The War And The Enemy
Are You Fighting The Right Enemy?
Ephesians 6:11-13 says, "Put on the full armor of God, that you may 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. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm." (NAS)
Paul is describing how large and expansive the kingdom of darkness is. He is not giving awe and glory to the kingdom of darkness but informing the saints of their enemy. He tells us that we have what is necessary to come against the enemy and fight. During this teaching, always keep in mind that God is greater and no matter what you see of the enemy; know that God is always greater. However, we must not be ignorant of the schemes of the devil, and Eph 6:11-13 says that we are to put on the full armor of God.
"Put on" is the word 'enduo,' which means, "to clothe yourself." Clothe yourself with the full armor of God. In verse 13, it means, "to take it up". It is the full armor; it is not pieces of it. You do not get to choose which pieces you want and which ones you do not want. You need them all. You cannot say, "I like the shield; I do not care so much for the belt, but the shield really looks nice on me so I think I'll take that one." You need to put on the full armor of God so that you so will have the ability and power to stand against all the schemes and plots that the enemy has against you -- and there are plenty. We must stand and hold our ground and not give up. We are to hold our ground, and when the battle is over and the dust settles, we will still be upright, not flat on our backs.
What Warfare Entails
When Paul describes this warfare in Eph 6:12, he uses the term 'pale' which we translate "wrestling." But you need to be aware that the Roman concept of wresting back in Paul's day was very different than it is today.
When we study the scripture and come across certain words, we have images that come to our mind. We do not always fully understand the images that came to the mind of the reader from a Roman culture or background. Rick Rick Renner wrote a book titled "Living in the Combat Zone." Renner shares the picture that the word "wrestling" would have brought to mind for the people that Paul was writing to. Paul used the word 'pale' to mean wrestling. That ord paints a very different mental picture in our culture than what Paul was trying to communicate. What do you think of when you think of wrestling? Most of you do not think of high school wrestling competitions. Most of us think about a bunch of guys with muscles who are yelling, screaming and throwing chairs, and all that kind of stuff.
The Roman wrestlers were a little bit more civilized in many respects. It was a common thing. Many people liked to watch wrestling matches. It was common throughout the culture, but very few people wrestled in this kind of competition. Renner shares what it was like in his book.
They fought in the nude. When they wrestled, they had no rounds and no rules. They would try to pick their opponents up and try to slam them in order to break backs. Gouging the eyes was okay. Choking your opponent until he passed out was okay. Sometimes people died in wrestling, but not as often as they died in other things. If someone was a good wrestler or boxer, then he moved up in the ranking. These guys were brutal. Not too many people survived in the higher ranks. Nothing was off limits. Either they were killed or they simply surrendered.
When we think of wrestling, we think of World Wrestling Federation (WFF). When these guys were thinking of wrestling, they had a completely different concept -- a completely different picture of what was involved. Paul used this term to describe our struggle with the kingdom of darkness.
When we think of boxing, we see a referee making sure that no one is hitting in places where they should not, and pulling the boxers apart. The bell rings and they go sit down and a guy squirts a little water on them, rubs them down, shakes their muscles up, and pushes them back into the ring. In addition, they go through all these rounds. The Romans did not have rounds. Their boxing was so brutal that they wore helmets. Their gloves had metal wrapped around them. In the pictures of this ancient art, these guys are missing ears, noses and things like that. It was a brutal event. They quit fighting when the other person gave up or died. There was only one rule. They could not grab the opponent's gloves.
What Does This Tell Us?
First: our warfare is an intense conflict. It is not a passive venture. It is an active venture. It is hard, not mild. It saps your energy and wears you out at times.
Second: the powers of darkness abide by no rules. Anything that they can get away with, they will get away with. Anything goes. If the kingdom of darkness attacks us, what do we say? "That is not fair." It is not fair because they do not play by any rules. They do not have any off-limit areas or boundaries. God has put some parameters around them, but they violate every rule that they can violate. When thieves come into your house, do you notice that they do not steal the junk? They steal the good stuff. They take all that they want. However, they do not take the old, beat-up stuff. They take all the good stuff.
