Pastor’s perspective: Spiritual warfare, part 4

Posted June 30, 2009 at 11:37 am and filed under Faith.

By Brian Powell
Raleigh First Church of the Nazarene

Brian Powell

Brian Powell

I have been discussing the idea that, according to Scripture, human beings are engaged in spiritual conflict. In other words, we are involved in a struggle in the spiritual realm.

We have also identified that the enemy is real. The Bible uses names like Satan, the devil, Lucifer, etc., to describe our enemy. Paul writes in Ephesians chapter 6 that we should put on spiritual armor so that we might be able to stand against the strategies of our enemy as we are engaged in this conflict.

This week I want to answer the question: What is the armor?

We must understand that Paul is using a military metaphor to describe spiritual principles that are available to us as believers. First the Apostle Paul writes about the Belt of Truth, which is understood to be the knowledge, the acceptance and the use of truth as it encircles your spiritual being.

It consists of the great truths of God and his relationship to us through Christ. It is the knowledge of God resident in his the Holy Scripture. I could better say that it is Bible doctrine or theology.

Do you know that one of the ploys of Satan today is to take people in truth-teaching churches and lead them astray due to a lack of knowledge? Almost all of the cults have fed upon gospel-teaching churches. They have originated in churches where people do not have the Belt of Truth protecting them. Satan takes a little bit of truth and packages it with a great big lie, and then he seduces people out of the realm of truth and into a realm of lies.

No doubt the lines have been blurred in our day and age: People do what is right in their own eyes. We need a return to the truth.

Next, Paul speaks of the Breastplate of Righteousness. This is desperately needed today because this is where the war is waged. Some have said it has two sides to it: The inside of the breastplate is the righteousness of Christ, which cannot be penetrated; the outside is the personal righteousness of the saints, which we wear in battle each day.

Righteousness is doing the right thing because it is the right thing to do. God makes us righteous in Christ, and as we submit to the process of discipleship, we develop more characteristics of our Lord; in essence, we become spiritually mature.

This is a description of a lifestyle of holiness. It is becoming in practice what we are in position. It is walking the walk, not just talking the talk.

Next on the list is the Shoes of the Gospel of Peace; this aspect has to do with being a witness to the advancement of the cause of Christ. Perhaps you never understood that your obedience and willingness to be a faithful witness is part of your protection against the enemy.

You will never walk as close to the Lord as you will when you trust him to give you courage and the right words to witness to those around you.

You are called to be the light of the world. It takes obedience and courage to become the light of Christ. Witnessing is not about pushing what you believe down someone’s throat; instead, it is about being faithful to the life to which God has called you.

It is finding peace with God and peace with yourself. If you do this, your life will speak for itself. Saint Francis of Assisi once said, “Preach the gospel and, if necessary, use words.”

We will take a look at three more principles next week. Until then, seek the truth, do what is right and preach the gospel with your life.

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