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Are You Wearing the Full Armor of God?

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One thing pastors like to do is dress up as Roman soldiers and preach on the armor of God. “You need to wear the full armor of God,” they say as they bash their gladii (swords) against their scuta (shields). It’s a lot of fun.

But does it work?

Apart from the memory of Pastor Frank’s paunch poking out from under a shiny breastplate, what have you really taken from these sermons? Have you put on the armor of God? Are you wearing it now? Let’s check.

Without reading on, ask yourself to list the various pieces of spiritual armor. Can you name all six?

When Paul wrote about the armor of God he was in prison or house arrest in Rome. Roman soldiers were coming and going. Inspired by their apparel, Paul wrote these well-known words:

Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. (Ephesians 6:11)

Putting on the armor of God does not mean praying harder or singing louder or shouting at the devil. Putting on spiritual armor is analogous to putting on Christ (Rom. 13:14) or putting on the new self (Eph. 4:22–24).

To be clothed with the armor of God is to wear his righteousness, his truth, and his salvation (Is. 59:16–17, 61:10). It is trusting in the might of the Lord rather than standing in your own strength or leaning on your own understanding.

In Ephesians 6, six pieces of armor are listed:

1. The belt of truth (Eph. 6:14)

The devil will attack truth directly by assailing you with lies, and he will attack truth indirectly by telling you there is no truth. “There are many truths. There is your truth and my truth.” He will try to deconstruct your belt of truth by glorifying doubt and uncertainty.

Truth is not a manmade construct but is defined by the One who is truth personified (John 14:6). To be girded with truth is to define and interpret all things through the lens of Jesus Christ. When you are being assailed by Facebook philosophers or doubting deconstructors, your first response should be, “What does Jesus say?” Take your questions to the Lord and allow the Spirit of Truth to guide you into all truth.

2. The breastplate of righteousness (Eph. 6:14)

A righteous breastplate protects your heart from the devil’s accusations and keeps you in right standing with the Lord.

The devil will accuse you of being a failure or not doing enough. Heed his lies and you will fall from grace into dead works of self-righteousness. We resist this temptation and guard our hearts by standing secure in the righteous affirmation of our Father’s love and acceptance. When the accuser points to your shortcomings, remind yourself, “I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus” (2 Cor. 5:21).

3. Gospel shoes (Eph. 6:15)

We stand ready and unshakeable when we stand on the gospel of peace. The gospel of peace reveals the God of peace who makes peace by making us righteous (Rom. 15:33). When the devil tries to unsettle us, we remember that God is for us and with us and in us. Knowing that we have been justified, helps us walk in peace (Rom. 5:1).

4. The shield of faith (Eph. 6:16)

Faith is resting in the confident assurance that God is good and he longs to be good to you. Faith is not wishing the devil would go away, nor is it promising to do something for God if he’ll doing something for you. Faith is trusting in your Father’s unfailing love.

The original word for shield (thureos) in this verse means a large door-shaped shield. We extinguish all the fiery darts (temptations and deceptions) of the enemy by resting in Christ. Jesus is not only the Door (John 10:7), he is our door-sized shield who protects us and keeps us safe to the end (1 Cor. 1:8).

5. The helmet of salvation (Eph. 6:17)

Most spiritual warfare takes place in the battlefield of your mind. Since we are facing a defeated foe (Col. 2:15), the only way Satan can win is if he gets you to take his side. Swallow his lies and fall for his schemes, and you empower a disarmed enemy.

We refute his lies and deceptions by wearing the helmet of salvation. We take every thought captive to the obedience of the Savior (2 Cor. 10:5).

6. The sword of the Spirit (Eph. 6:17)

The sword of the spirit is the word of God in our hearts and on our lips. It is a most effective weapon because the word of God has power. Jesus refuted the devil in the wilderness by speaking the word of God (see Luke 4:4). In the same way, we resist the enemy’s lies by speaking forth the word of God.

The enemy’s weapons are no match for the believer who is standing firm in the full armor of God. Spiritual attacks and persecution are to be expected (2 Tim. 3:12). But by the grace of God you will win every battle.

When you are wearing the full armor of God – that is, when you are standing firm in the Lord – your enemies will come at you in one direction and flee in seven (Deut. 28:7).

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Note: This article was extracted from the relevant entry in The Grace Glossary. With new material added regularly, the Grace Glossary is your go-to source for new covenant definitions of key words and phrases.

