The believer’s life is a battlefield. Immediately upon receiving Christ in baptism, the believer finds himself in a constant struggle. (Remember Jesus in the wilderness in Luke 4). He is engaged in an unceasing fight, an unending war. He is a combatant, a soldier in conflict. His calling is not to a life of enjoyment and ease, but to a life of hard conflict.

There are foes within and foes without. From the cradle to the grave there is constant struggle against the corruptible lusts of the flesh and the imposing temptations offered by the world and Satan—a struggle against an excessive corruption that inevitably leads to spiritual death:

(Romans 7:21) "So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me."

Sooner or later every believer discovers that the Christian life is a battleground, not a playground, and that he faces an enemy who is much stronger than he is—apart from the Lord. That Paul should use the military to illustrate the believer’s conflict with Satan is reasonable. He himself was chained to a Roman soldier (Eph. 6:20), and his readers were certainly familiar with soldiers and the equipment they used.

In fact, military illustrations were favorites with Paul:

(2 Timothy 4:7) "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."

As Christians, we face three enemies: the world, the flesh, and the devil:

"The world" refers to the system around us that is opposed to God, that caters to "the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life"

"Society apart from God" is a simple, but accurate, definition of "the world." "The flesh" is the old nature that we inherited from Adam, a nature that is opposed to God and can do nothing spiritual to please God.

By His death and resurrection, Christ overcame the world:

Christ overcame the flesh

(Galatians 2:20 NIV) "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

Christ overcame the devil:

In other words, as believers, we do not fight for victory—we fight from victory! The Spirit of God enables us, by faith, to appropriate Christ’s victory for ourselves.

The intelligence corps plays a vital part in warfare because it enables the officers to know and understand the enemy. Unless we know who the enemy is, where he is, and what he can do, we have a difficult time defeating him. Not only in Ephesians 6, but throughout the entire Bible, God instructs us about the enemy, so there is no reason for us to be caught off guard.

As Paul takes leave of his people he thinks of the greatness of the struggle which lies before them. Undoubtedly life was much more terrifying for the ancient people than it is for us today. They believed implicitly in evil spirits, who filled the air and were determined to work men harm.

The words which Paul uses, powers, authorities, world-rulers, are all names for different classes of these evil spirits. To him the whole universe was a battleground. The Christian had not only to contend with the attacks of men; he had to contend with the attacks of spiritual forces which were fighting against God. We may not take Paul's actual language literally; but our experience will tell us that there is an active power of evil in the world.

1. The soldier’s charge (v.10-11).

2. The soldier’s enemy: the devil and his strategies (v.11).

3. The soldier’s warfare: not human, but spiritual (v.12).

4. The soldier’s duty: to take the whole armour of God (v.13).

5. The soldier’s armour (v.14-17).

6. The supernatural provision: prayer—always praying (v.18-20).

Paul suddenly sees a picture ready-made. All this time he was chained by the wrist to a Roman soldier. Night and day a soldier was there to ensure that he would not escape. Paul was literally an envoy in a chain. Now he was the kind of man who could get alongside anyone; and beyond doubt he had talked often to the soldiers who were compelled to be so near him. As he writes, the soldier's armour suggests a picture to him. The Christian too has his armour; and part by part Paul takes the armour of the Roman soldier and translates it into Christians terms.

Spiritual Warfare: there is the charge to the Christian soldier. Note the word "brothers." It is Christian believers who need the charge, not the world. Christian believers must diligently heed what is about to be said. There is no other way to conquer the enemies who stand so violently opposed to the Christian believer. Unless the believer heeds the charge and message of this passage, he will cave in to temptation and sin and end up walking through life just as most men do:

• not experiencing the abundance and joy of life.

• not experiencing the power and deliverance, care and concern, love and fellowship of God’s daily presence.
• being uncertain and unsure of the future.
• not having the confidence of being acceptable to God.
• not being assured of living forever with God.

A believer must heed what God says in this passage; he must do exactly what God says in order to conquer the great enemies of life.

The charge is twofold.

1. The believer must be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Note the stress upon power and strength. Three different words are used:

• be strong
• in the Lord’s power
• in the Lord’s might

Each of these words is used to stress the utter necessity of the believer being strong and possessing power.

• The word "strong" (endunamoo) means power, might, strength. The believer must possess power, might,
• and strength as he walks through the course of this life.
• The Lord’s "power" (kratos) means His soverein unlimited power and dominion over all.
• The Lord’s "might" (ischuos) means strength, force, ability. It means His ability to use His strength and

force wisely, that is, in perfection.

The believer is to be strong in the sovereign unlimited power of the Lord—in the power of His might—in His ability to use His power exactly as it should be used.

But note the critical point: the believer’s strength is not human, fleshly strength; it is not the strength of anything within this world. The believer’s strength is found in the Lord—in a living, dynamic relationship with Him. The Lord is the source of the believer’s strength. There is no other source that can give man the strength to overcome this world with all its trials and temptations and death.

