Ephesians 6
10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. (Ephesians 6:10-18, ESV)
The Daily DAVEotional
Last week, on Wednesday, I took my car to my mechanic for service. When I picked it up later that day, my mechanic told me that Charlie Kirk had been shot and killed while speaking on a campus in Utah.
Honestly, I was shocked. What in the world is going on?
I think it’s been obvious for quite some time that our culture is divided. It might be tempting for one to explain these divisions as mere differences in political views and policy preferences.
But to me, the assassination of Charlie Kirk underscores the fact that what divides us aren’t trivial differences of opinion. No. The issues that divide us aren’t political, or even religious. What we’re experiencing is a spiritual battle.
There’s a spiritual component at play in our culture and it’s more intense than at any time I’ve ever experienced in my lifetime.
Paul talks about the nature of this battle here in this Ephesians 6:10-18 passage. I chose the ESV translation for a reason.
Most versions of this passage say that our “struggle” is not against flesh and blood. Some versions say our “battle” is not against flesh and blood. But the ESV, along with the King James version, uses the word “wrestle” . I like that rendering because when I was in high school, I was a wrestler. If you’re familiar with “wrestling” I think it will help you understand more fully the nature of the spiritual battle that Paul’s describing.
A lot of people are unfamiliar with real competitive wrestling. Their only concept of wrestling is what they see on TV with the WWE. But that’s not real wrestling. Mostly, that’s staged entertainment with a heavy dose of masculine bravado.
High school, collegiate and Olympic style wrestling is different from the staged spectacle that is marketed as entertainment.
Competitive wrestling is a grueling combat sport that combines strength, skill, stamina and strategy. The goal: each wrestler seeks to subjugate his opponent.
The word subjugate means to dominate or control.
Hence, the goal of wrestling is to control or dominate your opponent.
So when Paul says that we “wrestle” against the spiritual forces of EVIL, that means there are spiritual forces that are seeking to subjugate or control you….seeking to control how you think, how you act, even how you perceive ultimate reality.
These forces are evil, so these forces are intent on controlling you for EVIL.
Think about that for a moment. Spiritual forces are seeking to control you FOR EVIL.
We live in a culture that is obviously very divided. But unlike any other time in my lifetime, we are living in a moment where both sides of the political divide think the other side is evil. The Charlie Kirk assassination clearly illustrates this.
Charlie Kirk was murdered in cold blood while speaking to a crowd on a university campus. There can be no doubt and no debate that what happened to Charlie Kirk was a heinous act of EVIL.
And yet, in the days following this tragic event, many either cheered, excused or even rationalized this evil act by saying that Charlie Kirk was himself promoting evil.
My point here is not to get into the details of what Charlie thought, taught or believed. Nor am I going to discuss the killer’s personal views and motivations. There are plenty of people who have already done that.
My point is simply that you have an evil act on one side and on the other side, you have people portraying the victim of that evil act as a person of evil.
Since each side is calling the other side “evil”, this tells me that what is happening is spiritual in nature. For how can both sides be evil? That makes no sense as Jesus himself said that “a house divided against itself cannot stand” (see Matthew 12:25).
It seems abundantly clear that a large number of people are completely deceived regarding their understanding of what is fundamentally good and what is inherently evil.
That’s the nature of the battle. It’s spiritual in nature and it’s a battle for control. Ultimately, it’s a battle regarding the nature of good and evil.
Did you enjoy this post? I’d love to hear your thoughts! Feel free to like, leave a comment below, and share it with your friends or on social media if you found it helpful or interesting. Your support keeps the conversation going!
Reflection
What are some examples you can cite that illustrate that we’re in a spiritual battle?
In what ways do you see spiritual forces seeking to control you or the culture?
What do you think are some of the schemes the devil employs in order to control people?
What practical steps can you take to “wrestle” against the spiritual forces of evil?
Photo by Chris Chow on Unsplash
The Lowedown 