Spiritual warfare
Devotional Series
Frank Park | Founding and Senior Pastor
Week 1 - Know your war
As a pastor, I’ve talked to my share of people who have been shot emotionally - whether it be marital strife, physical sickness, financial strain, etc. As a result, many start questioning God’s goodness and we forget that it’s not just us and God, but that there is a third variable - Satan and demons. And we live in a day where we try to explain everything away with an “ology” - psychology, biology, sociology, physiology and we omit the spiritual. The reality is that live in a broken world and things are not the way they should be. That not everything is God’s will, but there is also God’s enemy.
The Apostle Paul talks about this in one of his Epistles - The book of Ephesians. This is one of the final words of God through Paul and he talks about the deeply spiritual all the way to the deeply practical. Paul talks about salvation, relationships, marriage, parenting and work, but he ends the letter with spiritual warfare. God wants to bless your relationships, bless your marriage, bless your parenting and bless your work. However, if we neglect and omit the existence of Satan & demons, we are essentially going into war with one eye closed.
Ephesians 6:10-24
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 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. 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, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak. So that you also may know how I am and what I am doing, Tychicus the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord will tell you everything. I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage your hearts. Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible.
Here is what we know from this passage: We have the church, we have God, and we have enemies against God and His people. Not just individuals, but the whole CAPITAL C - CHURCH.
That Jesus loves us & Satan hates us.
That Jesus has plans for us & Satan has plans to oppose us.
That Jesus wants to bless us & Satan wants to undermine those blessings.
Make no mistake. IT IS A WAR.
Unfortunately, many Christians do not know this, because we live in a moral therapeutic culture that has reduced Jesus into a life coach who gives you tips and tricks to better your life for your glory.
God doesn’t exist for our glory. Rather, we exist for His and the more strides you and I make with Jesus, the more resistance we will feel. The more we advance His Kingdom, the more shots we will take. That we as followers of King Jesus are not to take the path of least resistance, but the path of greatest glory.
In the coming weeks, we will talk about things that any soldier needs to know in any war.
#1 - Know your enemy
#2 - Know your King
#3 - Know your weapons
The Apostle Paul talks about this in one of his Epistles - The book of Ephesians. This is one of the final words of God through Paul and he talks about the deeply spiritual all the way to the deeply practical. Paul talks about salvation, relationships, marriage, parenting and work, but he ends the letter with spiritual warfare. God wants to bless your relationships, bless your marriage, bless your parenting and bless your work. However, if we neglect and omit the existence of Satan & demons, we are essentially going into war with one eye closed.
Ephesians 6:10-24
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 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. 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, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak. So that you also may know how I am and what I am doing, Tychicus the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord will tell you everything. I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage your hearts. Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible.
Here is what we know from this passage: We have the church, we have God, and we have enemies against God and His people. Not just individuals, but the whole CAPITAL C - CHURCH.
That Jesus loves us & Satan hates us.
That Jesus has plans for us & Satan has plans to oppose us.
That Jesus wants to bless us & Satan wants to undermine those blessings.
Make no mistake. IT IS A WAR.
Unfortunately, many Christians do not know this, because we live in a moral therapeutic culture that has reduced Jesus into a life coach who gives you tips and tricks to better your life for your glory.
God doesn’t exist for our glory. Rather, we exist for His and the more strides you and I make with Jesus, the more resistance we will feel. The more we advance His Kingdom, the more shots we will take. That we as followers of King Jesus are not to take the path of least resistance, but the path of greatest glory.
In the coming weeks, we will talk about things that any soldier needs to know in any war.
#1 - Know your enemy
#2 - Know your King
#3 - Know your weapons
Week 2 - Know your enemy
In any war, it is critical for you to know your enemy. Any military general will tell you that if you don’t have good intel on your enemy, you will not and cannot fight effectively. As it is in the physical realm, so it is in the spiritual realm. That if we are going to fight effectively in this spiritual war, it is essential for us to know who we are fighting so we know what we are up against.