2. The believer must put on the armour of God. Once the believer is strong within, then he is ready to be clothed with the armour of God. But note: no amount of armour is worth the material it is made of unless the soldier has the heart to fight. The believer must—absolutely must—be strong in the Lord before he can be clothed with the armour of God and begin to wage war against the foes of life. Once a man has the presence and power of God within his heart, it is then that he begins to arm himself to wage war against the spiritual enemies of life. But note a most critical point: he must put on the whole armour of God, leaving nothing out. If he leaves a piece of the armour off, he exposes himself to the enemy and stands a good chance of being wounded, perhaps killed.

The charge is to be strong in the Lord, in the power of His might. Put on the whole armour of God.

"Fear thou not; For I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness" (Isaiah 41:10).

(6:11) Satan—Spiritual Warfare: there is the enemy of the Christian soldier. The enemy is the devil and his strategies. The word "wiles" (methodei) means the deceits, craftiness, trickery, methods, and strategies which the devil uses to wage war against the believer. He will do everything he can to deceive and capture the believer.

1. There are the strategies that appeal to the lust of the eyes. Satan will see to it that something crosses the eyesight of the believer, something that is very appealing to the flesh and pride of life:

• some delicious food
• some attractive person
• some person who is exposing the body
• some possession: clothing, land, cars, houses, whatever
• some position
• more authority and power

Satan will present something to the eyes that is so appealing, the believer is doomed unless he is clothed in the full armour of God. Satan will entice the believer to eat the second helping, take the second look, buy the unneeded possession, begin to selfishly seek more power and more position. He will use all the strategies he can to appeal to the flesh and pride of the believer.

"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world" (1 John 2:15-16).

2. Another strategy of the devil is to send a false teacher, a very impressive teacher, across the path of the believer. We must never forget that Satan is not a fiery red person with horns, a pointed tail, and a pitch fork in his hands. He is a living being in the spiritual world—a being who is transformed into a messenger of light. And he has ministers who walk about as ministers of righteousness, but they proclaim a righteousness other than that of Christ. Their message is that of self-righteousness, that of...

• human goodness and works.
• ego and self-image.
• personal development and growth.
• self-improvement and correction.
• mind and will.

Such messages appeal to the flesh of man, and they are helpful. This must be realized and acknowledged, but such messages are not the basic power needed by man. They cannot deliver man from the great trials and sufferings of life or death. They can only lead man down the path of all flesh—that of death, decay, and eternal judgment.

The point is this: one of the most prominent strategies of the devil is to deceive man with false teachers and ministers and their appealing but false messages. The believer is doomed unless he is clothed in the full armour of God.

The personal dimension of that which opposes God's purposes in His world. For some people, belief in a personal Satan is part of mankind's nursery furniture. The concept of a personal Satan, however, has remained a part of evangelical thought. The present-day Christian who accepts the biblical teaching concerning Satan is not committed to all of the crude imagery that has sprung up around belief in Satan. In the light of medieval and modern distortions, a careful consideration of the biblical teaching concerning Satan is especially needed.

Old Testament Teaching

A fully defined doctrine of Satan is not fund in the Bible until New Testament times. A number of reasons have been suggested for the relatively limited material on Satan in the Old Testament.

God began His self-revelation in the ancient world of polytheism (belief in many gods). God wanted to lead His people to a dynamic practical monotheism (the belief in and worship of one God). In the Old Testament a primary emphasis is placed on the supremacy of and the power of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who delivered the Hebrews from the slavery of Egypt.

Satan, the chief of the fallen angels, is mentioned in a number of places in the Old Testament. It is clear that from the very moment of the creation of this world that Satan and fallen angels were on the scene, rebels against God. Satan was evidently perfect in his original state. Pride seems to have been the cause of his fall. Disguised as a serpent, he was the agent of temptation for the first man and woman (Gen. 3:10; Rev. 12:9; 20:2). When Satan does appear in the Old Testament he is always the adversary of God's people. He seeks to lead God's people into presumption (1 Chron. 21:1) or slanders them to God's face (Zech. 3:1).

The most extensive Old Testament discussion of Satan is in Job. Here he is seen as God's agent and minister, who tested human fidelity. He makes a wager with God using Job as the stake. He acts, however, with the express permission of God and keeps within the limits which God has fixed for him (Job 1:12; 2:6).

New Testament Teaching

By the time the New Testament books were written, God had led their authors to a clear-cut doctrine of Satan. This doctrine located an origin of evil in Satan. This recognizes the reality of evil outside and beyond the scope of human will. The New Testament avoids identifying evil with the direct will of God and keeps it always and finally subordinate to God.

Matthew, Mark, and Luke clearly accept and teach a doctrine of a personal Satan and his agents called fallen angels or demons (Mark 3:22). Matthew 4:1 tells of Jesus being tempted by the devil in the wilderness. In Matthew 25:41 even hell is described as being prepared for the devil and his angels. Satan and demons are seen as able to inflict disease (Matt. 17:5-18; Luke 13:16). Satan possessed Judas (Luke 22:3). John saw Satan as the prince of this world (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11) with the whole world in his power (1 John 5:19).

