IN CHRIST, I AM…OVERCOMING EVIL—Ephesians 6:10-20
Sometimes we are surprised at the evil in our world. A nice person, a good neighbor, goes ballistic and shoots someone. A respectable public figure has hidden sins exposed. A person we love and thought we knew shows a dark side.
Evil touches so many people: teenagers shot in the streets, victims of human trafficking, abused children, homeless veterans, drug babies, the list goes on and on.
Evil touches people we know: people dealing with abuse, rage, anxiety, pain, or betrayal.
Evil touches us too. It may be in the workplace: unfairness, lies, unethical demands. It may be in our families: broken trust, insensitivity, or pain. It may be in our bodies: cancer, depression, addiction. It may be in our minds: lust, doubt, or fear.
EVIL IS REAL AND POWERFUL (Read verse 11.)
The devil is real. He is not equal with God; for example, he is not omnipotent (all-powerful) or omnipresent (everywhere in the world at the same time). Yet he is powerful, and he is active on the earth. Revelation 12:7-9 gives a picture of where the devil is today: “There was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon (devil), and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down--that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.”
The devil directs powerful evil forces: (Read verse 12)
“Rulers and authorities” might be institutions in society, such as the governments or political leaders or even religious organizations. Not necessarily bad, but often corrupted by evil.
“Powers of this dark world” might be cultural idols, influencers on social media, rich and powerful people who control the economy, lobbyists and special interest groups, drug rings, gangs, etc. Not all are bad, but all can be corrupted by evil.
“Spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” include evil spirits, largely unrecognized in our culture. Whether they are demons or less personal forces of spiritual evil, many people are oppressed spiritually, in ways that are hard to explain.
Our struggle against the powers of evil almost seems like an unfair fight. Evil is everywhere, and we often feel powerless to influence world governments, politics, cultural movements, economic systems, or social problems. Evil is in us as well; every one of us struggles with forces that might seem impossible to overcome.
Yet our situation is far from hopeless. Read verse 10.
GOD’S POWER IS GREATER THAN ANY EVIL POWER.
The power of God is revealed throughout the Bible. God created the universe from nothing, and brought the world to life. He brought his people out of Egypt, and made them into a strong nation. He preserved a remnant of his people, even when they went into captivity because of their sin.
Then Jesus came into the world, and he showed his power as the Son of God, by healing and casting out demons. The ultimate demonstration of his power came when evil did its worst: Jesus was crucified, dead and buried, but then he broke the power of evil and death, by rising from the dead. The cross was a power struggle between the powers of evil and the power of God, and God’s power was shown to be stronger, when Jesus was raised to life.
What does this mean for us? It is like being afraid of a bully, who is bigger and stronger and meaner than we are. Yet if we have a big brother, who has already fought and badly beaten the bully, we don’t need to be afraid. At the mention of our big brother, the bully leaves us alone!
The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is available to us, as we confront evil! In Ephesians 1:18-22, Paul says, “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know…his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church.”
We are far from powerless against evil. Yet the power is not our own; it is the power of God. That is why Paul says, “Be strong IN THE LORD.”
HOW CAN WE BE STRONG IN THE LORD?
Imagine Paul, who writes as a prisoner “in chains.” (6:20) He looks at the soldiers who are guarding him, and he imagines a Roman soldier fully equipped for battle. Without his armor and weapons, the soldier looks quite vulnerable. Dressed in his armor, with his weapons ready, the soldier is a formidable opponent. Paul decides to use that analogy to describe how Christians can use God’s power to defeat evil powers. Since our battle is against powerful spiritual forces, we need the power of God to overcome them. Paul says, “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground.”
The thing about armor is that you have to put it on before the battle starts; you can’t put it on in heat of battle. The armor of God is like that; Paul says is verse 13, “Put on the whole armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you will be able to stand your ground…” The time to put on the armor of God is before illness strikes, or temptation becomes strong, or we find ourselves in a difficult situation. We should be preparing for the attack of the evil one at all times, especially when everything is going well.
Paul is very practical, as he describes how we can prepare to stand against evil. Each piece of armor or weaponry illustrates a way in which we can be strong.
“The belt of truth.” Satan’s greatest weapon is deception; Paul has already talked about “the devil’s schemes.” Jesus said, in John 8:44, “The devil was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” He hides or twists the truth, leading to confusion and uncertainty.
Paul says we should have “the belt of truth buckled around our waist.” Soldiers wore loose garments, and for battle, they would be gathered up by a belt. In our lives, we might say that there should be no loose ends, and nothing to cause uncertainty and confusion. Truth gets the confusion out of the way: Truth like, “Cheaters never prosper,” “Lies make life complicated,” “There is no such thing as casual sex,” “Life is built one choice at a time,” or “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”
“The breastplate of righteousness.” Paul got some of his imagery from Isaiah 59:17: “God put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head.” As we look at ourselves in the mirror, we should see ourselves (as Paul says somewhere else) clothed in the righteousness of Christ. That helps us resist evil: “I don’t do that; it’s not who I am.”
“Your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.” The gospel assures us that we are at peace with God; there is not guilt or fear. As Romans 5:1 says, “Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
When we are at peace with God, we are able to make peace with other people. We can forgive, as God forgave us. We are motivated to repair broken relationships, that the devil might use to destroy God’s people. The gospel of peace brings strength, through unity in the Spirit.
“The shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” The serpent said to Eve, “Has God said…?” He was planting a seed of doubt—doubt of God’s goodness and God’s truth. Faith is a defense against the devil’s arrows of doubt.
The shield of faith must be built up before “the day of evil comes.” We should build up our faith before we face attack, by worshipping and thanking God, by learning about who he is and what he has done, and by stepping out in faith. Faith is built on experience, as we trust God and find him to be faithful.
“Take the helmet of salvation.” Salvation is not only getting to heaven someday; Salvation is health and wholeness in Christ. Paul is telling us to get healthy, spiritually, physically, emotionally, and in our relationships with others.
“Take the Sword of Spirit, which is the word of God.” The sword is an offensive weapon, which enables us to strike back against temptation and pressure. When Jesus tempted, he responded to the devil by quoting scripture. How did he know Scripture so well? He studied it, and even memorized it.
The word of God is a defense against the attacks of the evil one. Psalm 119:11 says, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” When we study the Bible, meditate on it, and apply it to ourselves, we can strike back when we are tempted.
“Pray in the Spirit…” We face spiritual battles, and prayer connects us with God, through the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:26 says, “The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.”
Paul tells us to pray “on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” Don’t just pray about big things; sometimes the battle is won in little things. And don’t wait until you are desperate, and can’t remember God’s phone number!
Then, Paul tells us to pray “for all the saints.” We are not alone in the battle, and we are concerned for others who face temptation, oppression, sickness, or evil circumstances. Sometimes the only way we can help them is to pray. That is what we should do!
WE NEED TO PRAY.
We pray for ourselves, and support our prayers by good habits, to built up our armor.
We pray for other believers, whether family members of others we know, that they may be strong and wise, protected and led by the power of God.
We pray in the Spirit, asking God to reveal our weaknesses, fix the cracks in our armor, and prepare us to overcome every challenge.
We do not need to overcome on our own. “Be strong in the Lord, and in his mighty power.”
