"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places . . . "
~Ephesians 6:12
Therefore take up the whole armor of God . . . and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints"~Ephesians 6:17, 18
Followers of Jesus Christ are at war and unfortunately most of Jesus' followers do not seem to notice or understand this. Everyday around the world Christians are being persecuted and even martyred for the faith. In other places, Christians and the Christian faith are being attacked by the government, in schools, in institutions of higher learning, and at the workplace.
In Paul's closing remarks to the Ephesian church, he sounds the call to arms and warns his readers they are already engaged in a life and death struggle. As the Wesleyan commentator on the book of Ephesians, Mark Holmes states, "Two major points are developed in this section: (1) Christians are in a battle against opponents far greater than themselves; and (2) if they plan to win the battle, Christians must rely on provisions beyond their human capabilities" (Ephesians: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition).
Even though the attacks on Christians are being carried out by other humans, as the apostle Paul states, "we do not wrestle against flesh and blood . . . " Our enemies are not human, (flesh and blood) but principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness, and spiritual hosts of wickedness. These forces influence and control the people who carry out the persecution, terrorism, killing, and subjugation of Christians.
In our fight against the spiritual darkness we are given a weapon . . . the Sword of the
Spirit--which is the Word of God. Yes, our offensive and defensive weapon is the Bible. We dare not use the weapons of the enemy physical--e.g., guns and bombs--psychological--e.g., mind control and coercion--political--e.g., laws and military force. Our weapon is far mightier and has brought down powers, principalities, and spiritual wickedness for centuries. Great defenders and apologists of the faith have wielded the Sword of the Spirit skillfully; men of ancient Christianity like Ignatius, Clement of Rome, St. Augustine. More modern apologists include Ravi Zacharias, Chuck Colson, and Probe Ministries
In addition to the Sword of the Spirit Christians have a force multiplier weapon--prayer. Prayer exponentially increases the effectiveness of our use of the Sword. Praying in the Spirit is like sending an artillery barrage or a squadron of Stealth Fighters after the enemy. James, in his epistle states, "The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results" (Jam 5:16). Paul exhorted his readers in Thessalonica to "pray continually" (I Thess. 5:17).
In Paul's closing remarks to the Ephesian church, he sounds the call to arms and warns his readers they are already engaged in a life and death struggle. As the Wesleyan commentator on the book of Ephesians, Mark Holmes states, "Two major points are developed in this section: (1) Christians are in a battle against opponents far greater than themselves; and (2) if they plan to win the battle, Christians must rely on provisions beyond their human capabilities" (Ephesians: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition).
Even though the attacks on Christians are being carried out by other humans, as the apostle Paul states, "we do not wrestle against flesh and blood . . . " Our enemies are not human, (flesh and blood) but principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness, and spiritual hosts of wickedness. These forces influence and control the people who carry out the persecution, terrorism, killing, and subjugation of Christians.
In our fight against the spiritual darkness we are given a weapon . . . the Sword of the
Spirit--which is the Word of God. Yes, our offensive and defensive weapon is the Bible. We dare not use the weapons of the enemy physical--e.g., guns and bombs--psychological--e.g., mind control and coercion--political--e.g., laws and military force. Our weapon is far mightier and has brought down powers, principalities, and spiritual wickedness for centuries. Great defenders and apologists of the faith have wielded the Sword of the Spirit skillfully; men of ancient Christianity like Ignatius, Clement of Rome, St. Augustine. More modern apologists include Ravi Zacharias, Chuck Colson, and Probe MinistriesIn addition to the Sword of the Spirit Christians have a force multiplier weapon--prayer. Prayer exponentially increases the effectiveness of our use of the Sword. Praying in the Spirit is like sending an artillery barrage or a squadron of Stealth Fighters after the enemy. James, in his epistle states, "The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results" (Jam 5:16). Paul exhorted his readers in Thessalonica to "pray continually" (I Thess. 5:17).
" Pray often, for prayer is a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to God, and a scourge for Satan"
--John Bunyan
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