Major-General Sir Ernest Swinton, used to speak on the radio once each week as a military commentator from September 1939 onwards. Nothing seemed to be happening, no guns were being fired, there had been no clash of arms, no air-raids had taken place, the war seemed dead. But Sir Ernest Swinton kept on saying each week, ‘We are fighting for our lives.’ He seemed to many to be a pessimist; but he kept on saying it. ‘Make no mistake about it,’ he used to say, ‘we are fighting for our very lives.’ And he continued to say it though nothing was happening. The fact was that he knew something about the power and the subtlety of the enemy; he knew what was happening. He knew that this apparent lull was most deceptive, and that if we were wise we would be preparing with all our might and main. He knew that the terrible onslaught was bound to come. And of course warfare did come! (Lloyd-Jones, D. M. (1976). The Christian Warfare: An Exposition of Ephesians 6:10–13 (pp. 96–97). Edinburgh; Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth Trust.)
The true Christian described in Ephesians 1–3 who lives the faithful life described in 4:1—6:9 can be sure that they will be involved in the spiritual warfare described in 6:10–20. The faithful Christian life is a battle; it is warfare on a grand scale—because when God begins to bless, Satan begins to attack. In this letter, Paul explained the need for unity in the body of believers; here he further explained the need for that unity—there will be inevitable clashes with evil, and the church must be ready to stand and fight (Barton, B. B., & Comfort, P. W. (1996). Ephesians (p. 127). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.).
If we are walking worthy of our calling, in humility rather than pride, in unity rather than divisiveness, in the new self rather than the old, in love rather than lust, in light rather than darkness, in wisdom rather than foolishness, in the fullness of the Spirit rather than the drunkenness of wine, and in mutual submission rather than self–serving independence, then we can be absolutely certain we will have opposition and conflict.
Recognizing Satan’s schemes, Paul closes his letter to Ephesus by giving his brothers and sisters there both encouragement and warning, much as Jesus did in His letters to the seven churches of Asia Minor over 30 years later. In Ephesians 6:10–13 the apostle outlines the necessary information in regard to 1) The Preparation (Ephesians 6:10), 2) Armor (Ephesians 6:11a), 3) Enemy (Ephesians 6:11b), 4) Battle (Ephesians 6:12), and 5) The Victory of the Believer’s Warfare (Ephesians 6:13).
1) The Preparation: Strength in the Lord
Ephesians 6:10 [10]Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. (ESV)
Basic to the effective Christian life is preparation. The unprepared believer becomes the defeated believer who seeks to serve the Lord in their own wisdom and power. The strength of the Christian life is dependence on God, being strong. The passive voice would suggest that we cannot do it ourselves (Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1997). The Nelson Study Bible: New King James Version (Eph 6:10). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.).
We are to be strong: in the Lord, and in the strength of His might. Any other strength proves to be impotent. To ‘be strong’, is best understood as a passive, meaning ‘be made strong, be strengthened’ (O’Brien, P. T. (1999). The letter to the Ephesians (p. 460). Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.).
Furthermore, he says, not ‘by the Lord’, though that would be true enough, but again in the Lord. When life is lived in union with him, within the orbit of his will and so of his grace, there need not be failure due to powerlessness (1 John 2:14). Apart from him the Christian can do nothing (John 15:1–5), but there is available all the strength of his might (Foulkes, F. (1989). Ephesians: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 10, pp. 175–176). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.).
The cardinal reality presented in the book of Ephesians is that, as believers, we are in Christ and are one with Him. His life is our life, His power our power, His truth our truth, His way our way, and, as Paul goes on to say here, His strength is our strength. The Lord’s strength is always more than sufficient for the battle. When Jesus told the church at Philadelphia, “I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name” (Rev. 3:8), He was affirming that even a little power was enough to preserve them, because it was the Lord’s supernatural power. Our own strength is never strong enough to oppose Satan, but when we are strong in the Lord, even a little of His strength is sufficient to win any battle. “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me,” Paul said (Phil. 4:13). It is not the amount of the strength we have that is important—only its source.
Please turn over to 2 Timothy 1
After several years of ministry, Timothy became fearful and timid. He faced stronger temptations than he had expected and considerably more opposition.
Paul wrote to him:
2 Timothy 1:6-8 [6]For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, [7]for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. [8]Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, (ESV)
•Spiritual gifts from God tend to fade in strength when they are not used and encouraged. We are commanded here not to be fearful or cowardly by fleeing the battle but use the weapons provided for us by God.
