Ephesians 6:11
Put on the whole armour
of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12For
we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against
powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual
wickedness in high places — Ephesians 6:11-12 (KJV)
Why
Do the Nations Rage?
On
November 8th, 2016, Donald J. Trump was elected 45th President of the United
States. Since then, there has been a flurry of protests - some ugly, others
dangerously violent. There was the post-election ‘protests,’ which turned into
a riot in Portland, Oregon. Voting recounts, ‘Russian hacking,’ intimidating
electors of the electoral college, all have been thrown to try and invalidate
the election. Then on inauguration day, the protestors promised to stop the
inauguration. They failed - but that did not stop them from vandalising parts
of the capital city. Then there were the ‘protests’ after President Trump
signed an executive order halting refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries
deemed terrorist haunts by the outgoing Obama Administration. Or the
ultra-violent riots at the University of California - Berkeley, trying to stop
Milo Yiannopoulos, a conservative, gay, British
journalist, from speaking.
While
protests are nothing new in the United States and are indeed a protected right (provided
they are peaceful), why the frequency, stridency, and savagery? Most will
agree that we have not seen anything like this. Dennis Prager calls this
current turmoil the second American civil war.
This
is not just limited to the United States. There is a low-level world war across
North Africa and the western half of Asia, jihadists against other Muslims,
minorities, and the West. Anti-Semitism is rearing its ugly head in Europe and
the West. Anti-Christian persecution is at the highest levels we have seen in
several generations.
While
experts seek to offer explanations for the increasingly turbulent times in
which we live, here is one you rarely hear, yet it explains everything.
The
second pillar of understanding the future: we live in a spiritual world and the
solutions are equally spiritual.
The
Real Enemy
It
is easy to blame sinful people and ideologies for all our challenges. Indeed,
people need to take responsibility for their actions and will be held
accountable by God for them (Romans 14:12). Yet, the Bible speaks clearly of a
hidden spiritual hand that controls events and nations. Satan is described by
Jesus Christ Himself as the ‘prince’ of this world (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11)
while Paul calls him the ‘god’ of this world (II Corinthians 4:4).
The
New Testament Greek word for ‘world’ is kosmos, which in order,
arrangement, and/or adornment; however, it also means the current state of
human affairs which is at enmity and opposition to God. And who inspired this?
The master rebel himself, Satan, and his host of demons. That’s why I John
5:19 (NKJV) says succinctly, ‘We know that we are of God, and the whole
world lies under the sway of the wicked one.’ Satan and demon powers, who
had such dominance in human history, are in a panic because their time is short
(Revelation 12:12), and want to cause as much trouble and turmoil as possible
on their way down.
When
we understand the spiritual nature of our world, we will quit getting mad at
people, despite their furious opposition, and focus our spiritual attention on
the real culprits. The invisible spiritual forces are slated for destruction,
Satan included, while the earthly opponents are loved of God and are targets
for the gospel of grace.
An
elderly Daniel discovered, to his amazement, that his prayers were being
hindered by the the ‘Prince of Persia.’ The great Messianic psalm, Psalm 2,
speaks about the raging of the nations and people becoming active yet
senseless. The reason? Because the King is coming back. Satan and demon powers
know they are fighting a losing battle but still want to do their utmost to
thwart the return of the Prince of Peace.
The
Wise Response
How
should we respond? Understand that the Biblical Christian life, the one that
God approves, is not a ‘religious life,’ riddled with ‘do’s and don’ts, rules
and regulations, with a dour face and judgmental heart. No, the life God
endorses is a spiritual Christian life. It starts with being:
1)
Born of the Spirit or born again: the new
birth is when our spirit, the inner-person, is reborn. The Holy Spirit is the
agent of change in this process;
2)
Baptised in the Spirit - something
mentioned in all four gospels and fulfilled in the Book of Acts (1:6, 8). This
is a permanent immersion where the presence of God’s Spirit is with us and in
us;
3)
Filled with the Spirit (Acts 2:4;
Ephesians 5:18): The presence of the Holy Spirit is so overwhelming that there
is an overflow of anointing, empowerment, gifts (I Corinthians 12) and fruit
(Galatians 5:22-23), and
4)
Walking in the Spirit (Galatians
5:16): This is a lifestyle of living a Spirit-filled, Spirit-anointed life. ‘Natural
living’ is like living in the barnyard with the chickens: crowded, contentious,
dirty, and no flight. ‘Spirit-filled living’ is like the eagle (Isaiah 40:31),
it takes flight and hovers over the fray that holds others back.
The
Solution is Equally Spiritual
With
this Holy Spirit empowerment that comes from the born again, Spirit-filled
lifestyle, we are in a great position to implement Ephesians 6, which exhorts
us to put on the whole armour of God. Spiritual world means spiritual
fight and God has provided us the weaponry we need to overcome and gain
victory. Failure to understand the battle or implement the solution leaves us
vulnerable to the wiles and desires of the devil.
The
armoury God provides is impressive:
1.
The belt of truth around our waist: keeps
everything in place;
2.
Breastplate of righteousness: protects
the heart;
3.
Gospel of peace on the feet: puts us on
the road;
4.
Shield of faith: quench all the fiery
darts of the wicked;
5.
Helmet of salvation: protects
the mind;
6.
Sword of the Spirit: The Word of
God
The
spiritual solution is to be ‘strong in the Lord’ (Ephesians 6:10), continue to
stand (v. 11, 13, 14), withstand in the evil day (v. 13), pray all kinds of
prayers in the Spirit (v. 18); watching with all perseverance and supplication
for all saints.
Lesson
for Life:
If you want to understand the future, know that this is a spiritual world; the
challenges and solution are equally spiritual.
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