Angels and Demons 1/4

Introduction

**Illustration of being scared of door creaking

A lot of our fears are actually fake. It’s easy to base our view of the supernatural on what we’ve seen in movies. Our minds reflect on over-the-top hauntings with levitating furniture, demon children throwing up, and clowns that live in the sewer. We have bought into this dramatized version of spiritual warfare that looks like the set of a haunted house. However, that’s not what the supernatural looks like. Let’s examine the words of Paul when he is discussing spiritual warfare while writing to the church in Ephesus

Ephesians 6:10–17 KJV 1900

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

This passage says more about the supernatural realm than any of Paul’s other writings. This means that we must slow down and play close attention to Paul’s teaching. The people of Ephesus were saved out of cult-like traditions. Their region was renown for for witchcraft, the occult, astrology, and goddess worship.

Seriousness:

I’d like for you to understand the seriousness of what we’re talking about here. I mean we are talking about literal angels and demons fighting a battle right now that you and I are completely unaware of. Demons are a real thing. And while things like demonic possession may not be a thing anymore, they are still around. Can a Christian be possessed by a Demon? No, a Christian cannot be possessed by a Demon because he is already possessed by the Lord and is indwelt by the Holy Spirit. If a Christian were able to be possessed by a demon, that would mean that the Demon could overpower the Holy Spirit, which is just not the case. A Christian cannot be possessed by a Demon, but a Christian can be oppressed by a Demon. What do I mean by that. It is possible for a demon to oppress a Christian, to mess with them in some sort of way, but this does not seem to be Satan’s plan of attack anymore. Before the information age, Satan would often attack people in this kind of way, but it is not common anymore. Now, Satan uses information, things like the internet and politics to try to oppress people and to influence people. Since the Bible doesn’t talk a whole lot about that stuff specifically, we want to focus on what it does talk about.

**Talk about scary movies, ouija boards, etc. Abbie and I turning off a scary movie

The Bible teaches the reality of spiritual battle (Jude 1:9). But the Bible also says that, after the final judgment, demons will be consigned forever to the lake of fire (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:10). Since demons (and angels) do not “die” or suffer physical wounds, what is the point of doing spiritual battle? First, we need to remember that not all battles are “to the death.” The point of angels battling demons is not to kill them but to thwart their plans and further God’s plans. In the Bible, we see that angels do battle with demons in order to deliver divine messages to people (Daniel 10:13) and remove Satan’s hordes from heavenly places (Revelation 12:7–8). Demons can be withstood (James 4:7), tortured by God (Luke 8:28), lose what they possess (Mark 9:25–26), be sent to another place (Matthew 8:32), and be removed to the Abyss (Luke 8:31).

Second, there will be a time when Satan and his demons will experience what the Bible calls “the second death,” which is the lake of fire (Revelation 21:8). We look forward to that day because the demons’ main objective in battle is to counter God’s will in the lives of people everywhere—believers and non-believers alike (1 Peter 5:8). We have many examples in the Bible that God has sent His angels to warn, guide, and protect God’s children. One of the best examples of these roles in Scripture is through the story of Christmas. God used angels to inform Zechariah that he would have a son named John (Luke 1:8–20), to tell Mary that she would bear the Messiah (Luke 1:26–38), to declare Christ’s birth to others (Luke 2:8–13), and to warn Joseph to protect his family from King Herod’s wrath (Matthew 2:13).

God has not seen fit to imprison all demons just yet, but He promises that in the last days they will be thrown, along with Satan, into the lake of fire. There is no escape from this fate, and all demonic spirits will be tormented in eternal isolation from God and His children (Revelation 20:10).

The reality of spiritual warfare affects every believer. It is of utmost importance to recognize this warfare that is taking place and be prepared for it. God has given us all that is necessary to stand firm against the devil’s schemes and has commanded us to put on the full spiritual armor (Ephesians 6:10–18).

