How do we fight the good fight of faith in Christ Jesus?
So, just who is the enemy of Christians and indeed all mankind and how can we fight someone we can’t see?
The Bible tells us that our enemy is of course Satan or the Devil, the two names by which he is most commonly known. He is the one who deceived Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. He enticed them to disobey God and thus sin entered the World and caused the fall of mankind. And because Satan did this God put enmity between him and man.
Genesis 1:14-15
14 The Lord God said to the serpent,
“Because you have done this,
You are cursed more than all the cattle,
And more than any animal of the field;
On your belly you shall go,
And dust you shall eat
All the days of your life.
15 “And I will put enmity (open hostility)
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed (offspring) and her Seed;
He shall [fatally] bruise your head,
And you shall [only] bruise His heel.”
When we examine the above two verses, we see that verse 14 is purely a physical curse and verse 15 is a spiritual curse.
Let me try and explain this in this way, because Satan was not created as human or animal, he is a spiritual being and thus he cannot be seen by the human eye. The only way Satan could get himself to be seen by Eve was to take possession of a physical body and in this instance, he chose the snake’s body.
He was unable to take possession of either Adam or Eve’s body as they had not yet sinned. Satan can only take possession of a human through sin and animals have no spirit or soul as human beings do, so Satan was able to enter and take possession of the snake and communicate through it. We have an example of God doing this with Balaam’s donkey in the Old Testament, but that story is for another time!
Up to this time we can safely assume that the snake was able to stand upright because God, the creator of all life, commanded that from that time on the snake would slither on its belly in the dust, thus indicating that the snake didn’t previously do that!
And to Satan God decreed that he and man would be enemies for all time!
Now here is where things get really interesting!
God says in verse 15 that the enmity would be between Satan’s seed (offspring) and Eve’s Seed.
There is a subtle nuance in this verse in that Satan’s seed has a lower case ‘s’ in seed and Eve’s seed has an upper case ‘S’ in seed.
Satan’s seed therefore, because he is unable to create, are those that deny God and are in disobedience to Him and are thus His enemies as Satan himself is.
Eve’s Seed refers to Jesus and ultimately all those that believe in Him, the Church! Many consider this verse the protevangelium (protoevangelium is a compound of two Greek words, protos meaning "first" and evangelion meaning "good news" or "gospel")., the first announcement of the gospel. This is the first prophecy about the Messiah (Christ), who through His death on the cross and resurrection would ultimately defeat Satan, the power behind the serpent and indeed all evil that men do!
In Luke 3 we are given Jesus’ lineage through his mother Mary, which goes right back to Adam and thus substantiates the first half of Genesis 3:15,
“And I will put enmity (open hostility)
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed (offspring) and her Seed;”
In Romans 16, Paul corroborates the second half of Genesis 3:15:
He shall [fatally] bruise your head,
And you shall [only] bruise His heel.”
With this:
Romans 16:20 (NIV)
The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.
The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.
And this in Galatians:
Galatians 4:4-5 (NIV)
4 But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.
And in the book of Revelation we are told this:
Revelation 12:17 (NIV) – brackets are mine
Then the dragon (Satan the serpent) was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus (His Church).
Okay, now the scene has been set, let’s get back to our topic of, “How do we Combat Satan?”
To start we must become born-again. We must accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, repent of our sin and be baptised, and follow Him in the power of the Holy Spirit and in obedience to the Word of God, the teachings of the Bible. Not the fanciful teachings of man but the teachings of the Bible. Jesus Christ and Him crucified!
John 3:3 (NIV)
Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.
Acts 2:38 (NIV)
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
There are a number of extremely comforting scriptures that we all know, yet I think that even though we know them, we don’t let them permeate our hearts, our minds and our very being, we really do need to appropriate them. Jesus has already defeated Satan and He has given us of His authority!
Some of these scriptures are:
Luke 9:1-2 (NIV)
When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.
Luke 10:18-19 (NIV)
18 He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.
John 16:33 (NIV)
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
James 4:7 (NIV)
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
So, you see that we have an already defeated foe, but only when we have Christ Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, are fully repentant and living a holy and righteous life in Christ Jesus in full compliance to God’s Word.
We are in the world yet not of the world. We must contend with the ruler of this world, Satan, and as the scripture says, as Christ has overcome, so in Him we can too! Our fight is not against any man, government or organisation, our fight is a spiritual one.
2 Corinthians 4:4 (NLT)
Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.
Ephesians 6:12 (NLT)
For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
The above verses gives us a good solid foundation in our ‘spiritual war’ with Satan.
