Christians are in a spiritual battle Christians sometimes don’t realise that they are in a battle, a spiritual battle. There is an unseen enemy who works hard to spread evil and destruction in the world. This enemy works against God’s people too. “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 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 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.” (Ephesians 6:11–13, NIV) Paul teaches that battles against the Devil (which are often against demons doing the Devil’s work, not direct contact with the Devil himself) may appear to be battles with people. But we’re not battling against flesh and blood (that is, people), even though the battle appears to be just with people. There are real forces of evil in the heavenly realms (the spirit world). These battles might seem to be through governments, authorities, or individuals, etc. But behind these visible opponents there is an invisible enemy. (This is not to say that everyone who gives Christians a hard time is doing the work of the Devil. Far from it. There are many Christians who bring opposition and hard times on themselves, and many who disagree or politely oppose with Christians, who either just have a difference of opinion on neutral matters or who sin on their own without demonic backing.) Against demonic spiritual opposition, Paul tells Christians to be strong ‘in the Lord.’ Christians have been allocated battle armour from their quartermaster, the Lord. We ought to wear our spiritual armour because we need it. Soldiers who go into battle without the proper protective equipment are either poorly supplied or foolish if they don’t utilise their armour that is provided. Christians too should wear the people battle gear in order to withstand the attacks of the enemy. The Christian’s battle armour Belt of truth Breastplate of righteousness Shoes of readiness to share the gospel of peace Shield of faith Helmet of salvation Sword of the Spirit – the Word of God It seems as though Paul would have also added another piece of armour to the list, if he had found a suitable part of the Roman soldier’s battle armour that suited the illustration: “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.” (Ephesians 6:18, NIV) Prayer is essential in order to rely on the protection that comes from God. So too is perseverance. If Christians were to wear this battle armour more often, we would find that we are wounded less frequently, and more effective in the Lord’s service.