Ephesians 6:12 says, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."
This means that behind the war we do see, there is a war we do not see. This means that your spouse is not your enemy. The person in front of you is not your enemy. The government is not your enemy. But in fact there is a greater enemy that you do not see behind the physical reality that you do see. There are many people who have been taken captive by the enemy and Jesus is the only One who can set those captives free (Luke 4:18).
Lets do some intel on our enemy [Satan & demons]:
1. Satan is a created being. That means he is NOT equal to God.
2. Satan rebelled against God and declared war on God.
3. Satan’s ultimate motivation was PRIDE. He was cast down from heaven because of PRIDE. (“I don’t need anybody..,”, “I don’t need to submit to anybody…”, “I am self-sufficient…”)
4. God is omni-present, which means He can be everywhere at once. Satan can only be at one place at one time. That is why he has his demons to do his bidding.
5. God can read your thoughts, but Satan cannot. But he can read your life patterns.
6. Satan’s native language is LIES (John 8:44).
7. One of Satan’s greatest tactics is to accuse you day and night (Revelation 12:10).
When it comes to Satan and demons - Christians can make 2 mistakes:
MISTAKE #1: We make too much of them
You can find this in some hyper-charismatic/pentecostal movements. It can get to the point where there is such a hyper focus on satan and demons that you are no longer responsible for your sin. It becomes - “The devil made me do it….”, which is what Eve said in Genesis 3. As a follower of Jesus, the devil cannot make you do anything. He can only do to you what you allow him to do. That he can cast the bait, but we make the choice to bite.
MISTAKE #2: We make too little of them
This is when the spiritual realm, which includes Satan and demons is reduced to just a primitive idea. That we in our advanced western world have evolved beyond such silly ideas. All the while, Satan is applauding us for our PRIDE. We need to realize that satan is smart and knows your proclivities. Satan knows the Bible and the Bible says that satan comes like an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11).
C.S. Lewis in his book, The Screwtape Letters, says it this way:
“There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight.“
The war is real. The enemy is real, but they are limited. And in addition to knowing our enemy, we must know our King.
To be continued...
Ephesians 6:12 says, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."
This means that behind the war we do see, there is a war we do not see. This means that your spouse is not your enemy. The person in front of you is not your enemy. The government is not your enemy. But in fact there is a greater enemy that you do not see behind the physical reality that you do see. There are many people who have been taken captive by the enemy and Jesus is the only One who can set those captives free (Luke 4:18).
Lets do some intel on our enemy [Satan & demons]:
1. Satan is a created being. That means he is NOT equal to God.
2. Satan rebelled against God and declared war on God.
3. Satan’s ultimate motivation was PRIDE. He was cast down from heaven because of PRIDE. (“I don’t need anybody..,”, “I don’t need to submit to anybody…”, “I am self-sufficient…”)
4. God is omni-present, which means He can be everywhere at once. Satan can only be at one place at one time. That is why he has his demons to do his bidding.
5. God can read your thoughts, but Satan cannot. But he can read your life patterns.
6. Satan’s native language is LIES (John 8:44).
7. One of Satan’s greatest tactics is to accuse you day and night (Revelation 12:10).
When it comes to Satan and demons - Christians can make 2 mistakes:
MISTAKE #1: We make too much of them
You can find this in some hyper-charismatic/pentecostal movements. It can get to the point where there is such a hyper focus on satan and demons that you are no longer responsible for your sin. It becomes - “The devil made me do it….”, which is what Eve said in Genesis 3. As a follower of Jesus, the devil cannot make you do anything. He can only do to you what you allow him to do. That he can cast the bait, but we make the choice to bite.
MISTAKE #2: We make too little of them
This is when the spiritual realm, which includes Satan and demons is reduced to just a primitive idea. That we in our advanced western world have evolved beyond such silly ideas. All the while, Satan is applauding us for our PRIDE. We need to realize that satan is smart and knows your proclivities. Satan knows the Bible and the Bible says that satan comes like an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11).
