1 THE CHURCH: A WARRING COMMUNITY Part II 2 Corinthians 10:1-6 We Protestants are an undisciplined people. Therein lies the reason for much of the dearth of spiritual insights and serious lack of moral power. --Albert Edward Day Paul draws attention to the unseen world and describes the spiritual battle that takes place against evil in the heavenly realms (Eph 6:12). He makes it clear that while human effort is inadequate, God s power is invincible. Paul cautions against lashing out against human opponents as though they were the real enemy and also against assuming that the battle can be fought using merely human resources (v. 12). THE SOLDIER Then Paul uses the imagery not of a massive invasion of the domain of evil, but of individual soldiers withstanding assault. It should not be surprising that Paul used military illustrations in his letters since he lived in a military state and often was in prison himself. Seneca said, To live is to be a soldier. Paul calls Archippus, in whose house a church met, our fellow soldier (Phm 2) and he calls Epaphroditus, the messenger of the Philippian church, my fellow soldier (Php 2:25). He saw in the life of the soldier a picture of the life of the Christian. His 0use of the military imagery of a soldier then has great bearing on what it means to be a Christian. THE ARMOR Ephesians 6:11-13 Why do we need armor? Paul gives two reasons for putting on the whole armor of God? 1. That we may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil (v. 11). The word schemes (methodia) from which we get method in English has to do with strategy, craftiness, cunning, and deception. The term was often used of a wild animal who cunningly stalked and then unexpectedly pounced on its prey. Stealth and deception are used by the enemy of our souls to enslave and destroy us. 2. That we may be able to stand our ground (withstand) and to stand in the evil day (v. 13). This has the idea of holding a critical position while under attack. It is our responsibility to resist and stand firm!
2 We need the armor of God for just as the strength which we need is not from ourselves ( be made powerful in the Lord v.10), so neither are the means of defense or offense. The armor of God is to be lifelong companions for the Christian as it provides divine power from Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy (Jude 24). The following are six pieces of armor God provides and expects us to wear (Eph 6:14-17). THE BELT OF TRUTH The Belt of Truth The belt was used by the Roman soldier to tuck up his tunic, and it was the first piece of armor he put on. It ensured him that he could fight unimpeded by a flowing garment. Another use for the belt was to hold his weapons, both his large and small swords. Paul says that the Christians belt is truth. The belt of truth is a reference to the truth of God. This means the content of that which is true. Without knowledge of biblical teaching, the Christian is subject to being tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming (Eph. 4:14). Paul warned in his first letter to young Timothy that The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron (1 Ti 4:1). There are almost 5,000 cults in our country that teach the doctrines of demons. Such false teachings can only be encountered successfully with the truth of God s Word. Since Jesus claimed to be the truth (Jn 14:6), He is the very basis for life. Everything we do must be anchored in Him if we are to fight this battle with success. Truth also refers to our knowledge of, and belief in, the truth. A body of truth is irrelevant unless it is understood and believed. It is our faith in the truthfulness of God and His Word that makes truth become real in our lives. Truth is foundational because it is only truth that can dispel the devil s lies (Eph 4:21; 5:6,9). We can t win against the Liar of liars by lying. Even white lies are a lie by definition. All lying therefore is of the realm of Satan and we are called to reject it. Satan s first attack in the Garden of Eden was in the realm of truth as he questioned what God said by asking, Did God really say... (Ge 3:1)? This was also Satan s strategy in tempting Jesus. As William Shakespeare put it, The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose. It is therefore crucial that we use Scripture properly, in a truthful way. When we do Satan has to
3 give in. This is why Jesus used Scripture when He was tempted in the wilderness. His defense each time was truth: it is written (Dt 8:3; 6:13,16). As Jesus Himself put it, You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free (Jn 8:32). BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS Breastplate of Righteousness The breastplate covered both the front and back of the soldier. It was a major piece of equipment that protected the soldier s heart. In Proverbs 4:23 Solomon says, Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the well-spring of life. Since the breastplate protects the heart it seems first of all to refer to the condition of the heart as it is the heart that determines the course of our lives. Good character, not words, is the best defense against accusations. Peter warned, Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul (1 Pe 2:11). Sinful desires are part of Satan s arsenal in fighting God s people. As believers we must have our minds set on things above, not on earthly things (Col 3:2) so we can take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Co 10:5). Similarly Paul wrote to the Christians at Rome: The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime... Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature (Ro 13:12,14). To neglect what we know to be right action is to leave a big hole in our armor. When evil presses against our hearts the breastplate of right action simply doing right when we know we should is crucial to our victory. This means living by faith since our emotions will likely tell us to do something different. Not only did Jesus say that He is the truth, but He also claimed to be our righteousness (1 Co 1:30). In our battle against the enemy of our souls we dare not come in our own righteousness, which is filthy rags (Isa 64:6), but we must come in dependence on the righteousness of God in Christ. We need to get our eyes off of ourselves and back on the provision of the cross. And God has made His grace available so we can live a holy life in which we live in daily, moment-by-moment obedience to our heavenly Father. Such a life makes the teaching about God our Savior attractive (Titus 2:10). SHOES OF PEACE Shoes (sandals or boots) with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace Roman soldiers wore protective and supportive footgear. Tied to their ankles and shins with ornamental straps, their boots equipped them for long marches and gave them a solid stance.
