SPIRITUAL WAREFAR....

Ephesians 6:10-17

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 wiles of the devil. For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world's rulers of the darkness of this age, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and, having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having the utility belt of truth buckled around your waist, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having fitted your feet with the preparation of the Good News of peace; above all, taking up the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

No battle was ever won without courage, perseverance, and strength. This is the challenge before us. In Ephesians six, Paul calls us to be strong in the Lord. He calls us to understand the nature of our enemy, those wicked spirits in high places who lie behind the insoluble problem of human evil. He calls us to put on our armor and “stand firm against the schemes of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11); only those who put on the full armor of God can resist the advances of the demonic forces of Satan in the “evil day.” While the entire world is oppressed by the powers of evil, only Christians struggle against those powers. This is the consistent teaching throughout the Bible. The Bible indicates that all human beings are victims of these invisible forces, but only believers can resist them.

The Bible tells us that the world has fallen under the control of Satan. What does the Bible mean by the world? It is not the world created by God. The world the Bible speaks of is the world of organized human society, which has fallen under the control of Satan. As dwellers of this world, humanity is trapped within the domain of the evil one, and there is no possibility of escape apart from an intervention from without. There can be no threat from within to Satan's control. The reason for the continual failure to escape the domain of the evil one is the methods men and women employ to correct evils and wrongs. Human methods of reform fail because they do not come to grips with the essential problem. In all our efforts to correct the evil in the world, we fail to solve the problems when the power of Satan is ignored.

We fail to solve the problems in the world and correct the evil because of the methods we use to solve the problems that are a source of the evil in the world. We fail to solve the problems of the world because our number one method to solve the problems is reforms. The sources behind the human reforms that have failed to solve the problems in the world are the legislation, educational systems, and environmental reforms. The legislation has failed to solve the problems because they use the law in an attempt to control the behavior of the sinful men and women. The law deals with the outward behavior of sinful men and women, however, the law alone can do nothing to alter the inward man. It does not change the basic nature of man but merely restricts him under certain conditions.
The educational systems of the world have failed to solve the problems of the world. The Bible tells us we are all born into this world with a sinful nature. The educational systems do not address the sinful nature. Education does not change the nature of a man or woman it only makes him or her more clever, and potentially more destructive. An improved environment does not change a person either. When you take a man out of the slums, for example, and put him into a nicer environment, you do absolutely nothing to the man himself. In a little while, he will make that new environment the slum as well. So taking a man out of the slums does not necessarily take the slums out of the man. This is not to say that these reforms have no value. We should have laws for the sake of an orderly society. We should have education for the sake of a literate and effective society. In addition, we should improve the living conditions of all men and women, for the sake of a just, compassionate, and decent society. However, let us not make the mistake of thinking that these reforms will lead us to a society of love and unity. None of these reforms has the power to transform human nature. None of them can counteract the invisible spiritual forces that are at war against us.

That is why the proclaiming of the Gospel message is the good news men and women under attack by the demonic forces of Satan need to hear. That is why Christians are perfectly justified by the Word of God when they say there is no other answer to the problems in this world and the existing evil. Many people say that there are many roads to God, that it does not matter what you believe or who you believe in, as long as you are sincere. However, only one who has come into the world capable of breaking the power of this darkness set us free from the evil one's dominion and domination, His name is Jesus. No one can come to God the Father and to freedom from the dominion of the evil one, except through Jesus alone (John 14:6). There is no other. Only He has the power to invade the devil's domain and liberate people so that they can become the cherished, prized possessions of God.

The writers of Scripture make this clear. Paul tells us, “The god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers” (2 Corinthians 4:4 NASB). Paul's letter to the Romans, opens with the same basic thought that human beings in their darkened state, under the dominion of the evil one, have engaged in all manner of evil practices, leaving God no choice but to give them what they demand (Romans 1:28). Paul suggests that the great hatred we see exhibited against God and His gospel does not come from the uneducated but from the educated: "Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools" (Romans 1:22), and so they "exchanged the truth of God for a lie" (Romans 1:25 NASB).

Paul himself was chosen as an apostle to the Gentiles, and in a dramatic conversion experience on the road to Damascus, he said to the Lord whom he saw in His glory, “Who are you, Lord?” Jesus replied, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles to whom I am sending you to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light, and from the dominion of Satan to God” (Acts 26:15-18 MASB).

This is the principal purpose of the gospel. If we try to apply it first to social concerns, we only reveal how far we have mistaken its purpose. The gospel will ultimately find its way into the social condition of humanity, because the gospel of Jesus Christ is pervasive. However, the gospel must first make its impact on this basic problem of human life. Humanity is in the grip of an evil power, and we are helpless to free ourselves from bondage to that power by our own strength. The only one who can deliver us from it is Jesus Christ. He has already done this in His death on the cross and through the power and glory of His resurrection.

When a person trusts in Christ and commits himself to Christ, he discovers that the gospel becomes real and practical in his own experience. This is what we call conversion. However, conversion is only the beginning of the battle. Very soon, a new Christian becomes aware of the evil forces at work to destroy him. If he goes no farther in his new life than to believe his sins are forgiven, he will remain in bondage to those sins, living a life of conflict and frustration. However, the battle is fought on the ground that we have been delivered from the dominion of darkness that we have been brought out of the power of Satan and into the kingdom of God. It is not possible to take a neutral stance. Jesus says there is no neutrality. “He who is not with me is against me.” A person who does not receive total deliverance is still under the bondage and control of the dark powers of Satan. There are no exceptions. That is why Christ is the crisis of history. He spoke of Himself that way as the divider of humanity. As He looks at human beings, there are only two groups. There are those who are wholly with Him because they are of Him they have received Him, they know Him, they love Him, and they partake in His life. In addition, there are those who are against Him. “He who is not with me is against me.”

There is one thing that reveals whether you are with Jesus or against Him; the influence of your life. Jesus Christ has come into the world to gather the adopted children of God. His is a gathering influence, breaking down divisions, binding hearts together, reuniting families, making people live together in harmony, breaking down the barriers of race, healing wounds, bringing nations together, drawing men, women, and children to Himself.

The great question of your life and mine is, “What is the essential character of life? Is it self-centeredness or self-giving? Are you with Christ or against him? Are you gathering with him in a healing, wholesome ministry or are you a divisive force in your family, your church, or your neighborhood? Do you split people up or bring people together? Is your family drawing closer to faith in Christ because of your example? On the other hand, are they turned away by the example you set? Do your children and spouse see Christ living in you or see only you, your demands, your ill-temper, your pettiness, and your selfishness? These are crucial questions that each of us must answer.

The question you and I must ask is, “Am I a victor, or a victim?” In our own strength, we are helpless to escape the dominion of the evil one. We are not free. We are not able to carry out our own decisions, except in a limited area, and this illusion of freedom makes us imagine that we are free, unrestrained individuals. The Bible tells us that apart from Christ we are under the unbroken influence of an evil force that influences our thoughts and reactions. The only way of escape is through the One who has come to destroy the works of the devil.