Last week we examined darkness versus light and concluded that darkness is Satan and his evil minions and that in God there is no darkness and that Jesus is Light. This week we will dive a little deeper into this battle between light and darkness and good and evil. Let’s look again at Ephesians 3: 8-which reveals that at one time we as believers were in darkness but now we are light in the Lord. Those who accept Jesus as Savior and Lord are children of light and those who refuse and reject Him are children of darkness. In Ephesians 3: 10-11 we learn that the purpose of Jesus’ coming was to manifest God’s multi-faceted wisdom through His followers to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. Colossians 1: 16 sheds more light upon this purpose: “For by Him (Jesus) all things were created—in heaven and on earth, the seen an the unseen, whether thrones or angelic powers or rulers or authorities.”
Going back to our study last week, we saw in Genesis 1:1 that it was in the beginning (eternity past) when the creation of the heavens and the earth took place. Then we saw in verse 2 that there was chaos and darkness upon the earth. We saw how God brought order to the chaos and renewed the earth according to Genesis 1 and 2. We saw in the scriptures from Ephesians and Colossians that all things in heaven and earth were created by Jesus—the seen and the unseen, angelic powers, rulers and authorities. We know from Psalm 68:17, Mt. 26: 53, Hebrews 12:22 and Revelation 5:11 that there are numerous angels—hosts of angels! Their place is about the throne of God (Rev. 5:11; 7:11), they are used of God as messengers, as warriors, and as ministering spirits is sent forth to minister for His children. His heavenly hosts were created to honor and glorify His Name.
God created a cherubim and was anointed for a position of great authority. Ezekiel 28: 12-14 gives us insight into the unfallen state of Satan. Verses 15-18 provides the details of his downfall. Isaiah 14: 12-17 describes the overthrow of Lucifer because of pride and rebellion. Cast out of heaven (Luke 10:18), he makes earth and air the scene of his tireless activity. After the creation of man he entered into the serpent and beguiling Eve by his subtlety, secured the downfall of Adam and through him of the race and the entrance of sin into the world of men. In Ephesians 2: 2 he is called the “prince of the power of the air” and he is at the head of a vast host of demons and angels who left heaven with him. The first prophecy in the Bible is Genesis 3:15 promising the ultimate defeat of Satan through the “seed” of the woman (Christ). Then began Satan’s long warfare against the work of God on behalf of humanity, which still continues. The present world system, organized upon the principles of force, greed, selfishness, ambition, and sinful pleasure, is his work and was the bribe which he offered to Christ (Mt. 3; 8-9). Of that world system he is ruler and god. Paul tells us in 2 Cor. 4: 4 that the god of this world has blinded the minds of them which do not believe in Christ. At this time he still has access to God as the “accuser of our brethren” (Rev. 12:10) and has limited access and power upon believers (Job 1: 6-11) as believers are sifted but kept in faith through the advocacy of Christ. He knows his final fate and that his time is short so he is looking for ways to destroy and hinder our daily walk as lights for Christ.
Colossians 2: 14- 15 makes it clear that Jesus wiped out the handwritten record of debts with the decrees against us, which is hostile to us when He died on the cross. He disarmed the principalities and powers. Paul reminds us in 1 Thess. 5: 4-9 that as born-again children of God we are not in darkness but are children of light. He warns us to be alert and watch and put on the breastplate of faith and love; and the helmet of the hope of salvation. Notice it is something that we must PUT ON. Even though we have the Spirit of Christ within us sealing us to the day of redemption, we must daily put on the Armor of God so that we can stand against the schemes of the devil. We are in a battle against the forces of darkness and evil in this world but Jesus equips us to overcome through His power—the battle is the Lord’s, but it is our responsibility to put it on every day. Let’s turn to Ephesians 6: 10-18 which details the Armor and its necessity for protection.
I have a prayer that I pray daily for me and my family that includes each of the pieces of the armor and a scripture to claim. You must develop your own prayer, but I am including mine as I have truly seen God intervene throughout our lives to protect and keep us.
Father, I place the whole armor of God upon each of my family members (name them) this day. Place around us the belt of truth—drive out all untruth, all unbelief, and all lies of Satan. Open up our spiritual eyes of understanding that we will be able to see the truth about You, the truth about our self and the truth about people and circumstances. Use truth to set us free to be all You want us to be. Fill us with Your Spirit of wisdom, revelation and discernment. Place upon each of us the breastplate of righteousness. Jesus, only You are righteous. Cover us with Your blood and Your righteousness and work Your righteousness into the fiber of our being that we will trust in, rely upon and cling to You with all our body, soul and spirit and allow You to complete the work You have begun in us. Place upon each of us the sandals of the gospel of peace. Make us one with You and one with each other. Grant us grace to depart from evil, grace to do good and seek peace with You and others. May the peace that passes all understanding guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Help us to take up the shield of faith. Build our faith and don’t allow our suffering to be wasted but to use it for our good and Your glory. Remove the hardness from our hearts, the blindness from our eyes and the deception from our minds that we will be open and willing to be taught by You. Send Your guardian angels to go before and behind us to make the way clear and to war against all people, all things and all spirits that would cause us harm or cause us to sin. Separate us from people, things, desires, destructive behaviors, strongholds, idols, generational curses (name them) that would separate us from You. Surround us with Christian friends and Christian influences and help us to be a Christian friend and influence. Put a hedge of thorns of protection around us and deliver us from evil from within and without. Don’t even let us be tempted that we may not cause pain. Make us to recognize sin as sin and evil as evil, to be repulsed by it, to confess it, repent of it and flee from it. Place upon each of us the helmet of salvation and guard our minds, wills and emotions from Satan and his adversaries, from the world and from the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life. Line up our thoughts with Your thoughts and our desires with Your desires. Grant us clarity of mind and organization of thought that we will make wise choices and have good judgment. Help us to take up the sword of the Spirit which is Your word. Make it a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path that we may not sin against You. Fill us with Your Spirit and stir up a passion for You, Your Word and Your righteousness that is greater than any passion in our lives. Help us to pray about everything and be a blessing to You and others. In Jesus Name, AMEN.
Armor up—we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. He wins!