For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against authorities, against the cosmic powers over the present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in 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. Ephesians 6:12-13 ESV

Spiritual warfare is a war like no other, for it is against an enemy that we cannot defeat. We do not have the strength nor ability on our own, but when we are obedient and put on the armor of God, He will enable us to stand in the heat of battle, because the armor we wear is Christ. The Christian must put on every piece of the armor, for it is the only hope in standing against the devil. In the strategy of standing, we must understand the enemy. He is a ruler, has authority, power, and is a spiritual force. He is an adversary that is not to be challenged in your own strength, for you would be crushed in the battle.

NOT FLESH AND BLOOD:
The devil is not God, although his desire was to be so. It must be remembered and acknowledged that the devil desires to destroy all that God has made good. God defeated the devil when he became flesh, died, and rose from the grave. In defeating Satan by dying for the consequence of our sin, Jesus took from Satan his destructive power over our lives. When Jesus ascended back to His Father, He sent the Holy Spirit to dwell in us and gave us the strength to stand against an enemy not seen with human eyes.

AUTHORITY:
The devil has authority, but it is limited by the restraining grace of God. When Satan rose up against Job, God restricted how far the attack against Job could go. Satan could only do to Job what God permitted, thus proving that God is the ultimate authority. Job, although not seeing what was taking place between God and Satan, stood strong. So it is with us as Christians; we might not understand or see with our eyes all that is happening, but we are able to stand strong.

COSMIC POWER OVER DARKNESS:
Most crime happens at night while it is dark. Darkness is the desired time for criminals because they are hidden in the shroud of darkness. It is the strategy of Satan to attack in the darkest times of life. When we are not fully dressed in the armor of God, failure to stand will be the result.

SPIRITUAL FORCE OF EVIL:
Human flesh is no challenge to the spiritual forces of evil. These battles of spiritual forces happen in the mind and can be seen at times by the actions of a person. That which resides in a person is what ultimately controls them. Evil will breed evil, thus producing more evil, but the Holy Spirit creates life and will create an abundance of life for the person in which He dwells. Satan and his evil forces are not to be challenged in your own strength, for you will fail; but if you know Jesus as Savior in your life, victory can be experienced, for the Devil is already defeated by Him.

Standing can be hard if you do not know what you are standing for. You are not standing to prove you are a Christian. You are standing because you are a Christian. We are called to stand on the truth of the gospel and to give no place for the devil. So in battles of the mind, we must stand on the promises of God’s word and refuse to believe any lie or deception the Devil tries to plant in our minds. We are more than conquerors through him who loved us. Romans 8:37 ESV

APPLICATION:
Believe the truth that you are a warrior to be used in battle over the darkness, and continue to read Ephesians 6:10-18 over and over these next few weeks as we study each piece of armor that we are to put on.

Because of His Grace ~ Pastor David