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Is It Time to Run?

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We all have a built-in survival instinct for either fight or flight. When an opponent is too ominous to reasonably expect to win a confrontation, our internal desire tells us to fly away. The psalmist David speaks of such a temptation in Psalm 11:

In the Lord I take refuge; how can you say to me, "Flee like a bird to the mountains; for look, the wicked bend the bow, they have fitted their arrow to the string, to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart. If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?" (Psalms 11:1-3 NRSV)

David is incredulous that such a solution would be considered by anyone who takes refuge in the God of Israel. Yet today, we still find ourselves looking for ways to get away from the enemy's attack. Many Christians face overwhelming threats and are resorting to escapism in its various forms. Some escape psychologically by using drugs, being immersed in pleasure, distracting ourselves with busyness, or allowing ourselves to be captivated by endless conspiracy theories.

We are aware that there is an invisible war going on, and that our weapons of prayer and proclamation empowered by unstoppable love from God will win in that war.

Philosophically, we take flight by adopting a false form of pacifism fueled by fear and a misunderstanding of humility. Theologically, we flee by entertaining futuristic eschatology that promises a rapturous escape from tribulation. Politically, we naively dismiss the reality of evil and seek ways to just get along while denying justice and placating the status quo.

The Whole Earth is God’s Temple

David goes on in his writing to remind us that the God who created everything is still in His temple, and that He rules from His heavenly throne. God chose to meet personally with Israel's representatives in a temple on earth, but the scriptures depict the whole earth as a temple where God dwells, and where He works through humans to fulfill His purpose for creation. His heavenly perspective allows Him to examine everyone and everything, and His gracious sovereignty enables Him to rule without violating the dignity He gave to His human partners.

God hates wickedness. It robs His beloved of joy and usefulness. It distorts His design and thwarts His plans for beauty. Those who align with Him also hate wickedness, and cannot fly away leaving evil to pervert God's good earth and its people. Sure, we tremble at the roar of the enemy's lion. We are tempted to run. We can even find narratives that seem to justify the abandonment of the mission. But those who behold His face cannot run, fly away, or buckle under the tyranny of evil.

We know we are God's people representing Him on earth, and that His resources are available to us. We know that evil will not prevail on the earth. God will certainly destroy the destroyer and his destructiveness. We also know that He is at work even now. The ultimate source of light came to the earth as God's Son. He called disciples and filled them with the light of His life. Those disciples multiplied, and we are now pushing back the darkness wherever we go.

Not Flesh and Blood, But Still a Fight

Some have been detoured to fight the wrong battles and have misidentified the enemy. However, we who continually behold His face (Psalm 11:7) will leave vengeance to the righteous Judge. We will boldly engage in prayer, being confident in His faithfulness to respond. We will employ the indestructible weapons of love and truth. We will refuse to fight flesh and blood, but we won't refuse to fight. We are aware that there is an invisible war going on, and that our weapons of prayer and proclamation empowered by unstoppable love from God will win in that war.

Taking a clue from Adam and Eve, we will tend our own gardens and expand them as we reproduce children (disciples). We will not run away or wish we could fly away. We were sent by the One who has all authority in heaven and earth. Commissioned by the Lord of the armies of heaven, we will not go AWOL.

We will show up to pray, stand up to speak, and never give up until God's love has eradicated evil.

Fly away? No way.

 

Dudley Hall is a Senior Contributor to The Stream. He is the founder and President of Kerygma Ventures, a sought-after speaker, an engaging preacher, an effective consultant, and a trusted spiritual father. Dudley has authored several books including Grace Works, Incense & Thunder, Glad to be Left Behind, Men In Their Own Skin, Orphans No More, When Hard Times Come, Follow Me and his latest, a children's book laced with gospel truth: Shorty the Substitute Ram.

The post Is It Time to Run? appeared first on The Stream.

The Gospel and Spiritual Powers

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War in Heaven - 900

There have been many attempts through the years to explain the relationship the earth and its inhabitants have with the powers of evil.

Views on Spiritual Evil

Some have concluded that the biblical times were so primitive that such language referring to demons, evil personalities, and a personal devil reflect an uninformed worldview. They would more easily describe references to principalities and powers as institutions and social systems that oppress certain classes of people.

Others have suggested that the whole theme of history and thus the Bible is about a war that God has been fighting with the Satan, and that we are soldiers in his army in that eternal conflict.

