The Nature of Spiritual Warfare

Text: Ephesians 6:10-20
Focus: Spiritual Warfare
Function: To help people get a cosmic understanding of Spiritual warfare.
Form: Bible Study

Intro:

From our text this morning:

(SHOW) Cosmic powers of this present darkness, Spiritual forces of evil High places, verses rulers and authorities… …The Book of Daniel describes spiritual warfare.

Daniel is a prophet. We read about this time he prays to God in order to understand what is happening in the present time and what will happen in the future.

During this time, the nation of Israel is in exile in Babylon. The nation of Israel is in political bondage to the Babylonian Kingdom.

Daniel decides to fast for 21 days eating only bread and water while he is waiting on God for an answer to his prayer.

Now I can’t say this for certain, because the book of Daniel is not written in chronological order. We know from History that the kings that Daniel served went in this order: Nebuchadnezzar, Cyrus and then Darius.

Cyrus was not Babylonian, but actually a Mede, who conquered Babylon the night that Daniel interpreted the “writing on the wall.”

But the thing is, this 21 day fast begins in the reign of one king and ends in the reign of another. So apparently, Daniel is too humble to claim being super-spiritual by bragging about a 21 year fast, so he calls it 21 days (which is his theme throughout the book, days for years).

Okay, so let me put this together, He is fasting for 21 years in order to get answers to spiritual mysteries and during that fast, the Kingdom that enslaved Israel is overthrown by different Kingdom. And this second government is much more favorable to the Jewish Nation.

When Cyrus becomes King, one of the first things he does is to order that the temple in Jerusalem be rebuilt. The yoke of oppression on the necks of the Jewish people begins to lesson.

And hopefully, you are wondering what in the world I am talking about and what this has to do with our text for today.

So look at this passage (SHOW): Daniel 10:12-13 Then he said, "Don't be frightened, Daniel, for your request has been heard in heaven and was answered the very first day you began to fast before the Lord and pray for understanding; that very day I was sent here to meet you. But for twenty-one days the mighty Evil Spirit who overrules the kingdom of Persia blocked my way. Then Michael, one of the top officers of the heavenly army, came to help me, so that I was able to break through these spirit rulers of Persia.

The angel charged with protecting Israel is in a cosmic struggle with a fallen angel who has the charge of helping Persia.

While that struggle is playing out in the heavenly realms, the kingdoms of men are fighting a similar battle.

You see, what happens in heaven plays on earth.

So, again, Paul says that (SHOW) “our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”

Rulers and authorities are earthly powers, cosmic powers and spiritual forces of evil are heavenly powers.

Unfortunately, I cannot pretend to be able to unravel all of this mystery, I am not a prophet like Daniel, or the prophet Elisha who saw the forces of angels protecting him from the human army of Syria.

But we do understand that greater things that we can imagine are going.

What, then, are we supposed to know?

Well, it is clear in the next few verses.

(SHOW) 13Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14Stand therefore…

Again, the word “therefore” is in the text.

So, he is saying, since we are involved in a cosmic struggle that we cannot understand, our part is to take up the armor of God and Stand.

(SHOW) 1) Put on God’s armor 2). Stand firm.

I include the first two words of verse 14 because the verb tense in the Greek is the imperative: Stand.
I am sorry to say it, but it is a war image. It is the image of soldiers on the front line of the battle and the enemy with very sharp swords, and spears, or fast bullets is coming straight at you and the temptation is to break ranks and run.
But the commander knows that if the army breaks ranks and runs, chaos will ensue and the army will be destroyed.
The best protection is to close ranks and stand together and not be shaken.

(SHOW) We are commanded to stand side by side in mutual support.

Ecclesiastes 4 states, 2 are better than one because if one falls, the other is there to lift them up. Their combined effort is greater than the sum of what each could do individually. And if they work together in a three corded strand (that is with the Lord’s help) it is very hard to break them apart.

So, we stand together and then he describes the nature of our armor.

