Behind Enemy Lines

Equipped for Battle: Standing Firm Behind Enemy Lines

Bible Passage: Ephesians 6:10-20

Each week as we begin, we’ll read this passage aloud together. Let these words saturate your soul, call out to your spirit, and awaken the warrior within you. Don’t check out—lean in. Because your enemy is ancient, cunning, and lethal. You’re not just learning Scripture—you’re loading ammunition.

Let’s read together.

Ephesians 6:10–20 (ESV)

10 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. 12 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. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

Introduction:

It began with a man named Nimrod—his name literally means rebel. And rebel he did.

He led a movement that still echoes today:

He established a government that exalted human ingenuity while ignoring divine authority.

He built a religion that reached for heaven without God—striving for holiness by human effort.

He formed a worldview that said: “Man needs no god, just each other.”

And frighteningly—he was right. After God gives life, He lets us choose: we can function without Him. We can live as if eternity doesn’t exist.

But here’s the tragedy: A system born of rebellion still thrives today. It's subtle. It surrounds us.

And it doesn’t require our belief to enslave us.

We have grown up behind enemy lines.  Living in a system established by those who did not know God.

That system, permeates the world, fills our lives with its lies and deceptions and for most of humanity, we don’t even know we’ve been deceived.

As G.K. Chesterton said, “A dead thing can go with the stream, but only a living thing can go against it.”

You are not dead. You are alive in Christ. You weren’t saved to drift—you were born again to stand and to fight.

God gave you life. He called you out of your sin, He called you into life and light and He called you to stand with Him and for Him in this evil day.

So today I want to begin a series that will last for about 12 weeks that I have titled Behind Enemy Lines.

Its about spiritual warfare and how we learn to become victorious fighting against Satan - the World and our own flesh.

1. Ready For Battle

Ephesians 6:10 ESV

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.

Coming to the end of his letter to the Ephesian church, Paul calls the believer to ‘be strong’

But it isn’t just any strength, it is the strength of the Lord.

If I am to be ready for battle, I must recognize that this is a battle for my soul and I need the Lord to give me the strength to fight the enemy.

When you and I become children of God, we are given the Holy Spirit who lives within us.

At the new birth, even though we are mere babes in Christ, we have the power of Almighty God living in us.

One of the great intimidation tactics of Satan is to cause us think that we can’t face spiritual battles, we can’t win spiritual battles and so we just don’t engage in spiritual battles.

Here is a secret that many believers miss in their Christian walk. We all are in a spiritual battle. Whether saved or lost, whether in Christ or out of Christ everyone is in a spiritual struggle.

The lost person doesn’t know and the saved person too often doesn’t care or has been sidelined because of fear or anxiety.

Paul doesn’t say “be strong in yourself.” He says, “Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.”

That word "be strong" in Greek implies a conscious choice—“allow yourself to be made strong.”

This isn't about mustering willpower. This is about surrendering to the One who has all power.

You may feel weak, overwhelmed, outmatched—and that’s exactly where strength begins. Why? Because as long as you’re trying to fight Satan with your own fists, you’re already losing.

But when you drop your pride and pick up your armor, the battle begins to shift. Because the battle is the Lord’s.

Nimrod began a society that still exists into our day that accomplishes all it accomplishes without any acknowledgement of God’s help - presence and it is a system that refuses to recognize humanity’s need for God.

If we are to fight spiritual battles successfully, we must first recognize our complete dependence on God.

“Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.”

Paul uses a Greek word for might that conveys something more than muscle—it describes intrinsic power, like the strength of iron, or the authority that comes from position. This is not a strength we earn; it is a strength God invests into us by His Spirit.

And often, it’s in the furnace of struggle that this strength is forged. Your current trial may be the very tool God is using to build His strength into you.

Consider Nimrod. The Bible calls him “a mighty hunter before the Lord.”

Some scholars suggest he may have been a warrior who protected his people from great beasts that threatened them—perhaps even prehistoric creatures. Regardless of the specifics, he had a choice: Would he use his strength to honor God and build a righteous society?

Or would he use it to exalt himself and defy God’s authority?

Nimrod chose rebellion. And in doing so, he became the father of false religions and the founder of godless governments—a world system that still stands against God to this day.

So let me ask you: Will you allow God to build you?

Or will you go your own way, use your strength for your own glory, and end up on the wrong side of the battle?

Romans 12:1–2 (ESV)

12 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

All you have faced in the past and all you will face in the future becomes the crucible that God uses to develop you so that you can continue to stand when the battle rages around and upon you.

And the only way to succeed - the only way you win this battle is what is recorded in our passage.

Ephesians 6:11 ESV

11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

No soldier worth anything goes into battle half dressed.

We are to dress for battle by putting on the entire armor - the whole armor of God.

Imagine an armory so vast, filled with every weapon you would ever need to face every enemy you would ever face.

Think about what just happened in Iran. American B-2 bombers flew halfway across the globe, dropped their payload on nuclear facilities, and were headed home before most soldiers even finished their morning coffee.

Why? Because preparedness wins battles before they begin.

Spiritually speaking, God has given us an armory even more powerful. But it’s useless unless you put it on.

As great as the global threats are today, nothing compares to the threat of Satan and this world system. The believer must be fully equipped if we are to stand against all that Satan and the world throws at us.

Our armor that comes from God is just such an armory. If we clothe ourselves in Christ we will be ready for the day of battle.

If you forget your boots you are in trouble. If you forget your helmet you will likely loose your head. If you forget your body armor, You may take a hit straight to the heart—and never recover..

You cannot win this fight against our enemy without using what God has provided.

Look at how Paul described this to the Corinthian believers.

2 Corinthians 10:3–4 (ESV)

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.

You are in a fight whether you like it or not. You are in a battle whether you admit it or not. And how you fare within the fight is determined by how you equip yourself.

Ephesians 6:12 ESV

12 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.

Christ is our armor

In Him, believers find their strength and protection against spiritual adversaries, culminating in the victory He won through His death and resurrection.

Conclusion:

This is our introduction to spiritual warfare and our series.

Behind Enemy Lines

This is just the beginning. The battle is already raging, whether you see it or not. Over the next few weeks, we’re going to learn how to wear our armor—not for ceremony, but for survival.

And here’s what I want for you: Not just that you would survive behind enemy lines—but that you would stand strong, push back the darkness, and march forward in Christ’s victory.

Because the King is returning soon. And when He comes, may He find us not hiding… but fighting.