The more classic protestant view has been that the battle is primary about the process of progressive sanctification. The benefits of the atonement of Christ's death and resurrection are emphasized with spiritual warfare being relegated to lesser attention. The fight with evil is part of the struggle that produces the character of Christ in us.

In recent decades, there has been a renewed emphasis in the territorial jurisdiction of higher-level evil powers. The question has been about the level of authority we as believers have regarding such.

Glorifying Jesus

As always, the danger is in over-emphasizing the role of the devil and diminishing the glory of Jesus, or in under-emphasizing the role and power of evil and becoming captives unaware. We try to interpret the whole of scripture in its context to rightly discern what we believe and therefore how we act. A bad hermeneutic will produce a bad theology.

Because we believe that the Bible is a narrative that culminates in the exaltation of Jesus as the fulfillment of all legitimate hope and promise, we view the Old Testament as authoritative yet pointing to a fuller understanding that is revealed in the New Testament. The images, symbols, predictions, and promises that are found in the in the Old are revealed fully in the person and work of Jesus. The New Testament writers are explaining that, and giving instructions about living in such new understanding.

Help us champion truth, freedom, limited government and human dignity. Support The Stream >>

With that in mind, many would agree that Paul's letter to the Ephesians is a high-water mark in such revelation. He begins by declaring what God has done in Jesus and what a radical difference that makes in our own identity. One phrase in the middle of the first chapter is so enlightening: "to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved" (1:6). It describes the purpose behind everything God has done, as well as what he is doing now. In short, he is magnifying the unique nature of his grace.

When all the fog and clouds have faded away, we shall see a glorious grace in the face of a glorious Father. Spiritual warfare must be seen with this purpose in mind.

Grace for the Oppressed

To feature his grace, God has chosen to work through those who need grace. Jesus announced at the beginning of his ministry,"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor" (Luke 4:18).

His target audience was not the well and the good, but the hurting and the bad. He is not embarrassed by the messy lives of those ravaged by sin, and oppressed by evil. His grace shines brightly there. Those blinded by self-righteousness never get to be redeemed by the wealthy Savior who is ready to spend it all to get us out of bondage. They never get to know the comfort of a Father who has daily longed for the return of the prodigal, and bears all shame to celebrate his return. They never get to rejoice in seeing a glory their eyes had never seen before.

God’s Kingdom Displaces Darkness

A contemporary form of the church that aims to entertain the healthy, inform the curious, and congratulate the strong is missing the mark of his mission. When the poor, bruised, broken-hearted captives are made to feel unwelcomed, we have adopted a pharisaical religion that stinks to God.

The Church diminishes the darkness by displacing the deception of shame and condemnation with the good news that a new kingdom has come -- superior to all others.

The church that Jesus commissioned is a continuation of his own ministry on earth. It diminishes the darkness by displacing the deception of shame and condemnation with the good news that a new kingdom has come -- superior to all others. It overcomes hatred and apathy with a kind of love foreign to earth, but common in heaven. It lives in the power of the name that is greater than all names and authorities. It does not live in fear of being overcome by evil, even by the princes of this world. It is not primarily searching for demons to cast out, but if encountered, demons are dispatched in the name of Jesus our king.

The purchase price has been paid for full redemption, and God's people are moving through the earth, one garden at a time, telling the truth and loving their enemies. Where light shines, darkness flees. Minds are freed to think creatively and productively as God designed humans to live. Societies are blessed with freedoms that result when individuals are themselves freed.

We Live in the Light of Jesus’ Victory

We do not live with a bunker-mentality. The roof is not caving in because of the enormous weight of evil. The earth is the Lord's and everything in it. On the cross, representatives of all powers and principalities met the God-installed King. Their authority was reduced to whatever He decides (Psalm 2).

As his subjects, family, and community, we live in light of that victory. We pray, preach, and live with the confidence that he who is in us is greater than he who rules the world of darkness. We do not mock the powers. We recognize their role and their presence, but we do not fear them or try to negotiate with them. We speak and live in Jesus' name. Their defeat in the lives of people who have been previously captured by evil magnifies the glory of his grace.

The outcome is not in doubt. God is summing all things up in Christ Jesus. His victory at the cross and resurrection is bigger than we have yet envisioned. He is reconciling the world to himself. We are his ambassadors, beseeching everyone to be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:19-21).

