Undoubtedly, one of the most familiar texts in all the New Testament must be Eph. 6:10-18. In this section of sacred writing, we find the apostle Paul's exhortation to Christians in their battle against Satan. Thus far in the epistle, Paul has set forth God's great plan for man's salvation, the nature of His church, the standard of morality, and the need for submission in all our human relationships. In bringing the letter to the Ephesians to a close, the Holy Spirit emphasizes the great struggle with the forces of evil which threatens our souls.
The religion of Jesus Christ is indeed wonderful, and eternal happiness is our reward if we become His disciples. The doctrine of Christ is the "gospel of peace" (Jn. 14:27; Rom. 10:15). It is through the death of Christ and faithful living to His teachings that man is reconciled to God (Rom. 5:1, 10-11). Yet, when it comes down to it, the end of the matter is a military struggle. We are in for the absolute fight of our eternal lives. Satan will not just sit by and allow us access to God without a fight. He is on the prowl (1 Pet. 5:8). We must fight (1 Tim 6:12; 2 Tim. 4:7).
Because of Satan's diligence, we cannot be careless. Nor can we be weaklings, "easy prey" for him. We must be empowered to fight for the heritage God has always planned for us (Eph. 1:11). To this end, we want to devote the next few articles to an examination of Eph. 6:10-18 and how saints are armored to fight against Satan.
God has indeed strengthened us for this battle. Considering all He has done for our salvation, why would He leave us to defeat? However, His desire for our survival requires that we engage ourselves in the battle. God will not do everything and we just sit back and watch Him fight for us. "Put on the full armor of God,..." Paul urges (v. 11). We have to exert ourselves to the utmost to win this battle. The strength needed is not self-strength; it is the Lord's (v. 10).
Over the next few weeks, the Lord willing, we'll examine the nature of the battle, the need for the armorment of God, what each piece represents, and how they help us to win the battle for our souls.
