In Spiritual Warfare and The Armor of God Part 1: The Roman Context, we learned about the Roman Empire’s control and the vastness of its power. We base our understanding of Ephesians 6 on this context.
Ephesians 6:10-18
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 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. 13 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. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.”
In this passage, Paul describes the tools for spiritual warfare using the image of a Roman soldier’s armor. We will detail each piece of armor to see how this applies to our daily lives, but first, let’s break down the opener of this passage.
In Verse 11, Paul says, “Put on the FULL armor of God.” Notice the emphasis on the word FULL. He doesn’t say “pieces of armor” or “parts of the armor.” He says the FULL armor. The phrase is repeated in verse 13. The armor in both verses is said to be for three reasons:
1. To stand against the devil’s schemes and
2. To resist in the day of evil, and
3. having done everything to stand firm. These statements call the reader to “stand.” Standing is more than just being upright when it comes to warfare. Especially when it is spiritual.
According to Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, the Greek word “histēmi,” in the case of Ephesians 6, says, “When standing, we are to stand ready or prepared and to be of a steadfast mind. The person who stands this way has the qualities of one who does not hesitate, does not waver, and is one who vanquishes his adversaries and holds his ground, or when amid the fight, holds his position against the enemy.” All that is needed to stay when one stands is to continue, persist, and persevere to not fall from faith.
Do you know who the enemy is? Do you know what we are standing up against? It says in 11 and 13 that it’s the devil, evil schemes, and evil days, right? Yes, but Paul gives us more detail in verse 12. “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.” This is spiritual warfare, ladies! This is against an enemy we can not see. This is a war we can not use our human weapons to fight. This war is personal and interpersonal; the battleground is your mind and is being fought for your soul. Pretty dark, huh?
The Enemy: The Deceiver
The Word of God says much more about the spiritual realm than I was aware of, even being raised in the church. In the Western world, our entertainment does an excellent job of minimizing and naturalizing the spiritual world and supernatural things. We explain away so much. It is safe to say that not everything is the devil. Some are of natural causes, but to know the enemy we are standing against, let’s explore what scripture says about the opposing team.
For starters, it’s essential to know that Satan (the deceiver) is not God. He wants to be God, but he does not hold His attributes. Satan is not omnipresent (being everywhere), omniscient (knowing everything), omnipotent (being all-powerful), elf existent, eternal, or immutable. Only the God of god’s, Yahweh, is. Being aware of this makes it easier to understand that it’s probably not Satan himself doing the dirty work but his minions/ fallen angels/ demons/ evil spirits. He is, however, calling the shots.
The title Satan (or the Satan) means “the deceiver” in Hebrew. He is a created being who sinned against God and fell from heaven, taking many other angels with him. Ezekiel 28 describes him as:
Ezekiel 28:12-15
12b “the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. 13 You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle; and crafted in gold were your settings and your engravings. On the day that you were created, they were prepared. 14 You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked. 15 You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you.”
We see in this description that Satan is a fallen cherub. He was created beautiful and wise. He was anointed and blameless. He was so close to God that he was with Him in the garden of Eden. ( In Ancient Jewish tradition, a serpent symbolizes wisdom and craftiness. This may be why Satan is referred to as the serpent in the garden that tempted Eve. Satan being the serpent is confirmed in Revelation 20:2: “the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan.”) His pride caused his unrighteousness, making him no longer fit for the presence of God.
1 Peter 5:8-9 “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
Peter tells us in this verse that the devil is like a lion on the prowl. If you read the blog on being sober-minded, you might recall the implications of a prowling lion. They are hunting and looking for weak points in our being to attack. These beings have been around for hundreds, probably thousands of years. They know humans so well that they know how to break someone down, and when we are at our weakest, they attack and cause the most damage. If people can learn how to manipulate others to get what they want, why couldn’t a spirit whose intent is to destroy?
The Enemy has a Name
Isaiah 14:12-14
“How you are fallen from heaven,
O Lucifer, son of the morning!
How you are cut down to the ground,
You who weakened the nations!
For you have said in your heart:
‘I will ascend into heaven,
I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;
I will also sit on the mount of the congregation
On the farthest sides of the north;
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,
I will be like the Most High.”
Although it is debated, Satan has a name, and it is given to us in Isaiah 14. Some translations translate “hêylêl” as the son of the dawn, son of the morning, or morning star. According to the Gesenius’ Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon, the name “Lucifer” is a literal translation for “bright star” or “splendid star.” This passage also shows us that his unrighteousness involved wanting to be elevated above the “stars of God,” meaning above all God’s creation, and be like the “Most High,” meaning Yahweh. This demonstrates his relentless pride in his heart to elevate himself to a throne in heaven. We know that the only one given a throne in heaven is Jesus. 2 Samuel 7:12-16 states that the offspring of David will build the temple, and the throne will be established forever. This is a two-part prophecy that was fulfilled in Solomon and in Jesus. Solomon did build the temple, but the throne belongs to Jesus. In addition, the bride of Christ is the temple of the Holy Spirit; this was only possible and established by the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is confirmed in Luke 1:32, where we see that Jesus is the one who sits on the throne.
More attributes
John 8:4: Satan is a liar and the father of lies. Jesus tells the Pharisees, “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”
Revelation 12:9: Satan deceives the whole world. “And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.”
2 Corinthians 4:4: Satan is the god of this world. “In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”
2 Corinthians 11:14: Sometimes what the enemy does looks to be a good thing, but it is a deception. “Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.”
Satan’s Minions: Deceitful Spirits
They can deceive people through false doctrines.
1 Timothy 4:1: “But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons.”
Demons can cause illness.
Matthew 17:18: “And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was cured at once.”
Luke 13:11-13: “And behold, there was a woman who had had a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, Woman, you are freed from your disability.’ And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she glorified God.”
Demons can evoke violence, aggression, unnatural strength, and self-harm.
Matthew 8:28: “When He came to the other side into the country of the Gadarenes, two men who were demon-possessed met Him as they were coming out of the tombs. They were so extremely violent that no one could pass by that way.”
Mark 5:3-5 “He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains, he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones.”
Conclusion: Jesus is on the Throne
All that being said, and still not everything the bible says about whom we are fighting against, always remember that Jesus defeated the enemy when He died on the cross, descended to Sheol, and rose from the dead. In his righteousness and divinity, Jesus died physically but never died spiritually because He did not sin. He has power over all of heaven and earth, and we have authority over the enemy in Him. Galatians 2:20 says, “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” The same power that created everything, seen and unseen, lives within us. The Holy Spirit, the Helper, was promised to us by Jesus at his ascension to heaven and fulfilled at Pentecost. As a result, we have authority over demonic spirits. We have the power of the Holy Spirit to deny our flesh and pick up our cross daily. We have the power of the Holy Spirit to walk in the gifts he endows in us to do good works and honor God. And through His power, we wear our armor to fight in the spiritual battle.
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