Many people have this memorized:
• (SHOW) and fasten the belt of truth around your waist,
o The first is truth.
o Although the army is a military metaphor, the strategy is anything but military.
o Use Truth, instead of deception
o Count on the power of truth to fight for you.
o The truth will protect you and set you free.
o So often, in the midst of conflict, we are tempted to keep our cards close and only reveal what will help us
o But truth is truth and we live by that truth.
o Truth holds our pants up.
• (SHOW) and put on the breastplate of righteousness.
o I hope this next part doesn’t upset you.
o There are two very good, and different interpretations of this verse.
o I believe both are valid.
o First off, Satan, the enemy in this passage has another job. We have looked at how he keeps us from forgiving, how he sows confusion and doubt but the Bible also says that he accuses believers.
o He whispers shame in your ears.
o And guess what? You are still far from perfect.
o But, you are righteous if you have trusted in Jesus.
o The lies, or half-lies, or even the truths that Satan accuses you of are covered in the blood of Christ.
o Remember that before you wallow in your own shame and then refuse to fight in the battle.
o We are protected by the fact that our righteousness is given to us by God instead of our power to earn it.
o On the other hand, the word Diakaneos, the word that is translated as righteous, is also just as often translated as justice.
o Think about this.
o Paul is talking about warfare where spiritual kingdoms collide.
o We saw in Daniel how this played out in the kingdoms of men.
o God protects the nation, or the people or the person who fights on behalf of justice.
o Throughout the teachings of Jesus, we see His overwhelming concern for the poor and the oppressed.
o Reading through the prophets in the OT, the biggest sin they condemned in any nation was the greed that they had that lead them to treat others unfairly.
o God says that He blesses the land whose leaders and people care for the poor.
o That is why you hear me preach so much against racism, against greed and materialism, about being kind and generous.
o Standing up for what is right for everyone, instead of just what is right for you, your family, your race or your nation places us in the protection of God.
o Remember Matthew 25, Jesus says that the proof of our faith is the way we care…
• (SHOW) As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace.
o The gospel of peace is this: God will forgive, heal and restore you to Himself and to others.
o If peace is not part of the gospel, then it isn’t good news.
o The Good news is, we can be restored to God.
• (SHOW) With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
o The opposite of faith is fear and doubt.
o The Devil throws doubts and fears at us.
o Remember, this battle is fought in the heavenly realm and we read about angels and demons fighting it out and then it plays out in the affairs and politics of men.
o We can’t see, or understand what is happening up there, but we can see the way it plays out here.
o Listen to the national debate about here.
o For example, look at the way the debate about healthcare and tell me that Satan isn’t behind it with all the fear and accusations against people given by both sides.
o Remember, our shield is faith that wards off the accusations and fears described as “fiery darts” which are thrown at us by Satan.
o So, for our part, we use faith to overcome fear and doubt.
o Let us not stoop to the level of debate, accusation and attack. When we do, we fall into Satan’s scheme.
o You know, what has to happen to solve this problem is that we need a conversation instead of a fight.
o Let us do justice here by calling the people we know to put our arms out for a hug instead of our fists up for a fight.
• (SHOW) Take the helmet of salvation,
o When I think of the helmet, I think of the head and the thoughts of the mind.
o Because we have been saved, the battle is won and we know there is victory.
o It all comes from here, forgiveness, faith, justice the decision to stand…
o This is where it all comes together.
o Romans 12:2: let your mind be transformed.
• (SHOW) and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
o There is 1 offensive weapon in this armor
o Jesus resisted the Devil with the Word of God.
o Hebrews says that it is alive and powerful. It cuts through the confusion of human emotion and manipulation and exposes the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
o How effective are you with your swordplay?

And finally, he mentions the thing I have been talking about the most in this series.

He ends the discussion about spiritual warfare with an appeal to the power of prayer.

(SHOW) I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. ~Abraham Lincoln

Prayer is the beginning and end to Spiritual warfare.

CONCL: