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50

The War We Wage

(Eph. 6:10-12)

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.

 

We now enter the seventh and final major section of the latter half of Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians (chs. 4-6). Thus far we have seen that there are six things involved in our “Walk In Christ.” We come now to the seventh, Walk In Victory (6:10-20).

Doctrine and Duty in Ephesians

THE DUTY

THE DOCTRINE

Walk in unity (4:1‑16)

1:22-23; 2:16,21-22; 3:6

Walk in purity (4:17‑32)

1:4

Walk in love (5:1‑7)

3:17-19

Walk in light (5:8‑14)

1:18

Walk in wisdom (5:15‑17)

1:8,17; 3:10

Walk in submission (5:18‑6:9)

3:8

Walk in victory (6:10‑20)

1:19-21

 

As with each of the subjects in these chapters, we see here that the duty is based on the doctrine of chapters 1-3. The doctrine on which this section is based appears in 1:19-21, where Paul prays that Believers might know “the exceeding greatness of [God’s] power,” the same power, in fact, that “raised [Christ] from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion.” Based, therefore, on that position in Christ, we now the practice. It is that same power that now enables the Christian to live in victory over “principalities,” “powers,” “the rulers of the darkness of this world,” and “spiritual wickedness in high places” (6:12).

What better theme could be chosen to end this glorious Epistle? Oh, how we need it today! Countless Christians are defeated on a daily basis by the world, the flesh, and the Devil. What we so desperately need to realize is that any defeat occurs because we allow it. God has already given us victory through the victory of Christ; all we have to do is claim it.

Even more basic to this subject, however, is that many Christians do not even know they’re in a war at all. Christianity today is made to look easy, made to look “user-friendly.” Quite frankly, many, if not most, Christians are clueless that there is a violent war against spiritual enemies raging around them.

A vivid illustration of this is in what was dubbed the “Phony War.” On September 3, 1939, two days after Germany invaded Poland, Britain and France declared war on Germany. While fifty-six German divisions squashed Poland like a bug, however, Britain and France did virtually nothing. In fact, while officially at war, for eight months (late summer of 1939 to late spring 1940) neither country did much at all. In spite of its great sea power, Britain sent only small overseas land expeditions, and the French just sat comfortably underground along the Maginot line. On May 10, 1940, however, the Western Front exploded in staggering surprise, as Hitler attacked Holland, Belgium, and Luxembourg, his seventy-five divisions slicing through the measly thirty-six divisions of the British, French, and Belgian defenders like a hot knife through butter. On May 28, the Belgians surrendered unconditionally, and by the 30th the entire British Expeditionary Force of 338,226 men had its back to the English Channel at Dunkirk. Had Hitler not made the inexplicable decision to stop his Panzer tanks from advancing, most of that allied army would have been annihilated. As it was, 68,111 British soldiers were killed. And all that was only the beginning of the beginning. If the Allies had simply acted like they were actually in war, Hitler could never have gotten as far as he did.

It is vital, likewise, that Christians realize that they are in violent war, namely, the war with Satan. And it is this war that Paul addresses in the this closing section. This is why Paul uses the vivid militaristic imagery in this passage, and why we’ll use several military illustrations as we continue. Because of the militarism of the age in which Paul lived, it perfectly illustrated the spiritual war of the Christian. While modern warfare is certainly terrible, war in that day was truly “up close and personal.” While today we can kill the enemy from miles away, or at least a few hundred yards, in that day most killing was done with a sword and often involved hack away body parts. So Paul was truly paralleling bloody, barbaric warfare with the spiritual war of the Christian.

It’s interesting to note that in the Roman era, military effort was the most successful form of human activity. As not only a brilliant commander but also a good historian, General George Patton reflected that Roman ideal when he said, “Compared to war, all other forms of human endeavor shrink to insignificance.”[1] While we might certainly disagree with that, it accurately reflects the context of Paul’s statement. A century before, Rome had become the mistress of the civilized world, not by commerce or diplomacy, but by the sword. Paul’s metaphor, then, would immediately capture the attention of his readers and would convey to them that they were in a no holds barred, unrestrained, violent war.

Satan is not a mischievous imp with horns who is dressed in a red suit and who carries a pitch fork, as he is sometimes pictured. As we’ll see, Satan is evil itself; he is the great adversary. Everything around us reflects the fact that all evil flows from Satan. And our war against him is all out one, one that gives no quarter, and takes no prisoners. We can’t afford to be “tolerant,” and we will deal very specifically with who the enemy is and how to confront them. While many might call this approach “divisive,” we can’t afford the luxury of such a foolish attitude.

As our outline indicates, this section can be divided into three emphases, which we will address in this chapter and those that follow:

·        The War We Wage

·        The Winning That Results

·        The Weaponry We Use

 

We shall deal with the first emphasis in this chapter, which can also be divided into three emphases: the foundation, fortification, and the foe.

I. The Foundation (v. 10)

 

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

 

As we are going to study, we are involved in a war that is not physical, but spiritual. Perhaps part of the reason some Christians don’t realize there is war on because they don’t see any blood or don’t witness any bombs dropping. But Paul would not have used this analogy if it wasn’t a “real war.” While we don’t see “real blood,” we most certain see evidence of war in the form of broken homes, shattered lives, carnal churches, and many other types of “spiritual mayhem” everywhere we look. It is for this reason that we must wage the war under God’s power and not our own.

First, notice the opening clause, Finally, my brethren. In his mammoth eight-volume exposition of Ephesians, Martin Lloyd-Jones’ sermons on verses 10-13 comprise their own 373-page book, which is a wonderful aid to Christian living. Early in that volume he well says, “[Paul] cannot stop at the end of the ninth verse . . . and for this reason, that we do not live this Christian life in a vacuum.”[2] In other words, we cannot live the Christian life in isolation; we are surrounded by sinful people, human philosophy, false doctrine, and satanic activity. Paul couldn’t just in effect say at the close of verse 9, “Well, there you have it. There’s how you are to live. Now just go do it.” He knew that to say such a thing would result in Christians being devoured. Instead, he outlines the war we face and the weapons we are to use.

