The other side of the coin

If you believe in God, you have to believe in the enemy

Last time we met, we discussed seeking God, finding God, and how it ultimately starts with having faith in God and believing He exists.

Just like we learned from the sunday school lesson, the bible in the infallible inerrant inspired word of God. We cannot scream where scripture whispers, but we must shape our beliefs and reality to what the word of God says and not what our lived experience is.

Ephesians 6:12 CSB

12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens.

We don’t have time to discuss this entire book, but if you are using good bible study technique, these verses take a dramatic turn from what comes before it.

Starting in chapter 4, Paul begins discussing Christian morals and what your new life in Christ should look like. This is what happens to us empowered by the Holy Spirit. It is the bar we are called to, so to speak, a way to recognise the spirit at work in our life.

The climax of this book reveals a spiritual reality that the believer exists in, but we are not called to cower

Ephesians 6:10–11 CSB

10 Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil.

Let’s paint the picture that scripture is trying to help us understand

Evil Exists

Because evil exists, we have wrestlings and struggles

This is not one entity, not just “the devil” or “satan”

This is anything that exists that defies God

Daniel 10:10–14 CSB

10 Suddenly, a hand touched me and set me shaking on my hands and knees. 11 He said to me, “Daniel, you are a man treasured by God. Understand the words that I’m saying to you. Stand on your feet, for I have now been sent to you.” After he said this to me, I stood trembling. 12 “Don’t be afraid, Daniel,” he said to me, “for from the first day that you purposed to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your prayers were heard. I have come because of your prayers. 13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia opposed me for twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me after I had been left there with the kings of Persia. 14 Now I have come to help you understand what will happen to your people in the last days, for the vision refers to those days.”

Who is “me” it follows the one whose hand touches Daniel who we know to be Gabriel.

An angel is sent because of the prayers, a delay exists because of the wrestling of a higher power

Our response to warfare

Verse 10 and 11 tell us the proper response to this warfare

Be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength. Put on the full armor of God so you stand against the schemes

Why schemes? Because the enemy does not have power over the believer. He can only deceive and confuse and lie

The devil's weapons are things that

- undermine faith

- destroy hope

- shake confidence in God

- pull believers away from Christ

- threaten their perseverance

He suggests AE may have in mind things like:

- despair

- heresy

- doubting God’s goodness

- doubting the resurrection

- doubting final judgment

- believing you can save yourself without God

These are not “ordinary temptations.”

They are attacks on the core of Christian identity.

The enemy only obtains power over the Christians life when we begin to believe the lies of the devil more than the truth of God’s word

Ephesians 6:13 ESV

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.

Therefore means to take a look at the verse behind it. We have the spiritual reality of darkness sandwhiched between putting on the Armor of God

What does the Armor of God allow us to do? It allows us to stand. Our spiritual warfare is not that of us going guns blasing, but defending the territory that has already been claimed by God.

Ephesians 1:20–22 ESV

20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church,

We are told in the beginning of the book that the victory is complete. Why then do we struggle? This is more of the already not yet tension that exists for the believer. Here is the best way to think about this kind of warfare.

Believers are like soldiers at an advanced outpost

constantly in danger of being overrun

needing to hold their position

not retreat

not charge recklessly

but .stand firm

Stand means to hold your position in the event of an attack

Let’s take a look at this armor

Ephesians 6:14–17 CSB

14 Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, 15 and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. 16 In every situation take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit—which is the word of God.

First note: the armor is defensive. A lot of it is based on Heavy Roman Infantry who would hold the line. Some is based in Isaiah such as Isaiah 11:5 “5 Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins.” and Isaiah 59:17 “17 He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on his head; he put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and wrapped himself in zeal as a cloak.”

The idea is God is transferring his own armor to us. We receieve strength that is not our own, and Godly attributes that are not our own.

Armor is used as the idea of defense, what actually does the defending is the reality of God working in us and through us

Truth

Not just being honest, sincere, or telling the truth

It’s the essence of who God is

- God is faithful

- God is reliable

- God is trustworthy

- God’s promises are solid

- God’s revelation is true

The objective, God‑given reality revealed in Christ.