God's purpose did not fail in Jesus as a man. Though evil forces participated in his death, God's purpose was accomplished. He will not fail in his present body on earth.

Jesus is head of the church and it will prevail against all the authorities in the gates. Though at any one time, with a limited view of what is happening in the whole world, we might conclude that things are helplessly deteriorating, God's purpose is linked to his chosen people, the church. It will not fail.

There is reason to hope. There are resources to proceed. There will be a restoration of both the heavens and the earth. The resurrected life of Christ in his people, both individually and corporately, guarantee it.

 

Dudley Hall is a Senior Contributor to The Stream. He is the founder and President of Kerygma Ventures, a sought-after speaker, an engaging preacher, an effective consultant, and a trusted spiritual father. Dudley has authored several books including Grace Works, Incense & Thunder, Glad to be Left Behind, Men In Their Own Skin, Orphans No More, When Hard Times Come, Follow Me and his latest a children's book laced with gospel truth: Shorty the Substitute Ram.

The Gospel and Spiritual Powers

by

There have been many attempts through the years to explain the relationship the earth and its inhabitants have with the powers of evil.

Views on Spiritual Evil

Some have concluded that the biblical times were so primitive that such language referring to demons, evil personalities, and a personal devil reflect an uninformed worldview. They would more easily describe references to principalities and powers as institutions and social systems that oppress certain classes of people.

Others have suggested that the whole theme of history and thus the Bible is about a war that God has been fighting with the Satan, and that we are soldiers in his army in that eternal conflict.

The more classic protestant view has been that the battle is primary about the process of progressive sanctification. The benefits of the atonement of Christ's death and resurrection are emphasized with spiritual warfare being relegated to lesser attention. The fight with evil is part of the struggle that produces the character of Christ in us.

In recent decades, there has been a renewed emphasis in the territorial jurisdiction of higher-level evil powers. The question has been about the level of authority we as believers have regarding such.

Glorifying Jesus

As always, the danger is in over-emphasizing the role of the devil and diminishing the glory of Jesus, or in under-emphasizing the role and power of evil and becoming captives unaware. We try to interpret the whole of scripture in its context to rightly discern what we believe and therefore how we act. A bad hermeneutic will produce a bad theology.

Because we believe that the Bible is a narrative that culminates in the exaltation of Jesus as the fulfillment of all legitimate hope and promise, we view the Old Testament as authoritative yet pointing to a fuller understanding that is revealed in the New Testament. The images, symbols, predictions, and promises that are found in the in the Old are revealed fully in the person and work of Jesus. The New Testament writers are explaining that, and giving instructions about living in such new understanding.

Help us champion truth, freedom, limited government and human dignity. Support The Stream >>

With that in mind, many would agree that Paul's letter to the Ephesians is a high-water mark in such revelation. He begins by declaring what God has done in Jesus and what a radical difference that makes in our own identity. One phrase in the middle of the first chapter is so enlightening: "to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved" (1:6). It describes the purpose behind everything God has done, as well as what he is doing now. In short, he is magnifying the unique nature of his grace.

When all the fog and clouds have faded away, we shall see a glorious grace in the face of a glorious Father. Spiritual warfare must be seen with this purpose in mind.

Grace for the Oppressed

To feature his grace, God has chosen to work through those who need grace. Jesus announced at the beginning of his ministry,"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor" (Luke 4:18).

His target audience was not the well and the good, but the hurting and the bad. He is not embarrassed by the messy lives of those ravaged by sin, and oppressed by evil. His grace shines brightly there. Those blinded by self-righteousness never get to be redeemed by the wealthy Savior who is ready to spend it all to get us out of bondage. They never get to know the comfort of a Father who has daily longed for the return of the prodigal, and bears all shame to celebrate his return. They never get to rejoice in seeing a glory their eyes had never seen before.

God’s Kingdom Displaces Darkness

A contemporary form of the church that aims to entertain the healthy, inform the curious, and congratulate the strong is missing the mark of his mission. When the poor, bruised, broken-hearted captives are made to feel unwelcomed, we have adopted a pharisaical religion that stinks to God.

The Church diminishes the darkness by displacing the deception of shame and condemnation with the good news that a new kingdom has come -- superior to all others.