Tragically, some Greek corrupt manuscripts omit the words my brethren, but the majority of Greek manuscripts contain these words and thereby support the AV reading. As Greek authority John Eadie puts it, this is “a reading of far higher authority.”[3] This reading is better simply because it personalizes Paul’s discussion. After all, he is about to deal with one of the most personal subjects, if not the most personal subject, of his entire letter.

This clause could, therefore, be translated, “In conclusion, my brethren.”[4] He is saying in effect, “Well, my brethren, there remains only one other thing to tell you, the most important principle of all for victory in the Christian life.”

Second, then, what is that final principle Paul leaves with his readers? Here is the foundation of the whole passage: Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. The language used in this verse is both powerful and instructive. Be strong is endunamoō, the root of which is dunamis meaning “power.” As mentioned way back in 1:19, dunamis and its forms appear nine times in this Epistle and is where we derive English words such as “dynamic” and “dynamite.” Its basic meaning in the New Testament is “inherent ability, ability to perform anything.” We could also define the word as “that which overcomes resis­tance.” This dunamis can overcome any resistance, overcome any obstacle, perform any task.

Paul, therefore, says that our power is in the Lord. We are defeated in Christian living simply because we do not live by the power of the Lord. Since this entire passage is framed in a military context, these words in the Lord picture our Lord as our military commander. Leadership in any military setting is so obvious that it shouldn’t need mentioning, but it does nonetheless. There are many people in leadership today in churches that do not belong there; they are either not called to leadership or are not qualified to lead according to Biblical demands. Historically, so vitally is leadership that battles, campaigns, and entire wars have risen and fallen because of leadership.

The incompetence of Union generals early in the American Civil War, for example, is legendary. George McClellan is notable. While he was a first rate administrator and organizer, building the Army of the Potomac with strict discipline and drill, he was a deplorable commander. By January 1, 1862, he was still drilling his troops without going to battle. Lincoln, pressed McClellan often of when he would launch an offensive. Getting no answer, he commented to two other generals and some of his cabinet members in his characteristic manner, “I am in great distress. If something is not done soon, the bottom will be out of the whole affair, and if General McClellan does not want to use the army, I would like to borrow it.”

McClellan had two fatal faults. One was his swaggering arrogance. He would deliver ringing speeches to his men in true Napoleonic style, which actually earned him the nickname among his troops “The Little Napoleon.” His second fault was his refusal to move unless what he thought he needed had been provided. He constantly requested more men and had the incurable disease of believing that the enemy had more men than they actually had. This is vivid in one incident. In early April, after reaching Fort Monroe, Virginia, with 90,000 men McClellan said he was ready to move north on Yorktown where 15,000 Confederates were entrenched along the peninsula across from Yorktown. Two days later, however, he was easily tricked into believing that there were more Confederates than there were and simply laid siege to the city and requested more men. Had he not been such a fool, one push would have overwhelmed the enemy. Instead, he wasted a full month. Even worse was McClellan’s failure at Antietam to pursue and destroy the Confederate army in the fall of 1862, which would have ended the war right there.[5]

A study in contrasts was the leadership of British captains on warships in the eighteenth and ninetieth centuries. They routinely walked the decks of their ships defying enemy fire just to maintain the morale of their crews. This was, in fact, exactly how the famous Lord Nelson fell during the famous Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. His defeat of the French and Spanish fleets, however, ensured British naval supremacy for 100 years.[6]

While there are some valid criticisms of General George Patton, his brilliance cannot be argued, and he understood better than many the principle of leadership. Instead of giving orders from behind the lines, his men could see him on the battlefield. As military historian Steven Ambrose recounts, while they were compatible friends, the fundamental difference between Patton and General Dwight Eisenhower was that while “Ike” thought leadership was “just one factor,” Patton believed that “the chief ingredient in modern war was inspired leadership on the battlefield.”[7]

While someone might disagree with Patton when it comes to physical warfare, the Christian had better agree with him in applying this to spiritual warfare. Our leadership is the Lord Jesus, and His was truly “inspired leadership on the battlefield.” He was “in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15). He wore the armor of God and wielded the Sword of Spirit and thereby defeated not only the world, the flesh, and the Devil, but also even death itself. If we go to war without that leadership, we will surely fall and fall quickly.

There is something else here. The most important thing about the expression be strong in this context is that it appears in the Passive Voice, which means that the subject is being acted upon (in contrast to the Active Voice which means the subject is doing the action). Therefore, the translation be strong can be misleading if we take it to mean self-effort. To reflect the Passive Voice, therefore, the more literal translation would be, “Be empowered.” This shows that an outside force gives us power. From whence does this come? Not from our own knowledge or experience, but from the Lord. He is not only our Leader, but also our Energy. If we go to battle in our own strength, we’ll not only be defeated, we’ll be exhausted before the defeat. We’ll simply get tired of trying. “It’s too hard to keep my defenses up,” we’ll conclude. “It’s just to hard to dig in and stand against all the obstacles.” We must, therefore, “Be empowered.”

Paul also adds the clause, the power of His might. The word power here is kratos, a fascinating word that speaks of natural strength and is usually used only of God. It’s significant, indeed, that “the New Testament never says that humans can either have or gain kratos.”[8] Man thinks he is strong; he thinks he is the most powerful being on earth. But by nature man is actually quite weak, having no natural strength whatsoever. It takes very specialized training, for example, to learn how to survive in the wilderness. Also, the training of military special forces groups is no less than astounding, involving months of training to even qualify and then even more training for each separate mission. Such training comes from true experts in each field. The spiritual application is even more profound. Any strength, ability, talent, or victory comes only from God’s gracious endowment.

Let us also briefly note the word might. The Greek here (ischus) is an even stronger than dunamis. In both Classical and New Testament Greek it speaks of the inherent strength and power possessed by living beings, which then gives them ability and might.

Putting it all together, the full meaning and impact of Paul’s words is this:

My final challenge to you, my Brethren, is to be empowered through your union with Christ, and then to draw all your strength from Him alone, a strength that gives you power and ability.

