By Stu Schaefer
When you read these verses:
10 Finally, grow powerful in union with the Lord, in union with his mighty strength! 11 Use all the armor and weaponry that God provides, so that you will be able to stand against the deceptive tactics of the Adversary. 12 For we are not struggling against human beings, but against the rulers, authorities and cosmic powers governing this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm. 13 So take up every piece of war equipment God provides; so that when the evil day comes, you will be able to resist; and when the battle is won, you will still be standing.
(Ephesians 6:10-13)
What does that say to you about what we, as followers of Jesus Christ, are to be doing? To me, this was and still is a Divine call to arms. While we are still on this side of Heaven, we are never given robes and harps, with our only action to praise God.
God gives to each of us battle armor and a weapon. Is it possible that our God want us to join Him in Battle? What is even wilder is that part about our enemies are not flesh and blood! Now we are talking about spirit beings that are evil. Many Christians do not want to take up arms. Many have never even heard that we are to be doing battle. Many do not want to go near the idea of evil spirits, much less fighting them.
Yet Paul when writing in his second letter to the Christians in Corinth said:
3 For although we do live in the world, we do not wage war in a worldly way; 4 because the weapons we use to wage war are not worldly. On the contrary, they have God’s power for demolishing strongholds. We demolish arguments 5 and every arrogance that raises itself up against the knowledge of God; we take every thought captive and make it obey the Messiah.
(2 Corinthians 10:3-5)
These are quite serious words from the pages of The Word. Yet even many of the serious, like-minded Christians I have the honor of serving alongside of have confided that they don’t really know how to put these verses into practice. Join me in a spiritual boot-camp of sorts. I am convinced that there is a need for us to convene to learn, grow, and share this aspect of being a Christian. We need to get right with Jesus, get our armor on, take up the Authority that Christ has given each of us, and learn how to make these passages of scripture real and powerful in each of our lives.