How does the Bible characterize the kingdom of darkness? As a thief that comes to kill, steal and destroy. Thieves do not play by fair rules. We should not expect the devil to play by fair rules -- he does not. In the Bible, we see a young boy who was demonized. The father went to Jesus, and he said, "Can you help my son? This demon gets a hold of the boy and throws him in the fire and it is really bad." We look at that and we think, "He's picking on a kid. Why don't you pick on somebody your own size? That's not fair. You're messing with a child here!" That is the way the kingdom of darkness operates. They do not play by fair rules.
Third: there are no rounds or breathers. I know you would like to go to your corner for a little while. You would like some lemonade and rest up a bit. There are neither rounds nor breathers. You do not get to quit somewhere in the middle and say "Okay -- time!"
This battle, like wrestling, takes place in close quarters. It is not a long-distance thing. I know there are times when you can pray and bombard the heavens with your prayers. However, a lot of stuff you are going to be doing is face-to-face.
Watch war movies, and you will see how the ships in World War II shot off bombs that went 15 or 20 miles and landed someplace far away. We say, "That's my kind of war. I want to stay out on the ship where it's safe and blow up these things way over there." That is not the way it's going to be. It is going to be face-to-face and hand-to-hand combat. That is the term used to describe our struggle. Therefore, we need to put on the whole armor of God.
Understanding Our Opponents
In our last lesson, we talked a little about the word picture that Paul was trying to paint in Eph 6:12 when he used the word 'pale' to describe wrestling. It was not the staged "good clean fun" of the WWF. It was dirty and there were no rules, no concept of fairness. The goal was to disable your opponent, to hurt or injure them, so that you can win. And that is a very accurate picture of how the demonic forces try to engage in warfare. They do not play nicely, the do not play fair. They want to win by whatever means they can.
What Do We Learn About This War?
This war is intense. It is our struggle. I want to emphasize the word "our". This is a "we" thing. It is not a "you" thing or a "them" thing. It is "our" battle. It is "our" struggle. Sometimes we think this is somebody else's struggle, but the truth is that everybody is in this together. You simply cannot escape it. From the day that you were born until the day you go to be with the Lord, you are going to have this struggle. Nobody is exempt.
You have to be very careful that you do not approach the spiritual war as a spectator. The reality is that you are involved in it as well.
Who Is Most At Risk In A War?
The civilians who are standing around watching are unprotected. These people do not know about things that are going on. They do not have any weapons. These people are most likely to be "taken out". They are not looking and watching for what is coming. What sometimes happens is that believers are standing around looking at somebody getting taken out and say, "Isn't that bad?" They do not realize that there is a plot against them too, and that the enemy is also coming against them.
Some people are spiritual "streakers" -- people who run around without their spiritual clothes on. You may be wearing physical clothes, but spiritually you are naked even though you think you are okay. Others are spiritual "strippers". These people take off their armor after they have been hurt or wounded. They just take it off and lay it aside. Being unprepared does not mean that you can avoid the war. It will come to you anyway. You are involved. The Greek for "struggle" is 'pale.' It literally means, "to wrestle or struggle." It is a hand-to-hand conflict meaning, "to throw one down or to swing and throw." It is talking about the encounter of darkness as being very personal and individualized.
Who Is Our Real Opponent?
Our opponent is not of flesh and blood. Paul says it is the rulers, powers, world forces of darkness, and spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. The kingdom of darkness is a well-organized system. We do not need to be surprised. All we need to do is look at the counterpart -- at God's angels and how He set things up. There are archangels and other angels. There seems to be a structure, rank-and-file, in the angelic realm. In the kingdom of darkness, there is also a ranking system and that is what Paul was trying to describe. It is a very well ordered, structured and organized system. In the kingdom of darkness, there is a lot of disorder, but they do have a measure of order, although they hate each other. There is still a measure of order. When Satan and his crew were kicked out of heaven, another demon did not rise to the top. Satan is still their leader. He still has the authority and rule over the demons of darkness.
