The teaching of spiritual warfare in this passage presents 2 essential components.
1. You must be strong in the Lord and in “the power of His might”
2. You must put on the full armor of God.
Both are essential
Ask yourself this question, “Are you in the Lord? To be strong in the Lord, you must first be in the Lord. Not sure? Reading these three scriptures may help:
- Romans 8:2
- Colossians 3:3
- Galatians 2:20
Now, let’s look again at Ephesians 6:10, at the part that says, “in the power of His might…”
Might is an inherent force. For example, have you ever watched Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)? Essentially, it is a form of fighting where they mix martial arts and boxing. When those fighters enter the cage, their muscles display their might—even before they use them! Muscle is the reserve of strength or what we would call, inherent force.
Power is the exercise of might. When a UFC fighter uses his might to fight his opponent, then power is released. In other words, the reserve of strength is actually in operation.
Now, let’s bring that back to Ephesians 6. God has vast reservoirs of might that can be realized as power in our Christian life. But, His might does not work in me as I sit passively. His might works in me as I rely on His strength, and step out to do the work He has called me to do. Do you know “the power of His might?” It is important not to let our thinking get polarized to effectively flow in this biblical truth. Let me give you some examples of “getting polarized:”
- I do everything and God does nothing. Have you ever seen anyone who pretty much acts as the lord of his or her own life? Such a person is not likely to be experiencing the power of the Lord’s might.
- I do nothing and God does everything. Some people just sit around waiting for a miracle and fail to engage in the will of God for their life. While God is certainly able to move miraculously in any situation, the person who takes this stance never experiences moving in “the power of His might.”
The key is to rely on the Lord’s might by faith, and then do the work that He has called me to do.
PUT IT ON
Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. – Ephesians 6:11
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] – Ephesians 6:12
THE STRUGGLE
Our struggle is not actually against flesh and blood. The same thought is shared in 2 Corinthians 10:3-4, which says: For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds.
If the fight is not against (flesh and blood) people, then what are we fighting? Let’s read the rest of Ephesians 6:12… “but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places]:”
In this scripture, the Apostle Paul uses a variety of terms to refer to our spiritual enemies. We should regard them as being on different levels and of different ranks, however, they all have one common goal: to block, stop, or cause the Christian to stumble.
According to Ephesians 1:20-21, when Jesus was raised from the dead, He was seated at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. This positioned Him far above all authority and power, as well as every name that can be invoked. Jesus’ position of ultimate authority is not just for our future experience in heaven, but also in the present age—right now! So, no matter what rank or power a spiritual entity has, Jesus out ranks them all.
THE WHOLE ENCHILADA
Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. —Ephesians 6:13
Put ALL of the armor on!
BELT: The belt of truth buckled around your waist. John 8:44 calls the devil “the father of lies.” Which father are you following? Wrap yourself in the truth and stay there.
BREASTPLATE: The breastplate of righteousness. Job 29:14 says—I put on righteousness like it was my clothing.
BOOTS: Feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. Readiness means be prepared. The gospel provides the footing for everything we do. However powerful the rest of your body is, if your feet are not properly fitted and ready, it slows you down. You become easy prey for the enemy. The Jewish historian, Josephus described shodding as studding the sole bottoms with thick, sharp nails so as to ensure a good grip on the ground. The military successes both of Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar were due in large measure to their armies’ being well shod. This enabled their troops to undertake long marches at incredible speed over rough terrain.
TAKE IT WITH YOU
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. —Ephesians 6:16-17
Beside the armor we wear, there are additional pieces we must pick-up and take with us. These pieces of armor we need from situation to situation, as the moment or the battle demands. In those critical moments, we need to:
The helmet of salvation protects us against discouragement and the desire to give up. It gives us hope in knowing that we are saved, but also that we will be saved from the trial we are in. It is the assurance that God will triumph. This stabilizes our emotions.
To effectively use the sword, we must regard it as the Word of God. If we are not completely confident that the Holy Spirit inspired the infallible documentation of Scripture, then we will struggle to use the sword effectively.
PRAY THE WHOLE WAY!
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints. —Ephesians 6:18
Pray, pray, pray… The idea is all kinds of prayer or prayer upon prayer. Some people like group prayer, individual prayer, silent prayer, shouting prayer, prayer walking, kneeling in prayer, soaking prayer, eloquent prayer, groaning prayer, constant prayer, praying in tongues, fervent prayer – just pray! When the battle is “on” we should use every kind of prayer that the Lord bring to our mind. During times of trial, when we stop praying we start to say the wrong things. “We’re doomed… we’ll never make it… I quit… I give up…” The devil uses discouragement to grind us to a halt. So keep praying, always, with all prayers.
For all the saints: Once we get this working for ourselves, we can help others in the battle. The soldier isn’t only concerned for his or her own safety, they feel an instinct to protect and battle on behalf of others.
