FIGHT THE RIGHT FIGHT
“Don’t waste your energy fighting the wrong fight.” Rev. George Varughese
Warfare Series
Ephesians 6:12
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age,[a] against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
1. Our battle is a battle of the spirit
2. This battle happens in our natural lives when we are opposed by man-man level
- every strife that happens against man
3. This battle happens in our natural lives when we are opposed by satan-man level
- spiritual battles when persons yield to the tactics of satan
4. Besides resolving conflicts naturally by psychology and human persuasion
5. So we must battle accurately in the spirit
6. By putting on the whole armour of God and stand
13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— 19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. Ephesians 6:13-30
Background:
1. The existence of the spiritual world / kingdom
2. The existence of wars in the spiritual world
(a) God’s kingdom
Apostle Paul encountered a man caught up in the third heavens who was himself in the spirit self
2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was caught up to the third heaven. 3 And I know such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— 4 how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. 2 Corinthians 12:2-4
7 And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. 2 Corinthians 12:7
God appeared as a man of war in the spirit world in the context of war
13 And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, “Are You for us or for our adversaries?” 14 So He said, “No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, “What does my Lord say to His servant?” 15 Then the Commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy.” And Joshua did so. Joshua 5:13-15
(b) Satan’s kingdom
Satanic prince, the devil withstood Daniel
13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia. Daniel 10:13
- by “the prince of the kingdom of Persia”: (Gills)
- is not to be understood the then reigning king of Persia, Cyrus, or his son Cambyses; who either of them would have been called rather king of Persia;
- nor were they able to withstand an angel, and such an one as Gabriel; nor is a good angel meant, the tutelar one of this kingdom;
- for it cannot be reasonably thought that good angels should militate against one another;
- but an evil angel, either Satan, the prince and god of this world, or one of his principal angels under him, employed by him to do what mischief he could in the court of Persia, against the people of God, the Jews;
- and with this sense agree the contests ascribed to Satan and the Angel of the Lord concerning Joshua, Zechariah 3:1
- 3 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him. Zechariah 3:1
- and to Michael and the devil disputing about the body of Moses, Jude 1:9
- 9 Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” Jude 1:9
- and to Michael and his angels, and the devil and his angels, warring in heaven, Revelation 12:7,
- 7 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, Revelation 12:7
- but, lo, Michael one of the chief Princes, came to help me; called in the New Testament an Archangel, the Prince of angels, the Head of all principality and power; and is no other than Christ the Son of God, an uncreated Angel; who is “one”, or “the first of the chief Princes” (x), superior to angels, in nature, name, and office; he came to “help” Gabriel, not as a fellow creature, but as the Lord of hosts; not as a fellow soldier, but as General of the armies in heaven and earth, as superior to him in wisdom and strength; and he helped him by giving him fresh counsels, orders, and instructions, which he following succeeded:
- and I remained there with the kings of Persia; with the king of Persia and his nobles, putting into execution the orders Michael had given him, and so baffled the designs of the evil spirit; and this retarded him from being with the prophet one and twenty days. The Septuagint and Arabic versions very wrongly render the words, “and I left him there with the kings of Persia”; as if Michael was left there by Gabriel, whereas it was just the reverse.
- is not to be understood the then reigning king of Persia, Cyrus, or his son Cambyses; who either of them would have been called rather king of Persia;
The reality of how Satan the Ruler of this world will be cast out
31 Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. John 12:31
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—–REFERENCE—
Sept. 25
The Premise:
1. The nature of the battle of the spirit
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age,[a] against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12
What it is not?
- Not a battle against flesh and blood
What it is?
- Battle against spirits
2. Satan’s tactics
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Ephesians 6:11
- 3180. μεθοδεία. methodeia
- schemes / wiles
- (a way of search after something, an inquiry; a method), scheming, craftiness, deceit.
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HELPS Word-studies
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3180 methodeía (the root of the English term, “method”) – properly, a predictable (pre-set) method used in organized evil-doing (well-crafted trickery).
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[3180 (methodeía) comes from methodos, a “way of searching after something, an inquiry; a method), scheming, craftiness” (Souter).]
3. Believers posture of battle
- In whom are we to be to be strong?
- strong in the Lord
- what does it mean?
- we depend on the Lord
- we depend on the personality of God
- we depend on all that God says Himself to be
- In what are we to be strong in?
- to be strong in God’s might
- what does it mean?
- we are to be full of God
- we are to be full of God’s power and strength
4. Modus Operandi of the battle
- (a) against the the rulers
- (b) against the powers
- (c) against the world forces of this darkness
- (d) against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places
12 For our struggle is not against [a]flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12 (NASB)
- (a) against the the rulers
- 746. ἀρχή arché
- (a) rule (kingly or magisterial), (b) plur: in a quasi-personal sense, almost: rulers, magistrates, (c) beginning.
- 746 arxḗ – properly, from the beginning (temporal sense), i.e. “the initial (starting) point”; (figuratively) what comes first and therefore is chief (foremost), i.e. has the priority because ahead of the rest (“preeminent”).
- (b) against the powers
- (a) power, authority, weight, especially: moral authority, influence, (b) in a quasi-personal sense, derived from later Judaism, of a spiritual power, and hence of an earthly power.
- HELPS Word-studies. 1849 eksousía (from 1537 /ek, “out from,” which intensifies 1510/eimí, “to be, being as a right or privilege”) – authority, conferredpower; delegated empowerment (“authorization”), operating in a designated jurisdiction.
- (c) against the world forces of this darkness
- 2888. κοσμοκράτωρ kosmokratór
- ruler of this world, that is, of the world as asserting its independence of God; used of the angelic or demonic powers controlling the sublunary world.
- HELPS Word-studies 2888 kosmokrátōr (from 2889 /kósmos, “world” and 2902 /kratéō, “to rule”) – properly, world-ruler, referring to Satan (demons) influencing the lives of worldly people (used only in Eph 6:12).
- (d) against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places
- wickedness, iniquities.
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age,[a] against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— 19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. Ephesians 6:10-20
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