The Bible says you are involved a war, but it is a spiritual war. This warfare affects every area of your life and every individual in your life. Christianity sees the world as a battleground where you have human good and human evil on one level but you also have supernatural good and supernatural evil on another level.
Keep your Bibles open to Ephesians 6 with me (page 1163 in your pew Bibles). As you are turning, please know that we are so glad you are joining us for worship today. These are discouraging days but we want you to sense the hope that comes from Jesus Christ on the Throne. You’re not alone and you are loved.
Spiritual warfare is the mother of all wars! There is not one boy, one girl, one man or woman who can extricate themselves from this battle of the ages. There’s no place to run and there’s no place to hide. There is no bunker or foxhole that you can get into that will alleviate you from the repercussions of this battle. This battle is called spiritual warfare and let me show you the gravity of it.
Paul was in prison when he wrote Ephesians and he’s likely seeing a Roman soldier as his prison guard nearly all day long as he’s in captivity.
The image of the Roman soldier leads Paul to write, “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11).
Two Fights
But spiritual warfare is also a personal fight. Would you hold up two fingers with me for a moment? I won’t ask you to do it long but I do ask you to make the “peace sign” with me? The two you’re holding up reminds us of life’s two battles. We were born at war with God because we are born in sin. But when we lay down our arms at the cross of Jesus Christ in unconditional surrender, God declares peace with us. When God declares peace WITH us, the devil declares war ON us and we must be permanently at our battle stations from earth to heaven.
One of the most successful human beings to ever walk the earth said this at the end of his life: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). Many think those were Paul’s last words on his deathbed so to speak. Here is one of the most successful Christians of all time and he lies on his deathbed telling us life is a fight. At the conclusion of his most successful life, he refers to life as a fight. Life is a battle between light and darkness, between death and life, between heaven and hell, and every Christian is called to be a part of it.
This morning I want you to put on the belt of truth with me. One of the great weapons of warfare is the truth and nothing both the truth. Satan has a scheme to drag you from the truth.
Let me show you two levels of strategy in God’s Word today.
1. Assess the Enemy
1.1 Satan Loves Deception
Satan, of course, has been living for several zillion years, and Satan has been perfecting his methods and his strategies. He has none of the “omni’s” that God has; he’s limited in his capacity. No, he’s not God’s equal but you’re not his equal either. Don’t underestimate the evil one.
Satan has been perfecting his methods for years, and all of his followers have learned right along with him. He is also willing to work for years in a person’s life to make sure his strategies are set up perfectly. Once the traps are set up, they will close on you. “And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14). Satan will spring a trap on you in a matter of seconds but the trap itself may have been decades or centuries in the planning. He is patiently and carefully deceptive.
The very word devil means deceiver. Satan loves!, loves!, loves! to deceive. Remember what Jesus told us about the devil: “When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44b). Satan uses deception in order to accomplish his agenda of bringing the world under his influence and control. He loves to make something look acceptable but in reality, you’ve been deceived. He loves to work in such a way where you don’t see his handiwork. He dresses in camouflage and he will work from the shadows. When he has done his work, you will often be deceived into thinking you are only “wrestl[ing] against flesh and blood.”
He will bait and camouflage his traps. Think about how a fisherman catches a fish for a moment. If a fisherman were to put a hook into the water all by itself, he would be waiting a long time before anything ever took a bite. In fact, it’s doubtful that anything would ever bite his hook. Instead, what the fisherman does is put a worm on the hook to deceive the fish into thinking it’s getting a tasty meal. Satan doesn’t throw unbaited hooks in front of you. Taverns don’t advertise with words that say, “Get your addiction to drugs here. Throw away your future now.” Satan always baits his hooks and you have to be careful so you’re not deceived.
The devil is wily. Nobody uses that word wily anymore except maybe Wile E. Coyote, right? Yet, the devil is wily for the Bible says: “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11).
1.2 Evil
But you are battling more than Satan himself. If the battle was only against Satan, Paul would have written in verse 12, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against Satan.” Circle back to verse 12 with me: “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” (Ephesians 6:12).
So who are these creatures? Who are our foes?
1.2.1 Brief History of Satan
We’re told in 2 Peter 2:4 that some angels sinned and God cast them into hell. Jesus tells us that He saw Satan fall like lightning (Luke 10:18b). We also read in Ezekiel 28 & Isaiah 14 how Satan says, “I will ascend. I will be as the Most High. Satan’s sin was he “looked out for number one.” So Satan was cast out of heaven along with evil angels who sinned against God. So Paul unpacks the evil collection of forces in verse 12 arrayed against us.
