Spiritual warfare has occurred in life over the ages and there have been striking outcomes. From the origin of war, which took place in the heavens before the creation of man, to the time of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden and down through the generations of man to modern times and even the end of the world, the Bible reports of spiritual warfare being a reality in the lives of mankind. In the book of Ephesians, Paul writes of wrestling against principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places. It is commanded that the believer take up the whole armour of God that he, “may be able to withstand in the evil day.” In this essay I consider warring against spirits and the armour of God. The Bible commands, “Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye will 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.”
I consider here the notion of wrestling not with the tangible but rather the intangible. My experience has been that, for the most part, warring with spirit has involved warring with the invisible as opposed to warring with the visible. To me, to war effectively for Christ I consider that one has to suffer for Him and that some of this suffering comes in the form of making sacrifices. I consider that one has to be willing to choose God over that of the creation if one is going to be an effective spiritual warrior. In life, I think here that to choose God can involve, at least sometimes, having to make personal sacrifices.
Why the armour of God with respect to spiritual warfare? Consider that to be a saint in light there be that which pertains to the believer. Some of that pertaining to the saint is salvation, righteousness, and truth. That the saint in light is called to war for Christ is sure and that he has an enemy is sure. Is it that the Word speaks figuratively about armour for the warring saint and that he is to work with some of that which pertains to him such as salvation and righteousness as a warrior would work with armour before going into battle and while in battle. Methinks this be so. As for should one make literal comparisons with respect to righteousness and salvation to an actual breastplate and helmet is still of mystery to me.
To have one’s loins girt with truth, is it in part that one should have some understanding of, and appreciation for, what truth is? I would think yes. Jesus Christ declared , “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” That truth be a person named Jesus Christ, the name above all names, is true. That the Holy Scriptures be of truth and therefore of Jesus Christ is true. Consider that for one to love truth is what with respect to one loving Jesus Christ? For one to love Jesus Christ is one to love Jesus Christ but who is it that does love the Lord Jesus and I know that the one that does doesn’t love the Christ as he was loved first by Christ. God’s love and grace are supreme over the creation. One should love the truth, the way, and the life that Jesus Christ is but which one of any truly has done that enough to the extent of one’s calling? The truth is worthy of being loved.
Is it to have one’s loins girt with truth is to be protected by Jesus Christ? How is it that ultimately the Christ isn’t the protection of His people? The Bible teaches, “The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it and is safe.” How is it that the battling believer cannot benefit in battle against the enemy by knowing more about their Lord Jesus and what He is with respect to His believers. Recall the Holy Word speaking, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge:” The Christ is the author of salvation for the believer. He is the hope of the believer. He is the believer’s way and light. My thoughts are the more knowledgeable the believer is in their Lord the better it is for the believer in question.
For the believer, his war is on more than one front of his life. For example, he is to war against his own sinful flesh and sinful mind. He is also to war against the kingdom of darkness. The enemy of truth, Satan, and his minions, are creatures that are void of truth. The Christ spoke about Satan when He said, “He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” I consider that it is essential to be able to work with truth if one is to effectively war against the forces of Lucifer. Consider how vital loving truth is to knowing what is what and why that be so. Consider the Scriptures: Christ taught mankind truth about the Devil. Given that knowledge of Satan is essential in one’s warring effort against the creature, and man knowing truth about the Devil is all thanks to the Lord Jesus Christ; one who is made by Christ to be an opponent of Satan, the adversary, should be grateful for their calling. Remember, the enemy is a deceiver. Consider the Scripture, which is of truth, and which teaches, “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.” It is only by truth can a believer truly know truth about Satan.
On considering the breastplate of righteousness, I think, as with truth, one might want to reflect on what righteousness is and have some appreciation for it. Consider that only Christ fulfilled the law of God. Only Christ lived a sinless life.The Bible teaches, “Abraham believed God and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” To have it counted unto one as righteousness is an unimaginably great privilege bestowed unto one by the Holy Lord. To be translated from the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of God’s only begotten Son is, to my understanding, the greatest privilege one can experience and it came at an unfathomingly great price.
