Old Testament Reading: 2 Chronicles 20:1-19
New Testament Reading: 1 Corinthians 10:1-13
Spiritual Warfare
“The Believer’s Call to Spiritual Warfare” # 3
Ephesians 6:10-17
Wayne J. Edwards, Pastor
Spiritual warfare is the intrinsic and extrinsic battle Christians face each day with the enemies of God, including Satan and his minions – i.e., demons or fallen angels, who can invade the souls of men and possess them for his use.
- Once we are born again by the Holy Spirit, the warfare begins between the Holy Spirit, who indwells us, and the evil spirit who wants to destroy us.
- As Christians, we must understand the severity of this battle, for the results of this war affect not only our lives but our relationship with and witness to everyone around us.
- Our goal is to refute Satan’s lies, to repudiate his dishonesty, to display the deceptions he has infused in the minds of our enemies, and to tear down the strongholds he has raised against God and God’s people.
Paul divided our spiritual enemies into ranks – the various levels of demonic activity in the world today – principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this age, and spiritual hosts of wickedness.
- Their goal is to hinder God’s purposes and to hinder God’s people from accomplishing God’s purposes for their lives.
- Usually, they can lead those who are spiritually weak to do their bidding with just the power of persuasion.
- However, they also have the power to take possession of those who haven’t received Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord.
- As Paul said in 2 Corinthians 11:14, even Satan can transform himself into an angel of light.
To achieve victory over these evil spiritual forces, the Apostle Paul said Christians must:
- “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” – Ephesians 6:11
- “Take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” – Ephesians 6:13
- The belt of truth is God’s Word to set us free from Satan’s lies.
- The breastplate of righteousness is the pure righteousness of Christ that was imputed to us when we confessed our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.
Ephesians 6:14-15 – “Stand therefore, having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace.”
- The Roman soldier had to be prepared for two positions – to be able to stand firm when attacked and to be able to advance when given the order, and to do so, he had to have shoes with good traction on the bottom.
- To be victorious in the spiritual warfare we face today, Christians need the ability to stand firm in the essential doctrines of the Christian faith, and to advance in our battle against Satan when given the opportunity.
- In Paul’s day, if a soldier slipped and fell, he would most likely be killed.
- In our day, if a believer falls for the devil’s lie, unless it is quickly confessed and repented, it could lead to apostasy, from which there is no return.
- 1 Corinthians 10:12 – “If we think we are standing firm, take heed lest you fall.”
- Paul said we are to stand firm against Satan’s schemes and the rise of evil by planting our feet firmly in the truth of God’s Word.
- “Now to Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you blameless before His presence, blameless with great joy.” – Jude 24
- But when the order is given, we must be able to advance.
- “Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations.”- Matthew 28:18-20
- “You’ll receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you’ll be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8
- “I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” Matthew 16:18
- Christians are not only to stand firm in our faith against the enemy, we are also to take the gospel into Satan’s kingdom.
- To the unsaved: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things.” Romans 10:15
- To the saved but discouraged: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving present your requests to God, and the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 6:7
Ephesians 6:16 – “Above all, taking the shield of faith with which, you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.”
- The shield Paul had in mind was that four-foot long by two- and one-half feet broad shield that covered the soldier’s body from just under his neck down to his shins.
- Likewise, the shield Paul had in mind for us was a spiritual wall of protection that we could lift up in prayer to absorb the flaming arrows the enemy shoots at us.
- Satan uses three types of flaming arrows:
- Temptation –
- When King David saw Bathsheba taking a bath, Satan launched a flaming dart of desire into his soul, and having let his shield of faith down, the arrow accomplished its goal.
- When Potiphar’s wife seized Joseph by the arm, Satan launched the same flaming dart into his soul, but Joseph raised his shield of faith and said, “How could I do this and sin against God?’
- We must be ready for the flaming arrows of lust, greed, covetousness, anger, bitterness, and hatred, for while we cannot prevent the temptation, we can prepare our shield of faith by quoting the scripture that will extinguish them.
- Accusation –
- When Satan accuses us of not being a Christian because of some evidence of our sin nature, we must remind him of what the Apostle Paul said in Romans 8:33-34
- “Who shall bring any charge against those whom God has justified. It is God who justifies, who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus who died, more than that, he was raised to life, is at the right hand of God is interceding for me.”
- Doubt –
- The flaming arrows of doubt are not only propelled by Satan’s lies, but they are also proclaimed by false religions and false teachers who proclaim a false gospel.
In 2 Timothy 2:15, Paul warned Timothy: “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
