By Toni Ford
Some may ask, “What is spiritual warfare, and why is it so important?” Among Christians, it is often a term used referring to the idea of a war in the heavenlies between angels and demons, a battle between evil and good. Some might not believe that something like this exists. Others might want to pretend it doesn’t exist, and yet many believers will testify that spiritual warfare does exist and that it is quite real. Paul speaks of this battle in Ephesians 6:11-12, “Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh and blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” In these verses, Paul mentions four categories of the forces of darkness: “rulers,” “authorities,” “mighty powers in this dark world” and “evil spirits in heavenly places.”
Paul admonishes us as believers to understand the reality of the spiritual battle we are engaged in, as well as knowing the importance of equipping and preparing ourselves for this battle against the evil one. Paul also reminds us that the weapons of our warfare are not “fleshly” but rather spiritual weapons, endued with “divine power.” These weapons of “divine power” is the armor of God of which Paul describes in Ephesians 6:14-17.
Belt of Truth. The belt holds the other parts of the armor together and the truth is what exposes the lies of Satan. Satan is a liar, and once we allow his lies to infiltrate our lives, everything begins to fall apart. But the believer whose life is controlled and held up by the truth of God will defeat the enemy and his lies. Thus the reason we need to daily wrap that belt of truth around our bodies.
Shoes of the Gospel of Peace. In order to defeat the devil, not only must we be at peace with God and with each other but also must be prepared each day to share the gospel of peace with a lost world. When Satan declares war, we serve as ambassadors of peace, and we take the gospel of peace wherever we go. Now more than ever, peace is something our nation needs, and we as believers have the opportunity daily to walk out His peace wherever we go and with each step we take.
Shield of Faith. The shield was large, usually about four feet by two feet, made of wood and covered with leather. When soldiers held up their shields, they were protected from the spears, arrows and “fiery darts.” This faith is a “living faith,” a trust in the promises and the power of God. Faith is a defensive weapon that protects us from Satan’s fiery darts.
Helmet of Salvation. Satan wants to attack the mind, the same way he defeated Eve in the Garden. The helmet refers to the mind controlled by God, and when God controls our mind, Satan cannot lead us astray. The helmet protects us from the lies of Satan.
Sword of the Spirit. It is the only offensive weapon. All the other weapons are defensive, but the sword of the Spirit is “the Word of God.” A physical sword requires the hand of a soldier, but the sword of the Spirit has its own power, for it is “living and powerful.” A physical sword wounds to hurt and kill, while the sword of the Spirit wounds to heal and give life. Scripture has the power to defeat the stronghold arguments and concepts of our enemy. We need the sword of the spirit like never before!
Paul tells us in Ephesians 6: 13 why these weapons are so important – “Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.” If there is ever a time when I feel as if we as believers are in a battle, it is now! May we daily seek the Lord, put our trust in Him and put on His armor so that we can stand firm!
Lord, we recognize that there is a battle going on between good and evil, and we want to be prepared. Thank you for the armor of God and remind us each day to gird ourselves with the belt of truth, the shoes of the Gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit. Thank you most of all for going before us and fighting for us when we are too weak to fight. Most of all, thank you for the victory we already have, because You, oh Lord, have already won this battle be-cause of Your death and resurrection! All praise to you, Almighty God! Thank you so much!
If you would like me to join you in prayer please email me at tonif77@gmail.com. I would love to pray for you!