Strength in Spiritual Warfare

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Ephesians 6:10

 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.

(ESV)

To persevere in a world full of struggles and challenges requires strength.  Western cultures stressing individuality and success, view strength as something one is born with or acquires through experiences in life.  However, Ephesians 6:10 reminds us to find strength in the Lord and the power of His might.  The passage in Ephesians goes on to teach why having strength in the Lord is vital to survival in culture. 

The warfare for culture is not a war fought with conventional weapons or training because the enemy is not flesh and blood but spiritual (Ephesians 6:12).  Therefore, as spiritual warriors for the Lord, Christians must put on their armor prior to engaging with culture to be prepared when spiritual battle ensues.  I have written previously about each implement of the armor of God and urge everyone to find them in this blog.  However, here is a little review,

1)      Belt of truth (Ephesians 6:14) – The soldier’s belt is what holds the uniform together and also what holds the sheathe of the soldiers sword.  This is symbolic of the need for biblical truth in Christian engagement with culture.  The greatest of these biblical truths is the fact that God became flesh in the person of Jesus Christ (John 1:14), the Son of God and died for the sins that separate humanity from God.  It is this truth that is the gateway that opens a personal relationship with God and without this truth, everything falls apart in spiritual warfare.

2)      Breastplate of righteousness (Ephesians 6:14) – Righteousness is a right standing with God and not something we are born with (Isaiah 64:6).  We therefore need help with this implement of armor just like we need the Word of God’s truth to hold our armor together. 

3)      Gospel shoes (Ephesians 6:15) – Shoes are typically worn to provide protection and warmth for our feet.  However, the shoes of a Roman soldier also had cleats in them to provide traction when walking uphill.  The church is the feet for the Great Commission mission of the Gospel (Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:19-20).  The Gospel shoes of the armor of God provide protection for the feet of those in the church engaging in spiritual warfare.  However, the Gospel of salvation is also the theological traction when the spiritual soldier is engaged in spiritual battle. 

4)      Faith shield (Ephesians 6:16) – Everyone has faith in something but if that faith is in something other than God the creator, the shield of that faith has holes in it allowing the arrows of the enemy to get through.  The shield of faith carried by the spiritual soldier for Christ has no holes for it is a shield of faith in God almighty. 

5)      Salvation helmet (Ephesians 6:17) – The soldiers helmet protects his head.  This protection of the brain of the soldier is symbolic of protection of thoughts.  The assurance of salvation protects the thoughts of a spiritual soldier through knowledge of the death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Since we all have a history of sin in our lives, our minds require protection from thoughts of doubts about our standing with God.  Without this protection of thought, a spiritual warrior could have doubts about their qualifications to engage in spiritual warfare and withdraw from battle.  Since the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few (Matthew 9:37), the church cannot afford soldier withdrawal due to erroneous thoughts of unworthiness. 

6)      Sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17) – The sword is the only offensive weapon in the soldiers arsenal.  The spiritual warrior’s sword is the inerrant Word of God and powerful.  It was the power of this Word that Jesus used when tempted by the Devil (Matthew 4:1-11).  It was this word of truth that Ezekiel spoke over the dry bones of Ezekiel 37, bringing them to life.  However, a soldier cannot use this offensive weapon without proper training.  Training for use of the sword of the Word of God is regular study of the Bible (2 Timothy 2:15) a spiritual discipline all disciples of Christ must practice for the devil is always seeking to destroy (John 10:10). 

However, even the best equipped soldier can lose in battle without regular communication with his or her commander.  Therefore, the soldier must also regularly practice the spiritual discipline of prayer to stay connected with their commander.  Also, there is strength in numbers in battle stressing the importance of the soldier staying in contact with other soldiers and not go out as a lone wolf.  Next Saturday we will begin a study based upon another prison epistle, the Book of Philippians.