Genesis 2:8-9. The Lord God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed. Out of the ground the Lord God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
2 Corinthians 10:3-4. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.
James 4:7. Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
Ephesians 6:11-12. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against 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.
When the Lord God created Adam, He ‘placed the man whom He had formed’ in Eden. The Lord laid upon Adam only one restriction; that he must not eat of the fruit of ‘the tree of the knowledge of good and evil’. Adam and his wife Eve had been gifted with freedom of choice. Their encounter with Satan and subsequent willful disobedience to God’s command brought sin and death upon all their descendants. The way to the tree of life was barred from them. Adam, in his creation is referred to as ‘the son of God’, Luke 3:38. But, following their rebellion the disobedient pair became orphans, having forfeited the right to call God, ‘Father’.
‘But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law….’ Galatians 4:4. ‘God sent forth His Son’. All who believe in Jesus may choose to follow their own inclinations or follow the leading of the Holy Spirit who indwells them. In Romans 8:14 we read, ‘For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God’. The ‘right to the tree of life’ and the right to be recognized as a ‘son of God’ have been given back in Christ to all who will continually devote themselves to ‘being led by the Spirit of God’.
As God’s created beings we are living in a world ruled over by ‘the god of this world’, Satan. All of Adam’s seed are condemned to walk in the flesh, the self or soul life, which is our natural sinful condition. Yet the word of God in Romans 8:8 is quite clear, ‘those who are in the flesh cannot please God’. If ever there was a statement of essential truth about which Satan deceives countless numbers of believers in Jesus this is it. He suggests that self-effort with the right motives will serve the purposes of God. Multitudes follow his advice.
If it was presently God’s will to oppose and defeat all the evil in the world could He not do so in an instant? Almighty God has great patience. He allows tares to grow among the wheat until the time of harvest. He ‘has much patience for the precious fruit of the earth until it receive the early and late rain’ of the outpoured Holy Spirit. Our opposition to the appalling evils of our age is to ‘resist the devil’ as we stand strong in ‘the full armour of God’ which protects the body of Christ. The people who are knowingly and unknowingly doing the will of Satan are not directly God’s enemies. God’s enemies and ours are ‘the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places’.
In a sea of divided, self-styled and humanly organized church communities it is not difficult to comprehend why Christendom appears to be largely impotent today. However the answer to this major source of weakness and failure is found in 2 Corinthians 10:3-4. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.
As our ultimate example, the Lord Jesus willingly laid down His life in obedience to His Father’s will. The eternal outcome of Christ’s obedience for each one of us and for His body the church is immeasurable. Satan’s apparent victory became his utter defeat. The overcomers who comprise the male child of Revelation 12 overcame Satan, the great red dragon; ‘by the blood of the Lamb’ which cleanses from all sin; ‘by the word of their testimony’ to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in the face of every attempt of Satan to oppose the will of God; and because ‘they did not love their life even when faced with death’. May those who read these words be found worthy to be counted among these overcomers in Jesus, who ‘glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh’. Philippians 3:3.
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2 thoughts on “The Weapons of Our Warfare”
Dear Tom. I agree with all you say here. May I add what we do each day that we remember, to do this ?
To put on the armour of God, each day, we first ‘put on the helmet of salvation’ which keeps our brains safe and therefore our minds, ‘in keeping the mind of or way of Christ’ ! We put on the ‘breast-plate of righteousness’. That is not my own righteousness, I have none, but that which is given to me, freely given, each day by God in Christ Jesus. I then pick up the ‘shield of faith’ the shield is my faith in Him, which when attacked does work, for in faith I remember that it is God and my faith in Jesus that shields me from some of the ridiculous and sometimes, downright dangerous attacks from the enemy that I undergo…When I feel like giving up, it is faith in my Lord that wins through and shields me. I pick up my ‘sword of the Spirit’ which IS the word of God…and by reminding myself of His word and listening to His word each day I can then go out – and often by using His word, cut through some of the lies of the enemy of my soul , that my enemy tries to use against me and my faith. We then all must go out ‘in the boots of the gospel of peace’, despite the temptation to not be peaceful sometimes, in ‘fighting back’ then this does indeed often remind us of this. That if we are metaphorically, shod in the boots of the gospel of peace, then we are to meet evil with peace, not violence! It is the Lord’s fight not mine….The whole is held together, this ‘armour of God’ by the ‘belt of Truth’….we do know the Truth…Jesus is the Way the Truth and the Life and we ‘needs must’ remember that each and every day that we are constantly challenged and attacked for our belief in the truth and for our knowledge of The Truth….This all does work, both metaphorically, psychologically, logically and spiritually and emotionally. It can even be an ‘intellectual exercise’….but it works ! For you see what Paul is reminding us all of, as we ‘go out each day’ to work for and serve God’s Christ, or Christ in God, Jesus…? That we need to remember that we are saved, have salvation. That we have a righteousness, freely given us by God’s sacrifice for us in Jesus’ death and resurrection, in His G R A C E ….God’s Riches at Christ’s Expense . And that we are defended from the enemy by our Faith and shielded as such. That we can fight but only with the word of God, not ours ! And that our armour of Faith does indeed hold together in our knowledge of the Truth, is held together, by the belt of truth……And that we must always work, even against the enemy with what the enemy hates most, with peace…having the peace of God in our hearts…’for if you hate men, or hate your bothers and sisters, then you do not have God’s love in you’ 1 John. …This not easy by any means. But we have Grace, God’s grace to help us in the struggle and each day’s struggle assists us in ‘growing into the likeness of Christ Jesus’ – with the help of the armour of God…Try to remember, dear readers, to do this. To put on the Armour of God in prayer ! It works ! I more literally, put on my Franciscan Habit, with the belt of truth around my waist and the sword the Cross of Jesus by my side and I always wear boots, which remind me to go out in the boots of Peace, not confrontation ! And if, and when I don a Crash Helmet, to ride my motorcycle (very occasional these days !) I am reminded that I am saved and do have the ‘helmet of salvation’ to keep my mind safe in the fullness and knowledge of Christ Jesus !
Great post Tom. Thank you !
Nigel.
Thanks as always bro Nigel for your thoughtful response. The practicality of your daily taking each part of God’s provision in Christ brings out our utter dependence in everything upon Him. The moment we step out of that (should we do so) we are defeated. Concerning the truth I recall with deep appreciation the brief yet telling response by Jesus to the woman He met by the well of Samaria. “The time is coming, and now is, that those who worship must worship in Spirit and in truth. For the Father eagerly seeks for such ones to worship Him. Completely protected under the armour of God we may give utterance and testimony by the Holy Spirit to the truth that is only to be found in He who is the truth – the way, the truth and the life. Amen, my brother. Love in Jesus, your bro Tom