It is something outside you, above you, and given to you.

It is not subjective.

It is not personal preference.

It is not internal feeling.

It is God’s truth, not your truth.

Righteousness

It is not talking about the act of righteousness.

It is not moral behavior, ethical uprightness, or personal virtue

The greek lends Righteousness more to a state of being, or a legal term

- God’s gift of justifying righteousness

- the status given to believers in Christ

- the foundation of salvation

Not a human moral quality.

We have to accept that when God looks at us, He already sees his Son. He already sees us as perfectly Righteous - in right standing with God

We didn’t earn it, so nothing we do is going to get us any closer. Any form of striving is produced by the enemy to get the believer to believe something that isn’t true

Gospel of Peace

The boots give us the impression not of marching forth and evangelising (we are told to do that as Christians, but this is armor withstanding spiritual attacks) The boots imagery tells us that we are standing firm on the gospel of peace with unshakeable footing.

Why gospel of peace?

Their entire Christian identity was built on the fact that:

they were once alienated from God

they were once alienated from Israel

the gospel brought between them and God peace

the gospel brought between them and Jewish believers peace

This is the heart of Ephesians 2.

So when AE says “the gospel of peace,” he’s reminding them:

“Your entire salvation is grounded in God’s peace-making work.” The ministry of reconciliation

We were subject to the wrath of God, but now we lay hold to the peace of God

Philippians 4:7 “7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Every attribute of the armor comes from God

Salvation

This fits Ephesians’ theology:So the helmet protects the believer’s present, given salvation from the attacks of the powers. salvation is already given

salvation is already possessed

salvation is already protecting believers

believers are already raised with Christ Ephesians 2:6 “6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,”

already saved by grace Ephesians :2:5, Ephesians 2:8 “8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,”

already sealed with the Spirit Ephesians 1:13–14 “13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.”

This armor is all about understanding the identity of the Christian

Faith

Why a shield?

The shield is the only piece of armor that:

can cover the whole body

can be moved to intercept attacks

can protect others (shields overlapped in formation)

can extinguish flaming missiles

is useless if the soldier retreats

We discussed last week how important Faith is with God.

What are the darts?

What are the fiery darts spiritually?

AE doesn’t list them, but Best says:

They are the same as the devil’s “stratagems” in v. 11.

Meaning:

deception

false teaching

doubt

despair

accusations

lies about God

lies about salvation

attacks on the believer’s identity

anything that undermines trust in God

Faith is

This would mean:

trust in God

trust in Christ

reliance on God’s promises

confidence in God’s saving work

This is not:

self‑confidence

positive thinking

inner strength

It is dependence on God.

B. “The faith”

This would mean:

the content of Christian belief

the doctrinal truth of the gospel

The Word of God

The sword is not the Spirit itself

Best is careful here:

Believers do not “wield the Spirit”

The Spirit is not the sword

The Spirit or the swordempowerssupplies

So the phrase means:

“the sword which the Spirit provides,” or “the sword empowered by the Spirit.”

This avoids the mistake of thinking the Spirit is a weapon.

Why a sword?

In spiritual terms:This is not a sword for conquering demons. It is a sword for resisting deception.a sword is the only close‑combat weapon

it is used when the enemy is near

it is used to parry and deflect

it is used to counterattack in a defensive posture

God’s word is what believers use to counter lies

God’s word is what Jesus used against Satan in the wilderness

God’s word is what stabilizes the believer in moments of crisis

Best used in the temptation of Jesus

He did not go into the wilderness to seek a fight, the fight found Him

The fiery darts came with lies, deception, and attacks against His identity. Jesus defended with the Word of God

The attack even came with scripture itself, but it failed because it wasn’t produced by “The Spirit”. Instead, the true Spirit in Jesus defied the attack with more scripture in context

Out of time :( Good luck closing. Be led by the Spirit