Watchman: Know the Enemy; They Are Playing for Keeps. Are You?

By SRH:

Ephesians 6:11-12 NIV

Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Paul stirs up the field-soldiers of faith with a vision of the bigger picture, much like a general preparing his men for the main war. The true opponent is the focus of the real conflict. So frequently, Believers strive against the wrong thing, or we are staunchly opposed to the minor things. Not because they are bad things, but we need to know who or what is attempting to undermine our faith.

Putting on God's whole armor begins with comprehending what is going on. Nothing is worse than putting on your athletic gear before asking what game we're going to play. If you're competing in a swimming competition, your hockey equipment won't help you much. We must grasp the nature of our ultimate adversary and use that knowledge to develop the type of defenses we require.

For believers, the devil is a genuine, personal being. He is known by several names, including Lucifer, Satan, the father of lies, the accuser of the brethren, and Beelzebub. The adversary is not a noisy neighbor or a board member who always gets his own way. It is not cancer, diabetes, MS, or a congenital defect. It is not the drunk driver who kills your child, the boss who fires you, or the Christian who opposes you who are to blame.

Satan and his forces are your sworn adversary, and he has waged war on God's people. His forces are not corporeal in the way that an earthly army is. Although some Believer authors depict demonic entities as having sulfur breath and traditional bad traits, Paul merely refers to them as "rulers, powers, world forces of this darkness, spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." There appears to be a structured ordering of wicked beings in the spiritual non-physical dimension (hence referred to as heavenly regions). We've already encountered these in Ephesians (see 1:21, 2:2, 3:10).

These are serious adversaries, and we cannot afford to ignore their existence. As any general will tell you, the more you know about your opponent and his tactics, the better you will be able to withstand his offensives. However, keep in mind verse 10: To be strong in the Lord's might. We must maintain our resolve and not back down. Fears of failure, criticism, doubt, weakness, and insignificance must be conquered. We must practice understanding our opponent's darts and shots.
Know your adversary; they are playing for keeps. Are you sure?