OUR SPIRITUAL BATTLE: PART ONE
EPHESIANS 6:10-20
AN ISSUE THAT THE CHURCH, AND THE WORLD, IS GOING TO HAVE AN INCREASING STRUGGLE WITH, ESPECIALLY AS WE DRAW CLOSER TO THE RETURN OF THE LORD, IS THE ISSUE OF SPIRITUAL CONFLICT.
I CAN REMEMBER, AS A YOUNGSTER, SINGING SOME GREAT HYMNS OF THE FAITH, MANY WHICH HAD HAD A MILITARY FLAVOR TO THEM. HYMNS LIKE:
ONWARD CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS
THE BANNER OF THE CROSS
SOUND THE BATTLE CRY
WE WOULD SING THEM WITH GUSTO, MUCH LIKE A MILITARY MARCH, AND WHEN WE WERE FINISHED WE WERE READY TO DO BATTLE WITH THE DEVIL. THE TIMES HAVE CHANGED A GREAT DEAL SINCE THEN.
TODAY THERE SEEMS TO BE A LACK OF RESPECT AND KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE SPIRIT WORLD. WE DON’T PREACH THAT MUCH ABOUT THE REALITY OF SATAN, AND THE WAY THAT HE ATTACKS THE WORLD. WE MAY KNOW WHAT SATAN’S FINAL DESTINATION WILL BE BUT WHERE DID HE COME FROM? WHERE DOES HE RESIDE NOW? WHAT POWERS DOES HE POSSESS?
ANOTHER IMPORTANT QUESTION WE MUST ASK OURSELVES IS WHERE DO THE SPIRITUAL BATTLES OCCUR? HOW ARE THESE BATTLES REPRESENTED ON EARTH?
WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT FIGHTING SPIRITUAL BATTLES IN THE FIRST PLACE? I FEEL LIKE I’VE READ A TON OF RESEARCH GETTING READY FOR THIS SERIES AND ONE OF THE FEW THINGS THAT I AM CERTAIN ABOUT, IS THAT MOST OF US ARE NOT READY TO ENGAGE IN A SPIRITUAL BATTLE WITH THE FORCES OF EVIL.
PAUL, I BELIEVE, MORE THAN ANY OTHER AUTHOR OF THE NEW TESTAMENT BOOKS DEALS WITH THE ISSUE OF SPIRITUAL WARFARE. THE BOOK OF EPHESIANS GIVES A DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF HOW THE BATTLE CAME TO BE, WHO THE FOE IS, AND HOW WE ARE TO STAY THE COURSE.
YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED THAT I SAID WE ARE TO STAY THE COURSE, OR STAND OUR GROUND. PAUL DOES NOT TEACH THAT WE CAN WIN THE BATTLE, NOT DOES HE TEACH THAT WE CAN DEFEAT OUR EVIL SPIRITUAL FOE. INDEED WE CANNOT DO EITHER, AND ARE NOT CALLED TO DO EITHER. PAUL IS VERY CLEAR IN HIS DIRECTION IN THIS PASSAGE AND STATES THAT WE ARE TO “STAND” OUR GROUND. OUR POSITION IS A POSITION OF DEFENCE AND MAINTENANCE OF THE VICTORY THAT WAS ALREADY WON BY CHRIST ON CALVARY. WE NEED NO FURTHER ADVANCEMENT AND INDEED THERE CAN BE NO FURTHER ADVANCEMENT THAN CHRIST’S VICTORY AT CALVARY.
WE MUST BEWARE OF WELL-SPEAKING INDIVIDUALS WHO SPEAK OF BINDING THE POWER OF SATAN OR WHO MAKE ERRONEOUS CHALLENGES TO HIS POWER. LEFT TO OUR OWN DEVICES WE ARE NO MATCH FOR HIS GREAT EVIL. WE NEED NOT LOOK FOR THE BATTLE. WHEN WE ACCEPT CHRIST AS OUR SAVIOR AND LORD THE BATTLE WILL COME TO US.