We can examine the world around us and see how Satan has influenced it in many different ways. However, that’s not what the Bible focuses on so it’s not what we should focus on. Paul here focuses on how to be ready for spiritual attack and how to defend against it.

Paul chooses to intentionally prepare them for a battle against the dark forces hidden all around them. Notice his tone. Paul isn’t using any dark or spooky language. He’s just talking matter-of-fact about the invisible war surrounding them. That’s because this passage isn’t designed to trigger fear, it’s designed to develop faith. It’s not supposed to be scary, it’s supposed to be soothing. He wanted to put their minds at ease. Paul’s audience lived in Asia Minor, where most of the region was under Rome’s control. This means that they were used to seeing Roman Soldiers march around their villages just like you’d see policeman walking around downtown. He uses the Roman soldier uniform as a metaphor for personal protection against potential danger.

ILLUSTRATION: Show a picture of the Roman soldier’s uniform.

When a solider goes to war, they are protected from head to toe. As soldiers suit up, every piece or armor is intentional. Some armor is for protection and other armor aids an attack. But, each piece is important.

Paul is directly addressing a complicated concept— there is an invisible battle going on around us. Every day, we are waging a spiritual war with an enemy that is scheming against us. This passage is designed to help us prepare for that battle. Spiritual warfare is just that— a war. This means that is is important for us to go into battle prepared and protected. What does this spiritual armor look like? Let’s examine how we can suit up to protect ourselves against spiritual warfare. Paul lists out five important pieces of armor.

1. Suit up

First, we must put on the Belt of Truth. When describing our spiritual armor, Paul starts out with a subtle example. He is talking about a war, right? My mind goes straight to swords, bombs, helmets, and tanks. However, Paul starts his list with a belt, the most underwhelming of clothing items imaginable. The passage reads, "Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist” (Eph. 6:14). For an ancient Roman soldier, the belt kept the entire uniform together, while also being a practical place to store weapons

The belt of truth is designed to hold everything together in your life. Simply put, when you live a life built upon truth, everything will stay together. Surround yourself by truth every day. Live a life of integrity. It’ll help everything fall right into place.

Second, he urges us to wear the Breastplate of Righteousness In ancient armor, a breastplate protected the most vital organs, especially the heart. Righteousness plays the same role in your life. When you walk in the ways of God, you are on the safest path. God doesn’t make commands because He wants to control us. Rather, He wants to protect us from pain.

Third, we need to carry the Shield of Faith This passage says the enemy is ready to launch flaming arrows your way. The shield of faith is designed to block those attacks. When you grow in your faith, it’ll shield you from the schemes of the devil. When he tries to make you doubt, the shield of faith will protect you. When he tries to bring up your past pain, your faith will remind you that you are forgiven. When he lies saying you aren’t good enough, your faith will remind you that you are secure in God’s unfailing love. How do we protect the most vulnerable part of our bodies?

Fourth on the list is the Helmet of Salvation Helmets are extremely important. Why? Because they ultimately keep you alive.

ILLUSTRATION: Bring out a helmet.

What does a helmet do? It protects your brain. They’re crucial to athletes, motorcycle riders, and kids on scooters. They protect one of your most valuable resources — your mind. Can you believe there was a time when hockey players didn’t have to wear them? This era was marked with traumatic injury and even death due to their lack of protection. Just like a helmet to a hockey player, our salvation is all about our safety. It’s protective. Salvation ensures that you are eternally secure. There is absolutely nothing the enemy can do to break the safety you have in salvation.

2. Sword Up

When we think of war, we think of weapons. Which means this list can seem kind of boring, right? Everything is defensive. It’s a shield, a helmet, and a belt. Last on the list is the only offensive weapon. We get to carry the Sword of the Spirit. All of the other pieces of spiritual armor are defensive, which means they’re designed to protect you when conflict inevitably comes. Paul doesn’t include other popular Roman weapons in this list. They often carried spears and metal-laced whips as well. Why does he leave those out in his example?

