Eph 6:12-13 | KingComments | STEP | . The word “finally” indicates that we will get something more. A final word follows, and even more than that, as a new theme even comes up, which, by the way, fits well with the foregoing. In the previous chapters you have read about the marvelous truths of the heavenly blessings and about Christ and the church. You also saw that these truths should affect our life in different areas. The item that has not been dealt with yet is that there is also an enemy that continually tries to prevent you from enjoying the blessings. He also wants to prevent the effects of those blessings to be shown in your life. That causes a struggle. In view of this struggle Paul draws attention to three points. The first point is the source of power, the second is the character of the enemy against whom you are struggling and the third is the armor that is handed to you, so that you are able to resist the enemy when he attacks you. The enemy is powerful and also cunning. You yourself have no power to stand firm against his schemes, for this is especially the issue of this section. But in the Lord you have an awesome source of power at your disposal. He is mightier than any enemy. On top of that, it is His struggle. He wants to triumph through you. Therefore the first call is: “Be strong in the Lord.” Seek your power in Him, Who is the almighty and eternal God. Also be aware that He is your Lord, the One Who has authority over you. In Him everything is present to overcome. “In the strength of His might” indicates that He has the power to master every opposition against Him. “His might” means that He is able to exercise His power in the right way. . In this verse you read how you can enter the struggle. Therefore God hands you an armor. We will see which parts this armor consists of. Here it is already said that you should put on the “full armor”. You cannot afford to miss one part. The point is that you will stand firm against the constant schemes of the devil. A beautiful example of somebody who stands firm against the attacks of the enemy, you read in 2 Samuel 23. It is about Shammah, one of David’s heroes. Because of his firmness he could save a piece of land and its fruits for God’s people ( ). That is also the case with our ‘land’, that is the heavenly places and the fruits of that land, that are the spiritual blessings. The call to stand firm means that you will not compromise any of the blessings you have received in Christ. The devil has a whole armory of tricks and feints to deceive you. By that I mean that he tries to keep you busy with things that are not meant for you. A very successful trick is that he gives Christians the idea that it is a good thing to get involved with the politics of this world. He who enters that area quickly loses the view of the heavenly blessings and the joy of them. But he knows more strategies, like discouragement, disappointment, confusion, moral failures and doctrinal error. All of his schemes suit him as the father of lies ( ). He will always twist the truth. The best proof of that you already come across in Genesis 3 ( ). There you read the first words the devil speaks in the Bible. He pretends to quote what God said, but he does that in his own way. The outcome is the fall of man. This is how he always operates; you have been warned (cf. )! Fortunately, we have an armor that is indeed of God, it is the armor God gives us. Man’s armor is of no use at all against the schemes of the devil. God has not put on that armor, but we have. God does not need a shield of faith and neither the other parts, but we do need them. . The armor doesn’t consist of a literal sword and a literal shield. The struggle is not against men, “not against flesh and blood”, but that doesn’t mean that the devil doesn’t use men. He certainly does use them, both unbelievers and believers. An example of the latter is illustrated in Matthew 16 ( ). The struggle is spiritual in nature and takes place in heavenly places; it is against powers that control the darkness in which the world is sunk. Darkness is not only the absence of light, but also the presence of evil. Every place that has influences of sin or gives room to sin is a place where the devil and his demons are in action. Demonic powers are hidden behind the darkness. The darkness is still being extended more and more by people who sin. They are activated to sin by invisible powers of wickedness, i.e. demons. Demons move as powers at a much higher level than that at which we move. . Therefore we are pointed again to “the full armor of God”. After all, the continuous intention of the devil is to rob the believer from the enjoyment of the blessings he has received and which he has learnt to know in this letter. Therefore the struggle will really start at the end of the letter only. Now you have enjoyed everything God has given to you and since you have a desire to enjoy it even more, and adapt your life to it, you should be aware that you are the target of the devil. He will not bother the children of God who are indifferent about their blessings. Those children of God are occupied with their earthly and sometimes even worldly matters, as if their salvation depends on that. But for you “the evil day” has come, the day the enemy tends to target you especially. The whole realm of darkness has been stirred and mobilized to pull down your purpose. Practically, there may be days that everything seems to go wrong and that all could not be a coincidence. As a result, you may be under pressure. But if you have put on the armor, you will resist the pressure to throw in the towel. In this way you are able “to resist”. This expression you also come across in James 4 and 1 Peter 5 ( ; ). It is about not giving in to, and not running away from, the threat posed by the enemy who wants to wipe out every thought about heavenly matters. However, God wants a testimony on earth exactly of that. In other places in Scripture you read about ‘flee’ ( ; ; ). There you see that you must flee from situations that are connected with the sinful desires of your heart. Did you resist where it was called for, then victory is achieved. But watch out! It is not enough to repel an enemy attack. After the victory we have to stand firm. The attack itself is not the most dangerous, but the rest afterward. When it seems that the struggle has been fought, then precisely at that moment the greatest attack often happens. An example of that you see in the history of Elijah. After his spiritual success on Mount Carmel in 1 Kings 18 ( ) he flees in fear in the next chapter because of the threatening language of wicked Jezebel, the wife of wicked King Ahab ( ). In closing this part, I still want to point out that the struggle that is being described here, is not a struggle against the sin that dwells in us. To such a struggle we are not called anywhere in the Bible. Regarding the indwelling power of sin, it is said in Romans 6: “Consider yourselves to be dead to sin” ( ). Why then continue struggling? But, you might say, don’t we read in Hebrews 12 about striving against sin ( )? Yes, sure. But the point there is not the sin that dwells in you, but the sin that surrounds you and wants to intrude. Now read Ephesians 6:10-13 again. Reflection: What is the reason that this letter ends with speaking about struggling?