I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU IN THIS SERIES, SOME OF THE DETAILS ABOUT SATAN AND HIS DOMAIN. WHO ARE THOSE SPIRITS WHO ALLY THEMSELVES WITH HIM? WHAT ARE THEIR POWERS? WHAT IS THEIR GOAL? WHY DOES THE WORLD NOT ACKNOWLEDGE SATAN’S WORK? HOW ARE SPIRITUAL BATTLES REFLECTED IN OUR WORLD? HOW DO WE MAKE OUR STAND?
THEN TOO, THERE ARE TIMES WHEN WE WRONGLY CREDIT TO SATAN, AS INFLUENCEING AREAS OF OUR LIFE THAT WE HAVE NOT ALLOWED CHRIST TO BE LORD OF. SOMETIMES WE WILL CHOOSE EVIL WITH LITTLE OR NO PUSH FROM SATAN.
WE MUST ALSO EXAMINE THE ORIGIN OF OUR SINFUL NATURE. WHY IS IT THAT THE THOSE IN THE WORLD, OR WORLDLINGS AS THE LATE RAY STEDMAN CALLS THEM, ARE ATTRACTED TO THE WORLD OF DARKNESS RATHER THAN THE WORLD OF LIGHT?
WE WILL BE USING THIS PASSAGE IN EPHESIANS CHAPTER SIX AS OUR MAIN TEXT, BUT WILL BE SUPPORTING IT FROM DIFFERENT TEXTS THROUGHOUT THE BIBLE. LETS BEGIN WITH THE FIRST THREE VERSES:
EPHESIANS 6:10-13:
10 FINALLY, BE STRONG IN THE LORD AND IN HIS MIGHTY POWER. 11 PUT ON THE FULL ARMOR OF GOD, SO THAT YOU CAN TAKE YOUR STAND AGAINST THE DEVIL’S SCHEMES. 12 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. 13 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.
PAUL IS TELLING THE EPHESIAN PEOPLE THAT GOD HAS DELIVERED THEM FROM THE DEVIL’S GRASP. THEY ARE NO LONGER UNDER HIS CONTROL. PAUL HAS BEEN SPEAKING TO THEM THROUGHOUT THE BOOK ABOUT THEIR CHRISTIAN WALK, AND LEADS UP TO THE SPIRITUAL BATTLES THEY WILL FACE. WHEN HE USES THE WORD “FINALLY” IN THIS PASSAGE, HE IS EXHORTING THEM TO LISTEN TO ONE FINAL LESSON, TO DEPEND ON THE LORD AND HIS POWER.
HE INTRODUCES US TO OUR TRUE SPIRITUAL ADVERSARY. OUR BATTLES ARE NOT OF THIS WORLD, BUT ARE OF THE SPIRITUAL DOMAIN, AGAINST THE MASTER DECEIVER AND HIS COHORTS.
WE ARE TOLD THAT A DAY OF EVIL WILL COME, BUT IF WE PUT ON THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD, THEN WE WILL BE ABLE TO STAND OUR GROUND.
POINT ONE: WHO OR WHAT IS THE DEVIL OR SATAN?
LET US NOW CONSIDER OUR FIRST QUESTION OF THE SERIES, WHO IS THIS EEVIL THAT OPPOSES US IN OUR SPIRITUAL BATTLE? WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT HIM?
WE KNOW THAT SATAN HAS A NUMBER OF NAMES MENTIONED IN THE BIBLE:
1. THE RULER OF THIS WORLD (JOHN 14:30)
2. THE GOD OF THIS AGE (2 COR. 4:4)
3. SATAN IS A DECEIVER AND A DESTROYER (REV. 12:9)
4. ROARING LION (1 PETER 5:8-9)
5. “DEVIL” MEANS ACCUSER (REV. 12:7-11)
6. “SATAN” MEANS ADVERSARY
7. TEMPTER (MATT. 4:3
8. MURDERER AND LIAR (JOHN 8:44)
WHERE DID HE COME FROM, THIS SPIRIT-CREATURE THAT SEEKS TO OPPOSE GOD AND DEFEAT HIS WORK?