C.S. Lewis in his book, The Screwtape Letters, says it this way:
“There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight.“
The war is real. The enemy is real, but they are limited. And in addition to knowing our enemy, we must know our King.
To be continued...
Week 3 - KNow your king
In any war - in addition to knowing our enemy, it is arguably more critical to know our King.
Who are you fighting for? If you don’t know who you’re fighting for, you won’t fight well.
Ephesians 6:10 says, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.”
Notice, before the Apostle Paul tells you about your enemy and your weapons, he tells you about your King. That ultimately, our strength and success in this war doesn’t come from our training regiment, or the intel we have on our enemy. Our ultimate strength and success in this war comes from our King.
THIS IS ULTIMATELY HIS FIGHT
Exodus 14:14 // The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.
THIS IS ULTIMATELY HIS CHURCH
Matthew 16:18 // …I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
THIS IS ULTIMATELY HIS WAR
Colossians 2:13-15 // And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.
We fight for our Glorious King and our Glorious King fights for us! His name is Jesus.
So how do we wrestle with endurance? We do it “in the strength of His might” (Ephesians 6:10). We cannot do it on our own.
Dear friends:
- You can’t be a faithful follower of Jesus for a lifetime without Jesus’ strength.
- You can’t be faithful to your spouse for a lifetime without Jesus’ strength.
- You can’t raise kids who love Jesus without Jesus’ strength.
- You can’t create a great legacy without Jesus’ strength.
BIG IDEA: We need Jesus.
Let me end by praying for you the same prayer the Apostle Paul prayed for the church in Ephesus:
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:14-21)
We are in a war, but we are fighting for a King who has ultimately won the war. Take heart.
Who are you fighting for? If you don’t know who you’re fighting for, you won’t fight well.
Ephesians 6:10 says, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.”
Notice, before the Apostle Paul tells you about your enemy and your weapons, he tells you about your King. That ultimately, our strength and success in this war doesn’t come from our training regiment, or the intel we have on our enemy. Our ultimate strength and success in this war comes from our King.
THIS IS ULTIMATELY HIS FIGHT
Exodus 14:14 // The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.
THIS IS ULTIMATELY HIS CHURCH
Matthew 16:18 // …I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
THIS IS ULTIMATELY HIS WAR
Colossians 2:13-15 // And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.
We fight for our Glorious King and our Glorious King fights for us! His name is Jesus.
So how do we wrestle with endurance? We do it “in the strength of His might” (Ephesians 6:10). We cannot do it on our own.
Dear friends:
- You can’t be a faithful follower of Jesus for a lifetime without Jesus’ strength.
- You can’t be faithful to your spouse for a lifetime without Jesus’ strength.
- You can’t raise kids who love Jesus without Jesus’ strength.
- You can’t create a great legacy without Jesus’ strength.
BIG IDEA: We need Jesus.
Let me end by praying for you the same prayer the Apostle Paul prayed for the church in Ephesus:
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:14-21)
We are in a war, but we are fighting for a King who has ultimately won the war. Take heart.
Week 4 - KNOW YOUR WEAPONS
Make no mistake - IT IS A WAR.
Sadly, many well-intentioned Christians don’t know this or knowingly refuse to engage in the war, because it goes against what they were taught in Sunday school. This is especially true in the dumpster fire of a culture we are living in today. Satan and his minions have declared war on God and on His church. This means, the more strides we make for Jesus’ kingdom, the more opposition we will face.
In the previous weeks, we have talked about the things that any soldier must know in any war:
#1 - You must know your enemy.
#2 - You must know your King.
Today, we will talk about another critical piece of intel any soldier must know in any war: WE MUST KNOW OUR WEAPONS.
Ephesians 6:10-18
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 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. 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, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.
The Apostle Paul lists 6 weapons you and I have at our disposal as we engage in warfare.