To war as a member of the family of the righteous for righteous cause is to war for the Lord’s sake. The Bible taught to boast in the Lord. Is it that one can work to armour themself with the breastplate of righteousness by being proud of who they represent? Is it or is it not that the saint can boast of Christ’s victory over Satan and how is it he cannot? The Devil is a conquered being. Satan was defeated by Christ. Satan failed in his effort to tempt the Lord of hosts. How is it that the saint cannot proudly boast his Lord’s victories over sin, death, and hell as well? To hear the saved boast as such is, is it or is it not, of torment to the minds of the devils?
Regarding one’s feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace: I consider the man made righteous by believing upon the Lord is not called to war against the flesh of his fellow man is he? The believer in the gospel is commanded to love his enemies and how is it not that he is commanded to love them unto his own death. Consider the martyring of Stephen: upon being driven by a mob out of a city and stoned Stephen cried, “Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.” The believer is commanded to turn the other cheek as well as to love one’s neighbour as oneself. Would it be that the christian soldier be a man of peace in the form of posing no threat to his fellow man’s flesh or purse, but a warrior of belief looking to share into another the light of the glorious gospel of the good Shepard Jesus Christ?
With respect to the other articles of armour, the Word commands the believer to take the shield of faith above all. Why is this so? Could it be that because one having faith in Christ is the same as one believing in Christ and therefore the foundation of the saint’s existence? Is that to say then that without a shield of faith there can be no other armour for there would not be a saint to take it up? My understanding of having faith in Jesus Christ is to believe in the person of Jesus Christ. To me, to believe in Him is to have faith in Him. To me, belief in the Lord includes mystery as to how it can be so. Regarding believing upon Christ, consider John 6:65 which teaches that Jesus said, “Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.” Also, consider John 14:6 when Christ proclaims, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Is defining ‘belief’ with respect to the Lord a black and white issue for the believer or does it too hold mystery? I think it does hold mystery and if it be so that mystery be present with belief in Christ then how is it that the shield of faith not be mysterious as well?
I now consider here the helmet of salvation. I consider that salvation of the Holy Lord is the greatest gift one can receive from God. That salvation comes by one believing upon the sinless blood of Jesus Christ tells me that the cost of one’s salvation is unimaginably great. The gift of salvation is truly awesome. Jesus Christ is the only author of salvation.The enemy, Satan, gets no salvation for its person. The wicked fallen angels are doomed to eternal damnation and wicked people that remain unsaved and die go to eternal damnation as well.
Satan and his minions are incapable of taking salvation from the believer but they might try to attack on the grounds of trying to get the believer to believe he isn’t saved. Would it be that of utmost importance to one’s warring effectively with the helmet of salvation is working out one’s own salvation with fear and trembling as a believer is commanded to do? How is it that one having done so is not essential to one growing in the faith? For a believer to know he is saved after the Lord has saved him is what, if not essential to him being able to properly praise the good Lord and to war effectively for him? I consider that a practice every saint may want to engage in is: upon waking from sleep, to proclaim some of what the Holy Word proclaims by speaking , “behold, now is the day of salvation.” and to follow with meditating some on the greatest gift a man can have and that gift being his belief on the sinless blood of the risen Lord Jesus Christ.
On thinking about the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, I consider here that the Christ taught his disciples, “the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” Christ has announced that His words are life and spirit. The Word is living Spirit. The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God and we are commanded to take it up and war against the wicked with it.
On working with the sword of the Spirit I list here of the Lord Himself battling Satan the tempter and then I go on to conclude this work.
Matthew 4: 1-11 “Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterwards an hungred. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.”
That spiritual warfare is a reality for the believer is of truth taught by the Holy Bible. For the believer to wrestle against the wicked is of the saint to engage and work against the intangible enemy or enemies of God. The Holy Word commands the believer to take up the whole armour of God. By having a better understanding of what is truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, and the word of God, a believer may more effectively take up the whole armour of God to help him stand come the evil day.