The story has been told several times that during the nineteenth century there was an artist who also happened to be a good chess player. He painted a picture of a chess game in progress. The players were a young man playing the white pieces and Satan playing the black pieces. The stakes were the highest: if the young man won he would be free from evil forever, but if Satan won the young man would be his slave forever. Apparently the artist believed in the power of evil over good, because his picture shows that Satan was the winner. The picture showed that after moving his Queen Satan had announced a checkmate in four moves. The young man’s hand hovers over his Rook and then stops. There was no hope. The devil wins and the young man would be his slave forever. Several chess masters had viewed the picture but to no avail. Then one day the great New Orleans master Paul Morphy (1837-1884), however, came to view the picture. He studied the board for some thirty minutes, lifting and lowing his hand to simulate various moves. Suddenly, he shouted, “Young man, make that move. That’s the move!” To everyone’s astonishment, he had discovered a combination the artist had not considered. The young man defeated the devil.

That vividly demonstrates that there is a way to defeat Satan. While we cannot do it in our own strength and experience, no matter how good we think we are, the only way is by the Real Master, the Lord Jesus Christ. Only He can show us the Satan’s tactics and show us the right moves to make in response.

Puritan William Gurnall’s, The Christian in Complete Armour, is a masterpiece of almost 1,200 pages in two-column format and small print. Nothing has been written that equals its exhaustiveness on this passage. The great divine and author of “Amazing Grace,” John Newton, wrote, “If I might read only one book beside the Bible, I would choose The Christian in Complete Armour.” Similar praise has been heaped upon it by Charles Sturgeon, J. C. Ryle, and others. Both the unabridged version and a modernized abridgment in three small volumes thankfully remain in print from Banner of Truth Trust. Reminding us of whose power we live by, he writes:

Remember, Christian, when thou hast thy best suit on, who made it, who paid for it. Thy grace, thy comfort is neither the work of thy own hands, nor the price of thy own desert; be not, for shame, proud of another’s cost. . . . Walk humbly therefore before thy God, and husband well that strength thou hast, remembering that it is borrowed strength. . . . A proud heart and a lofty mountain are never fruitful.[9]

Dear Christian, failure in Christian living often comes because we actually try too hard; we try within ourselves to succeed. At times this comes even by pride. Verse 10 tells us that we must not try within ourselves, but must allow the power of God to work. Without verse 10, in fact, the verses that follow are meaningless. As Lord Nelson made famous the statement, “England expects every man to do his duty,” let every Christian recognize their duty to be strong in the Lord.

This leads us to the second emphasis.

II. The Fortification (v. 11a)

Put on the whole armour of God,

 

We’re going to examine the armour of God in great detail, so we only introduce it here. As mentioned earlier, we are engaged in a spiritual war, a war we cannot fight physically. God has, therefore, given us the weapons with which to wage the war.

The words whole armour are one word in the Greek, panoplian. The prefix pas means “all or whole” and hoplon means “weapon.” Literally, then, the word means “all the weapons” and pictures the full armor, both offensive and defensive, of the heavily armed Roman soldier. We have all seen pictures or movies depicting the Roman soldier, and that is the graphic and dramatic picture Paul paints here.

Coupled with this are the words put on. This is the Greek enduō, which speaks of dressing oneself, but goes deeper. It’s a compound comprised of the prefix en (1722), “in,” and duō, “to sink, go in or under, to put on.” The complete idea in the word, however, going back as far as Homer, is not only the literal meaning of dressing oneself, but the figurative meaning of assuming qualities or virtues. Aristophanes, for example, said to “take courage,”[10] that is, to take on that quality of life.

This is further demonstrated by several wonderful New Testament pictures. In our Lord’s Parable of the Marriage Feast (Matt. 22:1-14), for example, one man was not dressed in appropriate clothing for that occasion (“had not on,” v. 11), showing a disregard for the requirements of attendance. This pictures the person who professes to be a Christian but is not “dressed appropriately,” who does not do what God requires.

The angels of Revelation 15:6 “are “clothed in pure and white linen,” indicating holiness. Likewise are the saints who accompany the conquering Christ at His Second  “clothed in fine linen, white and clean” (19:14), for they shall reign with Him in holiness.

Paul apparently liked this word very much, since he uses it several times. He commands us, for example, to “put on the new man” in Ephesians 4:24 (Jan. 1). And what qualities are we putting on?—“righteousness and true holiness.”

Which brings us back to putting on God’s armor. As we’ve seen, each piece of armor is a specific quality that we must assume before we go into battle. Yes, we’re “getting dressed” to go to war, but we’re doing far more. We’re taking to ourselves qualities and characteristics that are now part of our very being, our very nature. We are, as Peter tells us, “partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (2 Pet. 1:4). When we “put on Christ” (Gal. 3:27), we do indeed assume His qualities. Let us live like it.

Put on is also in the Greek Aorist Tense, showing a once-for-all act of putting on the armour and never taking it off. Futher, the verb is also in the Imperative Mood showing a command with a military snap. An expression among the infantry in more modern warfare is “saddle up,” a command that means get all gear together and move out. Furhter still, the verb is in the Middle Voice. In contrast to Active and Passive Voice which we mentioned earlier, the Middle Voice means that the subject participates in the results of the action or shares in the benefits of the action. So, putting on the armour of God is greatly to our benefit.

Putting all this together, God’s military command is that we put on all the armour, and never take it off, so that we can not only survive, but be victorious in battle. It’s not enough for a soldier to go into battle with the attitude that he just wants to survive. This attitude, in fact, was one of the tragedies of the Vietnam War; because of the deplorable morale of the soldiers brought on by the turmoil and anti-war sentiments in America at that time, many of the soldiers fought only for their personal survival; no longer was their goal victory. Now, we in no way criticize those men. On the contrary, we criticize those in America who turned their backs on those brave men. The attitude in war must be victory. How true is the statement made famous by General Douglas MacArthur, “In war there can be no substitute for victory.” The spiritual application is vivid: we are not fighting to survive but to win! Our objective is not just to come out unscathed but to inflict casualties on the enemy, Satan and his servants. General George Patton said it well, “No [one] ever won a war by dying for his country; he won it by making the other poor [soul] die for his country.”

