Ephesians • Stand Firm in the Treasure of Victory

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When you want something so badly you can taste it, are you tempted to turn to substitutes the world recommends that seem to work, even religious substitutes? Those are the flaming arrows of the enemy. Don’t do it! In the last article in this series, we looked at how to live out the treasure of godliness. This is post #9 in the Ephesians blog series. In this post, we will learn how to stand firm against anything coming against us because of our treasure of victory in Christ.

Listen to this post as a similar podcast from the Seek the Treasure Bible Study covering Ephesians in the New Testament. (8 lessons)

Living Successfully in What We Already Have

Throughout this blog series, we have been learning about the power of God at work in us and for us as believers. We’ve learned the difference between spiritual power as described by the Bible and what the world considers to be “spiritual” power. Together, we’ve recognized that our personal God uses His power to accomplish His own will and purposes. He extends His power to those He loves to use according to His will and purposes in their lives. We receive His power based on our faith in Christ, not in formulas, bead necklaces, rituals, or connection to nature.

God’s spiritual power is greater than anything we can try on our own and is available to every believer. That truth permeates the whole letter to the Ephesians. God’s power for us is used to take care of us and to change us from the inside out as we trust Him. That is what leads to successful living.

Here’s the key truth we have learned:

We can live successfully in the power already available to us through God’s Spirit who is greater than anything we could substitute for Him.

That applies to daily life and relationships when it comes to dealing with our own selfishness or the selfishness of others. We can have victory over the flesh through the power of the Spirit in us moving us to do the right thing and producing godliness in our lives. We can also have victory during spiritual battles.

Spiritual battles are those challenges that can’t be explained by selfish human behavior as much as by some unseen enemy controlling the situation. Spiritual warfare is real. It has two aspects: 1) that which is taking place in the heavenly realms and 2) that which involves attacks against Christians on earth.

Spiritual Warfare in the Heavenly Realms

As I mentioned in earlier blogs, there is a battle raging in heaven between God and His angels versus Satan and his underlings, the demons. Satan is not the equal of God. He is a created being just like every other angel. Yet, he chose to lead a rebellion against God that is continuing to this day.

The Bible teaches that God has imprisoned some of the demons while allowing others to roam freely. Yet, we see in the Gospels that they are still under the authority of Christ. We are to be aware of this, but it is not our concern. Nothing you or I can do will make a difference in that invisible heavenly battle.

Spiritual Warfare Against Us

Our enemies

When that heavenly battle affects our world, then it involves us. The devil with his demons are our spiritual enemies. And they influence the world system, which is under their power. But that’s not enough. They target the Church. with what Paul called “the flaming arrows of the evil one.”

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. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. (Ephesians 6:10-13, 16)

Target the Church

Why do the spiritual forces of evil target the Church?

His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Ephesians 3:10-11)

The Church is God’s display of His wisdom to the angels—both good angels and bad demons. We are trophies of Jesus’ victory over sin and death. But the evil forces haven’t quit waging war against God in heaven or on earth. We are on God’s side. They are at war against God.

Jesus is greater

Just because bad things happen in this fallen world, know that they are not all caused by demons. Having an unhealthy focus on demons can be dangerous and distracting from following Christ. You should know that demons exist and be aware of their deceptive nature. Jesus is greater than all demons, and He lives in you. Demons have no authority over you. You have nothing to fear. Focus on Jesus, not demons.

The day of evil will come. The evil forces don’t like losing influence. So, they come after us. We become part of the battle. We know the ending, though. God’s side wins. In the work of Christ, the victory has been clinched. And the power and position of our Lord Jesus Christ over all of His enemies guarantees our victory as well. Anything competing with Jesus for power over you or that you might turn to as a source of power is nothing compared to Jesus.

Enemies are under His feet

That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet… (Ephesians 1:19-22)

Jesus is at the right hand of God. And God placed everything under His feet. “Under his feet” is a great word picture. In ancient times, a conquering general would put his foot on the defeated general lying before him.

All the spiritual powers are there under Jesus’ feet. That would include all the demons and Satan himself. That would include every idol, every name or formula used to defeat your enemy, and traditions that seem to work to give you success at what you want or need. Anything competing with Jesus for power over you or that you might turn to as a source of power is nothing compared to Jesus.

Read more about this in the blog, “Ephesians • Seek Your Treasure in Christ.”