The apostle Paul's world view teaches that Satan is the god of this age. The cosmos or unredeemed world is at present under Satan's power. Satan is now the "commander of the spiritual powers of the air" (Eph. 2:2 REB) and leads "the superhuman forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Eph. 6:12 REB).

The general New Testament Epistles describe Satan's activities graphically. Second Peter 2:4 speaks of the "angels that sinned" and Jude 6 of the "angels which kept not their first estate." The constant use of violence and deceit by Satan requires that believers manifest courage and extreme vigilance (Jas. 4:7; 1 Pet. 5:8-9).

The book of Revelation sees Satan's activities as involving not only individuals but communities. Political forces can become servants of the devil (Rev. 12; 13). Revelation 2:13 even speaks of a throne of Satan.

It should be remembered that the New Testament teaches that Satan and his demonic allies are not coequal with God. He is a created being who has rebelled and can tempt--but not force. The main concern of the Bible is not with the devil but with God and the gospel of His grace. Satan and the demonic forces have been overcome by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The New Testament never allows complete pessimism. In the end Satan and his angels will be completely overcome. In fact, Jesus came into the world to "destroy the works of the devil" (1 John 3:8). The cross was a decisive victory over Satan and Satan's host (Col. 2:15). This victory insured that countless numbers would be delivered from the dominion of darkness and transferred to the kingdom of Christ (Col. 1:13).

Limitations of Satan

Today, people continue to concretize their fears. They want a scapegoat to deliver them from responsibility. Satan is a created, rebellious and tempting evil power active in the universe, but his powerful existence does not exclude a person from responsibility. Satan and the demonic forces cannot dominate or possess us except by our own consent. Believers will not be tempted beyond our power of resistance (1 Cor. 10:13). The power of Satan is limited. He acts within the limits set by divine sovereignty. The believer has God's armor--the biblical gospel, integrity, peace through Christ, faith in Christ, prayer--as spiritual security (Eph. 6:11-18).

The recent fascination with Satan and demons is in reaction to an earlier disbelief. Christians should beware of excessive gullibility as well as extreme oversimplification. Knowledge about Satan and evil angels alerts Christians to the danger and subtlety of satanic temptation. We should not become too absorbed in satanic forces. Satan and demonic forces are active, but they are limited. We must remember that the main thrust of Christianity is on the availability of God's power and love in Jesus Christ and the Spirit.

"And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him" (Rev. 12:9).

(6:12) Spiritual Warfare: third, there is the warfare of the Christian soldier. The warfare is not human or physical, but spiritual. Wuest has a descriptive picture of the believer’s great spiritual struggle:

Satan’s helpers.

Paul called them "principalities . . . powers . . . rulers . . . spiritual wickedness in high places" (Eph. 6:12). Charles B. Williams translates it: "For our contest is not with human foes alone, but with the rulers, authorities, and cosmic powers of this dark world; that is, with the spirit forces of evil challenging us in the heavenly contest" (wms). This suggests a definite army of demonic creatures that assist Satan in his attacks against believers. The Apostle John hinted that one third of the angels fell with Satan when he rebelled against God (Rev. 12:4), and Daniel wrote that Satan’s angels struggle against God’s angels for control of the affairs of nations (Dan. 10:13-20). A spiritual battle is going on in this world, and in the sphere of "the heavenlies," and you and I are a part of this battle. Knowing this makes "walking in victory" a vitally important thing to us—and to God.

The important point is that our battle is not against human beings. It is against spiritual powers. We are wasting our time fighting people when we ought to be fighting the devil who seeks to control people and make them oppose the work of God. During Paul’s ministry in Ephesus, a riot took place that could have destroyed the church (Acts 19:21-41). It wasn’t caused only by Demetrius and his associates, for behind them were Satan and his associates. Certainly Paul and the church prayed, and the opposition was silenced. The advice of the King of Syria to his soldiers can be applied to our spiritual battle: "Fight neither with small nor great, save only with the king" (1 Kings 22:31).

"In the word ‘wrestle’ [pale], Paul uses a Greek athletic term. Thayer defines as follows: ‘a contest between two in which each endeavors to throw the other, and which is decided when the victor is able to press and hold down his prostate antagonist, namely, hold him down with his hand upon his neck.’ When we consider that the loser in a Greek wrestling contest had his eyes gouged out with resulting blindness for the rest of his days, we can form some conception of the Ephesian Greek’s reaction to Paul’s illustration. The Christian’s wrestling against the powers of darkness is no less desperate and fateful" (Ephesians and Colossians, Vol.1, p.141).

The point to see is that the believer’s struggle is not against flesh and blood. His foes are not human or physical: they are spiritual—spiritual forces that possess unbelievable power. Note exactly what is said: the believer fights...

• against principalities
• against power
• against the rulers of darkness
• against spiritual wickedness

This reveals some very clear things to us.

1. The forces of evil are powerful forces. The thrust of this verse is to stress the enormous power of evil forces which stand against the believer.

2. The forces of evil are numerous. Principalities, powers, rulers—all convey the idea of a large number of evil forces who are struggling against the believer.