We, as Christians, are called out of the World even though we still live in it and anyone who is still a friend of the World is an enemy of God. Don't get involved with the things that the world does, don't bring worldly things into the Church. You have been set apart, called out of the world!
James 4:4 (NIV)
You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
How are we spiritually fed and equipped for our spiritual war?
Just like any natural army we need to be well fed (like the adage, an army marches on its stomach) and we need to be well equipped.
But our feeding and equipping is not of this world, so what is it? Let’s take a look at these scriptures first:
Matthew 4:4 (NIV)
Jesus answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
So, my fellow brothers in arms, how are we fed?
That’s right, you got it! The Word of God, the Bread of Life! How did our Lord Jesus rebuke the devil and resist temptation in the wilderness? By quoting the Word!
Jesus is the Word – the Word is Jesus. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EACH AND EVERY BORN-AGAIN CHRISTIAN TO KNOW, UNDERSTAND AND BE OBEDIENT TO THE WORD OF GOD!
John 1:1-5 (NIV)
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
The more you study the Word, the closer you’ll get to Jesus – the closer you get to Jesus the more you will understand the Word.
John 6:51
I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
Ephesians 5:18 (NLT)
Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit,
So, just to re-cap, how we are fed:
- By having a personal relationship with Jesus – being born again.
- By studying, understanding and knowing the Word of God.
- By speaking the Word of God.
- By being filled with the Holy Spirit and being led by Him.
Now, how do we equip ourselves for the battle against Satan?
All the above, naturally! Plus, and most importantly:
Put on the full armour of God
This is a key passage of scripture that is essential for all born again believers to know and implement in order to be a relevant an effective spiritual warrior in the Kingdom of God. It is important for us to examine the verses in some detail.
In his writing of these verses, I think we need understand that Paul would have been very familiar with the Roman soldier dressed in full battle armour, after all he was escorted by Roman soldiers on more than a few occasions. He also knew that no Roman soldier would ever dream of going into battle without putting on his full battle armour. The Roman soldier was probably the best protected soldier of the time, and his armour was designed to be effective against most enemy weapons of the time.
It was probably the Roman soldier that Paul had in mind when he was describing the Armour of God as it would have been very identifiable for his readers at that time.
Ephesians 6:10-18 Full Armour of God
Verses 10-13
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 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. 13 Therefore put on the full armor 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.
In these four verses Paul is giving us a pre-battle pep talk. He knows what battles we’re going to face in our daily walk because he’s been there and done it. He’s been whipped, stoned, imprisoned, left for dead, bitten by a poisonous snake and for good measure, whipped some more. He knows we’re facing a spiritual battle and he tells us to be prepared and make sure that we clothe ourselves in God’s protection – the Armour of God. When we do this, we will be able to stand firm and strong in the Lord by the power of the Holy Spirit. We will then be fully equipped to overcome the enemy in Christ Jesus!
Verse 14
14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,
On a Roman soldier it is the belt that holds the other pieces of body armour in place, and it is on the belt that the sword is hung. When a Roman soldier had finished putting on his body armour he would gird his loins with a belt as described above. This meant that he was now ready for service and to go into battle. So what Paul is saying here is that we need to gird ourselves to do battle with the belt of truth which is our integrity and right standing in Christ Jesus and our walking in the Spirit.
The breastplate of a soldier’s armour does as it says it covers the breast, the area between the waist and the shoulders. It protects the soldier’s vital organs and most significantly it protects the heart.
For the soldier of the flesh the breastplate is made of iron. For us, the spiritual soldier, our breastplate is made of our righteousness in Christ Jesus (stronger than anything else), our righteousness protects our hearts and minds from the attack of the evil one! We all know that the Devil constantly attacks our hearts and minds with lies, accusations and reminders of our past sin. If we do not clothe ourselves with the breastplate of righteousness the Devil’s lying arrows will penetrate our hearts and render us null and void. Be aware of who you are in Christ Jesus and come boldly into His presence and he will fill you with his Holy Spirit who will cement your righteousness in Christ Jesus (Hebrews 4:16). Don’t try and take on the enemy without first praying and then being led by the Holy Spirit with all your armour on!
Hebrews 4:16 (NIV)
Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Verse 15
15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
Now, keeping the Roman soldier in mind, what did he wear of his feet when marching and going into battle? He wore heavy duty, hobnailed boots called Caligae – no Roman soldier marched or went into battle without them! They were the strongest footwear going at the time.
