Satan can throw at us
  • Salvation, which is like a helmet, protecting our mind against things like despair and fear
  • The Word of God, which is the sword of the Spirit, by which it is possible for the Spirit to “cut to the heart” those who fear the Word

Reflection: Are you taking full advantage of the armor that the Lord provides?

3. Pray up a storm (v. 18-20)

• Prayer is the means by which we remain “watchful”.

• The sort of watchful prayer that is effective is one that is:
  • with all perseverance
  • with supplication for the saints, especially those with special needs
• PUSH – pray until something happens!

Reflection: How often do you pray to God? Do you make sure that you pray in all circumstances of your life?

Challenge

• This week, be extra watchful for when you are being besieged by spiritual warfare, or forces of the dark one. Find your own battle song that you are inspired by, and play it until you know it by heart.