Let's take a quick look how the enemy forces are structured:
RULERS
The word "rulers" means, "cosmic powers." These hold the chief seats of authority -- the first ones. These would be the preeminent ones-- probably the big guns. Some have a higher rank than others do.
POWERS
The word "powers" means, "authorities." This means, "those who have jurisdiction or the right or strength." They have been set apart in certain specific geographical areas. Some were assigned to certain geographical jurisdictions and certain places of authority.
WORLD FORCES
This means, "world ruler". It is not a very common word in the Bible, but it is used quite a bit in classical Greek. It is even in rabbinical literature. It means, "one who aspires to control the world." This is their objective. This is what they are trying to do.
SPIRITUAL FORCES OF WICKEDNESS IN HEAVENLY PLACES
This does not refer to the heaven of heavens. It is not talking about the heaven you are going to when you die. The first heaven is the created heaven, the second heaven is the atmospheric heaven and the third heaven is where God is. Paul said, in II Corinthians 12:2, that he "was caught up into the third heaven" fourteen years ago. In other words, he went into the presence of God. He did not know if he was literally there or if it was just a vision, but he was in heaven. He ascended into heaven either in person or in the spirit. That is the third heaven.
The second heaven is the atmosphere. In Ephesians 2:2 it says, "... in which you used to live when you followed the ways of the world and the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient." The atmosphere is the realm in which the enemy lives. In this realm, there is a structure. The book of Daniel is one of the Scripture passages that gives us a clue to this structure.
Daniel had been praying and interceding before God. In Chapter 10, he encountered an angel. In verse 13, the angel told Daniel that for 21 days the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia blocked his way, then Michael, one of the archangels, came to help and he left him there with the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia. That was not a person of flesh and blood. The prince of Persia could not wrestle down an angel of God. It could not happen like that. This demonic prince had authority over Persia. He had jurisdiction over the kingdom of Persia. In Dan 10:20, Michael said he would have to fight against the princes of Persia
The Real Enemy And How He Operates
Our enemies are more organized and methodical than we think. They attempt to penetrate as many areas as they can. They try to get in any place there is an opening.
We need to recognize who the enemy is and fight on the right front. Often we fight against people and not against the real enemy. We do not always recognize who the real enemy is. We are not fighting flesh and blood. Even though we understand that and know it to be true, we still direct our fight at people. But the enemy is the source here. If there is anything demeaning, degrading, anything humiliating a person, that is not from God.
We need to understand the voice of the enemy. The next time you get mad and upset at someone, you need to realize the enemy is not that person. Your fight is not against flesh and blood; it is against principalities and powers. It is against the kingdom of darkness -- that is your enemy. The enemy may manipulate a person, but to really fight that, do we fight the person? That is what we usually do, but it does not accomplish much.
I learned this lesson back in 1979, the weekend I was to be ordained. My parents were flying in. People that I loved lashed out at me and wounded me. I thought we were friends. I just could not understand why these people would turn on me like that. I was hurt. My felt like I wanted to rip them up. Who was whispering in my ear? Then I met my parents, who are very godly and full of great wisdom. They sat me down and said, "Rodney, you are going to find this in ministry. But they are not the source." I was still a little hurt, however, I forgave them.
I had to understand that my problem was not people who were giving me hard time. It was the evil force behind them. This is the lesson we need to learn. Even though you learn this, you still may not practice it. You know it in your head. All of a sudden, a person lashes out at you and you are fighting them again.
We must not address or try to fight everything in the physical realm. We must learn to address things on a spiritual level; we do not fight on the right front. We fight people and this is what happens: The demons whisper to one person and then to another person. These two people brutalize each other. The demons laugh and say, "Oh boy, we got them mad at each other." The people aren't the real problem, the demons are.
