Ephesians 6:10

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places... Stand therefore, having girded your waist with the truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take up the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints. (Ephesians 6:10–18)

Your identity is settled and your destiny is sure—but there is still a battle to fight, and you cannot win it in your own strength.

Insurmountable Odds

There's something compelling about a movie that opens with the line, "Based on a true story." It's even more gripping when the main character faces insurmountable odds—obstacles that seem impossible to overcome. That was the case with the 1993 film Rudy, based on the real-life Daniel E. Ruettiger, who grew up in southern Illinois.

From the time he was a little kid, Rudy's ambition was not just to attend Notre Dame but to play football for the Fighting Irish. The problem was that he was dyslexic and struggled in school, and he was a wee little lad—at his biggest only 5'6" and 165 pounds. Everyone told him, "There's no way. You're too little, too small, you're not smart enough."

Yet Rudy got his grades up at community college, was accepted to Notre Dame, and fought to make the team. In the last home game of his last season, he played three plays and recorded a sack. On his team that day was the great Joe Montana, who speaks highly of him to this day. At one point in the film, Rudy tells the priest, "My whole life, people have been telling me what I could do and what I couldn't do, and I've always believed them. I don't want to do that anymore." He overcame the insurmountable odds.

A Review of Our Identity

Over the last five studies in Ephesians, we have considered the identity of the Christian—our origin, identity, destiny, and purpose. Ephesians 2 reveals our origin: we were dead in trespasses and sins, separated from God, alienated from Him because of disobedience. We stood as His enemies. We were under the sway of the wicked one, walking in uncleanness, lewdness, and greediness, and by nature children of wrath.

But God, who is rich in mercy because of His great love, reached out to us when we were dead in trespasses and sins and made us alive. If you've put your faith in Jesus for salvation, your identity has changed. You are no longer dead, no longer an enemy of God; instead He has placed you in Christ. Those are Paul's key words for the Christian.

Because you're in Christ, you are blessed with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places. Ephesians 1 says you have been chosen, predestined, adopted, accepted, redeemed, forgiven, given revelation, an incorruptible inheritance, and an eternal future. Your destiny has changed too. We are no longer headed for an eternity separated from God in hell—and we will, in fact, begin a three-week series called What the Bible Says About Hell two weeks from today. Now we are headed to be with Him forever, where there is fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore.

Identity Alters Activity

This new identity changes our purpose. Our new "I am" in Christ affects our "I do." Our identity alters our activity. It was true for Paul, who became a sent one, an apostle. It was true for the Ephesians, whom Paul calls saints and faithful in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:10 says, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in."

A couple of weeks ago we saw what we should be—walking worthy of our calling, no longer as the world walks. As Ephesians 5:8 says, "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light." Last week we considered what we can be in Christ: walking in humility, gentleness, meekness, patience, and forgiveness, pressing on to maturity. This is possible as we are saturated by the Spirit ("be filled with the Spirit") and sanctified by the Scriptures (washed "by the washing of the water of His Word").

What We Must Fight to Be

Now we come to the last study in our series. We move from what we should be and what we can be to what we must fight to be—even though others say we can't, even though the odds seem insurmountable, even though our flesh insists we're too little, too weak. We see this clearly in Ephesians 6:10–18.

Christianity answers the questions of identity, origin, destiny, and purpose better than any other worldview or philosophy. When you became a Christian, Jesus didn't immediately pull you out of this world. He left you here to live out your faith, to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, knowing that God is working in you to will and to do His good pleasure.

But the sad reality, as we survey the church in America, is that many Christians live a defeated and deflated Christian life. They find their identity in Christ and know their destiny is set, but they're just waiting for the day they finally get to be with Him. God wants us to walk in victory now, and there are keys to victorious living in Ephesians 6.

There Is a Battle to Fight

The Christian's identity is certain and their destiny is set, but there is still a battle to fight. When you became a Christian, you were conscripted into a battle that takes place on three fronts: we battle against the world, the flesh, and the devil.

The enemy—the devil, described here as principalities, powers, and rulers of the darkness of this age—uses the trappings of this world to get at your flesh, and he is very good at it. There are lustful desires in our sinful nature contrary to the law of God, and the enemy uses the world to tempt us into them. Yet the victory is ultimately won. Jesus declared victory on the cross when He said, "It is finished." He defeated sin, death, and Satan. We are simply still in occupied territory—a world under the sway of the wicked one.

Before you were a Christian, there was no battle, because, for lack of a better way of saying it, you were on Team Lucifer. He didn't fight you; you were already doing everything he wanted, even in your doubt. As a popular movie said, "The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist." A 2009 Barna study found that only one-third of Christians believe the devil is real; the majority think he is merely a symbol of evil. But Jesus believed in spiritual hosts of wickedness, and so did Paul. If there's no devil, there's no spiritual battle, no reason to prepare—and that explains a lot of deflated Christian living.

Key One: Our Strength Is in the Lord

The first key to victory is in verses 10 and 11: "Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." The only way you will stand against the wiles of the devil is in the strength of the Lord, not your own.

You may be physically fit—even a CrossFitter who can do cleans and burpees. You may be intellectually quick, have stellar church attendance, and have been baptized years ago. None of that will stand against this foe. We need to constantly confess, "God, I cannot do this on my own." Paul reminds the Corinthians that we are not sufficient of ourselves; our sufficiency comes from God. He confesses, "When I am weak, then I am strong," because the power of God's might is evident in his life. So the first key is to confess your weakness and receive His strength.

