Submitted by Pastor Brad Dush, Fairfax Methodist Church

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 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. ~ Ephesians 6:10-12

In my last On the Spiritual Side, I left you with the question, “Why do we need the Armor of God anyway?” The Apostle Paul is clear on this point. He states, “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.” Paul lets us know our need for the Armor of God rests in the fact the opposition we face is not of the “flesh and blood” type. We know how to defend ourselves from a physically present threat. We can take self-defense classes, we can arm ourselves, and we can involve law enforcement. When we wrestle against flesh and blood, even in our most ill-equipped moments, we can, in most cases, figure something out. Paul indicates in verse 12 that the forces we wrestle against are not of our world or tangible. He states they are “the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”

You, I, and all of us were not created to wrestle against the supernatural; natural bodies and limitations bind us. The Holy Scriptures are ripe with proof of supernatural forces that have plagued humanity, and these forces have been around since our creation. Turn to Genesis three to see these crafty forces at work. I am so grateful that God gives us a way through His armor to stand against these forces! A natural question would be, where do these forces and cosmic powers originate from? Verse 11 is clear on that question, “you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” The Devil is behind these forces. I think this is where many people lose interest in this selection of text. I have had a few people over the years tell me they believe in God but not Satan or the Devil. I don’t want to be too simplistic here, but I am not sure there is a Biblical case for that logic. I do not see where there is any wiggle room; there is a clear duality in Scripture. There is good and bad, God and the Devil.

If we are to have a fighting chance, we need the Armor of God. Even the word “schemes” points to a reality of a planned and well-thought-out attack on the part of the Enemy. We are helpless on our own, but with God, we have hope and help! I can only speak for myself on this, but I find great comfort in the truth that I am not alone and without assistance in a battle I cannot avoid. I am thankful for the whole Armor of God. But what is the Armor of God? Next, we will begin looking at each piece of the armor individually and see the profound and life-changing truth of the whole Armor of God!