It is easy to become casual about Scriptures we have read over and over. So we are always delighted to study familiar Scriptures and discover new things. One such passage is Ep. 6:10-18. This is the primary "spiritual warfare" Scripture, and has been portrayed in children's church, preached from many pulpits, and even demonstrated with actual armor.
Ah, so the word is much richer than the translators tell us. After having gone through every struggle of the fight we are then to occupy and defend the ground we have taken, and hold our position against the enemy.
There is one part of this that never seems to get preached about, and that is what it means to stand. ...and after you have done everything, to stand. This word has remained in the back of our mind as a curiosity. What did Paul mean to get all dressed up just to stand?
Here's the passage:
Ep. 6:10-18 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Ep. 6:11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 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. 13 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.
14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled round your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, 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.
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
"Done everything" is κατεργάζομαι (katergazomai) ...having gone through every struggle of the fight, Ephesians 6:13... There is a point when having arrayed ourselves in Spiritual armor, we have done everything our Commander tells us to do. It's after this we are told to stand.
Do we just stop and do nothing? Have we simply exhausted every resource, and God has nothing left for us? Is this a case of "stand there and do nothing?" No, no, and no. One does not go to war and then cease activity in the middle of the fight.
The word "stand" is ἵστημι (histémi), 2. b. to stand ready or prepared: with a participle, Ephesians 6:14... d. ...in a figure, of one who vanquishes his adversaries and holds the ground, Ephesians 6:13; also of one who in the midst of the fight holds his position πρός τινα, against the foe..
Ah, so the word is much richer than the translators tell us. After having gone through every struggle of the fight we are then to occupy and defend the ground we have taken, and hold our position against the enemy.
A parallel passage is found in 1Th. 5:6-8:
So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.
Here we find a sort of spiritual analogy. There are some who sleep at their posts and cede the ground they have gained. They cede it by acting like people of the night, getting drunk, losing self-control, and not being alert.
Peter says something similar. 1Pe. 5:8:
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
Notice a theme developing. Back in Eph. 6:18 Paul tells the Ephesians:
...be alert...
He tells the Thessalonians (1Th. 5:6-8):
...let us be alert and self-controlled...And Peter tells his readers (1Pe. 5:8-9):
Be self-controlled and alert.Hmm. There must be a reason we are to be self-controlled and alert. Indeed there is. Prayer. Eph 6:18 again:
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.And 1Pe. 4:7:
...Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray.
So there a connection between spiritual warfare, self control, alertness, and the armor. That is prayer.
We believe that spiritual warfare consists mainly of praying in the Spirit. ...pray in the Spirit... This kind of praying is what we should always seek to do. Some equate it to binding and loosing (we discuss this here), or praying in tongues (we discuss tongues here), but we don't think so. "In the Spirit" is variously described:
Ac. 18:25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor in the Spirit...
Col. 1:8 and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.
Re. 1:10 On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit...
"In the Spirit" is positional. "In." The Holy Spirit inhabits us (Ro. 8:9), fills us (Eph. 5:18), enlightens us (Ep. 1:18), and leads us in our praying (Ro. 8:26). Spirit-led prayer pushes back the territory of the enemy. Praying in the Spirit captures enemy ground, and by standing firm retains it.
2Co. 10:3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.
Therefore, let us be a people who
- are clear-minded
- are alert
- are self controlled
- who pray in the Spirit.
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