While such sentiment might seem barbaric and sad, it must be the attitude of the Christian in the spiritual war they face. The only way we can be victorious is to put on all the weapons and leave them on for the duration of the conflict, a conflict that will continue for each of us until we go home to be the Lord. This brings us to the third emphasis.

III. The Foe (vs. 11b-12)

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.

 

How often have w read those verses and not stopped to really understand the implication of them. Dear Christian Friend, I pray that what follows will be of help to you and that you will realize, perhaps better than you ever have before in your Christian life, who the enemy is. You face an enemy who is out to destroy you and anything that has to do with the one True God, and who will use any means whatsoever to accomplish that objective.

An important observation serves to introduce the foe that Paul describes here. Up to now, he has been dealing with the enemy within us, that is, our own flesh. He has challenged us in several ways to walk correctly in the Christian life, and everyone of those ways demands a victory over inward impulse. Now, however, he speaks of the enemy without, the enemy who is outside of us, the enemy who surrounds us and threatens to destroy us by violent onslaught. Let us, therefore, consider two things.

The Nature And Severity Of The War

Once again, we see that the war in which we are engaged is not physical, not flesh and blood. And may we emphasize the fact again that we are engaged in a literal war. We’re not engaged in a “police action,” as the Korean War was ridiculously dubbed by Harry Truman; neither are we involved in a minor skirmish, or border dispute, or any such thing. We are engaged in an all-out war to the death. Ponder three principles about this war. The Devil has declared war on us, and we must do the same, just as America was forced to do against the Axis nations in world War II.

This War is Piercing

This war is one that is sharp, severe, and savage. This fact is made plain by the Greek word translated wrestle. It is the word palē which is used only here in the New Testament. One Greek authority tells us that this word refers to “a contest between two in which each endeavors to throw the other, and which is decided when the victor is able [to] hold [his opponent down] with his hand upon his neck.”[11] Paul writes something very similar to Timothy, “Fight the good fight of faith” (I Tim. 6:12). Timothy immediately understood that Paul was saying that spiritual warfare is savage. History tells us why.

Both ancient boxing and wrestling were savage. In boxing matches, the “Greeks fought almost to the death with gloves reinforced at the knuckles with an iron band three quarters of an inch thick.” The head was the only target, and “there was no rule against hitting a man who was down.” There were no rest periods or rounds. The fight continued until one surrendered or was incapacitated. As the brutality increased in Greek times, wrestling and boxing were combined into a new contest, the pankration (literally, “game of all powers”). Anything except eye gouging or biting was permitting, even kicking the stomach. Some famous competitors won by breaking the opponent’s fingers. One was noted for striking so viciously “with straightened fingers and strong sharp nails that he pierced the flesh of his adversary and dragged out his bowels.”[12]

That is why Paul says that we are at war! As graphic and barbaric as the ancient pankration was, he says that we wrestle against an ever greater spiritual foe. Are we getting the picture? Paul mentions this again in his last letter, saying of himself, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” (II Tim. 4:7). This war is, indeed, “for keeps.”

This War is Personal

In light of the ancient pictures, this is solo combat. It is close, hand-to-hand grappling with the enemy. In our day weapons are designed to kill from miles away. An ICBM is, of course, intercontinental. The weapons system of my favorite airplane, the amazing F-14 Tomcat, has the ability to track more than twenty air targets over 100 miles away, pick out six of them, and them destroy them with its six Phoenix missiles. Even on the infantry level, using a specially telescoped .50-caliber machine gun converted to single shot operation, the legendary Marine sniper Carlos Hathcock killed a Viet Cong soldier who was transporting weapons along the Ho Chi Minh trail at the unbelievable distance of 2,000 yards, well over one mile.

In spite of such long distance warfare, however, soldiers today are still taught close combat tactics. Why? Because when war gets “personal,” they better know how to fight and kill the enemy quickly. Likewise, the Christian cannot rely on technology to win the battle. There are no jet aircraft, no “smart bombs,” no sniper rifles. There’s only one weapon: “the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God,” a very personal weapon. And every Christian had better know how to use It.

This War is Permanent

There’s no discharge from this war. You can’t enlist for a two-year hitch. Never can you say, as the expression goes in the military, “I’m short,” meaning your discharge is only a few days or hours away. Every Christian is in this war for life.

In The Christian in Complete Armour, William Gurnall writes here on the permanence of the Christian’s warfare:

The Christian life is a continual wrestling. He is, as Jeremiah said of himself, born “a man of strife” [15:10]. Or what the prophet [said] to Asa, may be said to every Christian; “From hence thou shalt have wars” [II Chron. 16:9]: from thy spiritual birth to thy natural death; from the hour when thou first didst set thy face to heaven, till thou shalt set thy foot in heaven. Israel’s march out of Egypt was, in gospel-sense, our taking the field against sin and Satan; and when had they peace?—not till they lodge their colours in Canaan.[13]

So, when Paul used palē (wrestle) the Ephesian believers immediately knew what he was talking about; they immediately realized how severe the struggle is and that it would continue until they lodged their colors in Heaven. Again, sadly, many Christians don’t even know that they are in a war much less that the war is brutal. This war involves many things, including: spiritual apathy, unholy living, doctrinal error, and much more. While Paul also wrote to Timothy, “All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (II Tim. 3:12), it’s very hard to tell nowadays just how any Christians are suffering in the war. We have become so fashionable, so tolerant, so all-embracing, that we’re not fighting against anything. Most of us reflect the words of hymn writer Isaac Watts (1674-1748) in the second stanza of his challenging hymn, Am I a Solider of the Cross?:

Am I a soldier of the cross,
      A follower of the Lamb,
And shall I fear to own His cause,
      Or blush to speak His Name?

Must I be carried to the skies
      On flowery beds of ease,
While others fought to win the prize,
      And sailed through bloody seas?

Are there no foes for me to face?
      Must I not stem the flood?
Is this vile world a friend to grace,
      To help me on to God?

