Ephesians 6 (click the link)
KEY VERSES:
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… 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 6:10-12, 18, NIV)
REFLECTIONS:
“You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven”(Matthew 5:43-45).
For me, Ephesians 6:12is the key to understanding how Jesus could expect those that follow him to obey his command to love your enemy. Peter explains in simple terms why “this darkness” Paul speaks of is allowed to persist at the same time the Kingdom of Heaven is being established. He tells us (speaking about God), “He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). Peter goes on to say, “Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him” (2 Peter 3:15).
So there it is, just because you have received the salvation that Jesus gives so freely to all does not automatically put God at odds with everyone in your life that have yet to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. God’s desire is for all men to be reconciled to him by the perfected work of His Son. God wants that to be the heart of all those that enter into His Kingdom.
How is this possible for us to do when we are surrounded by a world full of seemingly wicked people doing wicked things? Paul lays out the answer to this in Ephesians, especially chapter 6. He starts off by telling children to obey their parents and he tells parents to not provoke their children to anger. Then he goes on to tell slaves to obey their master as though they were obeying Christ himself and for masters to treat their salves as though they are serving the Lord himself. (I don’t know about you but I have a hard time with authority, after all I grew up in “don’t tell me what to do, this is a free country” America.) Paul is trying to get the reader to see how the power behind the throne works—or to put it another way, that there is an invisible hand behind the scene motivating peoples’ hearts, actions, and thoughts.
You are either motivated and exist by the Spirit of God or you are at the mercy of all the other spiritual forces of darkness at work in our world. Neither spiritual influence is seen with our eyes; but humanity's actions bear the work and influence of both.
POINT OF ACTION:
So how do you obey those in authority over you in a way that is pleasing to God, and how can you love that guy who just cut you off in traffic or robbed you at gun point? Paul tells us to “be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power” (6:10). If Jesus can love them, then by His power so can you.
So what about the real enemy that we are called to war against? Paul gives the reader explicit instructions on how to prepare for the war that you will face each day. First you must recognize that theenemy's kingdom is organized and seeks to establish seats of power on this earth and apparently in Heaven. Man’s pride causes him to be drawn to the power that these places and positions offer. Often these people are the ones we consider to be against us and our enemy.These are the very people we are commanded by the Boss to love. With the help of God's Spirit, it is possible to both love the man and fight the enemy. When Jesus came He brought both His power and authority and it is available to all who believe and follow Him.
The most effective way to fight the enemy is prayer. Paul tells us that to have effectual prayer we must pray in the Spirit so our prayer can lineup with the will of God. Make no mistake, demons, fallen angles, and wicked spirits are quite real and much more powerful than you or I; but when we are clothed in the full armor of God and wield the sword of the Spirit, including the power and authority of Christ, no strong hold of the enemy will stand. Souls and lives will be saved and “this darkness” Paul speaks of will be drowned out by the shining light of the gospel.
PRAYER:
Father in heaven I don’t know of any better prayer straight from the Spirit than this: Hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
WHO AM I?
My name is Paul Babb. For the first 31 years of my life I was a little confused as to who the enemy is. God was patient, though, and took me to a place where my only choice was to give up or be given completely over to him. I don’t always love my neighbor as myself, but I want to and with God all things are possible.
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