Combat Against Spiritual Darkness
“13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Ephesians 6:13(NLT)
by Alexandra Copeland
A few years back, a prominent
leader of a large metropolitan Christian church told me that
he didn’t believe in the devil. Priding himself in being an
educated and degreed theologian, he proceeded to
expound upon a dogma that reminded me of a warning the
Apostle Paul gave in Colossians 2:8(MSG). It says
“Watch
out for people who try to dazzle you with big words and
intellectual double-talk. They want to drag you off into
endless arguments that never amount to anything.” There
are many that would say that this leader is a nice,
well-intentioned man of God, and that he is able to
communicate on a level that enriches and speaks to the
intellectuals within the Christian community. It can be said
of many people who identify as Christians and believe much
like the pastor I’ve mentioned, that the more a person
outwardly demonstrates the power of God, the less
comfortable they become with this individual’s stand. In
other words, as long as a professed Christian is not
ruffling feathers by casting out demons, raising the dead,
and performing miracles, signs, and wonders all over the
place, but is articulate, presumably smart, and nice; they
can be stamped ‘holy’ without provocation.
Talking
about the devil makes a whole lot of Christians
uncomfortable. The subject of ‘sin’ elicits the same
response. Somehow folks have it twisted; they equate the
love of God with spiritual passivity. Instead of giving rise
to supernatural exploits, they assume spiritual gifts to be
those that placate the natural sensibilities of business as
usual. It is under this guise that the devil is able to
continue to trick so many into living beneath their
privilege, and beneath the realm of what is possible in the
spirit. They don’t see themselves as spiritual powerhouses,
but as intellectuals who can deduce, reason, and propagate a
theology that satisfies tradition, sounds high-minded and
puffed-up, but at the end of the day…it’s just fluff.
Not long
ago I saw a gentleman who happened to be a member of the
aforementioned pastor’s congregation. I’ve seen this man
many times throughout the years, and we’ve engaged in small
talk from time to time. On this particular occasion, he
looked distracted and sad. I inquired if he was okay. He
began to tell me his whole life story right there on the
spot. He said his wife left him, and had taken everything he
had; he was too devastated to put up a fight. He suffered a
health setback that left him with a small disability income,
and he had hardly enough money for living expenses, let
alone medical expenses. He told me that he felt so
discouraged that he just didn’t know what to do.
As I began
to minister encouragement from God’s Word, this man seemed
genuinely surprised to hear the words I spoke. He said that
he had never heard such strong words of encouragement, and I
thought, “Well how
could he….he’s never fully believed the truth of God’s
Word.”
How can a
person resist the enemy if they don’t believe that he exists
or know what he’s capable of doing. Hosea 4:6 tells us that
a lack of knowledge can destroy a person; you can be greatly
harmed by not knowing something that can potentially save
your life. 1 Peter 5:8 (NKJV) gives us a swift warning from
the Lord. It says, “Be
sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks
about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”
This is a piece of knowledge that all of us must have in our
arsenal if victory in Christ is our aim.
In
Ephesians 6:10-12(NLT), God gives us an injection of potent
medicine by way of the Apostle Paul. He said,
“A final word: Be
strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of
God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against
all strategies of the devil. 12 For we are not fighting
against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and
authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in
this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly
places.” I wondered how the prominent pastor I mentioned
earlier would explain this verse. The devil is God’s
archenemy, and our precious Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,
has defeated him. He’s given us the victory, for 1 John 5:4
(NLT) proclaims, “For
every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve
this victory through our faith.”
Jesus
Christ said in John 10:10 (NKJV),
“The
thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to
destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they
may have it more abundantly.” What a
dichotomy, wouldn’t you agree? On the one hand we have our
blessed Lord who gave his life to make a more than abundant
life available, and on the other hand we have the destroyer;
the thief whose number one purpose is to steal, kill, and
destroy. How can a person wholly believe in the sovereign
majesty and holiness of our blessed Lord without believing
that his supreme love and sacrifice is so tremendous that it
totally defeated the enemy? Furthermore, how could his love
conquer the enemy if the enemy doesn’t exist? That line of
thinking totally goes against God’s Word.
God isn’t
playing games with us. His Word is true, and the devil
exists. There are those who’d rather believe that the devil
doesn’t exist because it’s easier to play pitiful than to
mount up with God’s armor. Ephesians 6:13-17
(NLT) admonishes us,
“13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will
be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after
the battle you will still be standing firm. 14 Stand your
ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of
God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that
comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.
16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith
to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. 17 Put on salvation
as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is
the word of God.”
The combat
that God has prepared us for isn’t against ordinary humans,
because Ephesians 6:12 says that we are not fighting against
flesh-and-blood enemies. Our warfare is against the devil
and his henchman—the powers of this dark world. God didn’t
tell us this to make us afraid, for our charge is not to
pick a fight with satan, but to stand flatfootedly on the
truth of God’s Word and upon the victory that has been
fought and won by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. God
told us the truth because that is what love does—love tells
the truth. There is no way that we can remotely gauge the
magnitude of God’s tremendous armor without also recognizing
the danger and darkness it protects us against.
Heavenly
Father gives us great assurance in 1 John 4:4 (ESV). It
says, “Little
children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he
who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”
The light of Christ that shines in our hearts is greater
than the dark forces of evil in the world, but you can’t
believe it if you don’t know it.
The
gentleman that I encouraged through God’s Word was ignorant
of satan’s devices. He didn’t realize the extent to which
the devil will try to prevent us from living a Godly life,
and how the enemy will try to usurp the authority and power
that God has given us through Christ. God wants us to know
our sonship rights. He desires that we are confident in His
strength, power, and love. We also have to be on guard 24/7,
and use the spiritual armor that He has provided, because
through it we can grow in faith and become the overcomers
that He created us to be. ■
Scripture quotations are from the
Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001, 2007
by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used
by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT)
are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation,
copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House
Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights
reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King
James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used
by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from The Message.
Copyright ©1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by
permission of NavPress Publishing Group.
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