1.2.2 A Wide Collection of Evil
So when your Bible reads “against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12c), it speaks a fallen demonic order. The word for “cosmic powers” in verse 12 is the Greek compound word meaning cosmic tyrants.
Imagine playing a game of dodgeball where your team is arrayed against their team. Right before the whistle blows, you are taking a good look at the team in front of you. The Bible is showing the collection of evil arrayed against us. Don’t underestimate the evil one for his forces are impressive. No, he’s not God’s equal but neither are you his equal either. Satan’s has a scheme, do you know this?
1.3 Left Hand vs. Right Hand
When I played basketball, our coaches would ask us to study if a player was right-handed or left-handed. Can he dribble with his left-hand? Can the opposing player go left? The coach told us, “If see he’s weak going to his left, then you adjust your defensive stance to push him left.” Satan also has a scheme and a tendency: “Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. Indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ, 11 so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs” (2 Corinthians 2:10-11).
You and I need to open our eyes and we need to get on our knees. God tells us we must know who the enemy is and how he works.
What are Satan’s schemes? What are his tendencies?
1.4 Satan Loves to Blind
“In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:4).
This is “hand and glove” with the camouflaged deception mentioned a moment ago. Evil often doesn’t look like evil until it’s accomplished its goal. One method Satan loves is to make you think he has MORE power than he does. While the other method he employs is to make you think he has LESS power than he does. One will make you cower in fear of him and the other will make you never give him a second thought. He has blinded most of us today so that we think he has less power than he actually does.
Again, Satan lies. He inserts deceptive ideas in the media, government, churches, families, and homes.
Chicago
Satan is so effective in lying to us. Sometime he simply omits parts of the truth to bend us to his version. Take some neighborhoods in the south and west sides of Chicago as an example. More than 3,400 people have been shot this year more than 1,100 more than in 2019. Some twenty-seven people were shot in one weekend earlier in October and seven were killed in this same time period. How do you fix this? A simplistic look at the problem is to see only poverty and violence in the neighborhood. A simplistic look says we have to create more jobs and decent schools. A simplistic looks sees only racism and gun violence. All these are true on one level, a human level, or a “flesh and blood” level.
Yet, evil is NOT one-dimensional. You are naïve to think that your personal problems are purely psychological. Instead, evil is multi-dimensional. Most of us simply look at our problems as functions only of your hormones, or functions of our family life, or the way we’re raised. Yet, there is spiritual evil involved as well. People need to be converted to Jesus Christ. Evil is supernaturally real.
1.6 The Battle is Real
Just because this war is invisible does not mean that it’s not real. You may not be able to see the bullets whizzing by your ear, or the bombs exploding over your head, but the war is real just the same.
It’s being fought in your home. That’s why Christian marriages are falling apart at a record rate, and why Christian children are rebelling against the authority of their parents.
It's going on in your head. That’s why so many people are falling prey to the trap of pornography and adultery.
It is going on in your heart. That is why all of us have to battle every day to do what is right instead of doing what is wrong.
Just because this war is invisible does not mean that it’s not real.
1) Assess the Enemy
2) Take a Stand
Note carefully why we should put on the whole armor of God: “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11).
God wants you to take a stand. He wants you to oppose evil, to stand against evil.
2.1 Stand Against
Four times in just four verses, Paul speaks of standing, withstanding, and that you may be able to stand: “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. … 12 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”(Ephesians 6:11, 13-14).
Again, four times in four verses the Bible tells us to take a stand. God is calling on you to repulse the evil attack coming against you. He multiplies the times he says this to bring the message home to us that we are in a mighty conflict.
Former Chief of Staff to the President and the First Marine Division Deputy Commander, John Kelly recently shared an incredible story of two brave Marines. On November 13, 2010 Corporal Jonathan Yale and Lance Corporal Jordan Haerter were 22 and 20 years old when they stood watch together at the entrance gate. They stood together to protect the barracks of 50 Marines and another 100 Iraqi police outside of Ramadi. This was dangerous as the city had been recently ruled by Al Qaeda. Their orders from their commander were simple: “Stand this post and let no unauthorized personnel or vehicles pass.”
