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. – Ephesians 6:12 (NLT)
So, I’ve been stuck on this concept of spiritual warfare for a while, and I think I’m just starting to piece together something bigger. There’s a deeper truth in here somewhere, and I’m trying to find it. We all know that scripture from the book of Ephesians, it comes in the middle of Paul speaking about putting on the entirety of God’s armor. I feel like there is so much more that Paul is saying in this entire passage. When you think about armor, normally it is thought of as a defense. You put on the armor to protect yourself from being attacked. Verse 13 continues,
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. – Ephesians 6:13 (NLT)
Paul warns of being attacked, he warns to be prepared, so that “after the battle you will still be standing firm.” Here is the part that I think we always overlook; standing firm literally means to offer resistance to somebody or something, or to refuse to abandon one’s opinion or belief. It’s more than just surviving the attack; it’s more than just being defensive. Standing firm is resistance, it is being stubborn, it is fighting for what you believe in.
To completely embrace the armor that God gives us, we have to embrace war. We have to step into the fight, truly step into it. This isn’t just being a Sunday Christian. The warfare that Paul preaches about is in the spiritual realm. He preaches about warfare against “authorities of the unseen world,” against “mighty powers in this dark world,” against “evil spirits in the heavenly places.” This battle that we will be standing firm in is a battle for our very souls, and the souls of the billions of people on this planet. It isn’t a war that we can be willing to fight half-heartedly.
“Wars may be fought with weapons, but they are won by men. It is the spirit of the men who follow and of the man who leads that gains the victory.” – Gen. George S. Patton