Sure I must fight if I would reign;
      Increase my courage, Lord.
I’ll bear the toil, endure the pain,
      Supported by Thy Word.

Thy saints in all this glorious war
      Shall conquer, though they die;
They see the triumph from afar,
      By faith’s discerning eye

When that illustrious day shall rise,
      And all Thy armies shine
In robes of victory through the skies,
      The glory shall be Thine.

Oh, that we would recognize the enemy! The Devil (Satan) is evil personified. He is a roaring lion who walks around seeking whom he can devour (I Pet. 5:8). He never gives men anything that is good for them; his only desire is to destroy men. May we each fully grasp the fact of just how severe this spiritual war is. To lose the war does not mean that we just receive a wound and a “Purple Heart,” rather it means a ruined life, a shattered family, and a broken nation.

Martyn Lloyd-Jones provides a challenging contrast. He writes that some teachers say to Christians, “You are spiritually ill and spiritually wounded and spiritually defeated. There is a clinic for you and there is a message that will sooth you and help to heal your wounds, and lead you to a way of victory without struggle.” We hear such drivel today as some teachers speak of the ease of being a Christian and how it will cancel out problems. But as Lloyd-Jones goes on to say, “A clinic! But there is no clinic; it is rather a barracks!”[14] While we all have been “drafted” into this war, may we all be challenged to willingly enlist and be committed to the task of winning.

William Gurnall adds an even more sobering comment concerning the fact that this spiritual war reveals that some professing Christians are not Christians at all:

This gives us then a reason why there are so many professors and so few Christians indeed; so many that run and so few obtain; so many to into the field against Satan and so few come out conquerors; because all have a desire to be happy, but few have courage and resolution to grapple with the difficulties that meet them in the way to happiness. All Israel came joyfully out of Egypt under Moses’ conduct, yea, and a mixed multitude with them , but when their bellies were a little pinched with hunger, and their greedy desires of a present Canaan deferred, yea, instead of peace and plenty, war and penury, they like white-livered soldiers, are ready to fly from their colours.[15]

This challenges each of us first to “examine [ourselves], whether [we] be in the faith” (II Cor. 13:5) and to “make [our] calling and election sure” (II Pet. 1:10). It then challenges the true believer to recognize the war he or she is in and prepare for battle.

The Enemies In The War

There truly are countless religious leaders and whole denominations who, right along with the world, reject any concept of a literal, personal Devil or demon. They call such belief silly superstition that comes from the Middle Ages, when people believed demons hid behind trees. But at the same time neither can such critics adequately explain the evil that permeates our world. There’s simply too much evil to account for by just criminals and “mean” people.

It is absolutely necessary for a soldier to know who his enemy is. There are many examples of this in history, such as how General Patton read Rommel’s famous book on tank warfare. One of my favorite examples is Admiral Isoruku Yamamoto, the commander of the Japanese Combined Fleet in World War II. Having earned a degree at Harvard and later becoming military attaché in Washington during a fifteen year stay, Yamamoto knew American thinking very well. He had also seen the virtually unlimited industrial power of America, and it was for that reason that he was flatly opposed to war with America. When war came, however, he had no choice; the traditions of Bushido and duty to Emperor and country bound him. But once again, his knowledge of the enemy told him that there was absolutely no hope whatsoever of victory unless the American fleet at Pearl Harbor could be destroyed in a surprise attack. The real disaster to Japan was that while their ultimatum and declaration of war was supposed to be delivered before the attack began, that message was delayed so the attack came while the nations were technically at peace. Yamamoto did not know that, and his knowledge of American thinking is best seen in these words he “reportedly” said: “I cannot think of anything that would enrage the Americans more. I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve.”[16]

Likewise, we had better understand our enemy, how he thinks and fights, or we will be defeated. Let us, therefore, examine our enemy: Satan and his demons.

Satan (v. 11)

 . . . the wiles of the devil.

 

In this great letter, Paul makes it clear to every Christian who the main enemy is, namely Satan. To understand our enemy, let us divide our examination into three emphases.

Satan’s Origin

Originally, Satan (which literally means “adversary”) was Lucifer, “the shining one.” He once was the anointed cherub, the chief of all God’s angels. But he rebelled against God and tried to raise himself above God (Is. 14:12-17; Ez. 28:12-19: Rev. 12:7-9). As a result, he and one third of all the angels, those which followed him (Rev. 12:4), were cast out of Heaven.

Satan’s Titles and Character

There’s little need to go into great detail about Satan, as some teachers do, because Satan’s titles actually describe his character; truly, these titles say it all!

First, “Prince of the Power of the Air” (Eph. 2:2). We studied this title in our exposition of Ephesians 2:2. Briefly, “prince” is archon which speaks of a ruler, commander, or chief. It comes from the verb archo meaning “to be first.” “Power” is exousia meaning “authority.” “Air” is aer, which refers to the lower, more dense, and more impure atmosphere. It is to be distinguished from aither (English “ether”) which refers to the purer air of the upper atmosphere. The Greeks viewed this lower atmosphere (aer) as the home of the spirits.[17] Satan, then, is clearly “the first authority of all the demon world.” Earth is his domain; he and his demons prey on humanity and humanity is dominated by his power.

Puritan Thomas Manton comments on this title: “The devil is called ‘prince of the power of the air.’ Infected air is drawn into the lungs without pain, and we get a disease before we feel it.”[18] Indeed, that spiritual image shoes how Satan has polluted the air! All we have to is “breath” to be infected by the world. It is vital, therefore, that we inoculate ourselves from such airborne disease.

Second, “The God of This World” (II Cor. 4:4). Most people today would never consider themselves “Satan-worshippers.” Satan worship is equated with those certain people who practice animal sacrifice and black magic within the confines of darkened, candle-lit rooms. But let it be clear that whatever is not of God is of Satan, and all men worship Satan if they reject God. Why? Because all men are of their father the devil (Jn. 8:44); they give homage to him with their Humanism, and even their religions, because it is all self-centered, and “self-centeredness,” like all sin, originated with Satan.