ISAIAH 14:12-15:
12 HOW YOU HAVE FALLEN FROM HEAVEN, MORNING STAR, SON OF THE DAWN! YOU HAVE BEEN CAST DOWN TO THE EARTH, YOU WHO ONCE LAID LOW THE NATIONS! 13 YOU SAID IN YOUR HEART, “I WILL ASCEND TO THE HEAVENS; I WILL RAISE MY THRONE ABOVE THE STARS OF GOD; I WILL SIT ENTHRONED ON THE MOUNT OF ASSEMBLY, ON THE UTMOST HEIGHTS OF MOUNT ZAPHON. 14 I WILL ASCEND ABOVE THE TOPS OF THE CLOUDS; I WILL MAKE MYSELF LIKE THE MOST HIGH.” 15 BUT YOU ARE BROUGHT DOWN TO THE REALM OF THE DEAD, TO THE DEPTHS OF THE PIT.
IN THE ORIGINAL CREATION SATAN WAS AN ANGEL NAMED “LUCIFER - SON OF THE MORNING”. HE WAS CAST OUT OF HEAVEN BECAUSE OF HIS PRIDE AND DESIRE TO OCCUPY GOD’S THRONE. A THIRD OF THE ANGELS FOLLOWED HIM AND WERE CAST DOWN AS WELL. THEY BECAME HIS ARMY OF DECEPTION.
SATAN IS A CREATED BEING AND SO UNLIKE GOD, HE IS LIMITED IN HIS KNOWLEDGE AND ACTIVITY. HE IS NOT ALL-POWERFUL, ALL-KNOWING, AND EVERYWHERE PRESENT. HE IS A MASTER DECEIVER THOUGH AND AN EXPERT ON PERSONAL DYNAMICS. OUR PASSAGE SPEAKS OF THE “WILES” (PLURAL) OF THE DEVIL, NOT JUST IN ONE AREA.
PAUL, IN OUR PASSAGE INDICATES THAT SATAN IS A STRONG ENEMY, AND WE ARE NEVER TO UNDERESTIMATE HIS POWER. MANY BATTLES HAVE BEEN LOST DUE TO OVERCONFIDENCE AND UNDERESTIMATING THE STRENGTH OF THE OPPOSITION
JOHN TELLS US:
JOHN 10:10: 10 THE THIEF COMES ONLY TO STEAL AND KILL AND DESTROY; I HAVE COME THAT THEY MAY HAVE LIFE, AND HAVE IT TO THE FULL.
1 PETER 5:8: 8 BE ALERT AND OF SOBER MIND. YOUR ENEMY THE DEVIL PROWLS AROUND LIKE A ROARING LION LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO DEVOUR.
2 CORINTHIANS 2:10-11:
10 ANYONE YOU FORGIVE, I ALSO FORGIVE. AND WHAT I HAVE FORGIVEN—IF THERE WAS ANYTHING TO FORGIVE—I HAVE FORGIVEN IN THE SIGHT OF CHRIST FOR YOUR SAKE, 11 IN ORDER THAT SATAN MIGHT NOT OUTWIT US. FOR WE ARE NOT UNAWARE OF HIS SCHEMES.
THUS WE CAN BEGIN TO PUT TOGETHER A PICTURE OF OUR ADVERSARY. HE IS EXTREMELY POWERFUL. THE ONLY ONE TO EVER DEFEAT HIM WAS CHRIST, MOST CERTAINLY IT WILL NOT BE US. WE KNOW THAT HIS PURPOSE IS TO DESTROY, NOT US, BUT THE KINGDOM OF GOD. WE ARE MERELY STEPPING STONES TO THIS END FOR HIM.
WE ALSO KNOW THAT HE IS EXTREMELY CUNNING. “WILES” CAN MEAN “CUNNING, CRAFTY ARTS, OR STRATEGEMS.” IT IS LIKE WATCHING TWO MASTERS PLAYING CHESS. WE SEE THEIR PRESENT MOVE, BUT IN THEIR MINDS THEY ARE ALREADY FOUR MOVES AHEAD.