3. The forces of evil are apparently organized into a government or a hierarchy of evil. Again, principalities, powers and rulers of this world in high places—all point toward a ranking of spiritual forces with enormous authority, position, and rule.

4. The forces of evil are the rulers of the darkness of this world. Darkness in the Bible means the ignorance of truth and reality, of the real nature and purpose of things.

For example...

• What is the source of man and his world?
• Where have man and his world come from?
• What is the purpose of man and his world? Why are man and his world existing?
• What is the end of man and his world? Is there even a place to go after this life—another world, another life?

Darkness is not knowing these things; it is being ignorant of them. Light is knowing God and His Son, Jesus Christ—that God and Christ stand as the Source and Purpose and end of man and his world. Light is knowing the truth and reality of man and his world: that God created all for Himself, and that He loves and saves all to live with Him eternal-ly—if all will only believe and trust Him.

The forces of evil are the rulers of darkness, the rulers who blind the minds of men lest they believe the glorious gospel of eternal salvation.

5. The forces of evil are spiritual forces of wickedness. They seek to receive the loyalty and devotion that is due God. Therefore, they are after the spirit of man—that part of man that is destined to worship and serve God and exist forever. If they can capture the spirit of man, they have him eternally—his life and presence forever and ever. Therefore, they do all they can to lead man’s spirit into wickedness. They are the spiritual forces of wickedness.

Thought 1. Some persons have always scoffed at the idea of a personal devil or demons who actually exist in a so-called spiritual world. They feel they are too educated and intelligent to believe such nonsense. They proclaim that such ideas are outdated and belong to the dark ages of man’s ignorance and superstitions. But note a significant fact: man is ever so conscious of what he terms...

• sub-conscious horrors that affect both his mind and body.
• unseen and uncontrollable forces that greatly affect his behavior.
• unregulated behavior that he cannot control even when he knows better and wills to do differently.
• cosmic forces that affect and determine his behavior.
• blind fate that controls his life like a puppet.

F.F. Bruce words it well: Satan and his demonic forces "rank among the highest angel-princes in the hierarchy of the heavenly places, yet all of them owe their existence to Christ, through whom they were created [Col. 1:16], and who is accordingly the head of all principality and power’ [Col. 2:10]. But some at least of the principalities and powers have embarked upon rebellion against God and not only seek to force men to pay them the worship that is due to Him, but launched an assault upon the crucified Christ at a time when they thought they had Him at their mercy. But He, far from suffering their assault without resistance, grappled with them and overcame them, stripping them of their armour and driving them before Him in His triumphal procession [Col. 2:15]. Thus the hostile powers of evil which Christians must encounter are already vanquished powers, but it is only through faith-union with the victorious Christ that Christians can make His triumph theirs" (The Epistle to the Ephesians, p.127f).

The list could go on and on, ad infinitum. The evil of man consumes the news reports every day. Just think about it! Do we not know better? Do not enough of us know better—enough of us that we could change things? Yes we do. Why then do we not change the world? This passage tells us why:

"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Ephes. 6:12).

God—because He is God—has to tell us the truth. He cannot do otherwise. Therefore, God reveals to us a fact that is as clearly evident as any other single fact on earth: there is an evil force that has access to the spirit of man and can influence and enslave man to do evil. He is called Satan, who rules over the darkness and spiritual wickedness of this world. The only hope for the believer is to put on the whole armour of God.

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8).

Thought 2. The great Greek scholar Kenneth Wuest identifies the forces of evil as follows:

• The principalities (arche): "the first ones, preeminent ones, leaders."
• The powers (exousias): " the authorities,’ the demons of Satan in the lower atmosphere who constitute his kingdom in the air."
• The rulers of the darkness of this world (kosmokrator): Satan and his demons.
• The spiritual wickedness in high places (pneumatika tes ponerias): Satan and all his demonic forces.

(Ephesians and Colossians, Vol.1, p.141.)

Satan’s abilities.

The admonitions Paul gave indicate that Satan is a strong enemy (Eph. 6:10-12), and that we need the power of God to be able to stand against him. Never underestimate the power of the devil. He is not compared to a lion and a dragon just for fun! The Book of Job tells what his power can do to a man’s body, home, wealth, and friends. Jesus calls Satan a thief who comes "to steal, and to kill, and to destroy" (John 10:10). Not only is Satan strong, but he is also wise and subtle, and we fight against "the wiles of the devil." Wiles means "cunning, crafty arts, strategems." The Christian cannot afford to be "ignorant of his devices" (2 Cor. 2:11).

Some men are cunning and crafty and "lie in wait to receive" (Eph. 4:14), but behind them is the arch-deceiver, Satan. He masquerades as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14) and seeks to blind men’s minds to the truth of God’s Word. The fact that Paul uses the word "wrestle" indicates that we are involved in a hand-to-hand battle and are not mere spectators at a game. Satan wants to use our external enemy, the world, and our internal enemy, the flesh, to defeat us. His weapons and battle plans are formidable.

(6:13) Spiritual Warfare: there is the duty of the Christian soldier. His duty is to take the whole armour of God. Note how the believer’s need for the whole armour of God is again stressed. This shows how essential the armour is. We must put on the armour of God. It is an absolute necessity. Why? Because of the "evil day." What is the "evil day?"

