Ephesians 6:1-24

The Real Enemy

When I was growing up and my parents used the phrase “the enemy” there was never any question who they were talking about. They were for sure talking about the devil and his minions. Unfortunately, this no longer seems to automatically be the case among believers. The enemy now could refer to those of a certain political persuasion, or even those from “another” church. 

Paul talks in this passage about the “Full Armor of God”. This is a topic that often receives a fair amount of coverage from many pulpits but the purpose for this “armor” is too often glossed over. The reason we need these things is so that we can stand against the devil’s schemes. 

Note that our struggle is not against flesh and blood. That means that out struggle is not against people. It is never against people. One of the devil’s favorite, and most successful, schemes is to get us to think that people are the enemy. 

I’m not saying that some issues aren’t important but we need to realize what is at stake here and what the real issues are. What is really at stake isn’t some mere political issue. What is at stake is not a matter of national honor, much less national pride. What is at stake isn’t even the abortion debate. And what is at stake is certainly not somebody or others’ pet piece of dogma. What is at stake is eternity and who is going to stand with God and who will be separated from God forever. It’s hard to fight somebody and win them to Christ at the same time. 

Truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, and the Word; all of these are the devil’s doom but to people they are life. Take up the full armor of God but remember who you are fighting and why.