DAY 16
The Reality of the Opposition, the Assurance of Victory!
‘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 armour 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.’ Ephesians 6:12-13
The apostle Paul is concerned to wake us up to the reality of the opposition that we face, not as grounds for fear, but as a motivation to action, leading to victory. It highlights how important it is that we get a right balance when thinking about spiritual evil.
Here in these verses, Paul presents a wonderfully balanced view. To those of us who are tempted to deny or underplay the existence of evil, these verses alert us to the extent of the existence of the enemy that we face. Notice that our warfare 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’. It’s not people who are our enemies, but the devil and those other spiritual forces of evil that operate under his authority. We ‘wrestle’ against this spiritual opposition, implying that the combat is often close and intense. All of this is not to frighten us but to alert us to the facts, since if we don’t have a proper understanding of our spiritual opposition, we will not be sufficiently empowered, equipped and ready to win!
The ‘day of evil’ could refer to the general times we live in before Christ’s second coming, or to specific periods when the enemy’s attacks are particularly fierce. This is the challenging news.
The good news, however, is that Paul expects us to win. He doesn’t want us to be fearful or overly focused on the enemy. Nor does he want us to elevate the devil and his minions to an equal standing with Christ or with us, as Christians seated with Jesus in heavenly places. Paul urges us to be prepared, to understand the necessity of putting on the full armour of God, and to stand firm. Since Christ has won the victory, we are called to stand, maintain, and enforce it.
DEVOTIONAL
by Siling Tan
QUOTABLE QUOTE
“There is no neutral ground in the universe. Every square inch, every split second, is claimed by God and counterclaimed by Satan. The Christian's struggle is against this claim, not by fighting in our own strength, but by standing firm in the victory already won by Christ.”
– C.S. Lewis - author
Prayer points
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- Thank God for the victory already won in Christ! Praise Him that we can confront spiritual opposition from a place of ultimate victory through Him.
- Pray for increased awareness within our church family, that we may discern spiritual opposition swiftly and respond with targeted prayer and the full armour of God.
- Pray for increased measures over the worldwide Church to stand firm, maintain, and enforce the victory of Christ across our land and the world, overcoming spiritual opposition with His strength and authority.