In the ultimate sense, the church’s battles with Satan are already won. In his crucifixion and resurrection Jesus destroyed Satan and his power of sin and death (Rom. 5:18–21; 1 Cor. 15:56–57; Heb. 2:14). Trust in Jesus Christ initiates a person into that victory. To the extent that a Christian is strong in the Lord, their victory over the worst that Satan has to offer is guaranteed. We are in a war—a fierce and terrible war—but we have no reason to be afraid if we are on the Lord’s side. Appropriation of that strength comes through the means of grace—prayer, knowledge of and obedience to the Word, and faith in the promises of God.
Illustration: The story has been told of a mental hospital that many years ago devised an unusual test to determine when their patients were ready to go back into the world. They brought a candidate for release to a room where a water faucet was left on so that the sink overflowed and was pouring water all over the floor. Then they handed the patient a mop and told him to mop up the water. If the patient had enough sense to turn off the faucet before mopping up the water, he was ready to be released. But if, as in the case of many, the patient started mopping while the water was still flowing, they kept the patient for more treatment.
As Christians, all of us face the world in which we live and are confronted with the need to do battle with the evil that dominates it. But, like the patients in the mental hospital, until we realize where the source of that evil is, we will make no real contribution. To see less evil in the world means that we must conquer the evil that is pouring forth from our own heart. That is conversion. Then, to deal with the evil around us, we need a “mop and bucket,” the spiritual armor that God has provided for us (Michael P. Green. (2000). 1500 illustrations for biblical preaching (p. 357). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.).
2) The Provision: The Armor of God (Ephesians 6:11a)
Ephesians 6:11 [11]Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand (against the schemes of the devil). (ESV)
In order to take advantage of the strength of God’s might, a believer must also put on the whole/full spiritual armor. The ‘armour of God’ can be understood as the armour that God supplies, his own armour which he wears, or even the armour that is God himself (O’Brien, P. T. (1999). The letter to the Ephesians (p. 463). Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.). (cf 2 Cor. 10:3–5).
Put on (Enduô) carries the idea of once and for all, of permanence. The whole/full armor of God is not something to be put on and taken off occasionally but is something to be put on permanently. It is not a uniform to wear only while playing a game and then to remove when the game is over. The armor of God is to be the Christian’s lifelong companion. It provides believers with divine power from “Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy” (Jude 24).
Please turn to 2 Corinthians 10
Paul was probably chained to a Roman soldier when he penned the words of Ephesians, and looking at the soldier’s armor, he was inspired by the Holy Spirit to see in it the analogy of God’s spiritual provision for our battle with Satan and his angels (vv. 14–17).
What is this war that Christians are in? Paul explains to the Corinthians:
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 [3]For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. [4]For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. [5]We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, (ESV)
•As he just explained in Eph. 6:10, believers battle through the means of grace—prayer, knowledge of and obedience to the Word, and faith in the promises of God. As we study, mediate on and proclaim the word of truth, we use the God provided spiritual weapons to destroy false teaching that wage war on the truth and cloud the mind of the deceived.
As the apostle explains the believer’s armor equips them beyond the initial facts of the gospel. It is living the obedient, Scripture–dominated, Spirit–empowered life that enables us to stand firm. To stand firm (from histçmi), when used in a military sense, had the idea of holding a critical position while under attack. The intent of the exhortation here is not unlike that of our Lord to the embattled church at Thyatira, whom He commanded, “hold fast until I come” (Rev. 2:25). This is a PRESENT PASSIVE INFINITIVE followed by an AORIST ACTIVE INFINITIVE which refers to the daily struggle, not one decisive “battle” or temptation (Utley, R. J. (1997). Paul Bound, the Gospel Unbound: Letters from Prison (Colossians, Ephesians and Philemon, then later, Philippians) (Vol. Volume 8, p. 138). Marshall, TX: Bible Lessons International.)
Believers are not summoned to attack the powers but instead to defend themselves. Thus the equipment God supplies for the struggle is essentially defensive. In keeping with this believers are not ordered to advance but to stand firm, that is, they are to hold the position which had been won for them. While they live there is no end to the need to hold their position (Best, E. (1998). A critical and exegetical commentary on Ephesians (p. 588). Edinburgh: T&T Clark International.).