PAUL SAYS IN
2 CORINTHIANS 11:14: AND NO WONDER, FOR SATAN HIMSELF MASQUERADES AS AN ANGEL OF LIGHT.
HE SEEKS IN DOING SO TO BLIND HUMANITY’S MINDS TO THE TRUTH OF GOD’S WORD. HE SEEKS TO BE THE WOLF IN SHEEP’S CLOTHING, OR THE SPY INFILTRATING OUR RANKS TO DESTROY US.
ROBERT DEFFINBAUGH STATES:
“MANY OF HIS VICTIMS DO NOT EVEN KNOW THERE IS A WAR GOING ON. THEY MAKE EASY PREY. CHRISTIANS DO NOT KNOW THAT WE ARE IN THE MIDST OF A GREAT SPIRITUAL STRUGGLE, ALTHOUGH MANY SEEM NOT TO BELIEVE IT. AND EVEN MORE DISTRESSING IS THE FACT THAT MANY WHO CONSIDER THEMSELVES “IN THE WAR” DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE NATURE OF SATAN’S SCHEMES, OF THE WEAPONS WHICH HE EMPLOYS, OR OF THE WEAPONS WHICH GOD HAS PROVIDED FOR OUR DEFENSE.”
THANK GOD WE HAVE THE WORDS OF THE PSALMIST:
PSALM 121: 2-4:
2 MY HELP COMES FROM THE LORD, THE MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH. 3 HE WILL NOT LET YOUR FOOT SLIP— HE WHO WATCHES OVER YOU WILL NOT SLUMBER; 4 INDEED, HE WHO WATCHES OVER ISRAEL WILL NEITHER SLUMBER NOR SLEEP.
THE PROPHET EZEKIEL ALSO INTRODUCES US TO OUR EVIL FOE:
EZEKIEL 28:12-15:
12 “SON OF MAN, TAKE UP A LAMENT CONCERNING THE KING OF TYRE AND SAY TO HIM: ‘THIS IS WHAT THE SOVEREIGN LORD SAYS: “ ‘YOU WERE THE SEAL OF PERFECTION, FULL OF WISDOM AND PERFECT IN BEAUTY. 13 YOU WERE IN EDEN, THE GARDEN OF GOD; EVERY PRECIOUS STONE ADORNED YOU: CARNELIAN, CHRYSOLITE AND EMERALD, TOPAZ, ONYX AND JASPER, LAPIS LAZULI, TURQUOISE AND BERYL. YOUR SETTINGS AND MOUNTINGS WERE MADE OF GOLD; ON THE DAY YOU WERE CREATED THEY WERE PREPARED. 14 YOU WERE ANOINTED AS A GUARDIAN CHERUB, FOR SO I ORDAINED YOU. YOU WERE ON THE HOLY MOUNT OF GOD; YOU WALKED AMONG THE FIERY STONES. 15 YOU WERE BLAMELESS IN YOUR WAYS FROM THE DAY YOU WERE CREATED TILL WICKEDNESS WAS FOUND IN YOU.
WE KNOW THAT SATAN NOT ONLY ENTERS INTO SPIRITUAL BATTLES WITH INDIVIDUALS, BUT WITH NATIONS, AND GROUPS OF PEOPLE, SUCH AS CHURCHES.
WE KNOW WHERE SATAN’S FINAL DESTINATION WILL BE, BUT WHERE IS HE RIGHT NOW? THE BIBLE TELLS US IN THIS PADDASGE THAT HE DWELLS IN THE REALM OF THE HEAVENLIES. THIS IS AN INVISIBLE REALM, KNOWN ONLY BY CHRISTIANS. IT IS IN THE HEAVENLIES THAT ALL SPIRITUAL BATTLES WILL BE FAUGHT.
JOB 1:6-7:
ONE DAY THE ANGELS R CAME TO PRESENT THEMSELVES BEFORE THE LORD, AND SATAN S ALSO CAME WITH THEM. 7 THE LORD SAID TO SATAN, “WHERE HAVE YOU COME FROM?” SATAN ANSWERED THE LORD, “FROM ROAMING THROUGHOUT THE EARTH, GOING BACK AND FORTH ON IT.”
