Ephesians 6:10-12 says, "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
We need to know and remember what's really going on.
- Our enemy wants us to focus on the wrong enemy - Our main problem is NOT other people who we are called to love, it is the fact that there is an unseen war raging around us. When people are the enemy, we no longer will seek to love but instead respond in kind to the evil toward us. Our enemy is not one we defeat, because he’s already been defeated; but we must stand firm against him nonetheless.
- Our enemy wants us to use the wrong weapons – Our weapons are not political, military strength, or authoritative power. Our weapon is the Word of God and the declaration of the gospel to change the hearts and minds of people.
- Our enemy wants us to respond in fear, ignorance, and anger – These responses not only mean we no longer function the way God has called us, but forces us to be joyless and ineffective in our time on this earth.
- Our enemy wants us to forget Who has the real power – Jesus has won! He has already put every enemy under His foot. The one who prowls around like a lion is dangerous because he has nothing to lose and your pain to gain. We are on the winning side, and if we don’t taste that here, we will have an eternity to bask in the glory of God’s sovereign reign over all the earth
Listen to Ephesians 1:18-23 - "[H]aving the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
When we understand this, we can do what Paul asked for prayer to do: be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might (Eph. 6:10), to stand (6:11), and boldly proclaim the mystery of the gospel (6:19).
The above is excerpted and adapted from a sermon by Pastor Jordan entitled "Real Knowledge in Confusing Times." You can read or listen to the whole message here!
