Being strong in the Lord

10 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. (Ephesians 6:10-11)

Although the realms of evil and darkness may be of some mild fascination for us, Ephesians 6 urges us to prepare for and enter into the battle. Indeed we probably don't realize the seriousness of the battle as much as we should. 

If for example I knew of some plot to rob my home of it's possessions, or bring harm to my family, I'd be moved to act and protect those things that are important to me. I'd want to be aware of such plans so as to act to stop such things happening. God's enemy wishes to steal away and bring harm to Christ's loving supremacy over our lives - something more precious than anything. Should we not heed words such as these that call upon us to be aware of such schemes and to be drawn ever closer to the Lord Jesus who overcomes all that the Devil will throw at us?

Paul's metaphor of the Roman soldier is a call to be standing on the promises of the Gospel. This is the very heart of spiritual warfare and the book of Ephesians as a whole brilliantly demonstrates the power and wonder of such promises. 

So, to be  wisee for the battle, I'd recommend reading 6:10-20 and then reading through the entire letter again to see the many rich links between this passage and the letter as a whole. This is no mere theological exercise to stimulate your thinking, but is highly practical to engage your whole being. 

Also I'd do some thinking through when you find yourself most vulnerable to sin and temptation. What factors are at play? What are you being tempted to think? How are you feeling about yourself and others at the time? Why has Christ and his promises and goodness been shifted? 

To do some further thinking about how the Bible deals with many of these issues I'd recommend Living with the Underworld by Peter Bolt (picture above). Not only does he help you get a handle on the whole evil spiritual world (he does this very well), but he also explains how the Gospel is to inform the way we approach and deal with this whole arena. Demons and other evil forces are not at the heart of the Bible's message, they are, as Peter describes, more on the periphery. But the book very wisely allows what is at the heart of the Bible's message, to inform us and help us understand the reality of evil.  

Paul does the same as he grounds all of reality in the Gospel, in Christ. If you are in Christ, clothed with his good promises...the devil will not be able to mess with you....though he may try.

Without Christ, we are not just vulnerable to evil, but are captivated by it. With Christ, we are wise to the Evil One's schemes and free from such tyranny and power. For faith in Christ, expressing itself in love cannot be overcome.

Why not pray the following? 

Father please keep reminding me and showing me how awesome Jesus really is. Keep reminding me of the riches that I have in the Gospel. Keep reminding me that I belong to you because of Christ and show me the good deeds you have planned for me to walk in each day. Keep showing me in the time of temptation that this world belongs to Jesus and that in Christ I’ve got something I can never lose, which outshines and outlasts all of this life’s momentary treasures. Fill me with your Spirit so that my strength and energy for life come from my saviour and victor, the one who has overcome all evil for me already. Amen.

"Living with the Underworld" is currently available on the church bookstall.