We as believers are under His head as the body of Christ but are not under His feet. That’s where our enemies are. And Jesus fills us with everything we need for spiritual life. There’s nothing lacking. We are prepared and ready to go forth because God has clothed us with His armor.

Clothed with the Armor of God

God’s armor

Did you know that God has armor? He doesn’t need it. But He puts it on when He means business!

Isaiah described God’s armor,

The Lord looked and was displeased that there was no justice. He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so his own arm achieved salvation for him, and his own righteousness sustained him. He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head; he put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak. (Isaiah 59:15-17)

God was displeased with what He saw. So He puts on His own breastplate of righteousness and the helmet of salvation on His head to fight battles for His people. Isn’t that a comforting picture?

He puts it on us

So when Paul wrote Ephesians 6:10-18, he pictured God putting His armor on us. We wear it because we are in Christ. It is something that He has provided.

God’s armor will enable us to stand firm and not give way to the enemy. To stand firm and not give way to fear or to substitute powers because we are afraid.

With this same armor belonging to God, we are soldiers of the living God. It is God’s armor. He’s already put it on us. We just need to acknowledge it and use it. The struggle is for faith in an unseen God to defeat an unseen enemy.

And we have this confidence,

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. (Romans 8:37)

We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. That’s a position of victory!

Protection comes from what God has provided to stand firm against the fiery darts of the devil.

Stand Firm Against the Fiery Darts of the Devil

Spiritual warfare is primarily waged over truth and error. The battleground is your mind. Satan’s weapons are lies aimed to produce deception, fear, and despair. His strategy, as we saw in Ephesians chapter 2, is to hinder people from coming to salvation and to keep Christians from experiencing a devotion to God and a life of godliness.

Our enemy’s strategy is also to draw your attention elsewhere to get you to dethrone Christ from ruling this planet. Have you heard the phrase, “Save the planet?” Who is king over planet Earth? Christ Jesus is. He doesn’t need us to save the planet. Godliness does mean we are responsible stewards of God’s gift. But if you have taken that on as your mantra, you are making the devil smile.

Read more about this in the blog, “Stop the “Jesus Is Not Lord over All” Infection.”

The armor pieces

As Paul described the armor of God, using the image of a Roman soldier fully prepared for battle, every piece protects the believer from the lies of the devil.

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, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. (Ephesians 6:13-18)

The belt of truth is the truth of God’s Word.

The breastplate is your forgiveness of sin and Christ’s righteousness covering you, which protects you from the devil’s accusations about your sin.

The shoes are the truth of the gospel, not only for you to know but also for you to share with others so they can have peace with God too.

The shield of faith is in the truth that God always loves you and is always with you, protecting you.

The helmet of salvation comes from Jesus and lasts forever. He’s always with you, ready to protect you no matter what happens!

The sword of the Spirit is God’s Word.

Prayer is your freedom to talk to God in fearful situations and trust Him to do amazing things on your behalf.

Spiritual blessings

You may have heard this section of Ephesians 6 taught all by itself. But it should never be taken out of context of the whole book of Ephesians.

All those things listed as the armor of God come in one bundle with the rest of those spiritual blessing jewels we have discovered in Ephesians. We got those because we are in Christ. Protection comes from what God has already provided. We just need to acknowledge it as truth and use it. As Ephesians 6:10 says, “Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.” Once we do that, what’s next?

Take your stand

The purpose of putting on the armor of God is so that you can take your stand and stand firm (verses 11, 13-14). Stand firm against what? Verse 16 says to extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one.

Remember what I said earlier about spiritual warfare being primarily waged over truth and error? The battleground is your mind. The flaming arrows are lies that are aimed at any weaknesses you have, any insecurities or fears. The result is to make you mistrust God, doubt His goodness, give in to despair, fall into hopelessness, and believe that you are helpless in this world. Just like the Ephesians, when they wanted success to overcome their fears and insecurities, you may be tempted to go to substitutes that seem to work.

Settling for Less When You Lose Confidence in God

In an earlier blog, I shared with you what happens when we as believers lose confidence in our God alone to meet our needs. We turn to other power sources, substitutes that “seem to work.” Doing this, we settle for less. Here are two popular traditions that become substitutes for Christ:

The legend of St. Joe substitute

An article in our local newspaper touted the legend of St. Joseph for selling your house. A legend started years ago that if you buried a statue of a man named Joseph upside down near your for-sale sign, St. Joe would reach out to whatever higher power is out there to get your house sold quickly. The St. Joe kit even has a prayer so that God is included for good measure.

