“Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God”
(Eph. 6:11-13)
Passages like this always intrigue me. My lifestyle often ensnares me into believing Christianity makes my life “better” or “easier” or “successful”. Yet the opposite is often more true. Christianity places me in a position that squarely sits in opposition to the flesh, the world and the devil. As such perhaps for the very first time because I am fully alive I now live in conflict to my immediate surroundings. My life, instead of becoming easier, actually becomes harder.
It is because of this principle Paul calls the church to put on the full armor of God. This passage clearly notes the nature of our conflict and the means God provides for us to be more than conquerors (Rom. 8:37). The victory does not lie with us, but with whom God is and what He does (Prov. 21:31).
One of the errors we are prone to believe and then live with is the idea that spiritual warfare is not tangible or physical warfare. Although the battles are often fought (and won) within the mind, intellect and emotion; they are real battles that have significant and powerful physical consequences. Spiritual warfare has a face and name.
For example, coveting or desiring what you do not have can be just as equally sinful as stealing or pursuing the object coveted through legitimate and ethical means. Coveting or desiring what you do not have because of a failure on your part to see Jesus as enough in this life and in the life to come is sin. Sin is when we put something other than God at the center of our life and as such as the singular means of finding rest and contentment.
Friend, during our season of prayer and fasting let us remember we are in a fight. God’s enablement is for us to recognize His means to His end. We cannot go it alone. We must rest and rely on God. Let us be determined to tear down all those strongholds that seek to resist God within our own souls (2 Cor. 10:4). May God delight in causing us to delight only and powerfully in Him.
by Pastor Pat Griffiths
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