4 A soldier s footgear are more important even than an athlete s shoes, because his very life could depend on them. A soldier must be ready for any kind of terrain! And when it comes to terrain, his shoes are the most critical part of his armor. Why? It is because he will not be able to handle his sword or shield effectively if he cannot retreat or advance rapidly. Good boots allows the soldier to be ready to march, run, or climb essential to successful combat. When Paul refers to the preparation of the Gospel of Peace he is probably making two points. Preparedness means first that we are ready for action in the conflict with evil by sharing the alternative to that evil which is the gospel of peace. This means knowing how to tell others about Christ and being open to the Holy Spirit s leading in specific situations. Second, preparation may mean a prepared foundation in the sense of being prepared to share the gospel because we are at peace with God. Such peace gives us a firm foothold in conflict as it allows us to fight with confidence, boldness and perseverance. Better not attempt to fight an external enemy if we are already defeated within. But if we have peace with God we re ready to move forward. Their authority was not based on their intrinsic or spiritual power. Rather it was based on their salvation the gospel of peace the fact that their names were written in God s Book of Life in heaven (Rev 3:5; 20:12,15; 21:27). THE SHIELD OF FAITH Shield of Faith The Roman army used small round shields and large rectangular ones. The large curved shield was a heavy shield about 4 ft. long by 2 ½ ft. broad and was made of two wooden layers covered with canvas, with an outer hide covering which covered the body of the warrior. The soldier would plant the shield and squat behind it. The soldiers who carried these shields were in the front lines of battle, and normally stood side by side with their shields together, forming a huge phalanx extending as long as a mile or more. The archers stood behind this protective wall of shields and shot their arrows as they advanced against the enemy. Anyone who stood or crouched behind such shields was protected from the barrage of enemy arrows and spears. The flaming arrows were arrows dipped in pitch, lit, and fired at the enemy. Frequently the soldiers would dip their shields in water before battle so they would extinguish the flaming arrows. Since faith is only as reliable and helpful as the trustworthiness of its object, the Christian faith is powerful and effective since its object of faith is Jesus Christ who is infinitely powerful and absolutely dependable. Christian faith never fails simply because the One in whom that faith is placed never fails.
5 Doubting God is to disbelieve God, which, as John tells us, makes a liar of Him who cannot lie (1 Jn 5:10; Titus 1:2). All sin results from failure to act in faith in who God is and in what He is. Solomon claimed: Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. Do not add to His words, or He will rebuke you and prove you a liar (Pr 30:5-6). John put it: This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. (1 Jn 5:4-5) Our protection lies not in introspection, but in the Godward look which is the essence of faith: My eyes are ever on the Lord, for only He will release my feet from the snare (Ps 25:15). By faith the Christian is justified (Ro 3:26,30; 4:5; Eph 2:8-9), by faith he lives (Hab 2:4; Ro 1:17; Gal 3:11; Heb 10:38), and by faith he fights (1 Co 9:26; 2 Co 10:4; 1 Ti 1:18; 6:12; 2 Ti 4:7). Jesus alone can be trusted to empower us to move ahead even in difficult and confusing situations. THE HELMET OF SALVATION Helmet of Salvation The typical helmet was made of iron, brass or bronze, although some were constructed of leather. They had attachments on the side for protecting the face and a shelf on the back to cover the neck and shoulders. Such a helmet was essential for the survival of a soldier in battle. No soldier in his right mind would enter battle without the helmet. The helmet obviously protected the head from injury, especially from the dangerous broadsword commonly used in the battles of that day. This was the large two-handed, doubleedged sword that measured three to four feet in length and would be used by cavalrymen who would swing at the heads of enemy soldiers to split their skulls or decapitate them. Since the helmet is mentioned in reference to salvation we see that Satan s blows are directed at the believer s assurance and security in Christ. Since the head is the seat of our thought life, many Christians are incapacitated because they do not know how to protect their thought life.