WEAPON #1 - BELT OF TRUTH
Just as a belt is worn close to the body, we need to hold the truth of God close to our body and allow it to surround us. This is how we are able to distinguish and discern the truth from the lies. You need to know that Satan and demons are professional liars and professional accusers. Something does not have to be true for it to be powerful, it just has to be believed. This can come through accusation, false teachers and bad “Christians” books that are usually best sellers.
Satan is responsible for his lies, but we are responsible for the belief in those lies. The more we surround our lives with God’s truth, the more effective we will be in combating the lies from the father of lies.
WEAPON #2 - BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
One of the common things I hear as a pastor is the false belief that temptation in and of itself is a sin, which means that when you are tempted, you are already sinning so you might as well just go all the way through with it. The truth is that Jesus was tempted, but He never sinned. The breastplate means that you and I don’t have to allow that temptation to penetrate us. That means we can walk victoriously in our righteousness in Christ. That means we no longer have to excuse our sin - we can resist & fight and if we fall - repent, get back up and put the armor back on.
Jesus loves you enough to meet you in your sin, but also loves you enough to take you away from that sin.
WEAPON #3 - BOOTS OF THE GOSPEL (shoes of peace)
During wartime, any soldier will tell you that you never take your boots off, but you sleep with your boots on. Because the enemy does not attack during the normal business hours of 9-5. In addition, the boots are always on, because people need to meet Jesus. Captives need to be set free by Jesus, so they can become citizens of the Kingdom.
WEAPON #4 - SHIELD OF FAITH
The Apostle Paul tells us that this weapon is used to “extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil on”. This imagery always reminds me of the final scene in the movie, “300” when King Leonidas is minutes before death and his final visual is a massive swarm of arrows coming down on him, ultimately killing him. As it is in the physical realm, so it is in the spiritual realm. Satan will launch his swarm of arrows in the form of vain regrets, past sins, unresolved hurt, etc.
Satan will haunt you for things Jesus has already forgiven you for.
Have any of you ever experience this? I have. Every mistake, every failure, every sin - just coming down on you like a swarm of arrows. This is when you take your shield of faith and believe in who God says you are. Your past may explain you, but Christ defines you. It may be what you’ve done, but that is not who you are. That in Christ, your primary identity is not “sinner”, but it is “SAINT”!
Satan knows who you are, but calls you by what you’ve done.
Jesus knows everything you’ve done, but calls you by who you are.
WEAPON #5 - HELMET OF SALVATION
This protects your mind. If you know who you are, you will know what to do. However, if you don’t know who you are, you will not know what to do. This is why the Apostle Paul in one of his other books writes, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind…” (Romans 12:2).
How’s your thinking? Are you renewing your mind through Scripture, prayer, worship and godly community?
WEAPON #6 - SWORD OF THE SPIRIT
This is the only offensive weapon and the only weapon that the Apostle Paul clearly defines. This is the Word of God. This is the book that God wrote. In any war - when you drop your sword, that means you’ve surrendered. Likewise, in the spiritual realm - when you stop reading your Bible - you’ve essentially surrendered. Sadly, we have many people who would rather read books about the Bible than reading the Bible itself.
The first battle was over the Word of God: “Did God really say?” (Genesis 3:1). Times have changed, but the battle has not.
———
With that said, is there a piece of armor/weaponry that you don’t have on? And what does it look like for you to put it on?
We will conclude our devotional series next week as we will talk about communicating back to headquarters during wartime.
Sadly, many well-intentioned Christians don’t know this or knowingly refuse to engage in the war, because it goes against what they were taught in Sunday school. This is especially true in the dumpster fire of a culture we are living in today. Satan and his minions have declared war on God and on His church. This means, the more strides we make for Jesus’ kingdom, the more opposition we will face.
In the previous weeks, we have talked about the things that any soldier must know in any war:
#1 - You must know your enemy.
#2 - You must know your King.
Today, we will talk about another critical piece of intel any soldier must know in any war: WE MUST KNOW OUR WEAPONS.