The church that Jesus commissioned is a continuation of his own ministry on earth. It diminishes the darkness by displacing the deception of shame and condemnation with the good news that a new kingdom has come -- superior to all others. It overcomes hatred and apathy with a kind of love foreign to earth, but common in heaven. It lives in the power of the name that is greater than all names and authorities. It does not live in fear of being overcome by evil, even by the princes of this world. It is not primarily searching for demons to cast out, but if encountered, demons are dispatched in the name of Jesus our king.

The purchase price has been paid for full redemption, and God's people are moving through the earth, one garden at a time, telling the truth and loving their enemies. Where light shines, darkness flees. Minds are freed to think creatively and productively as God designed humans to live. Societies are blessed with freedoms that result when individuals are themselves freed.

We Live in the Light of Jesus’ Victory

We do not live with a bunker-mentality. The roof is not caving in because of the enormous weight of evil. The earth is the Lord's and everything in it. On the cross, representatives of all powers and principalities met the God-installed King. Their authority was reduced to whatever He decides (Psalm 2).

As his subjects, family, and community, we live in light of that victory. We pray, preach, and live with the confidence that he who is in us is greater than he who rules the world of darkness. We do not mock the powers. We recognize their role and their presence, but we do not fear them or try to negotiate with them. We speak and live in Jesus' name. Their defeat in the lives of people who have been previously captured by evil magnifies the glory of his grace.

The outcome is not in doubt. God is summing all things up in Christ Jesus. His victory at the cross and resurrection is bigger than we have yet envisioned. He is reconciling the world to himself. We are his ambassadors, beseeching everyone to be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:19-21).

God's purpose did not fail in Jesus as a man. Though evil forces participated in his death, God's purpose was accomplished. He will not fail in his present body on earth.

Jesus is head of the church and it will prevail against all the authorities in the gates. Though at any one time, with a limited view of what is happening in the whole world, we might conclude that things are helplessly deteriorating, God's purpose is linked to his chosen people, the church. It will not fail.

There is reason to hope. There are resources to proceed. There will be a restoration of both the heavens and the earth. The resurrected life of Christ in his people, both individually and corporately, guarantee it.

 

Dudley Hall is a Senior Contributor to The Stream. He is the founder and President of Kerygma Ventures, a sought-after speaker, an engaging preacher, an effective consultant, and a trusted spiritual father. Dudley has authored several books including Grace Works, Incense & Thunder, Glad to be Left Behind, Men In Their Own Skin, Orphans No More, When Hard Times Come, Follow Me and his latest a children's book laced with gospel truth: Shorty the Substitute Ram.

The post The Gospel and Spiritual Powers appeared first on The Stream.

St. Paul Takes a Knee

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Praying Kneeling Football Season of Inspiration Sunset - 900

If you have been paying attention to the news lately, you are aware of the controversy involving NFL players taking a knee during the National Anthem before the games. At this point it is not clear to the public what the protest has come to mean. It is not my purpose to clear that up, though I do think there is one former athlete who might have the best solution.

The apostle Paul commonly used the athlete as a metaphor for our struggle with the powers of darkness. He even described himself as a boxer and runner.

When it came right down to how he fought to win, we see that Paul took a knee.

Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. -- 1 Corinthians 9:25-26 (ESV)

Paul used the metaphor of an athlete to describe to his spiritual son, Timothy, one of the most vital principles of living.

An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. -- 2 Timothy 2:5 (ESV)

But, when it came right down to how he fought to win, we see him take a knee.

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named... -- Ephesians 3:14-15 (ESV)

The Battle in the Trenches

He goes on to pray for believers to be empowered with the Spirit in their inner being; that Christ might be real to them; that they would be grounded in an other-worldly kind of love; that they would comprehend the vastness of Christ’s love for them; that they might be filled with the fullness of Christ.

Help us champion truth, freedom, limited government and human dignity. Support The Stream >>

The battle in the trenches (as football coaches often describe the main battle) is in prayer. But not just any prayer. It is a prayer for internal change that can only happen when Jesus Christ displaces selfish obsession in the inner being.

The external conflicts we face will not be fully settled until we see with his eyes and love with his heart. As radical as that might seem, it is the heart of the gospel. We not only believe in the historical Jesus and trust him to get us to heaven, we know the transcendent Jesus by means of the Spirit, and fellowship with him as a person, our Lord and Savior.

Illumination is Vital If We are to Live in Love

Paul knew that he was on a team with the Spirit of God. He could preach, teach, explain and exhort, but only the Spirit can reveal the mysteries of the risen Christ.