Quote: Richard Foster personally articulates the responsibility that every maturing believer assumes: “Through the Holy Spirit’s guidance and strength, I will order my life according to an overall pattern that conforms to the way of Christ. Over time this process will develop deeply ingrained habits in me so that, at the moment of crisis, inner resources to act in a Christlike manner are available.” (Richard Foster, “The Daring Goal: What to Expect When We Accept Christ as Our Life,” in 1997 Seminary and Graduate School Handbook (Carol Stream, IL: Christianity Today, 1997), 47.)
•Our habitual godliness is a means that the Holy Spirit uses to increase our faith, inform our minds, and strengthen our wills for God’s purposes. We cannot neglect the daily disciplines of holiness and expect to be well muscled for spiritual warfare (Chapell, B. (2009). Ephesians. (R. D. Phillips, P. G. Ryken, & D. M. Doriani, Eds.) (pp. 342–343). Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing.).
3) The Enemy: Satan (Ephesians 6:11b)
Ephesians 6:11b [11] (Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand) against the schemes of the devil. (ESV)
The enemy against which we need God’s strength and armor is Satan, the devil. Because he is God’s enemy, he is our enemy, and the only way he can attack God is through us. We can therefore be sure that he will seek us out and attack us with his schemes. Methodia (schemes), from which comes the English method, carries the idea of craftiness, cunning, and deception (see also 4:14). The term was often used of a wild animal who cunningly stalked and then unexpectedly pounced on its prey. Satan’s evil schemes are built around stealth and deception. Satan uses many schemes: (1) disunity; (2) personal sin; (3) false teachers; (4) discouragement; (5) apathy; (6) suffering. These are just some things that the recipients of this letter faced. However, believers cannot attribute all sin and problems to angelic temptation or attack. (Utley, R. J. (1997). Paul Bound, the Gospel Unbound: Letters from Prison (Colossians, Ephesians and Philemon, then later, Philippians) (Vol. Volume 8, p. 138). Marshall, TX: Bible Lessons International.).
Scripture is clear about the devil, Satan’s very real and personal existence. He was once the chief angel, the anointed cherub, the star of the morning, who sparkled with all the jewels of created beauty—until he rebelled against his Creator and tried to usurp His power and glory (see Isa. 14:12–17; Ezek. 28:1–10; Rev. 12:7–9). He first appears in Scripture in the form of a serpent, as he tempted Adam and Eve (Gen. 3:1). Jesus not only spoke about Satan (Luke 10:18; John 8:44; 12:31) but spoke with him (Matt. 4:3–10). Paul, Peter, James, John, and the writer of Hebrews all speak of him as a personal being (Rom. 16:20; 2 Cor. 2:11; 1 Thess. 2:18; Heb. 2:14; James 4:7; 1 Pet. 5:8; Rev. 12:9). We see him opposing God’s work (Zech. 3:1), perverting God’s Word (Matt. 4:6), hindering God’s servant (1 Thess. 2:18), hindering the gospel (2 Cor. 4:4), snaring the wicked (1 Tim. 3:7), appearing as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14), and fighting with the archangel Michael (Jude 9). He brought sin into the world and the whole world now lies in his power (1 John 5:19).
Please turn to 1 John 2
The schemes of the devil include the propagation of individual beliefs and life–styles that corrupt and damn. They include evil national and international policies and practices that deceive and destroy. They include the doubts placed in believers’ minds to lead them away from trust in their holy and loving Father. They include temptations of God’s children to immorality, worldliness, pride, self–reliance, and self–satisfaction. They include slander, ridicule, and persecution of His saints.
The apostle John summarizes the attack points of the devil with the exhortation in his first epistle:
1 John 2:15-17 [15]Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. [16]For all that is in the world--the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions--is not from the Father but is from the world. [17]And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. (ESV)
•History is not an endless cycle but is speeding toward a conclusion willed by God (cf. v. 8). Human desires are part of God’s creation and therefore not inherently evil, but they become twisted when not directed by and toward God (Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 2432). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.).