Ephesians 6:10-18
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 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. 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, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.
The Apostle Paul lists 6 weapons you and I have at our disposal as we engage in warfare.
WEAPON #1 - BELT OF TRUTH
Just as a belt is worn close to the body, we need to hold the truth of God close to our body and allow it to surround us. This is how we are able to distinguish and discern the truth from the lies. You need to know that Satan and demons are professional liars and professional accusers. Something does not have to be true for it to be powerful, it just has to be believed. This can come through accusation, false teachers and bad “Christians” books that are usually best sellers.
Satan is responsible for his lies, but we are responsible for the belief in those lies. The more we surround our lives with God’s truth, the more effective we will be in combating the lies from the father of lies.
WEAPON #2 - BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
One of the common things I hear as a pastor is the false belief that temptation in and of itself is a sin, which means that when you are tempted, you are already sinning so you might as well just go all the way through with it. The truth is that Jesus was tempted, but He never sinned. The breastplate means that you and I don’t have to allow that temptation to penetrate us. That means we can walk victoriously in our righteousness in Christ. That means we no longer have to excuse our sin - we can resist & fight and if we fall - repent, get back up and put the armor back on.
Jesus loves you enough to meet you in your sin, but also loves you enough to take you away from that sin.
WEAPON #3 - BOOTS OF THE GOSPEL (shoes of peace)
During wartime, any soldier will tell you that you never take your boots off, but you sleep with your boots on. Because the enemy does not attack during the normal business hours of 9-5. In addition, the boots are always on, because people need to meet Jesus. Captives need to be set free by Jesus, so they can become citizens of the Kingdom.
WEAPON #4 - SHIELD OF FAITH
The Apostle Paul tells us that this weapon is used to “extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil on”. This imagery always reminds me of the final scene in the movie, “300” when King Leonidas is minutes before death and his final visual is a massive swarm of arrows coming down on him, ultimately killing him. As it is in the physical realm, so it is in the spiritual realm. Satan will launch his swarm of arrows in the form of vain regrets, past sins, unresolved hurt, etc.
Satan will haunt you for things Jesus has already forgiven you for.
Have any of you ever experience this? I have. Every mistake, every failure, every sin - just coming down on you like a swarm of arrows. This is when you take your shield of faith and believe in who God says you are. Your past may explain you, but Christ defines you. It may be what you’ve done, but that is not who you are. That in Christ, your primary identity is not “sinner”, but it is “SAINT”!
Satan knows who you are, but calls you by what you’ve done.
Jesus knows everything you’ve done, but calls you by who you are.
WEAPON #5 - HELMET OF SALVATION
This protects your mind. If you know who you are, you will know what to do. However, if you don’t know who you are, you will not know what to do. This is why the Apostle Paul in one of his other books writes, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind…” (Romans 12:2).
How’s your thinking? Are you renewing your mind through Scripture, prayer, worship and godly community?
WEAPON #6 - SWORD OF THE SPIRIT
This is the only offensive weapon and the only weapon that the Apostle Paul clearly defines. This is the Word of God. This is the book that God wrote. In any war - when you drop your sword, that means you’ve surrendered. Likewise, in the spiritual realm - when you stop reading your Bible - you’ve essentially surrendered. Sadly, we have many people who would rather read books about the Bible than reading the Bible itself.
The first battle was over the Word of God: “Did God really say?” (Genesis 3:1). Times have changed, but the battle has not.
———
With that said, is there a piece of armor/weaponry that you don’t have on? And what does it look like for you to put it on?
We will conclude our devotional series next week as we will talk about communicating back to headquarters during wartime.
Week 5 - PRAYER & PERSEVERANCE
We’ve been camping out on Ephesians 6:10-20 throughout this devotional series. Let’s revisit the words of Paul.
Ephesians 6:10-20 // Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 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. 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, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.
