“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6:12 NIV
THE WINNING POSITION
We already know that we are involved in a great spiritual war and that we are advancing from battle to battle, in the different levels where the confrontations are fought. We now need to understand where we stand as God’s army to advance in victory.
A battle is not only won at the moment of conflict. Preparation is key. Ill-prepared troops will be easily slaughtered. Therefore, Paul says, in the text that we have used as a basis for these studies:
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.” (Ephesians 6:10).
It is by having a relationship with God (communion, worship, consecration, etc.) that we build up our spiritual strength to withstand the pressure of confrontations with the kingdom of darkness. Furthermore, we must be strengthened in the power of the Lord. This speaks of a life filled with the Holy Spirit, living in the supernatural.
THE SECRET OF COMMUNICATION WITH HEAVEN
The army of God should be in line with His Word. Paul, in his “treatise on spiritual warfare,” commands:
“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel,” Ephesians 6:18-19
Note that in the conclusion the apostle lays a very special emphasis on the role of prayer. Without it the Church does not advance! He talks about “always” praying. Just as a military squad needs uninterrupted communication with its central command when advancing in battle, the believer cannot give up prayer, the only way in which we come into direct contact with the throne of God, the Lord of hosts.
- THE STRATEGY OF PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT
When Paul says, “pray by the Spirt” he refers to praying in tongues. This is a powerful strategy in spiritual warfare. Its practice strengthens our inner soul (Jude 1:20) and communicates our needs on the battlefield to heaven, without enemy interference. Demons don’t understand prayers in tongues. The Bible says,
“For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them; they utter mysteries by the Spirit.” 1 Co 14.2
This is an absolutely sacred means of communication, coded to be understood only by the Lord and by those He chooses to reveal it. This is probably why the kingdom of darkness works so hard for the believer to ignore this gift, trying to cut off spiritual communication through doubt, disinterest, fatigue and other demonic tricks.
- INTERCEDING FOR OUR BROTHERS
A winning army must fight in a spirit of unity. There is no place for individualism on the battlefield. We are dependent on each other, just as we are responsible for each other. Someone once said that “no winning army leaves its wounded in the combat zone”. Hence Paul commands watchfulness, perseverance, and asks for prayer “for all the Lord’s people”. By this he is referring to the fundamental role of intercession in spiritual warfare. To intercede, as we have seen in detail in another study, is to plead one’s cause before the Lord. According to the Word, the scope of the responsibility we have is immense: we must pray for the whole people of God!
- COVERING OUR COMMANDERS IN PRAYER
Paul asked prayer for himself : “And pray also for me, too. Ephesians 6:19
Paul highlights the special responsibility of the church to pray for their leaders and pastors.
To advance against Satan’s kingdom, we have to immobilise his commanders (principalities, powers, rulers).
The enemy also knows that “If the shepherd is wounded, the sheep of the flock will be scattered” Matthew 26:31
Therefore, church leaders become their preferred target. Commanders need to be specially protected. This also happens through intercession.
Here is an example, when Peter faced problems due to the preaching of the gospel and was arrested:
“So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.” Acts 12:5
This attitude of responsibility of the people towards their leader caused the power of God to be manifested, miraculously delivering Peter. This is what we might call a “rescue mission” through prayer.
PUTTING ON THE ARMOUR OF GOD
Many believers think that the secret to victory in spiritual battles lies in taking mystical measures. Thus, they rely on ineffective weapons. To say to a principality: “You are bound!” or leaving a Bible superstitiously open on Psalm 91 in the room has no power against demons. What leads us to victory in spiritual confrontations is the correct practice of Christian principles. When Paul says,
“Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”
Ephesians 6.13
He is in fact pointing out fundamental postures that must be put into practice as a whole (we may not pick and choose parts of the armour, but put on all of it) for the soldier of Christ to succeed in spiritual battles.
The illustration the apostle proposes is based on the armour worn at the time by the Roman soldiers. This was the latest technology in terms of personal war equipment then. He uses each piece to illustrate practical actions indispensable for the believer who want to be equipped for any battle against the kingdom of darkness.
- THE BELT OF TRUTH
The sacred text says, “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist,” (Ephesians 6:14a).
The writer refers to the belt that must hold and fit the armour of God to the believer’s life. Without it, all other pieces become vulnerable. This belt is called “truth”. This has very practical implications for us.
- Jesus is the truth – First of all, the truth refers to Christ himself. He himself said:
“I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).