Illustration: In her autobiography, Agatha Christie described a trip she made in northern Iraq where she came across some conclusive evidence of the Yezidee people. She described them as a people who worshipped the ‘peacock angel Lucifer’. That is a marvellous name for him because it emphasises his strutting arrogance and theatrical attractiveness with which he has deceived so many. That is how he comes to us today—his breathtaking beauty is a major part of the charm offensive technique of deception. The devil’s ability to imitate and impersonate many of the gifts God gives to his children is something we need to also take into serious account when we find ourselves battling against him (Gordon, S. (2003). The Genius of Grace: The Message of Ephesians (p. 386). Belfast, Northern Ireland; Greenville, SC: Ambassador Publications.).
4) The Battle: Against Demons (Ephesians 6:12)
Ephesians 6:12 [12]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. (ESV)
Paul’s purpose in this section is not to explain the details of the demonic hierarchy but to give us some idea of its sophistication and power. We are pitted against an incredibly evil and potent enemy. But our need is not to specifically recognize every feature of our adversary but to turn to God, who is our powerful and trustworthy source of protection and victory.
Wrestle/struggle (Palç) was used of hand–to–hand combat. It was characterized by trickery and deception. The fights in ancient Rome was real and often a matter of life for the winner and death for the loser. Though Satan and his minions know they are sentenced eternally to the bottomless pit prepared in hell for them, they seek desperately to change that fate if they can—warring ceaselessly to break the power of God and destroy the things of God, especially the church. Paul here reminds his readers , that Christians wrestle/struggle not only against Satan himself but also against a host of his demon subordinates, a vast array of adversaries who, like the devil, are not flesh and blood. Our greatest enemy is not the world we see, corruptand wicked as it is, but the world we cannot see. Awareness that we are involved in a cosmic battle which is supernatural, personal, and futile if fought with natural weapons is the beginning of conquering wisdom (Hughes, R. K. (1990). Ephesians: the mystery of the body of Christ (p. 214). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.)
He describes the battle against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil. These describe the different strata and rankings of those demons and the evil, supernatural empire in which they operate. Satan’s forces of darkness are highly organized and structured for the most destructive warfare possible. Like the unfallen holy angels, demons do not procreate and their number is fixed. But they are a great and ancient multitude and constitute a formidable and highly experienced supernatural enemy. The demonic categories are not explained, but rulers no doubt reflects a high order of demons (linked with “authorities” in Col. 2:15), authorities/powers are another rank (mentioned in 1 Pet. 3:22), and cosmic/world powers/forces over this present darkness perhaps refers to demons who have infiltrated various political systems of the world, attempting to pattern them after Satan’s realm of darkness (Dan. 10:13; Col. 1:13). We have no way of absolutely identifying the networking of the various schemes of Satan and should be wary of those who claim to do so. But we can be certain that he is active behind the scenes of Christless human endeavors—both in the overt, obviously evil works of people as well as in the many covert and seemingly innocent and good works of humanistic endeavors.
The spiritual forces of evil/wickedness are possibly those demons who are involved in the most wretched and vile immoralities—such as extremely perverse sexual practices, the occult, Satan worship, and the like. The picture of warfare here implies that we do not face a physical army. We face a spiritual army. Therefore our weapons must be spiritual. (Anders, M. (1999). Galatians-Colossians (Vol. 8, p. 190). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
•Human beings who promote paganism, the occult, and various other ungodly and immoral movements and programs are but dupes of Satan and his demons—trapped by sin into unwittingly helping to fulfill his schemes.
Please turn to Colossians 1
Dealing with demons in one’s Christian life is not a matter of finding the technique to send them away, but of being committed to the spiritual means of grace that purifies the soul, so that there is no unclean place that demons could occupy or by which they might gain advantage. James gives the only formula for deliverance from the demons or the devil himself: “Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).
Paul prayed for the Colossians:
Colossians 1:11-13 [11]May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, [12]giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. [13]He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, (ESV)
•No Christian is any longer in Satan’s domain, and every Christian has the resources of God’s own Holy Spirit within them to free themselves from any demonic entanglement, no matter how severe. Where sin is confessed and put away, Satan and his demons are expelled.
Hymn: Thank God, there is victory in Jesus. Paul says elsewhere that ‘we are more than conquerors through him who loved us’ (Romans 8:37). Martin Luther, in his hymn, "A Mighty Fortress", reminds us: "The Prince of Darkness grim, We tremble not for him; His rage we can endure, For lo, his doom is sure; One little word shall fell him".
