David Yarbrough
Ephesians 6:11 (NLT)
Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.
Once upon a time, there was a king who was at war with a rival kingdom. One day, a young man approached the king and informed him that he personally had no problem with the rival kingdom and was not going to be fighting in the king's war. The king told the young man that he had no choice. The simple fact that he lived in his kingdom meant that he was at war with their rival kingdom. The young man thought he was autonomous in his decisions regarding who and when he fought. Because he was a citizen of the kingdom, he was at war with their rival kingdom.
In over twenty years of being a pastor, it has been my experience that many, if not most, Christians either don't believe in spiritual warfare or think they can opt out. From a biblical standpoint, both of these beliefs are wrong. If you're in the Kingdom of God, then by default, you're at war with its rival kingdom (Col. 1:13). The Bible makes it very clear that there is a rival kingdom that is battling against everything the Kingdom of God stands for. This is clearly laid out for us in 2 Corinthians 4:4 (NLT), “Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.”
Our enemy’s primary goal is to hinder our spiritual growth, confuse our understanding of the truth of our identity and position in Christ, and mess up our relationship with God. All the struggles we face in life, in one way or another, are rooted in spiritual warfare. The world is trying to convince us that our problems are merely circumstantial or physiological issues without ever addressing the possible spiritual foundation. When the Holy Spirit opens our eyes to our enemies tactics (Acts 26:18), we can be provided with the proper tools and strategies to approach the struggles and hindrances our adversaries are throwing at us.
It is vital for us to be aware of our enemy's methods. Satan is a liar and a deceiver who has thousands and thousands of years of experience deceiving, tempting, and discouraging, i.e., the Garden of Eden in Genesis chapter three. When we recognize our enemy's techniques, we can be better equipped to resist and overcome his attacks, as we see in Ephesians 6:11 (NLT), when we are instructed to "put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil." We must be crystal clear on how the world, the flesh, and the devil all work together to sow seeds of doubt to stoke fear and anxiety in our hearts and minds, how they work together to tempt us into sinful behaviors, and how they counterfeit the truth of God's word. We must recognize how our enemy targets specific areas in our lives, such as key relationships, our identity in Christ, our devotion to God, and our personal struggles that are a result of deep traumas in our past.
But take heart; the Word of God instructs us on how to stand against the enemy's tactics in Ephesians 6:10–18. We are instructed that with the full armor of God, we can find protection: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. These are the weapons of our warfare, and through prayer, God is fortifying us against our adversaries.
Take courage, for our King has already defeated all the enemies that we face. Jesus, who is the King of Kings, has already secured our victory through His death, burial, and resurrection. Our identity, our position of authority, and our victory are all found in Christ Jesus, our Savior, who has won the victory over sin, death, and the devil.
Although we cannot opt out of spiritual warfare, when we stand firm in Christ Jesus, the victory is already won. Faith, not fear, is what distinguishes Kingdom citizens. We don't lurk in the shadows of defeat; we stand in the light of Jesus' victory. Our King has equipped us, fortified us, strengthened us, and assured us of victory in Him as we face this war. So stand firm, Kingdom warrior!