For the battle shoes of the Church, the spiritual soldier, we need to put on the peace that comes from the Good News of the Gospel in Christ Jesus so that you will be fully prepared. Our spiritual shoes (our peace in Christ Jesus) allow us to step freely and without fear while we turn our full attention to the battle at hand. They aid in our movement and defence. The peace God gives us will propel us onward to proclaim the true peace, which is available only in Christ Jesus. The peace that surpasses all understanding. We need to prepare ourselves to follow the Lord no matter what.
Verse 16
16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
The shield not only defends the Roman soldier’s whole body but also His armour. The shield of faith has a very specific function, which the Bible makes abundantly clear: it will quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. Not some, not most but all of them. The shield moves with the attack no matter what direction it is coming from. This is the kind of faith that Moses had when he confronted Pharaoh to let Israel go. It is the kind of faith that Elijah had when he confronted the prophets of Baal, the faith David had when he fought Goliath, the kind of faith Jesus has and that he gives to us today through the Holy Spirit!
Hebrews 11:6
Without faith it is impossible to please God.
Verse 17
17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
The Roman soldier’s helmet was made of iron and was strong enough to withstand a number of hefty sword or spiked battle club blows. It covered the whole head and the back of the neck with just slits for the eyes and for the mouth. It even had an iron pieces to protect the bridge of the nose and the cheeks.
Satan's favourite target is our mind. We have often heard that our minds are the devil’s playground. Satan's weapons are lies and false accusations. The enemy wants to make us doubt God and our salvation. The helmet of salvation protects our minds from doubting the truth of God's saving work in us.
1 Thessalonians 5:8
"Since we belong to the day, we must be serious and put the armour of faith and love on our chests and put on the Helmet of the Hope of Salvation"
The Roman soldier’s sword was light and short and ideal for hand-to-hand combat where short, stabbing motions were required. It was not only a weapon of offense but was also ideal for defence as well.
The believer, as a spiritual soldier, always needs to be prepared to go head to head and toe to toe with the devil.
The sword of the Spirit – the Bible, the Word of God, is not only a weapon of offense in the armour, but also a tool for defence. Strongholds, arguments and thoughts are all weapons the enemy uses against us. With the Sword of the Spirit, God's word, the Church is equipped to deal with them all. We need to trust in the truth of God's Word. Have confidence in the value of God's word and develop a hunger and desire to know it and study it.
When Jesus went head to head with the devil in the desert – Mattew 41:11 – he used the Word to defeat him and resist temptation - "IT IS WRITTEN". We need to be prepared to battle the enemy in the same way. By the Word of God and in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Hebrews 4:12 (KJV)
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Verse 18
18 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.
And last but not by any means least, prayer! Every believer and the Church corporately, need to be constantly in prayer. Praying in the Spirit and praying in our understanding. Praying the Word into our lives and into the lives of others, especially our brothers and sisters in Christ. Our battle is not against flesh and blood, Eph 6:12, and so we always need to be in the Spirit – walking in the Spirit.
The battle is won in the heavenly realms. Prayer is an integral part of our worship of God – it should never be neglected. Praying in our understanding and praying in the Spirit always!
Matt 18:18 (KJV)
Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
- Be sober-minded and watchful – 1 Pe 5:8 (AMP) Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour.
- Do not make a practice of sinning, be obedient to the Word in every way – 1 Jn 3:8a Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning.
- Submit yourself to God in every way - James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
- Give the devil no opportunity in your life – Eph 4:27 And give no opportunity to the devil.
- Practice righteousness in your daily walk with Christ and love your brother – 1 Jn 3:10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.
- Be quick to forgive, do not hold unforgiveness in your heart – 2 Co 2:10-11 Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. Indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ, so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.
- Take up your authority in Christ Jesus – Lk 10:19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.
- Be vigilant - 1 Peter 5:8-9 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
- Pray continually – 1 Thess 5:16-18 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Remember that when you gave your life to Jesus you also became a member of His army. We don’t glorify Satan in any way, but we do need to know him as our enemy so that we can resist him! Your enemy is not your spouse, your boss, your neighbour or any other flesh and blood – your enemy is a spiritual being, who uses his spiritual minions to manipulate flesh and blood! Our battle is won in the spiritual realm – be prayer warriors in Christ Jesus!
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father
I pray that you would help me, Lord, to be ever vigilant and alert so that I can resist the devil as I go about my life. Help me Lord to make time to feed on your word and draw closer to Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit. Do not let me forget to rejoice in you always and pray continually and help me to clothe myself in the full armour of God and never take it off that I may being glory to your name. Amen.
To Jesus belongs all glory, honour and praise!
Jesus, the name above all names!