Key Two: Our Fight Is Spiritual, Not Physical

Verse 12 was the first verse I memorized as a kid: "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places." Paul states it in the negative and the positive to emphasize a truth most American Christians have disregarded.

If you're not a Christian, you might think this is wacky—until you put your faith in Christ. The moment you say, "I want to follow Jesus," you will experience opposition like you never imagined. Every Christian here knows this is true. And many believers, weary of opposition, simply retreat: "Every time I invite a neighbor to church, there's resistance, so I'll stop." But that's not okay. The Lord has called us to stand.

If this were a physical foe, it would be easier—we'd know what he looked like and prepare accordingly. But he comes to us wily. We tend to picture Wile E. Coyote, who was terrible at traps. But the Bible shows the enemy is subtle—the cunning serpent of Genesis 3 who deceived humanity into sin. C.S. Lewis captures this in The Screwtape Letters, where an older demon coaches his nephew. He advises: every time your client decides to pray, read the Bible, or go to church, simply remind him how tired or busy he is. You close your eyes to pray and instantly feel sleepy; you sit to read and suddenly you're hungry. That is deceptive subtlety. Ephesians 2:2 calls him "the prince of the power of the air"—you can't see him, but the effects are real.

Key Three: Our Armor and Weapons Are Spiritual

Verse 13 says, "Therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day." Because this is a spiritual battle, our weapons are spiritual too. As guys, if this were a physical fight, we'd grab an AR-15 build kit and put it together. But 2 Corinthians 10:4 says, "The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for the tearing down of strongholds." They are more powerful than missiles and guns.

You cannot survive by taking up only one or two pieces. We need the complete armor of God—seven armaments listed in verses 14–18. I love that it's seven, the number of completeness.

The belt of truth. A belt holds everything together and keeps it up. Jesus is the truth (John 14:6), so He must be the one holding everything together in your life. This matters because the devil is "the father of lies" (John 8). He lies: "You will not surely die." "No one will find out." "You can cover this over." When the father of lies confronts you, you need the truth of Christ holding everything together.

The breastplate of righteousness. Only the breastplate of righteousness protects the vital organs of faith. We don't stand in our own righteousness—we have none—but in the righteousness of Christ. When the enemy says, "You're not good enough, look how quickly you fall," the Christian confesses, "You're right. I'm unrighteous. But I stand clothed in the righteousness of Christ." "He who knew no sin became sin for us that we might be the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21). Isaiah speaks of being clothed in a robe of righteousness—that is our protection when the enemy comes in like a flood.

The gospel of peace for your feet. This speaks of a sure foundation. The finished work of Jesus is the only thing that keeps us steadfast. It's Jesus plus nothing—not Jesus plus our good works, our baptism, our tithing, or our service. He and He alone is what we stand upon.

The Shield, the Helmet, the Sword, and Prayer

The shield of faith. Paul says, "above all," signaling its essential nature. With it "you will be able to quench the fiery darts of the wicked one." To be protected against this air assault, we need complete, utter dependence and confidence upon Jesus alone. Notice the underlying theme: every piece points to trusting completely in God and not in ourselves.

The helmet of salvation. In 1 Thessalonians 5:8 Paul uses the same metaphor: "as a helmet, the hope of salvation." This is absolute, certain trust that I am saved not because of anything I have done but because of what Christ has done. When the enemy says, "You'll never be good enough," you reply, "You're right—but it's not my work; it's the finished work of Jesus."

The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Hebrews says the word of God is living and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword. This is the only offensive weapon in the list. How do we know it's effective? When the devil tempted Jesus three times in Matthew 4, Jesus answered each time, "It is written... it is written... it is written." Many Christians live defeated because they don't know what is written. Over 50% of churches in America have a teaching time of only 25 to 28 minutes, and that's the only time most Christians hear the word. You need more—open the word yourself on Monday morning, Tuesday, Wednesday, meditating on it day and night, hiding God's word in your heart that you might not sin against Him. If you find it confusing, start by praying, "God, enlighten my eyes," and consider our free Reading the Bible with Purpose seminar on March 21st. When the sword of the Spirit is presented, the enemy flees.

Prayer. Paul says, "praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful." How do you know a spiritual enemy is coming when you can't perceive him? You stay watchful in prayer. In battle you always stay in communication with headquarters. Not just three quick prayers at mealtimes, but praying always, in every circumstance, connected to the Lord and watchful on the rampart.

So how can we win this spiritual battle? Recognize that there is a battle, that it is spiritual and not physical, that we cannot stand in our own strength, and put on all of His armor—the belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, gospel of peace, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, sword of the Spirit, and prayer. In these things, you and I will find victory.

Closing Prayer

Father, we fight in a battle from a position of victory because You said, "It is finished," but we still fight. So God, I pray that You would enable us by Your truth, by Your righteousness, by the good news of the gospel, with the sword of the Spirit, with faith and total confidence in You. By prayer, enable us to be victorious—to see victory in our lives and to express it in the way that we live—and that all of this would be done ultimately for Your glory. We ask this in Jesus' name, and all God's people said, Amen.