You have to direct your spiritual prayers and the word of God at the source that is behind others, or the source that is behind you -- the thoughts in your head. If you do not address the demons, and fight them, you are not going to make much progress. In your home, when everyone is fighting each other, what spirit is there? You yell and scream at each other. The demons laugh saying, "Boy, I got them." Go back the past six months and remember who you have had major issues with -- your spouse -- your work? Did you address the right enemy? No one who wears skin and is warm is your enemy.
Jesus knew this as He hung on the cross. He looked down and said, "Forgive them for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34). He knew that they were not His enemy; they were not the problem.
Think about the last three to six months and think about the fights you had with others. You may need to go ask forgiveness from some people. You may need to turn some over to God. If you have wounded someone, ask his or her forgiveness. That is your first step in fighting the right enemy. For others, you need to fight in prayer and address the enemy. Matt 18:18 tells us that whatever we bind on earth is already bound in Heaven. Be aware that "wrong thoughts" in other people are not their thoughts; the enemy put those thoughts there. Man is never your enemy. Satan is your enemy. Once you understand this, you can love everybody. Many people are filled with self-condemning thoughts. Those are not your thoughts. They are from the enemy.
Put On The Armor
The reality is that we have been drafted into God's army and we face real battles. Our enemy is not a flesh and blood enemy, so we can't use flesh and blood (or human means) to protect ourselves against him. Human resources and human reasoning will not protect us.
But, God has provided us with armor to protect us. That armor includes things like the assurance of salvation which protects our thoughts. it includes the righteousness of Christ, which protects our hearts form the enemy's condemnation. It also gives us confidence to approach God because we know that our sins are forgiven. In fact, God has given us protection from head to toe against the attacks of the enemy. He has made this protection available to us, but we must put it on. It will not do us any good if we leave it sitting in our bedroom.
Imagine this scenario: you wake up, look at the armor and say to yourself, "boy, I am glad I have this armor. It looks magnificent, bright and shiny. But I don't want to take a chance of getting it dirty, so I will leave it in my room." Or maybe you say, "Great armor, but it is heavy and hot. And it is going to be a real hot day today. So I think I will dress light and leave the armor off." Then you leave your bedroom, you leave your house and you drive across town. Suddenly you run into an enemy ambush, you find the forces of darkness are attacking you and you are engaged in a spiritual battle. You are missing your armor and that leaves you very vulnerable to attack. Your armor won't do you much good when it is sitting in your bedroom and you are across town. You did not know the attack was coming, or you would have put the armor on to prepare for it. But that is usually how it goes, you never know where or where the attack is coming, so you need to have your armor with you at all times. You need to put it on each day.
Let's put on the armor now. Say this prayer aloud:
"Dear Jesus, I put on the armor of God today. I put on my helmet of salvation. I am Your child. I put on the breastplate of righteousness. I declare I am righteous in You, Jesus. I put on the belt of truth. I stand in Your truth. I stand in Your word. I shod my feet today with the sandals of peace that come from the Gospel. I take on the shield of faith. I extinguish every dart the enemy throws at me. I take on the sword of the Spirit, which is the living Word of God that You will activate and flow through me to speak Your truth, and to minister to people. Thank You Jesus."
As you put it on, make the declaration with your mouth. I want you to commit yourself today to walk out as much as you know how to walk out. Get to know the armor. Equip yourself to put on every piece and to walk it out in your lives so you can live fully clothed. You will be protected, and you can stand against every scheme of darkness so that you can face every demon of hell that will come against you. You will not have to live in fear. You can live victoriously, and you will overcome.
Lord Jesus, I bless your people and I speak this blessing upon them; that they will stay firm and stand firm in You; that they will stand against every scheme of darkness; that they will be victorious. Thank You that we can fight the good fight of faith. Thank You that it is the good fight because we win, because You have already won. You are our victory. You have overcome the kingdom of darkness. You have overcome the devil and all his legions of demons. You have overcome this earth. You have overcome the world, sin, the flesh, and everything. You showed us that it could be done. You modeled it for us, playing by the rules of humanity. Jesus, we want to be like You. We want to walk in what You have done on our behalf. We thank You for that, in Jesus name."
[Previous Article]