It’s because he wants us to know that we only need one offensive weapon — it’s found in the promises of God. We are called to fight — we are called to stand our ground. The sword is the only offensive weapon in this entire list. What does it represent? Scripture. Read Scripture every day. This will be a weapon that helps you win every battle.

Whenever you encounter a lie from the enemy, respond to it with the truth of God. Whenever you are feeling fear, go into the Word. Whenever you face an attack, open the Bible.

3. Supplications up

Armor Isn’t Enough

According to Paul in Ephesians 6, all of life is spiritual warfare. In that conflict, he reminds the Ephesians that—important though it is—the Christian armor is not enough. You and I also need to be in constant contact with God, and the means by which we stay in contact is by prayer (Eph. 6:18–20). Paul gives no fixed formula for prayer; rather, he tells us some things that are to characterize all our prayers: we are to pray “at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication” and we are to do so “with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints” (Eph. 6:18).

Pray in the Spirit

Prayer in the Spirit is simply the outflow of our relationship with God, a conversation that is rooted and grounded in his word. Paul identified the word of God as the sword of the Spirit (Eph. 6:17), so prayer in the Spirit is prayer that flows from understanding his word. As we read the word, the Spirit moves us to pray. Praying in the Spirit is thus not some strange, mystical experience but rather praising, thanking, and asking God for things that are in line with the words of Scripture, which the Spirit himself inspired.

Pray at All Times

Paul also tells us that prayers are to be offered on all kinds of occasions. Prayer should mark your life not just in days of distress and trouble, nor even at regular set times in the day, but also at your most joyful moments. When you have a close relationship with someone, you want to interact with him or her regularly, sharing joys as well as sorrows. When my children come home, I want to hear about their day—what was good, what was bad, what was indifferent. It doesn’t have to be of earth-shattering importance. I’m interested because I’m Dad. In fact, I’d consider I’d failed as a parent if the only time my children talked to me was when they wanted my help. That is the relationship God desires to have with you and me. He wants us to pray on all kinds of occasions because that is part of having a childlike relationship with him.

Pray Every Kind of Prayer and Supplication

Our prayers are often limited by our small imaginations and little faith. We pray for small sinners to become Christians, but not for really big sinners. We pray for victory over small sins, but don’t know how to pray about those big, ingrained sinful habits. We pray for change in our small corner of the universe but not in the country at large or throughout the world. Instead of praying with all kinds of prayers and requests, we often pray with small kinds of prayers and requests.

One way to increase the scope of your prayers is to study the great prayers of the Bible. Think about Jesus’s prayer in John 17. On the night before he died, Jesus prayed that the Father would glorify him. So too, we can pray that the Father would glorify Jesus in and through our lives—in our strength or weakness, in our health or sickness, in our abundance or poverty. He also prayed for his disciples, and those who would believe through their witness, that the Father would keep them safe and united. So we can pray for ourselves and for our churches that we would be kept safe and united in Christ.

The One Who Intercedes for Us

Some books I have read about prayer left me feeling crushed and inadequate, unable to conceive how anyone could pray like that. But if we think of prayer as the outworking of a relationship, it becomes a different story. If prayer is simply responding to the promptings of the Spirit to cry out to my heavenly Father with thanksgiving, requests, intercessions, and sighs of confession and repentance, then all of a sudden it doesn’t seem so hard.

What is more, Jesus is still praying for us. In Hebrews 7:25, we read that Christ ever lives beside the throne of God the Father to make intercession for his people. The Spirit too intercedes for us and with us (see Rom. 8:26). With company like that praying for us, how will the Father not give us exactly what we need for our spiritual warfare in this dark and dangerous world?

Landing: Every morning,you need to suit up. Remind yourself of each piece of spiritual armor that God has given you. It’ll give you strength even when you feel weak. It’ll give you hope even when you feel helpless. It’ll lead to truth even when you are surrounded by lies. It’ll give you victory even when you feel close to defeat.

If you want to withstand spiritual warfare, you need to suit up, sword up, supplications up.