‏ Ephesians 6:12-13

Struggle in the Heavenly Places

Eph 6:10. The word “finally” indicates that we will get something more. A final word follows, and even more than that, as a new theme even comes up, which, by the way, fits well with the foregoing. In the previous chapters you have read about the marvelous truths of the heavenly blessings and about Christ and the church. You also saw that these truths should affect our life in different areas.

The item that has not been dealt with yet is that there is also an enemy that continually tries to prevent you from enjoying the blessings. He also wants to prevent the effects of those blessings to be shown in your life. That causes a struggle. In view of this struggle Paul draws attention to three points. The first point is the source of power, the second is the character of the enemy against whom you are struggling and the third is the armor that is handed to you, so that you are able to resist the enemy when he attacks you.

The enemy is powerful and also cunning. You yourself have no power to stand firm against his schemes, for this is especially the issue of this section. But in the Lord you have an awesome source of power at your disposal. He is mightier than any enemy. On top of that, it is His struggle. He wants to triumph through you.

Therefore the first call is: “Be strong in the Lord.” Seek your power in Him, Who is the almighty and eternal God. Also be aware that He is your Lord, the One Who has authority over you. In Him everything is present to overcome. “In the strength of His might” indicates that He has the power to master every opposition against Him. “His might” means that He is able to exercise His power in the right way.

Eph 6:11. In this verse you read how you can enter the struggle. Therefore God hands you an armor. We will see which parts this armor consists of. Here it is already said that you should put on the “full armor”. You cannot afford to miss one part. The point is that you will stand firm against the constant schemes of the devil.

A beautiful example of somebody who stands firm against the attacks of the enemy, you read in 2 Samuel 23. It is about Shammah, one of David’s heroes. Because of his firmness he could save a piece of land and its fruits for God’s people (2Sam 23:11-12). That is also the case with our ‘land’, that is the heavenly places and the fruits of that land, that are the spiritual blessings.

The call to stand firm means that you will not compromise any of the blessings you have received in Christ. The devil has a whole armory of tricks and feints to deceive you. By that I mean that he tries to keep you busy with things that are not meant for you. A very successful trick is that he gives Christians the idea that it is a good thing to get involved with the politics of this world. He who enters that area quickly loses the view of the heavenly blessings and the joy of them.