Third, “The Ruler of This World” (Jn. 16:11). Satan is the true “world ruler.” Hitler, Stalin, Lenin, Napoleon, Alexander, and other such men were not leaders at all. Every one of them was merely a puppet of Satan! The same is true of communists as well as all political and religious liberals today. Why? Because any such humanistic philosophy originates with Satan. Even political philosophy that is not based on a Christian foundation is of Satan.

Fourth, “The Wicked One” (Matt. 13:19). This title not only reveals that he is wicked in himself, but that he is actually the source of all wickedness. There is in Satan not one shred, not one minute particle of good. He is lying, he is stealing, he is murder, he is fornication, he is homosexuality, and he is all other sin.

Fifth, The Devil (v. 11; Jn. 8:44; etc). This title is used some thirty-three times in the New Testament and literally means “accuser or slanderer.” Because it is used so many times, we must conclude that one of his chief activities is slander and accusation. He slanders God to men (Gen. 3:1-7) and men to God (Job 1:9; 2:4).

Never has western civilization been more anti-God than today. God is denied and slandered in every way possible. Who is behind this? SATAN! On the other hand, how foolish men are for following Satan in this practice because Satan turns right around and tries to destroy men. He will do anything to men that he can do if it will destroy them. He knows his fate, which is the eternal flame of the Lake of Fire (Rev. 20:10), and he is trying to take as many with him as he can (Rev. 20:15). This leads to another characteristic.

Sixth, “The Tempter” (Matt. 4:3). Satan continually solicits men and women to sin. This fact is vividly illustrated in the temptation of Eve (Gen. 3:1-6) and the temptation of Christ (Matt. 4:1-11). Why does he do this? Because he hates God and he hates men. Dear Christian, since Satan is, as we saw earlier, lying, stealing, murder, fornication, homosexuality, and all other sin, he is, therefore, trying to lure men into it all. And may we observe, as we look at our world today, he’s having great success.

Seventh, “An Angel of Light” (II Cor. 11:13-14). As we’ll see in a moment, one of the tactics of Satan is deception, so much so that the term Angel of Light is ascribed to him. He and much of what he does looks like light. He  is the master of making anything he wants look good, right, and enlightened, but in the end it is only darkness and death.

Satan’s Tactics

It is essential that we recognize Satan’s tactics. Sadly, it is also necessary that we get specific. After many years of ministry I have discovered that if we don’t get specific, many folks just don’t “get it.” As mentioned back in 4:14, we have become so undiscerning that we will accept virtually anyone who claims to be of God, regardless of what he or she teaches or practices. It has come to the place where many Christians cannot see error even when it is right in front of them. Paul had to get very specific, sometimes even naming names, and we must do the same.

We should take careful note of the word wiles. We first saw this word, the Greek methodeia (English, “method”), back in 4:14 where it is translated “lie in wait”: “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.” These two occurrences of this word are, in fact, the only occurrences in the New Testament, where it means “to investigate by settled plan” or “a deliberate planning or system.” [19] As we saw in 4:14, there are countless teachers who deliberately and systematically formulate false doctrine which perverts the Word of God and deceives unsuspecting people. Mark it down, apostasy is planned, deliberate, and systemized. We now see why that is true; it is true because of Satan. He, too, is deliberate; he, too, has a system and plan. So, we could translate this word as “methods,” “schemes,” or “tactics.”

What, then, are the schemes of Satan? Well, the grand strategy of his campaign is to undermine God and His Word and to take as many people to hell with him as he can. But to do that, he uses tactics, just as groups of soldiers use tactics to win battles, which in turn helps achieve the objective of the grand strategy of the army. Let us, therefore, take some time to consider the major tactics of Satan.

As we examine these, we’ll also take an overview of the amour of God. Of course, we’ll closely examine each piece of amour later in our study, but this overview will show that each of Satan’s tactics can be defeated by one of the pieces of God’s amour.

 

First, Satan uses Deception. Here is by far the greatest tool of Satan, which is why we will spend the most time on this point. As we saw above, the Greek behind wiles clearly shows the idea of deceit. There is no better commentary on this principle that James 1:14: “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.” The Greek behind “drawn away” is exelkō. The root helkō, which basically means is “to draw,” “tug,” or, in the case of persons, “compel.” Jesus uses this word, for example, of irresistibly drawing souls to Himself (Jn. 6:44; 12:32).[20] The prefix ek, however, means out or away, so the picture here is the drawing, tugging, or compelling someone away from that which is good.

Even more graphic is the word “enticed,” which is deleazō, to bait or entrap and pictures the idea of baiting a hook. A fisherman or trapper uses an enticing bait to draw his prey. During World War II both German and Japanese troops would booby trap souvenirs, such as pistols and Samurai swords. The Viet Cong did the same in Vietnam. Americans returned the favor, however; since the VC loved to scrounge US supplies, when GIs vacated a campsite, they often left C-rations behind wired to a claymore mine.

All that pictures Satan and his deceptions. He always draws us by using a bait that looks desirable and even profitable; he makes it look like it will help you and be useful. But just as the fisherman, trapper, and solder hides the consequences of taking the bait, so does Satan. He tries to hide what sin will do. He camouflages the trap so well that only by stopping and carefully examining the situation can we see the trip wire. Vance Havner writes:

Satan is the Master Deceiver, the Mock angel disguised as an angel of light. He does not plow up the wheat in our Lord’s parable, he plants tares that resemble wheat so closely that few know the difference and final separation is left to angels. When Moses performs miracles, Jannes and Jambres are on hand to match the performance. Our Saviour repeatedly warned against deceivers in the last days.[21]

Oh, how many Satanic deceptions there are today! They are everywhere!

1. There are several of what we could call “Societal Snares.” One such snare is “Women’s Liberation,” which supposedly reflects an “enlightened society.” But this is simply Satanic deception that has resulted in the decay of the family and total obliteration of roles and biblical standards of the home. Another is the snare of the “new morality,” which is in reality NO morality, and which has brought about rampant promiscuity, abortion, birth control, and many other consequences. We should, in fact, call the proponents of such things exactly what they are, namely, tools of Satan. Still another is the hellish snare of homosexuality, which lures people because of the desire for unrestrained pleasure. The consequences have been a further destruction of family values, an AIDS epidemic, and life spans statistically proven to be shorter. Yes, Satan always hides the consequences of taking the bait.