The prayer of St. Anthony substitute

As I was visiting with a friend, I noticed on her kitchen counter a card with a prayer to some guy named St. Anthony on it. We started chatting about this prayer. My friend had been looking for a missing wallet full of cash for about 2 weeks. As a Christian, she asked the Lord to help her find it. After a few days when nothing happened, a Christian neighbor suggested she pray this special prayer to a “Saint” because he was “good at finding lost things.” So, my friend did. Immediately, she looked in front of her and found the wallet. She told me, “I have never done anything like this before, but it worked.” Or seemed to work. But work to do what?

Traditions like that are probably more common than we think. Sometimes we do things without even thinking about why or what impact they have on our faith. But placing our faith in some ordinary man who died hundreds of years ago or believing there is power associated with his statue is not depending on the power of God. I believe when we do that kind of thing, we are settling for a substitute.

Isn’t God powerful enough?

Isn’t the most powerful God in the universe good enough for us? The One who wants us to know Him intimately and completely fills us with everything we need for successful life, isn’t He good enough?

Remember this: No one who ever lived or is alive today is closer to your Father God than you are. Here you are, seated with Christ in heaven alongside God the Father, the closest you can be to the mightiest power in the universe. Why would you go elsewhere? If you have a house to sell, you can go to your Father and trust Him to sell it when He’s ready. The same thing is true about finding something that is lost.

I know my own weaknesses and realize it is not that hard to get caught up in superstitious behavior without realizing it when we try something someone recommends for “quicker action from God.” And it “seems to work.”

Satan uses superstitions as flaming arrows

That’s what bugs me—it seems to work. It dawned on me that this “seems to work” outcome could be a flaming arrow from our enemy. My friend kept that card on her counter after she found the wallet. I bet she’ll use it again because it “seemed to work” to get what she wanted. I know if she had waited on Jesus, she would have found that wallet anyway. Does she believe that now?

The one who buried the statue and sold her house quickly will likely use that approach again to get what she wants “from God.” My friend’s Christian neighbor certainly has used her “pray to the saint method”—and recommends it to others!

It dawned on me that our enemy Satan could be using our tendency to superstition (and impatience!) to get us away from a life of dependence on Christ. Could that be why some things “seem to work?”

In 2 Corinthians chapter 11, Paul said this,

For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve. (2 Corinthians 11:13-15)

Satan masquerades as an angel of light. Making these substitutes “work” could be one way. It certainly makes those Christians depend less on Jesus Christ’s power on their behalf and replace Him with a power substitute—even one that is supposedly including God. No one is closer to God than Jesus and you seated with Him.

When we want something so badly we can taste it, that’s when we are tempted to turn to substitutes the world recommends that seem to work, even religious substitutes. There are so many things out there to try. We go for the latest thing that guarantees success. Those are the flaming arrows of the enemy.

Don’t do it! Don’t seek the substitutes!

Read more about this in the blog, “Flee the Spiritual Substitutes Infection.”

Stand Firm in the Treasure of Victory in Christ

Be strong in the Lord. Reject self-sufficiency. Choose dependence on Christ. Jesus Christ is over it all. Everything is under His feet. Nothing or no one is more powerful than He is. And He is for you. You don’t need to seek substitute powers. You should not settle for less than what God Almighty offers you. You can put on all that our God has given to you and stand firm against any spiritual challenge.

Christ is more powerful than any substitute you could trust instead of Him. He is the powerful head of the Church, which includes all believers. You can trust Jesus Christ’s power to protect you and bring good into your life rather than anything you might consider substituting for Him. He is greater than diplomas, social status, gazillions of dollars, lucky socks, formulas, saintly statues, or your own self-reliance.

Dear listener, there may be evil spiritual forces behind the people, the habits, and the situations that are messing up your life. But the answer is not to try out everything available to see if something sticks. You don’t need substitute power.

The treasure you have in Jesus Christ is more powerful and valuable than anything you could substitute for Him.

Believe that in your head and in your heart. Get rid of anything else you might be relying upon for spiritual power. Trust in what you already have in Jesus. Stand firm in that power.

Let Jesus satisfy your heart with the confidence that the treasure you have in Him is more powerful and valuable than anything you could substitute for Him.

All of the above information is covered in the Seek the Treasure Bible Study covering Ephesians in the New Testament.

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