• It refers to today—to the onslaught of evil that is in the world today: "the days are evil" (Ephes. 5:16).
• It refers to any day—to the onslaught of temptations and trials that confront us at any given moment during a day.
• It refers to the day of unusual temptation and trial—to a special onslaught and barrage of evil that is thrown against us.

We must withstand the day of evil. But we cannot withstand unless we have done our duty—unless we have obeyed and prepared ourselves—unless we have taken the whole armour of God.

"Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses" (1 Tim. 6:12).

{14} Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, {15} and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. {16} In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. {17} Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

(6:14-17) Spiritual Struggle—Warfare—Armour of God: there is the armour of the Christian soldier. Since we are fighting against enemies in the spirit world, we need special equipment both for offense and defense. God has provided the "whole armor" for us, and we dare not omit any part. Satan looks for that unguarded area where he can get a beachhead (Eph. 4:27). Paul commanded his readers to put on the armor, take the weapons, and withstand Satan, all of which we do by faith. Knowing that Christ has already conquered Satan, and that the spiritual armor and weapons are available, by faith we accept what God gives us and go out to meet the foe. The day is evil, and the enemy is evil, but "if God be for us, who can be against us?" (Rom. 8:31)

Remember that Paul was in prison and under constant guard when writing the Ephesian church. He was forced to stare at the soldier’s armour day in and day out. He had an ideal picture of the armour needed by the Christian believer to combat the forces of evil.

1. The belt of truth. The belt was used to hold the soldier’s clothing next to his body. This kept his clothing from flapping about and allowed him freedom of movement. The belt was also used to strengthen and support the body. Satan is a liar (John 8:44), but the believer whose life is controlled by truth will defeat him. The girdle holds the other parts of the armor together, and truth is the integrating force in the life of the victorious Christian. A man of integrity, with a clear conscience, can face the enemy without fear. The girdle also held the sword. Unless we practice the truth, we cannot use the Word of truth. Once a lie gets into the life of a believer, everything begins to fall apart. For over a year, King David lied about his sin with Bathsheba, and nothing went right. Psalms 32 and 51 tell of the price he paid.

The sign of the Christian soldier is the belt of truth...

• not truth individually or subjectively thought out
• not truth as a man or a group of men see it.
• not truth that is found in a man’s novel idea.
• not truth that is taught by religion.

Such truth is self-centered and restrictive. Such truth is only from finite man—a being so small, so impure, and so frail that he cannot possibly discover enough truth to embrace all men. He cannot discover enough truth to bring life to man, not eternal life. God and God alone can possess and give enough pure truth to embrace all men. God alone can share the truth of abundant and eternal life.

a. What specifically is the belt of truth? What is God’s truth that the believer is to put on?

• First, Christ is the truth. The believer is to put on Christ.

• Second, the Word of God is truth. The believer is to put on the Word of God. He is sanctified by the Word of God.

"That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word" (Ephes. 5:26).

• Third, speaking and living a life of truthfulness is the truth.

"The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away from iniquity" (Malachi 2:6).

2. b. Truth does several things for the Christian soldier.

• It keeps him from flapping about from one thing to another, from being tossed to and fro by every attack of the enemy.

• It keeps him from becoming entangled with the affairs of this life.

• It supports him in the battles and trials of life.

"For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:15-16).

2. The breastplate of righteousness. This piece of armor, made of metal plates or chains, covered the body from the neck to the waist, both front and back. It symbolizes the believer’s righteousness in Christ (2 Cor. 5:21) as well as his righteous life in Christ (Eph. 4:24). Satan is the accuser, but he cannot accuse the believer who is living a godly life in the power of the Spirit. The life we live either fortifies us against Satan’s attacks or makes it easier for him to defeat us (2 Cor. 6:1-10). When Satan accuses the Christian, it is the righteousness of Christ that assures the believer of his salvation. But our positional righteousness in Christ, without practical righteousness in the daily life, only gives Satan opportunity to attack us.

The breastplate covered the body of the soldier from the neck to the thighs. It was used to protect the heart. The believer’s heart is focused upon the Lord Jesus Christ and His righteousness, and that focus must be protected. The sign of the Christian soldier is righteousness. When a man is saved, God imputes the righteousness of Jesus Christ to him, or to say it another way, God counts him righteous (see notes—^? Galatians 2:15-16 for discussion). However, it is not enough to stand in the righteousness of Christ. The Christian soldier must protect his heart. This he does by living righteously. Righteousness keeps the heart from ever being wounded and losing its focus. The Christian soldier is...

• to strive after the very righteousness of Jesus Christ.

• to live righteously in this present world.