Without a real experience with Him, no one can be a vessel for the power of God. The armour is supported by a covenant. The nominal Christian – a merely religious church-goer, who has not made an absolute surrender of their life to Jesus by receiving him as Lord of their life, has no chance of prevailing against the enemy.
- The Word is truth – Secondly, truth speaks of the Holy Scriptures, sound doctrine (1 Tim 1:10, 2 Tim 4:3; Titus 2:1).
Jesus, in his priestly prayer, said to the Father:
“Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth.” John 17:17
This is a very important aspect. We cannot face the kingdom of darkness based on human beliefs or rationalisations. The Bible is the only truly reliable basis for the Christian’s stance. Therefore, all our actions in spiritual warfare must be backed by God’s eternal principles set forth in His Word.
- My conduct is the truth – the third aspect of the belt of truth concerns our own conduct.
Speaking the truth and being true are essential requirements in the life of every soldier of Christ. That means our word has to be firm and absolutely trustworthy.
According to Jesus, “All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.“ Matthew 5.37
It also means that our lives must always be in the light, without hidden areas or sin. By using lies or living a life without transparency, one gives an advantage to Satan, the “father of lies” (John 8:44) and dominion of darkness (Col 1:13).
- THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
The breastplate of righteousness (Ephesians 6:14b) is the second necessary piece of equipment in the life of the Christian warrior.
The breastplate is the piece that protects our vital parts (heart, lungs, liver, etc).
As Paul is speaking of the inner person (spirit), the breastplate of righteousness is what protects the source of God’s life in us. Justice in the New Testament is almost always synonymous with holiness (Ephesians 4:24) or faithfulness (Gal 3:6).
This leads us to understand that there is a need for a life away from sin in order to be successful in spiritual warfare.
The believer who keeps unconfessed sins in their life, who surrenders to iniquity, becomes an open target to the enemy.
Their spiritual life will be exposed if they do not wear the breastplate of righteousness.
- THE GOSPEL OF PEACE SHOES
If we want to advance against the enemy, we need to have our feet protected. The quality of what protects the warrior’s feet determines how far they can go. Paul says that the Christian soldier’s shoes are:
“the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace” Ephesians 6:15
We can understand from this that the gospel, the proclamation of the good news, is both a weapon of conquest (with it we advance against darkness – Is 52.7; Rom 10.15), and a weapon of defence (with it we trample on the enemy – Luke 10:19; Rom 16:20).
As we establish the peace of Christ in the hearts of others through evangelism, we wage war against demons. In fact, bringing more lives to Christ is the central purpose of war. When we do, we are pushing the boundaries of the Kingdom of God.
- THE SHIELD OF FAITH – “In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” Ephesians 6:16
With these words, Paul presents us with the weapon of defence that brings with it the power of agility. Wielded by the warrior, the shield provides them with the necessary mobility to deflect the enemy’s arrows, no matter what direction they come from.
As we see, in the spiritual context this shield is our faith.
It defends us against the onslaughts of hell, which come at us as if they were arrows or fiery darts (illness, confusion, fear, financial problems, etc).
The only thing we need to do is to be vigilant. This shield alone cannot fully guard us. It has to be handled correctly.
What does that mean?
Faith is the weapon we have to undo the works of Satan against us. It is in absolute trust in the Lord and in His Word that we undo every kind of evil poison. John confirms this, asserting:
“for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.” 1 John 5:4
- THE HELMET OF SALVATION
The Christian’s mind is the enemy’s primary target. Therein lies the power of decisions. That’s why Satan and his demons always work to get at us through deceit, doubts and accusations.
This was his strategy when he faced Jesus in the desert (Luke 4:1-13) and on the cross (Mt 27:40).
He wanted to cast doubt on Jesus’ identity as the Son of God. His strategy hasn’t changed to this day. That’s why the Word tells us about the need to protect our head with “the helmet of salvation” (Ephesians 6.17a).
The believer must be convinced of who they are, their position in Christ, and their rights as a child of God. Their mind must be protected with the assurance of salvation.
- THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT
Paul ends his description of the Christian armour by speaking of “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” Ephesians 6:17b
This is our greatest instrument of attack, with which we can really hurt the enemy.
There is nothing more feared in the kingdom of darkness than the Word of God.
It was with it that Jesus resisted the devil, in the temptation in the desert (Luke 4.1-13).
Therefore, the Christian warrior needs to dedicate themselves to learning how to handle the Word correctly, as one who learns how to handle a weapon. Paul guided Timothy with the following expressions:
“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15
This is the secret to conquest!
When we open our mouths and declare against the enemy what God has already decreed, they must back off!
Faced with the word of God, Satan has no way to defend himself!