Today, we begin to look at the last section of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians where he warns them that the Christian life is a battleground, not a playground. Our verses today (Ephesians 6:10-12) identify our enemy and tell us how we are to approach him. Next week, we will look at our battlefield equipment and finish our study of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians.

Using a military analogy to illustrate the believer’s conflict with Satan seems to be a favorite with Paul (2 Cor.10: 4; 1 Tim. 6:12; 2 Tim. 2:3; 4:7), but it’s especially easy to see why he would use the armor of a soldier to illustrate the various aspects of Christian warfare in his letter to the Ephesians…he was chained to a Roman soldier while he wrote this letter!

Have you heard it said that the Christian faces three enemies: the world, the flesh and the devil? Consider this: believers have only one enemy—Satan. He comes to us in three different forms…a kind of counterfeit trinity…but there is only one enemy.

Christians have been deceived into thinking that the "world" is drinking, dancing, smoking, going to the movies, wearing makeup and jewelry, playing cards and shooting pool; but the "world" is not a place or a set of ethics…it’s much trickier than that. The "world" is a carnival of counterfeits…counterfeit battles, counterfeit adventures and counterfeit beauties…it’s anything that tries to supplant our total dependence upon God. Unfortunately, the "world" is a fitting description of the church all too often, when we try to accomplish God’s ends by using our means.

Many Christians believe that "the flesh" and "the old nature" are the same…I disagree. When Paul says, "I have been crucified with Christ", who or what is the "I" that was crucified. I believe it was Paul’s "old nature", the natural "self" he received by being born after the lineage of Adam…it certainly wasn’t his flesh, because he admits to continually struggling against it (Romans 7). If the flesh is dead, there is no struggle. Maybe I’m wrong or maybe it doesn’t make any real difference, but it seems easier for me to understand what Paul is saying when I separate "the flesh" from "the old nature". Either way, we have a traitor living inside us…the battle is not between God and us, but between the traitor that is living inside us and the Spirit of Christ who also dwells in every believer. The flesh is another set of counterfeits that draws us away from total dependence up God.

There seem to be two extreme views of the devil: he’s either very powerful and we must ask Jesus to bind him so he can’t harm us or he doesn’t exit. One of Satan’s greatest deceptions is to get us to believe that he does not exist. If we don’t think Satan is real, then we can never confront him, but if we live in fear of his power, we will be afraid to confront him. The Bible is clear; Satan goes around like a roaring lion…why does he roar? Because that’s his only weapon…Jesus pulled his teeth at Calvary! He only has power over those who don’t know the truth…he has already been bound…he’s on a leash.

The battle in the Christian life is not for victory, but from victory! The battle is not about winning; we’ve already won! It’s a faith battle…the struggle to believe, not what we see, but what God says. Christ has already won the victory…the battle is to believe that His victory is our victory!

Let’s look at our verses for today:

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:10-12 NASB95)

Paul is coming to the close of his letter. He has told the Ephesians about their wealth in Christ followed by instructions on how to walk in Christ and now he pulls it all together by urging them to be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Notice that he does not tell them to get strong themselves or to use their strength, but to be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Once again we can see the contrast between an egocentric approach to living the Christian life and a theocentric approach.

In verse 11, Paul identifies our enemy—the devil.

The enemy has many different names. Devil means "accuser," because he accuses God’s people day and night before the throne of God (Rev. 12:7–11). Satan means "adversary," because he is the enemy of God. He is also called the tempter (Matt. 4:3), and the murderer and the liar (John 8:44). He is compared to a lion (1 Peter 5:8), a serpent (Gen. 3:1; Rev. 12:9), and an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:13–15), as well as "the god of this age" (2 Cor. 4:4 niv).

Where did he come from, this spirit-creature that seeks to oppose God and defeat His work? Many believe that in the original Creation, he was "Lucifer, son of the morning" (Isaiah 14:12–15) and that he was cast down because of his pride and his desire to occupy God’s throne. Many mysteries are connected with the origin of Satan, but what he is doing and where he is going is certainly no mystery! Since he is a created being, and not eternal (as God is), he is limited in his knowledge and activity. Unlike God, Satan is not all-knowing, all-powerful, or everywhere-present.

He has "helpers"… Paul called them "principalities... powers... rulers... spiritual wickedness in high places". The Apostle John hinted that one third of the angels fell with Satan when he rebelled against God (Rev. 12:4), and Daniel wrote that Satan’s angels struggle against God’s angels for control of the affairs of nations (Dan. 10:13–20).

It is important to understand that our battle is not against human beings. It is against spiritual powers. We are wasting our time fighting people when we ought to be fighting the devil who seeks to control people and make them oppose the work of God.

Notice in verse 11 that Paul does not say to fight, but to stand firm (histemi / his ·tay·mee). This word appears 158 times in the New Testament and Paul uses it three times in verses 11-14…it describes a person who does not hesitate or waiver. Peter exhorted believers regarding the true grace of God: Stand firm in it! (1Peter 5:12)

We don’t defeat the devil! Christ already did that! We are told to put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. Believers can only stand firm against Satan when they are clothed in the full armor of God. Next week we’ll look at the various parts of the armor, but for now the issue of importance is the necessity of being clothed with the supernatural protection that only God can provide.

When we attempt to meet Satan with our strength, even when we’ve asked God to strengthen us, we loose every time. The focus is still on us. He may be defeated, but he still has far more power than humans. We are over-comers only when God is our strength and the focus is on Him!

We would do well to remember the words David spoke to Goliath and the Philistine army when he came out to meet him: …that all this assembly may know that the Lord does not deliver by sword or by spear (human resources); for the battle is the Lord’s…!

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