Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. [11] Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. [12] For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. [13] Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Ephesians 6:10-13 KJV
Spiritual warfare for every believer is not a choice, but a command. Fighting is not only noble, it is the God thing to do, Psalm 149:5-9. God commanded Adam in Genesis 1:26-27 to subdue the earth and have dominion, to rule over all He had created. The beauty of our battle now is that for all in Christ, it is a good fight of faith. It is a good fight because we get to fight with the strength of God. Thayer’s dictionary describes the word used as “wrestle” (Pale), as a contest between two in which each endeavours to throw the other, and which is decided when the victor is able to hold his opponent down with his hand upon his neck. Spiritual warfare is a God-ordained contest where He puts His weight behind His child to take the stamina off the enemy. He then tells them to place his feet on the neck of the enemy to announce victory. With all the strength and material provided, a believer really cannot lose the battle unless he decides to accept defeat or run from the battle.
In this contest, Christ hands the believer a defeated enemy and asks that he dislodges this enemy from all prestige, possession and pleasure. This enemy is the one Paul calls the prince of the power of the air in Ephesians 2:2, but that prestige was stolen from man. Man was meant to rule the air and perpetuate Spiritual righteousness in high places. This is the goal of Spiritual warfare. To fight properly, Paul says we need to be strong in the Lord. This means we are to take the strength of the Lord as our own. There is no excuse for powerlessness because God does not expect you to use your own power in this battle. No country sends its soldiers to battle without war uniforms. The soldier does not also have to plead for or pay for his own uniform. It is the responsibility and joy of the state to supply all the soldier needs to ensure that their nation wins. In a similar way, God has provided weapons that are mighty (or made powerful and effective) through God and are perfect for pulling down high things contrary to God. Today, we will explore some of them.
The first is the Belt of truth. This holds the entire armoury together. It also protects the procreative power of the soldier, the mind, 1 Peter 1:13. Simply put, arm yourself with truth. We had established yesterday, that the enemy has no power over a believer and so he made schemes and wiles. 1 Peter 5:8-9 says that the devil goes about like a roaring lion seeking for whom to devour. According to this scripture, devouring has nothing to do with persecution, since every believer needs to face that. The devouring is causing them to lose faith and hope by his lies. A believer cannot sin apart from believing a lie. The bible calls satan the father of lies, John 8:44. He cannot stand the truth and will run away from it. We fight by saturating ourselves with truth. How do you know that truth has not shined in your life? Every area of your life where you are not hopeful. Any area where you are timid, that is a lie. Truth is Christ, truth is reality. So how do we use truth as a weapon? Preach the gospel to yourself, rehearse your union with God. Preach the gospel to the devil, tell him of his doom. Preach the gospel to all creation, letting them know of their liberation at hand, as the sons of God are liberated from the bondage of corruption.
Last for today is the breastplate of the righteouness. This is particularly useful against the enemies ministry as the accuser. This righteousness is a gift to us, which secures our standing with God, 2 corinthians 5:21, Romans 5:16-17. We are accepted in the beloved of God and this was not done for us when we were righteous, but when we were sinners and so it has nothing to do with works. This armour covers the breast region because with the heart a man believes and with his mouth confession is made to salvation. Hence this is particularly where the devil will try to attack because a blow here is deadly. If a man is successfully shot, due to a lack of this armour, with his heart, he accepts this poison and with his mouth, confession is made unto his destruction. The organs being protected here are necessary to keep the man alive to fight. Hence the assurance of our salvation and a firm understanding of the fact that we have full access to God cannot be overemphasized.
Our breastplate is constructed and held firm by meditating on truth. If you are one who still battles with condemnation and will run away from God because of a shortcoming on your path, you are in big trouble. Not accepting God’s forgiveness is foolishness and pride (not believing that the work of Jesus is enough to satisfy your demand of justice when it was okay to satisfy God’s). However, this can be rectified by meditating on the Word of God. If this is you, take a moment to study the book of Romans, specifically Romans 4-8 and do not do it alone. Grab a friend or family and don’t stop studying, confessing and praying until the truth of your deliverance from sin, guilt and condemnation is crystalised in your heart.
Prayer for today: Lord Jesus, thank you for giving me Your strength to face the battle ahead of me today. Lord, I am not ignorant of the arrows the enemy throws at me to destabilize me daily. However, I know they have no effect as I take hold of Your strength. Prepare a table for me today in the presence of my enemy. A feast of fat things, a feast of the true word of God. A feast to equip me with strength for today's battle. Amen.
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