In any war, it is absolutely essential to know the following things (that we’ve talked about weeks prior):
1. KNOW YOUR WAR: You need first know that you are actually in a war. That it’s not peacetime, it’s wartime.
2. KNOW YOUR ENEMY: You need to know who you’re fighting and get as much intel on your enemy or you won’t fight well.
3. KNOW YOUR KING: You need to know who you’re fighting for.
4. KNOW YOUR WEAPONS: You need to know what weapons and gear you have at your disposal.
As Paul begins to wrap up his letter to the Ephesians, he concludes by talking about "praying at all time in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication” (Eph. 6:18).
The most important thing in battle is communication back to headquarter to receive further directives from the general.
THIS IS PRAYER
It is imperative that we as soldiers for King Jesus to be constantly communicating back to our Father to receive direction, guidance, clarity, and boldness to continue effectively fighting in this war. Without this, we become walking targets for the enemy.
THIS LEADS TO PERSEVERANCE
"To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,” (Eph. 6:18)
Four times throughout Paul’s final exhortation to the church in Ephesus, he says “stand” or “withstand”. Standing and withstanding assumes resistance and requires perseverance. That we are called to plant our feet and stand. We live in a day where it seems like everyone quits when things get a little difficult. They quit their marriage. They quit coming to church. They quit praying. They quit when things get hard. Paul is saying to not quit and continue to stand. Because at the end of the day, it is not about us. It is not about you. It is ultimately about Jesus and telling people about Him so captives can be set free.
If we don’t get this, TOV Church will be another people of spineless consumer Christians who just want to take.
G.K. Chesterton once said that - “A true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.”
We fight not because we hate Satan (though we do), but because we love people and there are many people who are being held captive by the enemy and need to be set free by King Jesus.
Lastly, pray for your leaders. Paul concludes his letter by asking the church to pray for him.
“…making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak. (Eph. 6:18-20)
Would you pray for me and pray for our church. That we would be a church that would never sway from declaring the entire Word of God boldly as we ought to speak.
Ephesians 6:10-20 // Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 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. 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, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.
In any war, it is absolutely essential to know the following things (that we’ve talked about weeks prior):
1. KNOW YOUR WAR: You need first know that you are actually in a war. That it’s not peacetime, it’s wartime.
2. KNOW YOUR ENEMY: You need to know who you’re fighting and get as much intel on your enemy or you won’t fight well.
3. KNOW YOUR KING: You need to know who you’re fighting for.
4. KNOW YOUR WEAPONS: You need to know what weapons and gear you have at your disposal.
As Paul begins to wrap up his letter to the Ephesians, he concludes by talking about "praying at all time in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication” (Eph. 6:18).
The most important thing in battle is communication back to headquarter to receive further directives from the general.
THIS IS PRAYER
It is imperative that we as soldiers for King Jesus to be constantly communicating back to our Father to receive direction, guidance, clarity, and boldness to continue effectively fighting in this war. Without this, we become walking targets for the enemy.
THIS LEADS TO PERSEVERANCE
"To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,” (Eph. 6:18)
Four times throughout Paul’s final exhortation to the church in Ephesus, he says “stand” or “withstand”. Standing and withstanding assumes resistance and requires perseverance. That we are called to plant our feet and stand. We live in a day where it seems like everyone quits when things get a little difficult. They quit their marriage. They quit coming to church. They quit praying. They quit when things get hard. Paul is saying to not quit and continue to stand. Because at the end of the day, it is not about us. It is not about you. It is ultimately about Jesus and telling people about Him so captives can be set free.
If we don’t get this, TOV Church will be another people of spineless consumer Christians who just want to take.
G.K. Chesterton once said that - “A true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.”
We fight not because we hate Satan (though we do), but because we love people and there are many people who are being held captive by the enemy and need to be set free by King Jesus.
Lastly, pray for your leaders. Paul concludes his letter by asking the church to pray for him.
“…making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak. (Eph. 6:18-20)
Would you pray for me and pray for our church. That we would be a church that would never sway from declaring the entire Word of God boldly as we ought to speak.