3. The sandals of the gospel. The Roman soldier wore sandals with hobnails in the soles to give him better footing for the battle. If we are going to "stand" and "withstand," then we need the shoes of the Gospel. Because we have the peace with God (Rom. 5:1) that comes from the Gospel, we need not fear the attack of Satan or men. We must be at peace with God and with each other if we are to defeat the devil (James 4:1-7). But the shoes have another meaning. We must be prepared each day to share the Gospel of peace with a lost world. The most victorious Christian is a witnessing Christian. If we wear the shoes of the Gospel, then we have the "beautiful feet" mentioned in Isaiah 52:7 and Romans 10:15. Satan has declared war, but you and I are ambassadors of peace (2 Cor. 5:18-21); and, as such, we take the Gospel of peace wherever we go.

The sandals were a sign of readiness—readiness to march and to do battle. The Roman sandals were made with nails that gripped the ground firmly even when it was sloping or slippery. The sign of the Christian soldier is readiness—a readiness to march and to bear witness to the gospel. Wherever the Christian soldier’s feet take him, he shares the gospel that can firmly ground a world reeling under the weight of desperate need and conflict.

Thought 1. Lehman Strauss makes a statement about this point that startles the mind of modern man: "The soldier’s shoes are not the dancing slippers of this world or the lounging slippers of the slothful, but the shoes of the Christian warrior who knows Christ and makes Him known" (Galatians and Ephesians, p.232f).

4. The shield of faith in God. The shield was large, usually about four feet by two feet, made of wood, and covered with tough leather. As the soldier held it before him, it protected him from spears, arrows, and "fiery darts." The edges of these shields were so constructed that an entire line of soldiers could interlock shields and march into the enemy like a solid wall. This suggests that we Christians are not in the battle alone. The "faith" mentioned here is not saving faith, but rather living faith, a trust in the promises and the power of God. Faith is a defensive weapon which protects us from Satan’s fiery darts.

In Paul’s day, arrows, dipped in some inflammable substance and ignited, were shot at the enemy. Satan shoots "fiery darts" at our hearts and minds: lies, blasphemous thoughts, hateful thoughts about others, doubts, and burning desires for sin. If we do not by faith quench these darts, they will light a fire within and we will disobey God. We never know when Satan will shoot a dart at us, so we must always walk by faith and use the shield of faith.

The word "shield" does not mean the small round shield which the soldier held in his hand to fight off the weapons of the enemy. It means the great oblong shield worn by the soldier to protect his body from the fiery darts thrown by the enemy. The darts were dipped in pitch or some other combustible material and set afire. When they struck, they served the purpose of small incendiary bombs. Satan has his fiery darts—those things that cause the believer...

• to question his salvation
• to question his call
• to question if he is worthy
• to question if he can really serve
• to question if the project can really be done
• to question, doubt, and wonder
• to become discouraged, depressed, and defeated
• to burn with passion and desire

Such fiery darts often assault the mind—one doubting and evil thought after the other—fighting against the will—struggling to get hold of the mind and subject it to doubt or evil.

However, the sign of the Christian soldier is that of the shield of faith, faith in God—a complete and perfect trust that God will quench the darts of doubt and evil that attack him, that God will help him control his mind and conquer the evil doubts and thoughts. The Christian soldier’s consciousness of God’s presence is so great that God’s presence itself becomes his shield and defender (Genesis 15:1). As Scripture says, God is his help and shield (Psalm 33:20; Psalm 84:9), his sun and shield (Psalm 84:11).

5. The helmet of salvation. Satan wants to attack the mind, the way he defeated Eve (Gen. 3; 2 Cor. 11:1-3). The helmet refers to the mind controlled by God. It is too bad that many Christians have the idea that the intellect is not important, when in reality it plays a vital role in Christian growth, service, and victory. When God controls the mind, Satan cannot lead the believer astray. The Christian who studies his Bible and learns the meaning of Bible doctrines is not going to be led astray too easily. We need to be "taught by Him as the truth is in Jesus" (Eph. 4:21). We are to "grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18). Wherever Paul ministered, he taught the new converts the truths of the Word of God, and this helmet protected them from Satan’s lies.

The helmet covered the head and the mind of the soldier. The head, of course, was the core of a soldier’s power to wage war. His thinking ability was the most important factor in determining his victory or defeat. Therefore, the soldier needed a helmet to protect his head and mind. The sign of the Christian soldier is the helmet of salvation (deliverance). He must protect his mind and its thoughts, keeping all thoughts focused upon the Leader, the Lord Jesus Christ, and His objective of reaching the world with the glorious news that men can live forever.

The helmet that protects the mind of the Christian soldier is salvation. Unless a man has been saved, his mind cannot be protected from the fiery darts of temptation. The mind of an unsaved man is focused upon this earth; it is normal and natural for him...

• to seek more and more.
• to possess more and more.
• to look at the opposite sex with desire.
• to taste and indulge the good things of the earth.
• to feel and experience, satisfying his desires and passions.
• to have and hoard even when others have little or nothing.

The unsaved man sees nothing wrong with being his own person and doing his own thing just so he is reasonably considerate of others. His mind and thoughts are upon the earth; and the fiery darts of extravagance, indulgence, pleasure, self-centeredness, worldliness, license, hoarding, and immorality are a part of the unsaved world’s daily behavior.