6 Probably the two most effective and dangerous and therefore common edges of Satan s broadsword are doubt and discouragement. To cause doubt the devil points to situations in life that don t make much sense and reminds us of our lack of answers to prayer. To cause discouragement he points to our failures, sins, unresolved problems, irreconcilable differences with people, poor health, or whatever else seems negative in our lives to make us lose confidence in the love, wisdom and power of our heavenly Father. The helmet of salvation is the knowledge of salvation which removes from the Christian all sense of condemnation, all doubt, all uncertainty concerning his possession of eternal life (1 Jn 5:11-13). God s armor will always be needed as long as we live on this earth since the adversary will never lay down his sword against us. Only when our work is finished on earth can we say with Paul, I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith (2 Ti 4:7). May we follow the example of the Ephesian church in the book of Revelation in that they had persevered and endured for My name s sake, and have not grown weary (Rev 2:3). THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT Sword of the Spirit The Roman soldier carried a small dagger and a large doubleedged sword used for thrusting. The sword was usually about 18 inches long and was attached to the belt. It was used in close, personal fighting. The Roman soldier would look for chinks in his opponent s armor and then attack them with his little sword. This sword was the primary piece of equipment used to attack and thus advance. The sword of the Spirit is a reference to Scripture. It is both our weapon of defense against sin and of offense against demonic invasion. The writer to the Hebrew Christians stated concerning Scripture: For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart (Heb 4:12). God s Word is dynamic as it is active in accomplishing God s purposes. It is a living power that judges as with an all-seeing eye, penetrating a person s innermost being. Similarly Solomon says: Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take their refuge in Him (Pr 30:5). Since it is divine it is effective:
7 As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is My word that goes out from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it (Isa 55:11). The Armor of God The Word of God is called the sword of the Spirit (Eph 6:17). After He had fasted for 40 days, when He was physically weak, Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness. How did He respond? Not by depending upon His rhetoric, persuasive arguments or charisma the force of His personality. Rather, He took out the sword and did battle by using the Word of God. He quoted from the Old Testament repeatedly with the words: It is written... It is written... It is written. His defense was not, I believe, but it is written (Mt 4:1-10). His defense for each temptation was a passage of Scripture that precisely contradicted the devil s word (Dt 8:3; 6:16; 6:13 as quoted by Jesus in Mt 4:4,7,10). If Jesus needed to use God s Word as His weapon, how can we expect to do otherwise? If we do not know the Word well we will not be able to use it effectively for although God promises us that the Holy Spirit will remind us of everything He has said to us (Jn 14:26), He does not promise to remind us of things we have never heard. Such a promise would be a contradiction of terms since the word remind means to bring back to our thoughts something we have heard or known. If we have never heard it or known it, this would be nonsensical. God uses that which we have heard and known. It is therefore vital that we hear the voice of God as He speaks to us through His Holy Word. We have no excuse for not knowing and understanding God s Word. As believers we have the Holy Spirit who has promised to illumine the Word He inspired so that it reveals its riches to us. This means we must be teachable. And to be teachable we must submit to His instruction by studying the Bible with sincerity and commitment. It is then not a question of ignorance and inability, but disinterest and neglect. If we misquote Scripture and are confused about its teachings we will not be successful in using the sword of the Spirit. The more we study, understand, love, and apply Scripture, the more we will be able to deflect Satan s blows, conquer his strongholds, and lead people from his kingdom to God s.
