Spiritual Warfare
Today’s scripture is about spiritual warfare. So what kind of spiritual
warfare are we engaged in? Sometimes the enemy’s attack is more obvious –
physical persecution. We see this happening in different parts of the world
today. Sometimes it’s more subtle – distraction and distortion. The enemy
tempts Christinas to invest time and energy in secondary issues, or to become
fascinated by false teaching. Sometimes it’s simply the classical temptations
of money, sex and power.[1] We
wrestle daily with some of these whether we like it or not. The Apostle Paul
says that our struggle is not against human beings, but against evil spiritual
forces. Our enemies are not human but demonic. So we must be prepared for
spiritual battle.
Stand
When we think about our spiritual warfare, God does all the work. God provides
the armor for us, God protects us, God sustains us, God helps us. God gives us
desire and strength to win the battles. But there is one thing that God
requires of us. That is to stand. In today’s passage God commends
us to stand four times. “Put on the full armor of God, so that you may
be able to stand against the wiles of the devil… Therefore put
on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able
to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand therefore…”
(vv. 11-14) Stand, stand, stand, stand. That’s our part. God provides
all the means to overcome, but still we need to stand.
Seeking
What does it mean, “to stand”? Jehoshaphat’s story is a great example. King
Jehoshaphat was in trouble. He and his people were surrounded by the enemies on
every side – the Moabites, Ammonites, and Meunites.
2 Chronicles 20:3-4 tells us how Jehoshaphat was standing. “Jehoshaphat was afraid; he set himself to seek the Lord and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. Judah assembled to seek help from the Lord; from all the towns of Judah they came to seek the Lord.” To stand means to seek the Lord and his help with all our hearts and with all our might.
E. Stanley Jones was a Methodist missionary who spent most of his life serving in India. Jones was sent when he was 23 years old. He faced overwhelming challenges and felt utterly unprepared. He suffered a nervous breakdown. One day Jones attended a prayer meeting and heard the Inner Voice. He shares his experience in this way[2]:
"I saw that unless I got help from somewhere, I would have to give up
my missionary career. While in prayer, a Voice seemed to say, ‘Are you yourself
ready for this work to which I have called you?’ ‘No, Lord, I am done for. I
have reached the end of my resources.’ The Voice replied, ‘If you will turn
that over to me and not worry about it, I will take care of it.’ I quickly
answered, ‘Lord, I close the bargain right here.’
A great peace flooded in his heart. To stand means to seek God and give him full control.
Praying
To stand also means to pray. Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Israel in
the house of the Lord and began to pray, saying, “O Lord, God of our ancestors,
are you not God in heaven?... O our God, will you not execute judgment upon
them? For we are powerless against this great multitude that is coming against
us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you” (v. 5, 12).
That’s how we stand. That’s how we put on the full armor of God in times of trouble. In Pilgrim’s Progress Christian defeats Apollyon the dragon with his sword. But then he enters the valley of the shadow of death. In that valley you hear things like a continual howling and yelling; you see people bound in afflictions and irons, discouraging clouds of confusion hang over the valley; the pathway is so dark, that you can’t see where your next step would land. It was when Christian ‘perceived the mouth of hell … hard by the narrow way, and saw flame and smoke and heard hideous noises, that ‘he was forced to put up his sword, and take another weapon, called All-prayer: so he cried, “O Lord, I beg you, deliver my soul!”[3]
We remember Nehemiah’s story. The enemies were mocking him, threatening him, deceiving him, mispresenting him. Every time he faced challenges, Nehemiah stood firm by using the weapon All-prayer. He took each and every problem to the Lord in prayer. One time the enemies spread vicious rumors and slanders against him, thinking, “He will become discouraged and stop the work.” But Nehemiah stood and prayed, “But now, Lord, strengthen my hands.” (Neh 6:9)
Persevering
To stand means to seek the Lord. To stand means to pray. Last but not
least, to stand means to persevere. When Jehoshaphat stood and prayed, God
answered, saying, “Do not fear or be dismayed at this great multitude; for the
battle is not yours but God’s… You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand
firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf”
(2 Ch 20:17). Early the next morning Jehoshaphat and his army went out,
marching and singing to the Lord, saying, “Give thanks to the Lord, for his
love endures forever!” As they began to sing and praise, the Lord ambushed the
enemies, and they were defeated. They began attacking each other, and no one
had escaped. So how did Israel win the battle? By standing. By
persevering. God did all the work, but still Israel had to stand firm, hold
their position by faith.
I still remember an inspiring story of the father-and-son team of Dick and Rick Hoyt for an “iron man” competition (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run) in 1999. The two have run together in more than eight hundred races. Even more remarkable fact is that the now adult son, Ricky, was born with cerebral palsy. To race, he must be pulled, pushed, or carried by his father with special equipment. Yes in the race the father does all the work. But there is the son’s role. The son still has to endure wind, cold, and an equipment failure with the father. In one competition the father knelt down to his son, contorted and trembling in the cold, as the two were still facing many more miles of race on the defective bike. Said the father to the child belted to the bicycle seat, “Do you still want to keep going, Son?” The son nodded, and they finally finished the course together.[4]
I believe that’s how it is with standing. We have a Father who is right with us, and who is for us. We have a Father who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us. We have a Father who has already provided his full armor to overcome all the challenges of the enemy. Whatever be the challenges, we can win the battles through him who gives us strength. So sisters and brothers in Christ, let us stand firm. Let us keep seeking, keep praying, keep persevering. Through it all, we’re more than conquerors.
[1]
N. T. Wright, Ephesians (N. T. Wright for Everyone Bible Study Guides) .
InterVarsity Press. Kindle Edition. Location 867 of 1084.
[2]
i The Christ of the Indian Road, 1925; The Abingdon Press, p. 19. ii Ibid, pp.
19-20 iii
https://www.asbury.edu/offices/library/archives/biographies/e-stanley-jones
[3]
John Bunyan, Pilgrim’s Progress, Aneko Press. Kindle Edition. 69-70.
[4]
Bryan Chapell, Ephesians, P&R Publishing. Kindle Edition. 349.
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