Paul was very active in his ministry, but he was not fooled into thinking that the real game was about reason and behavior. He used his remarkable skills to persuade his hearers about the reality of the Messiah, but he knew that convincing the mind was not enough. Until their spiritual eyes are opened, even believers operate on limited perspective. The mind and will can only do so much.

When the inner being is regenerated and empowered by the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead, things change dramatically. So, Paul prayed. He knew that he was on a team with the Spirit of God. He could preach, teach, explain and exhort, but only the Spirit can reveal the mysteries of the risen Christ.

As a citizen of this country who is grateful for all those who have made great sacrifices for the freedoms we enjoy, I will be standing when the National Anthem is played. When the real game starts however the best place to start is taking a knee.

The War is on, and the Chief Weapon is Accusation

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warrior - 900

Contrary to popular opinion there is a spiritual war going on right now. Those who mock that suggestion, thinking that spiritual reality is a myth reserved for the primitive mind, do so at their own peril. There is a devil, and he has schemes intended to defeat humans and deface God:

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. Ephesians 6:10 (RSV)

To be willfully ignorant of such schemes is to cede victory to the devil. To know the schemes and ignore them is foolish and will produce the same result.

The designation of the evil one is "Satan." The word means "accuser." He accuses without the foundation of truth. In the original garden, he accused God to Adam and Eve of not being forthright with them, thus not being fully good. After Adam and Eve sinned, he began his shame campaign on the human race. His hatred is always aimed at God, and he tries to deceive those whom God loves. He loves to reinterpret circumstances to show that God is not both sovereign and good. Those who accept that perspective are held captive by such deception.

His main scheme with believers is to distract by accusation. It works like this: The believer trusts God for full forgiveness and cleansing. With a purified soul the believer can attack the strongholds of deception and evil, and Satan loses. So, Satan focuses on getting the believer to doubt his cleansing and remember his failures. Now, the believer can't see the opportunities to displace darkness with light, because he is focused on self.

An example of this was evident in the first presidential debate. Donald Trump' supporters groaned when he needlessly spent several minutes defending himself against accusations instead of focusing on the message he needed to deliver. There's a lesson here: you can't focus on yourself (either in defending or in promoting) and still see the opportunities to attack your enemy.

Many a Christ-following father has grieved the waywardness of a son who refuses to honor his parents and legitimate authorities. The son justifies his actions and accuses his father of being a hypocrite. If the father takes the bait, he disqualifies himself from the battle. He might needlessly try to defend himself or slip into condemnation based on the accusation. The truth is that he is still the father and the forgiven believer who has the name of Jesus and the discernment of the Spirit. Based on truth, he can engage in prayer and in communicating truth in love.

As long as we are susceptible to accusation we will easily be taken out of the fight. Defending our own righteousness is foolish. We have no such righteousness to defend. But followers of Christ have been given the righteousness of Jesus, which needs no defense. When Satan suggests that we are not fully clean and qualified to represent the kingdom of God on earth, he is accusing God of an incomplete salvation. We don't have to take the bait. The salvation given through Jesus satisfies God and that is enough.

The times are crucial. There is no time for foolish fighting. The real war is raging. The people of the ultimate victor must engage in it or our generation will walk in deeper darkness.

How Does the Devil Fight?

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ITALY - JULY 09: Venice, Accademia (Picture Gallery) Original sin, 1550-1553, by Jacopo Robusti known as Tintoretto (1519-1594), oil on canvas, 150x220 cm. (Photo by DeAgostini/Getty Images)

The very thought of spiritual warfare frightens some people. They seem to think of the devil as they do Santa Claus or the Easter rabbit. Reality is so much more comfortable if it's confined to what we can see, observe, and understand. But the New Testament makes no apology for defining a reality with spiritual forces at work. The Apostle Paul, writing to the people he loved in Corinth, stated his concern for their plight while facing doubts about spiritual authority.

But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. (2 Corinthians 11:3)

If we can ascertain how the serpent deceived Eve, we can gain insight in how to win in our battles with his attacks.

Basically, the serpent reinterpreted the circumstances in the Garden. There were many trees with fruit on them, matching all of Adam's and Eve's needs and tastes. There was another tree that was forbidden to them. You see, the good and sovereign God had created them out of the overflow of His love so that they could enjoy Him fully. They were partners with him on earth will full access to Him. Everything was an expression of his love. The trees offered satisfaction for every possible desire in the couple.

