Suiting Up For Spiritual Warfare: Part 1
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At the end of the book of Ephesians the Apostle Paul begins to teach and instruct on spiritual warfare and the need for putting on the armor in order to have victory. Here’s what he says,
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes …” Ephesians 6:10-11 (NIV)
The book of Ephesians was a letter sent to the church at Ephesus reminding them of all the things that Paul had taught them personally when he was with them. The teachings and instructions contained in this letter were the same teachings that Paul gave to all the new believers, in all the churches that he started. You see almost all these same teachings and in almost the same order Paul taught in the book of Colossians. We also see these same topics of instruction given not only by Paul but also by the Apostle Peter.
Obviously, these particular teachings were consider by Paul, Peter and actually all the rest of the Apostles as vital for the spiritual health and protection for the saints. In the Book of Acts, chapter two, where it says that the new believers devoted themselves to the Apostles Teaching, it could very well be referring to these teaching and trainings we find in Ephesians, Colossians and 1 Peter.
But the very last teaching and instruction we find in Ephesians deals with spiritual warfare and suiting up with the armor necessary for gaining the victory. Verse 10 starts off with the word, “Finally”. In other words, Paul is wrapping up his letter and letting the readers know that this is the last topic he is going to teach on. After teaching about who Christ is, our salvation in Christ, living a life worthy of our call, how to treat our parent and kids; our husbands and wives; and our masters and our slaves Paul ends with this topic of spiritual warfare and the armor necessary for victory.
Why at the end? Why not at the beginning or the middle?
I believe it is because of the urgent importance of the subject dealing with spiritual attacks and how to handle them. Now don’t get me wrong I believe that all of the topics and lessons contained in the Ephesians are very important! If they weren’t I don’t believe that they would have been in the Bible to start with. The Bible tells us that all of the Bible is vitally important to the life and vitality of God’s people.
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” 2 Timothy 3:16 (NIV)
Since all these topics are contained in the Bible - they are important and they are useful. They are useful in teaching us the truth, rebuking us when we do wrong, correcting us on how we are suppose to act, and how to live a life that is pleasing to God. So, please understand that all of scripture is important, useful and comes from God.
However, I do believe that some topics and instructions are more urgent than others. The word “Urgent” is an adjective that means:
a state or situation requiring immediate action or attention.
an action or an event done or arranged in response to a pressing or critical situation.
a person or their manner earnest and persistent in response to a pressing situation.
Spiritual warfare by its very nature requires immediate action because of the critical situation that it creates and as a result should be the earnest and persistent response of every follower of Christ. The nature of spiritual warfare is a critical and pressing situation that should cause all of God’s people to take it seriously.
While other topics found in Ephesians are important and useful not all of them are urgent like those of spiritual warfare. And that’s why I believe that the Apostle Paul taught on it last. With spiritual warfare being the last thing the recipients would read insures that it is also the foremost thing they will remember.
Why would the Apostle Paul want to make spiritual warfare the foremost thing for people to remember? Because it could quite possibly be the first thing that a new believer experiences in their new life in Christ.
Think about it for just a moment. Do we really think that Satan is going to be alright with the fact that another one of his slaves has just been liberated by the Gospel and defected from his kingdom into the Kingdom of Heaven?
Of course not!
Satan hates it. He can’t stand it. Every time another persons surrenders their life over to the Lordship of Christ Satan has a little less rulership over this world. He is just a little bit closer to the total defeat he will eventually experience. And that’s just not acceptable to him! And, he’s going to fight back.
One of the first groups of people that spiritual warfare will come too are those new believers in Christ. Satan wants to make sure that even though they are free and their sins have been forgiven, they are going to suffer for their treason. He is going to hit them hard and fast. He may not own them anymore, they may now belong to Christ but Satan wants to neutralize their effectiveness in their service to Christ. And so he attacks them.
As a result of this reality the Apostle Paul knows that these new believers need to be quickly prepared for the spiritual attack that will be coming. And what better way to accomplish that than by making this topic the last thing they hear to ensure it’s the first thing they remember.
Another group of people that spiritual warfare will hit are those who are intentionally joining Christ on His mission of making more and more disciples. All Christians are called to follow Christ and where is Christ leading us?
To a life on mission.
To a life of making him more disciples!
To a life of sharing the Gospel to those still held as slaves to sin and blinded by Satan.
In a very real sense every Christian is called by Jesus to be spiritual freedom fighters, liberating those held captive by Satan through the sharing of the Gospel of Christ. It’s not just what we do but in a very real sense it is who we are. It’s our purpose, reason and mission for living in this spiritually dark world.
And when Christians begin to take hold of this new identity and intentionally try to live it out, the demonic forces of this world will respond and fight back.
Why?
Because every time we share the Gospel with a lost person in this world we are picking a fight with Satan. That’s right, I did say, “WE ARE PICKING A FIGHT WITH SATAN!”
Let’s get real for just moment. Does anyone really think that Satan is going to be alright with us coming into his kingdom and liberating his slaves? Do we really think he is going to stand at the entrance of his spiritual concentration camps and yell out to us, “Come on in. It’s o.k. I’ll let you free my slaves.”
Of course not! That kind of thinking is absurd and naive.
The truth of the matter is that Satan is going to fight back. He is going to do what he did with Job and later Peter. He will go before God, present himself alongside the angels and ask permission to sift us like wheat with the intent to cause us to curse God to His face. Take a look at what the Bible says,
“… One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them. The Lord said to Satan, ‘Where have you come from?’ Satan answered the Lord, ‘From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.’ Then the Lord said to Satan, ‘Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.’ ‘Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.” The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.” Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.” Job 1:6-12 (NIV)
While there are a whole lot of great spiritual truths to learn from these few verse here are just two important lessons we need to learn today.
Satan will ask permission to attack us spiritually
God will give him permission to do it.
In other words Satan not only wants to spiritually attack us he is also willing to go before God to get permission to do it and God, at times, will grant him that permission.
Spiritual warfare is unavoidable from both God’s and Satan’s design and perspective. At this point let me reassure you that God and Satan have totally different intentions for wanting and allowing spiritual warfare in our lives. Real quickly we know that Satan wants it to use it to cause us to curse God to His face (destroy our faith) but God want to use it to make us stronger in our faith.
So yes, if you are going to be obedient to Christ by joining Him on His mission of making disciples then you are a target for spiritual attacks by Satan and the demonic kingdom.
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CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT PART 3
CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT PART 4