HERE WE SEE THAT SATAN HAS FREEDOM TO COME AND GO IN THE HEAVENLY REALMS, JUST AS THE ANGELS DO. WE CAN ALSO SEE SOMETHING OF HIS LIMITATIONS.
SATAN CANNOT CONCEIVE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD AS BEING A REWARD IN AND OF ITSELF. HE IN HIS PRIDE ONLY SEES GOD AS A GIVER OF REWARDS. HE FELT THAT THE ONLY REASON JOB WAS FAITHFUL TO GOD WAS BECAUSE GOD HAD BLESSED HIM. HOW SURPRISED AND ANGRY HE MUST HAVE BEEN TO FIND THAT TRUE FOLLOWERS OF GOD FELT THAT BEING IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD WAS PRECIOUS.
MORE ABOUT THIS WHEN WE STUDY HOW SATAN ENGAGES IN SPIRITUAL BATTLES. RIGHT NOW I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT HE HAS A LIMITED FREEDOM IN THE HEAVENLY REALMS AROUND US.
IT IS ALSO FAIR TO SAY THAT SATAN IS THE ARCH-ENEMY OF THE CHURCH. HE IS EVER-SEEKING TO CAUSE THE SAINTS TO STUMBLE AND ATTEMPTING TO THWART THE PLANS AND PURPOSES OF GOD FOR THE CHURCH.
WE WILL SPEAK MORE ABOUT SATAN AND HIS ARMY NEXT WEEK AS WE CONTINUE THE SERIES. LET ME CLOSE THOUGH WITH THIS SOBERING THOUGHT. SATAN POSSESSES GREAT EVIL POWER, AND WE DARE NOT UNDERESTIMATE IT, AND MUST RESPECT THIS FACT.
TO UNDERESTIMATE HIS POWER IS TO UNDERESTIMATE THE IMMENSITY OF THE SPIRITUAL STRUGGLE WE ARE IN, AND THE CORRESPONDING NEED FOR DIVINE ENABLEMENT, IF WE ARE TO WITHSTAND SATAN’S ATTACKS. REMEMBER THE WORDS IN JUDE:
JUDE 8-10:
8 IN THE VERY SAME WAY, ON THE STRENGTH OF THEIR DREAMS THESE UNGODLY PEOPLE POLLUTE THEIR OWN BODIES, REJECT AUTHORITY AND HEAP ABUSE ON CELESTIAL BEINGS. 9 BUT EVEN THE ARCHANGEL MICHAEL, WHEN HE WAS DISPUTING WITH THE DEVIL ABOUT THE BODY OF MOSES, DID NOT HIMSELF DARE TO CONDEMN HIM FOR SLANDER BUT SAID, “THE LORD REBUKE YOU!” Y 10 YET THESE PEOPLE SLANDER WHATEVER THEY DO NOT UNDERSTAND, AND THE VERY THINGS THEY DO UNDERSTAND BY INSTINCT—AS IRRATIONAL ANIMALS DO—WILL DESTROY THEM.
OUR PROTECTION AGAINST SATAN’S ATTACKS IS ASSURED ONLY IF AND WHEN WE TAKE UP THE FULL ARMOR OF GOD. SATAN’S SCHEMES ARE MANY, AND HE ATTACKS US AT ANY POINT HE CONSIDERS VULNERABLE. THUS, OUR ARMOR MUST BE COMPLETE. THE BATTLE WILL BE FIERCE, BUT WE CAN HOLD ON TO THIS GREAT TRUTH:
1 JOHN 4:4: YOU, DEAR CHILDREN, ARE FROM GOD AND HAVE OVERCOME THEM, BECAUSE THE ONE WHO IS IN YOU IS GREATER THAN THE ONE WHO IS IN THE WORLD.
WE WILL BE ENGAGED IN THE BATTLE, BUT THE WAR IS ALREADY WON IN CHRIST.
