Spiritual Warfare

Old Testament Reading: 1 Samuel 17:32-54
New Testament Reading: 2 Timothy 2:1-10

Spiritual Warfare
“The Believer’s Call to Spiritual Warfare”
Ephesians 6:10-13

Wayne J. Edwards, Pastor

   When we received Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we enlisted in the Lord’s Army, and every Christian soldier is needed on the front lines of the battle.

• In his 2nd letter to Timothy, the Apostle Paul referred to his protégée as a good soldier of Jesus Christ and urged him to be ready to fight the good fight of faith.
• However, as the Apostle Paul said in Ephesians 6:12, “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
• Neither do we depend upon our own spiritual strength, for as it says in Jeremiah 17:5-9, “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength.”
• Or as King Hezekiah told his armies when faced with the armies of King Sennacherib, “Be strong and courageous, for there are more with us than with him, for the arm of flesh is with him, but the Lord our God is with us to help us and to fight our battles.”

   The arm of the flesh represents human power, and no matter how strong we think we are mentally, physically, or spiritually; we are no match for the enemies we face today.

• However, in 1 John 4:4, The Apostle told the Christians at Ephesus, “The One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world,” speaking of the power of the Holy Spirit who indwells us when we are born again.
• So, the warfare we face is between the god of the world who is fighting against us and the God who created the world who dwells within us, and greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world.
• Even if we are persecuted or martyred, as the Apostle Paul said in Romans 8:37-39, “We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
• So, rather than getting angry at those who are destroying our way of life, we should rejoice in knowing they cannot separate us from the love of Christ. As the Apostle Paul said in Romans 8:28-29, “God is working all things together for good for those who love Him; those who are called according to His purpose.”

   Until Jesus comes again, this world will never be the paradise we would like it to be.

• In Romans 8:22ff, the Apostle Paul said the whole creation groans under the curse God placed on the earth because of Adam and Eve’s sin.

   Until Jesus comes again, human life will never be the utopia we want it to be.

• Lust, jealousy, greed, and envy always lead to fighting, robbery, and murder on a personal level and to wars, famine, destruction, and death on a global level. (2 Timothy 3:1-5, Matthew 24:1-41)

   However, even though the level of evil continues to rise, Christians are still called to be like salt, preserving the earth from moral decay, and like light, showing lost sinners the way to be saved. As the Apostle Paul said, those who attempt to live Godly lives in a wicked world should expect to be persecuted.

   In Ephesians 1-3, the Apostle Paul said every born-again Christian has been blessed with every spiritual blessing.

• God the Father has adopted us. We have been delivered from Satan’s kingdom of darkness and delivered into Christ’s kingdom. We are free from the love of the world and from the evil system of the world, and therefore, we are free to live for that divine purpose for which God created us and called us to Himself.

   In Ephesians 4-6, the Apostle Paul said having been saved by Jesus Christ and surrendered unto Him, we now have the power to practice our position in Christ.

• We have the power to live according to the standards of righteousness God set for those He has made acceptable unto Him.

   However, even though we have the power to live a victorious Christian life, and to know the fundamental principles of how to live in obedience to Christ, we still do not have the natural power to defeat Satan and his legion of demons. In fact, there are four things we must understand if we are to win this spiritual battle for ourselves and those under our watch-care

1. Preparation – Ephesians 6:10 – “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.”

• Casualness is the enemy of preparedness. When preparing for spiritual warfare, we best not have a casual attitude about it, lest we find ourselves unprepared for a conflict we never expected.
• In 1 John 4:4, the Apostle said, “Greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world.” But that doesn’t mean the Holy Spirit will automatically lead, guide, direct, and protect us from evil – we must choose to follow His leadership.
• In Philippians 4:13, the Apostle said, “I can do all things through Christ whose strength is in me,” which is the literal reading of that verse. But that doesn’t mean the Lord Jesus will give me the strength to do whatever I want to do, but rather the things He has called me to do, for His glory.

“The severest sin of the majority of Christians today is a numbing lack of concern, an anesthetized attitude of ‘I don’t care. I’m in the fold. Why should I be concerned?”

Charles Stanley

    In Ephesians 1:19, Paul described the power available to those Christians who have died to themselves and are allowing Christ to live His life through them. However, while such divine power is available, we must be prepared to access it by faith alone.

• First, we have to admit our weaknesses.
• Second, we must put on the whole armor of God.

2. The Armor – Ephesians 6:11 – “Put on the whole armor of God.”

• Knowing all about the armor is not enough, and neither is a casual attitude toward the armor or the battle.
• To be victorious in this war, we need to understand what each piece meant, according to Paul’s analogy, and put each piece on, once and for all, with prayer.

3. The enemy – Verse 11- “That you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”

• God never asked us to armor up to attack Satan, but rather to stand against him.
• Each piece of the armor lifts up another characteristic of Christ.
  • The Belt of Truth: Jesus is the Truth (John 14:6).
  • The Breastplate of Righteousness: Jesus is the Righteousness One (1 John 2:1).
  • Feet fitted with the Gospel of Peace: Jesus is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6).
  • Shield of Faith: Jesus is the Faithful One who is True (Revelation 19:11).
  • Helmet of Salvation: Jesus is the Saviour (Luke 2:30).
  • Sword of the Spirit: Jesus is the Sword (Deuteronomy 33:29).

4. The Victory – Ephesians 6:13 – “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, stand.”

• Our victory is to stand up against the attacks of the enemy. God’s victory is to use us to win the battle, but the battle belongs to the Lord.
• As we face these troubled days, let us remember, God has not called us to take up arms and fight the enemy. God has called us to stand firm in our faith and in the power of His might, for the battle belongs to the Lord, and our victory is just in sight!