A few minutes later a large blue truck turned down the alley way-perhaps sixty to seventy yards in length. The truck sped its way through the serpentine f concrete jersey walls. The truck stopped just short of where the two were posted and detonated, killing them both instantly. Twenty-four brick masonry houses were damaged or destroyed. A mosque one hundred yards away collapsed. One explosive experts reckoned the blast was made of 2,000 pounds of explosives. No Americans witnessed the events but Iraqi police later testified to the same thing, these two Marines stood between them and a crazed suicide bomber.
In all of this instantaneous violence Yale and Haerter never hesitated. By all reports and confirmed by a video recording, they never stepped back. They never even started to step aside. They never even shifted their weight. With their feet spread shoulder width apart, they leaned into the danger, firing as fast as they could work their weapons. They simply and bravely stood against evil. Like these two young Marines, God is calling on you to repulse the evil attack coming against you.
Dads, you have to stand against evil to protect your family just as these two Marines did. If you fail, they everyone’s lives are at risk. Christians, you have to stand against evil to protect your small group just as these two Marines did. If you fail, they everyone deals with the consequences of your sins.
2.2 Give No Opportunity
Flip back a couple of chapters in Ephesians with me where Paul gives us this counsel in Ephesians 4:27: “give no opportunity to the devil” (Ephesians 4:27b).
How do I give the devil an opportunity? How do I lose in life when it seems certain I would win? Paul is straightforward by giving us counsel in four common areas where we are defeated.
Again, four common areas where Satan defeats us with lies.
2.2.1 We All Get Our Own Truth
Each person gets his/her own personal truth. If we all have our own truths, there’s no one truth for us. If you have your truth and I have my truth, then I cannot share truth with my family.
“Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another” (Ephesians 4:25).
Demonic forces can aggravate and exaggerate but they do this when you give them a foothold. If you want to open yourself up to demonic influence, traffic in lies.
2.2.2 I Cannot Share Truth with My Spouse
If we all have our own truth, then I cannot share truth with my family. Just like those two Marines, your spouse is counting on you to take a stand.
“Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ” (Ephesians 4:15).
2.2.3 I Cannot Share Truth with My Family
Your family is so important to Satan. There are a lot of POW’s out there. There’re a lot of prisoners of war. People who’ve been caught in the crossfire of the angelic conflict. Dads, you have to stand faithful in the truth. Walk in the truth for your family.
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth” (Romans 1:20).
If the evil one can get to the next generation before you have a chance to mold them and shape them, he not only now has your home, he has their future home. And, because he knows he has their home and that they’re going to have children and that they’re ill-equipped to raise their children properly, he not only has your home, he has their home and he has their kids’ home.
You have to wear the belt of truth for your grandchildren’s children.
2.2.4 I Cannot Share Truth with My Church
Satan loves to attack the church. He attacks the church through promoting disunity, division, discrimination, and racism. He wants to split the family of God up, because Satan understands something that many Christians don’t. God loves to work where there is harmony in order to see the power of God. It is intentional that your Bible lists the first piece of armor as the belt of truth: “Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness”(Ephesians 6:14).
Run to the truth. Satan lies to you. Satan tempts you by getting you to take sin too lightly.
“It’s not that bad. It’s not that big of a deal. They’ll get over it. You’ll get out of it. You can always repent later. Everybody is doing it.”
Satan travels on highway of lies. He will build an interstate of lies in your life. Put on the belt of truth. Don’t give Satan a foothold in your personal lives.
“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him” (1 Peter 5:8-9a).
Take a Stand
Years ago, my wife, Traci, wanted flowers to grow inside these flower boxes attached to our mail box out in front of our house. She was convinced that the flowers were not growing because the bottom of the flower box had no holes. There was no place for the water to drain. So what’s a husband to do? He goes out with punches holes in the bottom of the concrete because his wife has asked him to do this. Have you ever witnessed a Baptist preacher operate a jackhammer? This scene was so funny that neighbors and church members came by to laugh at me when I was operating this thing. I was shaking all over my body!
Have you hit a wall with a sledge hammer? You hit it once and nothing happens. You hit it twice and you feel your body reverberate all the way to your bones. You hit it ten times and nothing happens. But somewhere around the fortieth you hit it, you see a spider web in the wall. You see it split this way and that way and you know you are on target. You keep banging and banging and banging until the wall falls down. You embrace the truth in the power of God, you will eventually see a spider web in the wall of evil in front of you. You tell the truth once, then twice, and then thirty times or more and the wall of deceit will come down.
Remember this my Christians friends: Greater is He who is in you than He whose in the world.