But this is not so with the saved man. The mind of the saved man is focused upon Christ and His mission of sharing the good news of life, both life abundant and life eternal. Because of this, Satan launches his fiery darts of temptation against the mind of the believer, trying to get his thoughts and attention off of Christ and the conquest and ministry to souls. The Christian soldier desperately needs the helmet of salvation. The helmet of salvation means the knowledge and hope of salvation.

Knowing that we are saved and hoping for the glorious day of redemption...

• stirs us to keep our minds and thoughts upon Christ and off of sin and this world.

• arouses us to focus upon Christ and His mission to carry the gospel to a needy and dying world.

6. The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God.

This sword is the offensive weapon God provides us. The Roman soldier wore on his girdle a short sword which was used for close-in fighting. Hebrews 4:12 compares the Word of God to a sword, because it is sharp and is able to pierce the inner man just as a material sword pierces the body. You and I were "cut to the heart" (Acts 2:37; 5:33) when the Word convicted us of our sins. Peter tried to use a sword to defend Jesus in the Garden (Luke 22:47-51); but he learned at Pentecost that the "sword of the Spirit" does a much better job. Moses also tried to conquer with a physical sword (Ex. 2:11-15), only to discover that God’s Word alone was more than enough to defeat Egypt.

A material sword pierces the body, but the Word of God pierces the heart. The more you use a physical sword, the duller it becomes; but using God’s Word only makes it sharper in our lives. A physical sword requires the hand of a soldier, but the sword of the Spirit has its own power, for it is "living and powerful" (Heb. 4:12). The Spirit wrote the Word, and the Spirit wields the Word as we take it by faith and use it. A physical sword wounds to hurt and kill, while the sword of the Spirit wounds to heal and give life. But when we use the sword against Satan, we are out to deal him a blow that will cripple him and keep him from hindering God’s work.

When He was tempted by Satan in the wilderness, Christ used the sword of the Spirit and defeated the enemy. Three times Jesus said, "It is written" (Luke 4:1-13). Note that Satan can also quote the Word: "For it is written" (Luke 4:10), but he does not quote it completely. Satan tries to use the Word of God to confuse us, so it is important that we know every word that God has given us. "You can prove anything by the Bible," someone said. True—if you take verses out of context, leave out words, and apply verses to Christians today that do not really apply. The better you know the Word of God, the easier it will be for you to detect Satan’s lies and reject his offers.

In one sense, the "whole armor of God" is a picture of Jesus Christ. Christ is the Truth (John 14:6), and He is our righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21) and our peace (Eph. 2:14). His faithfulness makes possible our faith (Gal. 2:20); He is our salvation (Luke 2:30); and He is the Word of God (John 1:1, 14). This means that when we trusted Christ, we received the armor. Paul told the Romans what to do with the armor (Rom. 13:11-14): wake up (Rom. 13:11), cast off sin, and "put on the armor of light" (Rom. 13:12). We do this by putting "on the Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom. 13:14). By faith, put on the armor and trust God for the victory. Once and for all, we have put on the armor at the moment of salvation. But there must be a daily appropriation. When King David put off his armor and returned to his palace, he was in greater danger than when he was on the battlefield (2 Sam. 11). We are never out of reach of Satan’s devices, so we must never be without the whole armor of God.

The sword was a weapon used for both defense and offense. The sword was used both to protect and to fight off and slay the enemy. The sign of the Christian soldier is his use of the Word of God. By living in the Scriptures, he protects himself from the onslaught of the enemy; and he fights and wins battle after battle, day after day. Remember: Jesus Christ Himself overcame the onslaught of the devil by using Scripture (Matthew 4:4, 7, 10). The written Word is the one weapon that assures victory for the Christian soldier, for the "Word of God is living and active and sharper than any twoedged sword."

{18} 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 saints. {19} Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, {20} for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should."

Prayer is the energy that enables the Christian soldier to wear the armor and wield the sword. We cannot fight the battle in our own power, no matter how strong or talented we may think we are. When Amalek attacked Israel, Moses went to the mountaintop to pray, while Joshua used the sword down in the valley (Ex. 17:8-16). It took both to defeat Amalek—Moses’ intercession on the mountain, and Joshua’s use of the sword in the valley. Prayer is the power for victory, but not just any kind of prayer. Paul tells how to pray if we would defeat Satan.

(6:18-20) Prayer—Spiritual Warfare: there is the supernatural provision of the Christian soldier—prayer—a constant spirit of prayer. The soldier enters the conflict fully dressed and armed, but something else is essential: great confidence and assurance and courage. Such comes from a spirit of prayer.

The following things need to be noted about the soldier’s prayer.

1. He must pray—always pray. The soldier who is not always praying is not assured of God’s protection. The Christian soldier must pray all the time to maintain a constant unbroken consciousness of God’s presence and care. Such infuses the needed assurance, confidence, and courage.

This obviously does not mean "always saying prayers." We are not heard for our "much speaking" (Matt. 6:7). "Pray without ceasing" (1 Thes. 5:17) says to us, "Always be in communion with the Lord. Keep the receiver off the hook!" Never have to say when you pray, "Lord, we come into Thy presence," because you never left His presence! A Christian must "pray always" because he is always subject to temptations and attacks of the devil. A surprise attack has defeated more than one believer who forgot to "pray without ceasing."

