Our Struggle is Not with Man – Ephesians 6:10-20
We live in this physical world—it’s what we can see and touch. We’ve all been impacted, both good and bad, by people. We often encounter difficulties and conflicts, and although people may make wrong choices and even harbour motives against us, Scripture teaches us that there is an even greater reality happening all around us: a spiritual reality.
Peter reminds us that the devil roams about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. There’s a battle in the heavenlies for the souls of mankind. We focus on the seen and the known—and it’s real—but Scripture reminds us that the real battle is unseen.
Consider what was happening to Job. He could have been mad at the robbers who came and took his stuff, and the physical disasters that happened to his family. However, a spiritual reality lay behind all that incredible physical calamity.
So Paul reminds us:
Ephesians 6:12 “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens.”
These are not flesh and blood, but powerful beings—these authorities, cosmic powers of darkness, evil, and spiritual forces in the heavens. These are real, and they aim to take out the light and to fight back against those who bring the gospel, the good news, into a fallen world.
In fact, the devil is scheming and trying to find ways to undermine us, especially followers of Jesus. So Paul tells us:
Ephesians 6:10-11 “Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength. Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil.”
Paul likens our spiritual battle to a physical battle. Like the Roman soldier who must prepare himself with his armour, so must we—because this battle is real and we must make our stand.
Ephesians 6:13 “For this reason take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand.”
Put on the whole armour—there will be an evil day, and for you it may well be today. You may be in the middle of the battle, and God wants to help you stand.
Stand in the truth—it holds everything together. Don’t believe the lies and keep the truth in all things. Without it, everything falls apart.
Stand with His righteousness—not our own. In fact, if our sin is brought against us, confess it immediately, own it, but know that you are washed in the precious blood of Jesus. We don’t stand with our righteousness, but we are protected by His imputed righteousness, and Jesus continues to advocate on our behalf as He is there with the Father.
Stand with the readiness of the gospel of peace—we pursue it, we desire it. As far as it depends upon us, be at peace with all people, ready to make peace, to move towards it, and to bring the gospel to all.
Stand in faith that shields us from the flaming arrows—the lies, the deception, the undermining, the insidious, destructive schemes that aim to destroy what God is doing in our lives and those He has called us to love and serve. Those penetrating arrows that take our strength, our belief, our faith away, and we start to doubt. Doubt who we are, our calling, and whether God will use even us, broken as we find ourselves in the mess.
Stand with the helmet of salvation—remembering that we are redeemed and that we are His.
Stand with the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God—we can fight back the lies, the deception, and cut through the noise with God’s word.
Those are all parts of the devil’s schemes and the work of the unseen world and the battle that we are in. Don’t be naive—all this is not happenstance. You are in a battle, a war for the souls of mankind. God wants to use you as a bearer of His light, the gospel that can save the souls of man and bring salvation. Eternal life for those around you is on the line, and we can be overcome and unaware of the enemy and the reality that we are in.
Paul challenges us to wake up to the unseen reality and take our stand by putting on the armour of God. Pray.
Ephesians 6:18 “Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints.”
Pray—pray in the Spirit—stay alert. Not giving up, and don’t just pray for ourselves, but for all the saints. Paul goes on to tell them, even to pray for me, that he may have boldness and that he would share the gospel as he ought to.
Really? The apostle Paul struggled to break through the darkness and to bring the good news to those around him. Wow! The battle is real, and we must take a stand. It’s not physical, but spiritual, and so we must put on the whole armour of God so we can take our stand.
Are you aware of the spiritual battle raging around you? Which piece of armour do you need to put on today? Are you praying not just for yourself, but for all the saints in this fight?
May we wake up to the unseen reality and stand firm in the armour of God.