Even though we may be caught in the crossfire, it is quietly reassuring to know that the battle is the Lord’s. Sure, there are times when it is extremely hard to tell who the real enemy is and where he is firing from but, even then, our hopes and our sights are pinned on Jesus (Gordon, S. (2003). The Genius of Grace: The Message of Ephesians (p. 382). Belfast, Northern Ireland; Greenville, SC: Ambassador Publications.).
5) The Victory: In Standing Firm (Ephesians 6:13)
Ephesians 6:13 [13]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. (ESV)
God gives no deferments or exemptions. His people are at war and will continue to be at war until He returns and takes charge of earth. But even the most willing and eager soldier of Christ is helpless without God’s provision. That is Paul’s point here: take up the whole/full armor of God. The verb in "take up" is aorist imperative... a command to be obeyed at once and once for all. Thus, the Christian is to take up and put on all the armor of God as a once-for-all act and keep that armor on during the entire course of their life, not relaxing the discipline necessary for the constant use of such protection (Wuest, K. S. (1997). Wuest’s word studies from the Greek New Testament: for the English reader (Eph 6:13). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.).
The command to take up the whole/full armor represents a single Greek word, panoplia, that word is itself a compound of two words: all or whole + tool or weapon. Its common meaning is “the full equipment of the heavily armored foot-soldier.” The English term that is derived from this, panoply, can refer to full protective covering, ... having total protection, .... The effectiveness of ancient armor depended not only on the resistance of the individual sections to various types of weaponry but also on the extent to which the combined pieces covered the vital parts of the body. One reason Christians have sometimes found one or another method of spiritual warfare deficient is that the method we choose may be effective in some areas of spiritual battle but not comprehensive enough to protect us against all areas of temptation and attack (Liefeld, W. L. (1997). Ephesians (Vol. 10, Eph 6:10). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.).
In this Armor, we have God's continual provision in being His children, in having His Word, in possessing His indwelling Holy Spirit, of having every resource of our heavenly Father. God is our strength, but His strength is appropriated only through obedience; His mighty armor must be put on (v. 11) and taken up (v. 13). We must remember that the first “real enemy” in your life is always your own unsubmitted self-life (James 4:1–10). To struggle against your own agendas and passions is at the heart of spiritual warfare. The second “real enemy” is Satan. The one who hates you without compromise is always the power of darkness (Eph. 6:12). Wherever there is self-praising pride the Devil has much, much influence (Rose Marie Miller, From Fear to Freedom: Living as Sons and Daughters of God (Wheaton, IL: Harold Shaw, 1994), 116.).
Every day since the Fall has been an evil day for humanity, and every day will continue to be evil until the usurper and his forces are thrown forever into the bottomless pit. In the meanwhile the Lord makes us able to withstand/resist in the evil day as we take advantage of the armor He supplies. Our responsibility is to withstand/resist and stand firm. Every believer who is faithful to God’s Word cannot do otherwise than stand firm.
Some believers are having done all/everything well in the Lord’s work, but they do not continue to stand firm. The issue is not in what a believer has done, but, when the battle is over and the smoke clears, whether one is found standing true to the Savior. Paul’s one great fear was that, “possibly, after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified” (1 Cor. 9:27). He was not afraid of losing his salvation but his reward and, even more importantly, his usefulness to the Lord. Countless men and women have faithfully taught Sunday school for years, led many people to Jesus Christ, pastored a church, led Bible studies, ministered to the sick, and done every sort of service in the Lord’s name—only to one day give up, turn their backs on His work, and disappear into the world. The circumstances differ, but the underlying reason is always the same: they took God’s armor off and thereby lost the courage, the power, and the desire to stand firm.
Please turn to 1 Peter 5
In the great spiritual warfare in which we do battle, we are only called to withstand/resist and to stand firm. As noted earlier, James says, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). Peter counsels us to:
1 Peter 5:8-9 [8]Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. [9]Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. (ESV)
•Satan is hoping that believers will be terrified in their hardship and persecutions, or that they will be deceived and fall into sin We are called to be spiritually vigilant, watching for attacks. With trusting in God’s promises, believers know that suffering is not the final word and that ultimately they will be exalted (cf. James 4:7) (Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 2413). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.)..
The greatest joys come in the greatest victories, and the greatest victories come from the greatest battles—when they are fought in the power and with the armor of the Lord.
(Format Note: Outline & some base commentary from MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1986). Ephesians (pp. 331–345). Chicago: Moody Press.)