The tree in the midst of the garden offered them a special opportunity: If they would trust God without fully understanding why, they would taste the most delicious delicacy possible for humans: a trusting life together with the One is good, trustworthy, and had their best interests at heart. It would be like dessert after a great meal.

Now, look at how the serpent reinterpreted the circumstances. He implied that God was good, but not totally. "Sure, he has given you all the trees but has forbidden you to eat from some of them. He is holding back on you. His character is in question. He doesn't want you to be like him. He wants to keep you suppressed from your potential."

Too often we focus on our unpleasant circumstances and blame them on the devil. It is his distorted interpretation that should draw our attention. Don't get me wrong. He deceives people and thereby brings pain to others. So many of the horrendous things we do to each other come from deception, which incites weak and fearful people to act wickedly to protect themselves.

But the serpent is not sovereign. God has promised to work all things together for our good. (Romans 8:28) The devil is always suggesting an alternate interpretation of what is happening. If we listen, we will become bitter, fearful, angry, vengeful and cynical. Think of all the people you know who are now skeptical of church, government, family and even former friends. Many of them have been hurt according to a distorted interpretation of the events. Now they're isolated from the very means of their joy.

Let's review the truth as God has affirmed it.

God is good and sovereign. He is actively involved in the lives we are living. He is always seeking to do us good even when bad things happen.

The devil is real. He is constantly reinterpreting the circumstances in our lives to cast doubt on God's goodness and his rule. We have the responsibility to resist him and choose to believe the truth -- even when we don't fully understand.

God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. (James 4:6b-7)

How Does the Devil Fight?

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ITALY - JULY 09: Venice, Accademia (Picture Gallery) Original sin, 1550-1553, by Jacopo Robusti known as Tintoretto (1519-1594), oil on canvas, 150x220 cm. (Photo by DeAgostini/Getty Images)

The very thought of spiritual warfare frightens some people. They seem to think of the devil as they do Santa Claus or the Easter rabbit. Reality is so much more comfortable if it's confined to what we can see, observe, and understand. But the New Testament makes no apology for defining a reality with spiritual forces at work. The Apostle Paul, writing to the people he loved in Corinth, stated his concern for their plight while facing doubts about spiritual authority.

But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. (2 Corinthians 11:3)

If we can ascertain how the serpent deceived Eve, we can gain insight in how to win in our battles with his attacks.

Basically, the serpent reinterpreted the circumstances in the Garden. There were many trees with fruit on them, matching all of Adam's and Eve's needs and tastes. There was another tree that was forbidden to them. You see, the good and sovereign God had created them out of the overflow of His love so that they could enjoy Him fully. They were partners with him on earth will full access to Him. Everything was an expression of his love. The trees offered satisfaction for every possible desire in the couple.

The tree in the midst of the garden offered them a special opportunity: If they would trust God without fully understanding why, they would taste the most delicious delicacy possible for humans: a trusting life together with the One is good, trustworthy, and had their best interests at heart. It would be like dessert after a great meal.

Now, look at how the serpent reinterpreted the circumstances. He implied that God was good, but not totally. "Sure, he has given you all the trees but has forbidden you to eat from some of them. He is holding back on you. His character is in question. He doesn't want you to be like him. He wants to keep you suppressed from your potential."

Too often we focus on our unpleasant circumstances and blame them on the devil. It is his distorted interpretation that should draw our attention. Don't get me wrong. He deceives people and thereby brings pain to others. So many of the horrendous things we do to each other come from deception, which incites weak and fearful people to act wickedly to protect themselves.

But the serpent is not sovereign. God has promised to work all things together for our good. (Romans 8:28) The devil is always suggesting an alternate interpretation of what is happening. If we listen, we will become bitter, fearful, angry, vengeful and cynical. Think of all the people you know who are now skeptical of church, government, family and even former friends. Many of them have been hurt according to a distorted interpretation of the events. Now they're isolated from the very means of their joy.

Let's review the truth as God has affirmed it.

God is good and sovereign. He is actively involved in the lives we are living. He is always seeking to do us good even when bad things happen.

The devil is real. He is constantly reinterpreting the circumstances in our lives to cast doubt on God's goodness and his rule. We have the responsibility to resist him and choose to believe the truth -- even when we don't fully understand.

God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. (James 4:6b-7)

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