8 PRAYER The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work and prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil... mocks at our wisdom... but trembles when we pray. --Samuel Chadwick Communication is key to any battle. This is why prayer must pervade all aspects of our spiritual warfare. Putting on God s armor is not a mechanical operation but an expression of our dependence on God, as prayer itself is. So it is no surprise that Paul ends this section on spiritual warfare with an exhortation to pray: 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 (Eph 6:18). The Characteristic of Prayer Prayer is to be in the Spirit (Eph 6:18). Jude said virtually the same thing: But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit (Jude 20). Zechariah, the prophet, put it, Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty (Zec 4:6). This means that prayer is to be energized by the Spirit of God (Eph 6:18). Righteous people understand this since they know they are totally dependent upon God. James points out that it is the prayer of a righteous person that is powerful and effective (Jas 5:16). Our prayer life is no more effective than our walk with God. Integrity is critical to genuine communication. Without it prayer becomes hypocritical and hollow. Although the phrase in the Spirit may refer to the gift of tongues as we find in 1 Corinthians 14:14-19, it does not always refer to that. In Romans 8:26-27 we find it means praying in tune to the Spirit of God in accordance with God s will. If praying in the Spirit always means praying in tongues, then the only kind of prayer we should ever pray is praying in tongues. For the contrast in Scripture is between praying in the Spirit or praying in the flesh. The simplest definition of praying in the Spirit is, We pray in the Spirit when the Holy Spirit prays in us. It matters little whether that is in English or any other tongue or language. The important thing is that it is He, the Holy Spirit, who prays in us. Praying in the Spirit is prayer that is prompted and guided by the Spirit of God and with the power of the Spirit (Gal 4:6). Therefore to pray in the Spirit is to pray in the name of Christ (Jn 14:14; 16:23), to pray consistent with His nature and will (15:7) and to pray under the Spirit s control (Eph 5:18). It is to pray in concert with the Spirit, who helps us in our weakness; for we do not know what we ought to pray for, but
9 the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express; and He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God s will (Ro 8:26-27). We see here that praying in the Spirit has at least three components. First, it is acknowledging that it is the Spirit who is praying through us (v. 26). He is our source. Second, praying in the Spirit is praying with the Spirit s cooperation (v. 27). Third, it is also praying in the Spirit s communion. Communion with God is the highest sense of prayer as it speaks of the deepest and most sacred intimacies of love which are both human and divine. Such intimate prayer is often wordless ( with groans that words cannot express as Paul put it). The implication of what Paul says in Ephesians 5:18 is that praying in the Spirit is also praying under the Spirit s control. R. A. Torrey put it: If I pray in the Spirit and look to the spirit to teach me God s will... He will lead me out in prayer along the lines of that will. And He will give me faith that the prayer is to be answered. The Frequency of Prayer Prayer is to be made on all occasions since we are constantly in the world which is run by Satan. The fact that we are to pray all the time in all circumstances shows that Paul is not talking about formal or ritualistic prayer every waking moment of our lives, for that would be impossible. It is what Brother Lawrence called, Practicing the Presence of God. In speaking of the end of the age, Jesus warned, Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man (Lk 21:36). The early Christians devoted themselves... to prayer (Ac 2:42) and the God-fearing Cornelius who was the recipient of the message of salvation through Peter prayed to God continually (10:2). And Paul assured Timothy, a young pastor, that he prayed for him night and day (2 Ti 1:3). It is no wonder then that Paul urged his people to regularly devote themselves to prayer (Ro 12:12; Php 4:6; Col 4:2). Closely related to such continual prayer is persistence.... always keep on praying says Paul (Eph 6:18). We are told in several places in Scripture to persist in prayer (Mk 7:7; Lk 11:9-10; 18:1). This again emphasizes that prayer is a constant process, a lifestyle (1 Th 5:15-18).
10 Prayer is also to be earnest prayer like that of Elijah, the prophet (Jas 5:17). Everywhere in Scripture we see God emphasizing the importance of wholeheartedness. We must mean business with God if we are to gain victory over our enemy and if we are to get anywhere in our walk with Him. Prayer, more than any other spiritual discipline, most accurately captures our relationship to God dependence and our rich privilege with God fellowship. In a letter written shortly after Paul s request for prayer as recorded in Ephesians 6, he testified: Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly. (Php 1:12-14) Here we see that the prayers of the Christians in the region of Ephesus were answered. It was Paul s boldness that attracted the praetorian guard to the Gospel and that same courage inspired other believers in being bold in their witness for their Master. As the hymn, Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus urges, the Lord s soldier should put on each piece of the armor with prayer. Such contact with God makes triumph possible. Jesus told us:... you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free (Jn 8:32). Ephesians 1:15-2:6 points out that because the Father has placed all things under our Master s feet that Christ s resurrection and ascension set believers far above every power of evil. And because we as children of God have identified ourselves with the Master in His death, resurrection and ascension, we will share Christ s triumph. Being spiritually united with Him, we find that God has already seated us with our Lord and Savior in the heavenly realms (Eph 2:6). All we have to do is believe such a promise. When we do we will exercise our position in practical experience against the accusations and deceptions of the dark powers and enjoy consistent victory in spiritual warfare. Prayer is another weapon in the Christian s arsenal. Paul told the Christians at Ephesus, Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests (6:18). Prayer has always been key to any kind of spiritual victory. Church history is clear that it is only as the Church moved on her knees, that she moved forward. This is true corporately, but it is also true individually.
11 Claim God s Power They have divine power to demolish strongholds. The phrase demolish strongholds reminds us of wrecking crews totally destroying huge buildings with dynamite. Within seconds everything is turned to dust.
12 The Holy Spirit is our power, which in Greek is dunamis, the word from which we get dynamite. it. The battle is on! And it is fierce at times. But victory is also available. But we must claim