Part II: Spiritually Strong
Part II: Spiritually Strong
by Pastor Kent Munsey
October 11, 2020
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist . . .
Ephesians 6:10-14 (NIV)
In Ephesians 6, Paul talks about the heavenly realms, and what that means is the spiritual world. Currently, we are fighting against an invisible enemy: COVID-19, and we have tools to fight against it like wearing a mask and washing our hands. Just because we do not see it does not mean it is not there. In our faith, we must open our eyes to our spiritual enemy as well. If we are going to stand in this war, we have to understand that this fight is supernatural. It has been going on long before us, and it will continue to go on until Jesus sends the enemy and the kingdom of darkness into judgment.
Ephesians 6 tells us to be spiritually strong and put on the full armor of God because our struggle is against the authorities of darkness and not of this world. If we are to be victorious, we have to put on this armor. In Ephesians 6, Paul provides wisdom about how we can be spiritually strong.
1. Everything visible is preceded by something invisible and spiritual. We often focus far too much on the physical, fighting the visible fruit of an invisible problem, and missing the root of the problems we are facing. If we are always fighting the fruit, we are always going to find ourselves losing the battle. Everything we see in the visible realm has an invisible, spiritual root. We have to look at the spiritual root and fight for the ground that produces the fruit of the quality of our visible life in which we live.
2. Every day we are to put on the armor of God. We have spiritual tools to fight in this invisible war. In Ephesians 6, we see six tools to help us fight the spiritual fight of faith. Everything we need for life and godliness God has already given us, but we have to put it on.
3. Paul also wants us to know that this fight is personal. We are given the instruction in Ephesians to put on the armor of God so that we can stand when “the day of evil comes.” There will be a day in our lives when all hell will break loose, and when that day comes, we have a spiritual strength that can defeat the enemy’s schemes. We have the necessary tools, but we have to put them on.
Ephesians 1:18 says God has seated us with Him in heavenly places. Therefore, our struggle against those who are opposed to the Heavenly places are the principalities and forces of darkness. We need to trust the wisdom and judgment of God. Our natural eyes cannot see the spiritual things that remain invisible to the naked eye.
In the spiritual realm, Jesus defeated sin, death, and the devil. He has all power and authority. Within Jesus' church, there is conflict, and there is so much we cannot see except for in the spiritual realm. Fear, offenses, and interpersonal conflict are signs of a deeper reality. Therefore as spiritual beings, we need to view that reality with spiritual power and revelation. This is spiritual warfare. As we are seated with Christ in heavenly places, so we must fight the fight in that realm.
4. The first tool that we have is the belt of truth. The truth is God's view on any given matter. We have inherited the authority of God’s word. This is all we need to overcome any attack in any season under every circumstance. Often we place too much value on the seen, on our perception. What we see often can trick us.
Our objective standard is the truth of God’s word. It’s God's truth that leads us into blessings, righteousness, and peace that passes all understanding. We can trust God’s word even when our eyes can’t see it. When we believe God’s truth, our eyes are opened to the spiritual realm. If we’re going to live an overcoming life as a believer, we have to trust the Word of God. We have to put on the belt of truth and believe that if he said it, we can believe it.
Our fight is not against each other; it is against the invisible world we cannot see. The greatest weapon we can have in this fight is the truth of God’s word. We can’t always trust what we see, we can’t always trust the conclusions that we draw from the facts, but God’s Word is always true. We must look beyond the fruit and down to the root. We have been armed with the truth. We are more than overcomers in Christ Jesus. If we want to be spiritually strong and experience victory in our relationships and our businesses, we must put on the belt of truth. Then we will see his goodness and power in our lives.
Reflection/Discussion Questions:
1. How have you seen the battle between good and evil--the spiritual warfare--in your own life?
2. How are you preparing for this battle? Are you putting on the armor of God every day?
3. When has God’s Word helped you to have a greater spiritual perspective on your visible circumstances?
4. In what circumstances of your life do you think you may have been fighting the fruit of a spiritual reality rather than the root? Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the root and how the belt of truth (the Word of God) can help you to battle more effectively.