"Seek the lord and his strength, seek his face continually" (1 Chron. 16:11).

There is more than one kind of praying: prayer, supplication, intercession, thanksgiving (Phil. 4:6; 1 Tim. 2:1). The believer who prays only to ask for things is missing out on blessings that come with intercessions and giving of thanks. In fact, thanksgiving is a great prayer weapon for defeating Satan. "Praise changes things" as much as "prayer changes things." Intercession for others can bring victory to our own lives. "And the Lord turned the captivity of Job when he prayed for his friends" (Job 42:10).

2. He must pray "in the Spirit," that is, in the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of the only living and true God. Prayer to any other god or to one’s own thoughts or to some other man-made god is empty and useless.

The Bible formula is that we pray to the Father, through the Son, and in the Spirit. Romans 8:26-27 tells us that only in the Spirit’s power can we pray in the will of God. Otherwise, our praying could be selfish and out of the will of God. In the Old Testament tabernacle, there was a small golden altar standing before the veil, and here the priest burned the incense (Ex. 30:1-10; Luke 1:1-11). The incense is a picture of prayer. It had to be mixed according to God’s plan and could not be counterfeited by man. The fire on the altar is a picture of the Holy Spirit, for it is He who takes our prayers and "ignites" them in the will of God. It is possible to pray fervently in the flesh and never get through to God. It is also possible to pray quietly in the Spirit and see God’s hand do great things.

"Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmites: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God" (Romans 8:26-27).

3. He must be sleepless in prayer. The Christian soldier must concentrate and persevere in prayer. He must go to the point of being sleepless in prayer—sometimes so intensely involved in prayer that he actually goes without sleep in order to pray.

Watching means "keeping on the alert." The phrase "watch and pray" occurs often in the Bible. When Nehemiah was repairing the walls of Jerusalem, and the enemy was trying to stop the work, Nehemiah defeated the enemy by watching and praying. "Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch" (Neh. 4:9). "Watch and pray" is the secret of victory over the world (Mark 13:33), the flesh (Mark 14:38), and the devil (Eph. 6:18). Peter went to sleep when he should have been praying, and the result was victory for Satan (Mark 14:29-31, 67-72). God expects us to use our God-given senses, led by the Spirit, so that we detect Satan when he is beginning to work.

"Pray without ceasing" (1 Thes. 5:17).

4. He must pray unselfishly. The soldier is not in battle alone; many are engaged in the same warfare. The outcome of the battle is determined by the welfare of all involved. The Christian soldier must pray for those who fight with him. The Christian soldier must pray as much and as intensely for his fellow soldiers as for himself.

The word perseverance simply means "to stick to it and not quit." The early believers prayed this way (Acts 1:14; 2:42; 6:4); and we also should pray this way (Rom. 12:12). Perseverance in prayer does not mean we are trying to twist God’s arm, but rather that we are deeply concerned and burdened and cannot rest until we get God’s answer. As Robert Law puts it, "Prayer is not getting man’s will done in heaven; it is getting God’s will done on earth" (Tests of Life, [Grand Rapids: Baker, 1968]).

Most of us quit praying just before God is about to give the victory. Not everybody is so constituted that he can sincerely spend a whole night in prayer, but all of us can persevere in prayer far more than we do. The early church prayed without ceasing when Peter was in prison and, at the last moment, God gave them their answer (Acts 12:1-19). Keep on praying until the Spirit stops you or the Father answers you. Just about the time you feel like quitting, God will give the answer.

"Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints" (Ephes. 6:18).

5. He must pray for leaders in particular. Leaders, their decisions and example, often determine the outcome of the battle. The Christian soldier has leaders who teach and preach and administer throughout the church and around the world. Boldness and decisiveness and purity are needed to put the enemy to flight and to capture souls for the gospel (Acts 28:20).

The Lord’s Prayer begins with "Our Father"—not "My Father." We pray as part of a great family that is also talking to God, and we ought to pray for the other members of the family. Even Paul asked for the prayer support of the Ephesians—and he had been to the third heaven and back. If Paul needed the prayers of the saints, how much more do you and I need them! If my prayers help another believer defeat Satan, then that victory will help me too. Note that Paul did not ask them to pray for his comfort or safety, but for the effectiveness of his witness and ministry.

"Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly" (Hebrews 13:18).

We are not fighting the battle alone. There are other believers who stand with us in the fight, and we ought to be careful to encourage one another. Paul encouraged the Ephesians; Tychicus was an encouragement to Paul (Acts 20:4); and Paul was going to send Tychicus to Ephesus to be an encouragement to them. Paul was not the kind of missionary who kept his affairs to himself. He wanted the people of God to know what God was doing, how their prayers were being answered, and what Satan was doing to oppose the work. His motive was not selfish. He was not trying to get something out of them.

What an encouragement it is to be a part of the family of God! Nowhere in the New Testament do we find an isolated believer. Christians are like sheep; they flock together. The church is an army and the soldiers need to stand together and fight together.