But he knows more strategies, like discouragement, disappointment, confusion, moral failures and doctrinal error. All of his schemes suit him as the father of lies (Jn 8:44). He will always twist the truth. The best proof of that you already come across in Genesis 3 (Gen 3:1). There you read the first words the devil speaks in the Bible. He pretends to quote what God said, but he does that in his own way. The outcome is the fall of man. This is how he always operates; you have been warned (cf. 2Cor 2:11 ; 2Cor 11:14)!

Fortunately, we have an armor that is indeed of God, it is the armor God gives us. Man’s armor is of no use at all against the schemes of the devil. God has not put on that armor, but we have. God does not need a shield of faith and neither the other parts, but we do need them.

Eph 6:12. The armor doesn’t consist of a literal sword and a literal shield. The struggle is not against men, “not against flesh and blood”, but that doesn’t mean that the devil doesn’t use men. He certainly does use them, both unbelievers and believers. An example of the latter is illustrated in Matthew 16 (Mt 16:23). The struggle is spiritual in nature and takes place in heavenly places; it is against powers that control the darkness in which the world is sunk.

Darkness is not only the absence of light, but also the presence of evil. Every place that has influences of sin or gives room to sin is a place where the devil and his demons are in action. Demonic powers are hidden behind the darkness. The darkness is still being extended more and more by people who sin. They are activated to sin by invisible powers of wickedness, i.e. demons. Demons move as powers at a much higher level than that at which we move.

Eph 6:13. Therefore we are pointed again to “the full armor of God”. After all, the continuous intention of the devil is to rob the believer from the enjoyment of the blessings he has received and which he has learnt to know in this letter. Therefore the struggle will really start at the end of the letter only. Now you have enjoyed everything God has given to you and since you have a desire to enjoy it even more, and adapt your life to it, you should be aware that you are the target of the devil.

He will not bother the children of God who are indifferent about their blessings. Those children of God are occupied with their earthly and sometimes even worldly matters, as if their salvation depends on that. But for you “the evil day” has come, the day the enemy tends to target you especially. The whole realm of darkness has been stirred and mobilized to pull down your purpose.

Practically, there may be days that everything seems to go wrong and that all could not be a coincidence. As a result, you may be under pressure. But if you have put on the armor, you will resist the pressure to throw in the towel. In this way you are able “to resist”. This expression you also come across in James 4 and 1 Peter 5 (Jam 4:7; 1Pet 5:9). It is about not giving in to, and not running away from, the threat posed by the enemy who wants to wipe out every thought about heavenly matters. However, God wants a testimony on earth exactly of that.

In other places in Scripture you read about ‘flee’ (1Cor 6:18 ; 1Cor 10:14; 1Tim 6:11; 2Tim 2:22). There you see that you must flee from situations that are connected with the sinful desires of your heart.

Did you resist where it was called for, then victory is achieved. But watch out! It is not enough to repel an enemy attack. After the victory we have to stand firm. The attack itself is not the most dangerous, but the rest afterward. When it seems that the struggle has been fought, then precisely at that moment the greatest attack often happens. An example of that you see in the history of Elijah. After his spiritual success on Mount Carmel in 1 Kings 18 (1Kgs 18:36-46) he flees in fear in the next chapter because of the threatening language of wicked Jezebel, the wife of wicked King Ahab (1Kgs 19:1-3).

In closing this part, I still want to point out that the struggle that is being described here, is not a struggle against the sin that dwells in us. To such a struggle we are not called anywhere in the Bible. Regarding the indwelling power of sin, it is said in Romans 6: “Consider yourselves to be dead to sin” (Rom 6:11). Why then continue struggling? But, you might say, don’t we read in Hebrews 12 about striving against sin (Heb 12:4)? Yes, sure. But the point there is not the sin that dwells in you, but the sin that surrounds you and wants to intrude.

Now read Ephesians 6:10-13 again.

Reflection: What is the reason that this letter ends with speaking about struggling?