2. There are also what we might call “Truth Traps,” things that look true but are false. Let’s examine four of the most prominent.

(a) For decades people have been lured into cults, for example, which is one of the greatest examples of Satanic deception. But what exactly is a cult? In his book, The Rise of the Cults (p. 12), Walter Martin offers this good definition:

A cult, then, is a group of people polarized around someone’s interpretation of the Bible and is characterized by major deviations from orthodox Christianity relative to the cardinal doctrines of the Christian faith, particularly the fact that God became man in Jesus Christ.

The growth of cults over time is positively staggering. Mormonism, for example, has grown from thirty members at its beginning in 1830 to its claim of 8,000,000 today. But why do people flock to cults? Several reasons have been offered by various teachers that can really be summed up by three.[22]

(1) Cults appeal to basic human needs. Every person has the needs of being loved and accepted, but people with emotional and identity problems are particularly susceptible to cults. They seem to answer those big questions (Who am I? Why am I here? Where am I going?) and offer a sheltered (sometimes even cloistered) atmosphere that makes a person feel protected. Tragically, in fact, they sometimes actually appeal more loving than true Christians and cult teachers make more of a more favorable  impression than true Christian leaders.

(2) Cults appear to be Christian. Being a Christian is fashionable to many people. After all, they want to believe in Jesus and His moral teachings. A cult, however, denies and twists certain teachings to make the system more pleasing to men’s ideas and philosophies. The most basic example is salvation by works, which every cult and false religion in the world teaches. By nature man wants to be able to earn his salvation and every single cult, without exception, feeds that desire.

(3) Cults promise great blessings. A cult offers pat answers and “secret truths” that only it can provide and then promises great blessings, such as prosperity and “inner peace,” if one obeys its teachings. They invariably promise instant cures to one’s problems. To this mentality, “traditional” Christianity is too slow, too unexciting, and too uneventful.

One writer offers several characteristics of a cult that make it easy for the discerning Christian to spot a mile away:

·        A Non-Biblical Source of Authority

·        Revelations of New Truth and New Interpretations of Scripture

·        The Perversion of the Person and Work of Christ

·        Unbiblical teaching on the Nature of God, such as the denial of the Trinity

·        Salvation By Works

·        False Prophecy[23]

Cults are, indeed, a subtle and extremely effective way to draw people away from the Truth. I have seen professed Christians leave a fundamental, evangelical church and join a cult, such as Mormonism or Jehovah’s Witness. The discerning Christian will always beware of such deception.

(b) Another “Truth Trap” of satanic deception is heresy within the Church. A contrast that many Christians do not understand is the difference between apostasy and heresy. While there is a fine line, there is distinction. Apostasy, which we just illustrated through cults, is a departure from Christian Truth in general; it is professed Christianity but a denial of it basic truths. This might consist of all Christian Truth or just a single Truth (such as the Deity of Christ or salvation by grace) that is so pivotal that it results in the destruction of all biblical Truth. An apostate is not a Christian. One historical example was Arius, a 4th Century parish priest in Alexandria who taught that Jesus was not coequal with God and was, in fact, a created being. Arianism has existed in various forms ever since.

Heresy, however, is not as broad and can be committed by a true Christian. Heresy is when, while holding to the foundational doctrines of Scripture, one deviates on a particular doctrine. One example of this would be the use images in Church History. While any use whatsoever of images was NEVER used by the Early Church because God forbid it, they slowly came into use through emblems such as the dove, fish, anchor, vine, and lamb. Gradually this increased through paintings, sculptures, and jewelry that depicted Biblical events, items, saints, and martyrs. While some folks get upset by such an observation, such practices today of hanging pictures of Jesus on the wall, plastering Christian symbols on our cars, and wearing jewelry with religious symbols is actually heresy. It violates a very specific command of God to make no images (Ex. 20:3-5). Today, however, many Christians think such things are “good” and “profitable,” but that is the trap.

There are many such examples. The so-called “Christian Crusades” were based on the heretical teaching that Christians can use force against unbelievers. There’s also the heretical teaching that God demands poverty from Christians. This was the teaching of the Waldensians of the 12th Century, some of whom even taught living only by alms. The very opposite of that is the heresy of “prosperity teachers,” who tell us that if we give to God, He’ll return our “in­vestment” and make us rich. The latest version of this is the almost cultish book The Prayer of Jabez. The basic, underlying teaching of the book is that the repetition of this obscure prayer unlocks the power of God in our lives, and that, quite frankly, is heresy. Why? Because it is a departure from the clear teaching of Scripture. The “seeker-sensitive” movement in Church ministry today that appeals to people’s “felt-needs” to lure them into the church is heresy plain and simple because it does not conform to New Testament precedent of Church ministry; nowhere does the New Testament teach that approach. The whole spirit of “tolerance” in the Church today is also heretical, because God commands that we discern Truth from error and strongly condemn false teaching in no uncertain terms (see our exposition of 4:14).

Such alterations to biblical Truth are everywhere. Why? Because they work great! Satan lures people away from the Truth in the subtlest of ways. And while people’s motives are as pure as the driven snow, what they are doing is still heresy. And the result that is hidden by the snare is the perversion of the Gospel and other biblical Truth.

(c) Another “Truth Trap” of satanic deception is human philosophy. This takes many forms, such as Humanism, Relativism, Rationalism, and Evolution. Evolution is especially satanic and particularly deceptive. Based solely on the idea that given enough time matter created itself, and without a single shred of empirical evidence, Satan has deceived millions using a cadre of so-called “scientists” who hate God. We say “so-called” because Evolution is not science; it is religion. True science is provable and demonstrable, while religion is a belief, and a belief is all Evolution is.

