For most of us, 2020 has been the worst year in memory. It’s as though we’re under attack. Who is the enemy? Is it COVID-19? Racism?
According to Oxford Dictionary an enemy is “a person who is actively opposed or hostile to someone or something”. A virus isn’t a person, and neither is racism.
So our enemies must be the Chinese government, and our political/ideological opponents.
Actually, that’s not true either.
Who, then, is our enemy? Who is fighting us? Who is making us fight each other? What is the truth?
The truth will change the way we fight and radically affect whether or not we are victorious in battle. It is this: “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 the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). In short, we battle Satan and his malicious armies.
When God made the world and all that’s in it, including humans, everything was exquisitely perfect – there was no sin, pain, or suffering of any kind. But Adam and Eve chose to disobey God by giving in to Satan’s temptations, and since that day Satan has introduced more and more pain, disease, death, anger, hatred, selfish ambition, and evil into the world.
COVID-19, violence, hate, and so much else we’re inundated with today are the result, ultimately, of Satan’s victories in battle. We humans are doing an excellent job of fighting one another, and a dismal job of impeding Satan’s advances.
How on earth do mere mortals battle Satan and his legion? Fortunately, we have the answer. In Ephesians 6:10-18 we’re told how to dress for battle. We’re instructed to put on the Armor of God:
– Belt of Truth: A warrior hangs his battle tools, such as a sword, from his belt. God’s many truths, found in the Bible, arm us with the weapons we need to do battle victoriously.
– Breastplate of Righteousness: Breastplates guard hearts. Being righteous and holy in Christ Jesus will ensure that our hearts are in the right place as we battle. We battle for truth, not for selfish ambition.
– Sandals of the Gospel of Peace: Sandals guard us by forming a barrier between our tender feet and the tough ground. Peace is a barrier that guards our hearts and minds from the relentless horrors of the world (Phil 4:6-7), allowing us to focus on why we fight: not because we hate our opponents (fellow humans) but because we hate the lies of Satan that ensnare them. We fight for justice to prevail, so that our opponent will be freed by truth and become our ally. We defeat evil so that peace will follow the battle. We find peace when we are unified in Christ.
– Shield of Faith: Shields protect bodies from harm. When we have faith that God is good, loving, and powerful, we have a shield that can protect our hearts and minds from ANY “flaming arrows” (lies and accusations) that Satan launches at us.
– Helmet of Salvation: Helmets protect heads from deadly attack, because once our head is destroyed, our body dies. Salvation is confessing truly that Jesus is Lord, and believing sincerely that he died for our sins and came back to life (Romans 10:9). A helmet of salvation guards our mind from attacks from Satan that lead to spiritual death. Thus, intentionally putting on a “helmet” of salvation saves us from eternity in hell.
We must understand that the battle is not between two human sides, but rather between forces of good and forces of evil. This understanding will naturally lead us away from hating our fellow humans and toward a loving desire to guard them from the evil attempting to ensnare us all.
I beg you to close your eyes for a few moments and imagine a world where everyone – black, white, brown, male, female, strong, weak, old, young – actually did the following things, every day, in every situation, no matter what:
“In humility, value others above yourselves” – Philippians 2:3
“Love others as I have loved you” – Jesus, in John 15:12
“Forsake wrath” – Psalm 37:8
“Seek justice and love mercy” – Micah 6:8
Pray all the time about everything – summarized, Philippians 4:6 & Ephesians 6:18
Read those again. They’re such simple commands, but if every human followed them, there would be no hatred for our fellow man. There would be no killing of unborn children nor of born persons. There would be no unjust laws or acts, unkind words or attitudes, greed, looting, brick-throwing, name-calling, or destroying others’ property. In a world where we love others with a Jesus-kind-of-love, what would you enjoy the most? Why can’t we live in this kind of world?
We humans have a natural tendency to stand up for our “rights”. But what if we humble ourselves and instead treat others with kindness and love, no matter how we ourselves are treated? With our good deeds we would win each other over; we would be unified under God, and God – not any human dignitary or leader – would be rightly glorified (1 Peter 2:12).
Changing the world does not mean fighting a Civil War against our fellow humans, it means fighting a Revolutionary War against forces of darkness contending for our morality and mortality. Changing the world means loving one another with a radical kind of love, and fighting evil with a radical kind of warfare. Will you take up arms, by putting on the Armor of God, and fight alongside me?
Yes, I would and I do fight a long side you!!!
I think all Christians need to take a stand and unite now more than ever!! And proclaim that the fight is not against flesh and blood (blacks, whites, male, female, young or old sister or brother!!) but it’s against the evil powers of this dark world!!!⚔️ Many more Christians need to join forces and understand what we’re REALLY up against!!
We need to open our eyes!! We all have a war on our hands!!🙅♀️ Our hearts need to be united in Christ!!
I agree that many more Christians need to join the fight. Too many Christians (myself included at times) are chasing the things the world chases – fame, money, comfort – and completely ignoring the things that God tells us to chase: making him known to our neighbors, friends, and even strangers (Matthew 28:19); loving others including those who hate us (Luke 6:35); and seeking justice and mercy (Micah 6:8)…at any cost.
Another great message from the Word of God. Truth.
I heard a message today that mentioned God doesn’t say anything about the armor covering and protecting our backside.
Only our frontside. That is because we are to keep moving forward in faith. Not retreating, going backward or backsliding. Profound. When God is for you, in front of you, behind you, next to you and encompasses you, you have no need for backside armor. Deut 31:8 and Isa 58:8-9 and Psalm5: 11-12. God’s got our back. Profound! I love the Word of God and it’s Truth’s. The battle rages on , our armor is on as we fight alongside our mighty God , but God reminds us He is with us and that battle is His. 2 Chron 20:15 & 17
Ooh, that’s good – our armor protects our frontside because our backside better not see battle as we retreat or backslide! It’s no coincidence that you mention 2 Chronicles 20 because I had just read that during my devotions day before you posted this, and I noticed the same thing: God told his people to armor up and get ready for battle…and they obeyed. But when they got there, their enemies were already being defeated by other enemies! All they had to do was show up – the battle was God’s! Sometimes, though, he does ask us to engage in hard, exhausting, terrifying battle – but even then, he is with us.