There is also the deception of Humanism. As mentioned in our study of parenting, man being “the measure of all things” goes back to Protagoras in 5th Century BC Athens and was from then on interwoven into Greek thought. Coupled with this is Relativism, the idea that truth varies with individuals and circumstance. Both of these deceive man into believing in his own self-sufficiency—that’s the trap. And the hidden result is that he is lead further and further from the truth of Jesus Christ. Because he has been blinded by Satan (II Cor. 4:4), and his “conscience [has been] seared with a hot iron” (I Tim. 4:2) so he can’t even feel the loss.

There is also the deception of Rationalism, the philosophic doctrine that all knowledge is gained through reason and logic. It is this philosophy, in fact, that has leveled more Stannic attacks against God and the Bible than any thing else. “Higher Criticism” questions and denies the historical accuracy of the Bible and miracles, and has been practiced by inarguably unsaved critics.

Another aspect of this that burdens me every day, however, is that the vast majority of evangelicals refuse to acknowledge that they, too, have been lured into the trap of Rationalism by “Lower Criticism,” that is, the so-called science of naturalistic textual study. Instead of recognizing the biblical principle that God alone has providentially preserved the true text of Scripture in the majority of Greek manuscripts, they have been lured into the intellectual trap of the rationalist who says, “We must treat the text of the Bible like any other literature and must use rationalistic methods to restore the original text.” What are the results? Since the process is ongoing, we neither have the original text nor can we ever have the original text. A new Greek text comes out periodically (as of this date, the Nestle-Aland text is in its 26th Edition), and we are drowning in a sea of modern translations that often contradict one another and cheapen the Bible to being just another bestseller. Why can’t we just stop for one moment and say, “Wait! What is the basis of this process? Is the process based upon the sovereignty of God in preserving the text or upon rationalism?”

(d) One other “Truth Trap” of satanic deception is mysticism, which seeks Truth through feelings, imagination, personal visions, inner voices, private illumination, and other subjective urges. Mysticism is rampant in Christianity today. At the very heart of Mysticism is “Contemplative Prayer,” which is nothing like the prayer described in Scripture. In this kind of prayer, one must become detached from what is going on around him, sit in contemplative silence, empty his mind, and become one with God. It is then, through imaginative experiences with Christ that He becomes the source of our words and actions.

The bait in this trap looks wonderful and even looks godly. But the consequences of following subjective visions, voices, and revelations instead of Scripture alone is catastrophic. Anyone can believe and teach anything he or she wishes with no controls. This has lead to unlimited tolerance, Relativism, and even ecumenism. Mysticism ultimately makes a mockery of Scripture, and Satan is delighted. Worse, “emptying the mind” means it can then be filled with anything, from subtle deviations from Scripture to full blown Satanic delusion and even influence.

How, then, do we combat Satan’s deceptions? The weapons we use against this tactic are the Girdle of Truth and The Sword of the Spirit. As we will study, the word “truth” (alētheia) has two meanings. One meaning is objective truth that is found in God’s Word (which we also studied in depth in 1:14), coupled with the offensive nature of The Sword of the Spirit. The other meaning is subjective truth, that is, our own truthfulness and integrity. Well, it is the objective, authoritative Truth of God’s Word that combats Satan’s deceptions.

 

Second, Satan uses Doubt. Oh, how Satan uses doubt! The greatest doubt Satan plants in our minds is a lack of assurance of our salvation. If he can makes us doubt that, he’s got us! But Paul dealt with this doctrinal reality early in this letter. In 1:13, he writes that we have been “sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise.” One of the pictures of the ancient custom of sealing was assurance, illustrated by the seal on Jesus tomb (Matt. 27:62‑66), which assured that no one would touch that tomb. He, therefore, assures us that we are sealed eter­nally (once-for-all) in Christ by the Holy Spirit’s sealing.

But Satan also tempts us to doubt God’s provision, God’s methods for ministry, our own qualification and effectiveness in ministry, and everything else of importance. Why? Because once we begin to doubt, we are on the slippery downhill slide to defeat.

What’s the weapon? The Shield of Faith. The only way to deflect and extinguish the doubts that Satan hurls at us is by trusting God and His Word and leaning only upon Him.

 

Third, Satan uses Discouragement. Satan will throw disappointments, disasters, and delays at us until we just feel like quitting. Military history tells us that battles (even wars) have been lost because of the low morale of the troops, even when there was military superiority. Vietnam is a classic example. Low morale, brought on by government corruption and public criticism of the soldiers, contributed to American failure, in spite of far greater military strength and technology. A good commander, then, knows that morale is a vital factor and he tries always to keep up the spirits of each soldier under his command. As we mentioned earlier, a soldier must not go to war with just the attitude of survival, but with the attitude of victory.

Paul also dealt with this principle earlier in the letter. In 3:13 he wrote, “Faint not,” which is ekkakeō, “to turn out to be a coward, to lose one’s courage, to faint or despond in view of trial,”[24] or even stronger, “to be utterly spiritless.”[25] This challenges us not to sink into despondency, not to become so dispirited and cowardly that they just quit.

How does God keep up our morale? With The Helmet of Salvation. The head is the most vital area of the human body for it contains the brain. So then, the Helmet of Salvation protects the Christian’s mind, his thinking, his attitudes, and his emotions. Discouragement comes from emotion, so victory over it comes from the intellect; it is with the intellect that we know God is on the throne and in control. To be discouraged, Dear Christian Friend, is to disbelieve God.

 

Fourth, Satan uses Distraction. The chief agent in driving us to distraction is temptation to sin. As mentioned earlier, one of Satan’s names is “The Tempter” (Matt. 4:3). Both Eve (Gen. 3:1-6) and our Lord (Matt. 4:1-11) were tempted to sin in all three areas of sin: “the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (I Jn. 2:16). We, too, will be tempted in these areas. “Lust” (epithumia) refers to a strong craving, or passionate desire, whether good or evil; the context here, of course, speaks of evil cravings.

“The flesh,” then, refers to craving something that appeals to our fallen nature, bodily appetites that are out of control. Hunger is not evil, but gluttony is sinful. Thirst is not sin, but drunkenness is. Sleep isn’t sinful, but laziness is. Sex is not sinful, but fornication is.

“The eyes” refers to ev