11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For 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. 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; 19 And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
When someone attempts to follow Jesus Christ as Lord, or is following Jesus as their God, the enemy of our souls, Satan, and his kingdom of darkness, are going to attack. This is a spiritual reality that many in the western societies may not be comfortable hearing, as several doubt the existence of a supernatural world that influences the natural world.
Ever seen the video of the zombie snail infected by parasites? Check it out on YouTube, the poor thing is driven to death by parasites that make it pulsate multiple colors as a way of gaining another host.
Similarly, the “principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” that Paul mentions are our real enemies can sometimes turn a person into a zombie – a living yet spiritually dead person- being used unwittingly by the kingdom of darkness to spread the infectious spiritual parasites that they carry inside them!
Another image to display this spiritual infiltration would be the infection of a human being by pathogenic bacteria and viruses unto the human being’s death, all while transmitting pathogens as they live. In the same way, their spirit and mind can also be infected by spiritual parasites that are only interested in re-routing resources from the host unto themselves, sometimes robbing the host of precious gifts given to them by their heavenly Father such as peace and joy:
“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly,” John 10:10 (KJV).
Jesus affirms that He has humanity’s best interests at heart, and that running to Him will provide us safety from the wicked devices of the devil. As mentioned previously regarding spiritual strong holds in one’s mind, the primary enemies of a human being are not other human beings. This is why Jesus asks us to love our enemies who attack us, and Paul reminds us to leave vengeance in God’s hands, while at the same time asking us to reprimand workers of darkness to alert them to sinful blind spots, ultimately for their own good through their repentance of their sins.
Our primary enemies, Paul is arguing here, are spiritual entities that deceptively influence the thought lives of passive people who are unaware or these forces of darkness, and sadly let them live in their spiritual houses as guests that do not have the best interests of the host at heart (Matthew 12:43-45).
The prescribed armor that Paul goes on to describe is of great relief to the possibly now-worried reader, as it is as simple as having faith in Jesus Christ and daily reminding ourselves of:
- His truth (as one would wear the most intimate garment close to protect the most vulnerable parts of one’s body), found in the Bible,
- His righteousness (as one would put on a bullet-proof vest that would protect from gunfire), displayed in living a sinless life,
- His peace (as one would put on sturdy shoes before going on a dangerous hike, to have firm standing in slippery places) found truly by putting one’s trust in Jesus,
- His faith (as one would take a shield or umbrella that would protect against the elements, in this case, the fiery darts of the devil) found in His promises to never leave us or forsake us, and our reciprocal faith that protects us,
- His salvation (as one would put on a helmet daily, knowing that through Christ’s salvation this world is not our home, that our true home is in heaven with Jesus :), through our faith that Jesus is Lord, and that he died and rose again as the ultimate sacrifice for our sins to bring us to right standing with God,
- His Word (as one would take up an offensive weapon, perhaps a sword or a pen, to put to death these spiritual parasites) found in the person of Jesus (John 1:1) and the Bible’s holy scriptures.
Of course, Paul’s final prescription for thwarting these spiritual parasites is prayer, which is simply a conversation with God. This could be an ongoing internal report to Him, where you talk to Jesus as if you would a friend and ask for His help in fighting the devil, and use His name and Word to reprimand these spiritual forces of darkness. It could also be a desperate fast proclaimed individually or in groups (e.g., Queen Esther’s three day no food no water fast is pretty brutal) to bring the flesh into submission as a declaration that nothing is more important than the spiritual freedom offered only through Jesus Christ.
In these dark and dangerous times, let us not forget that we have a very real adversary that roars and stalks us like prey,
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” (1 Peter 5:8, KJV).
But let us also remember that we serve Jesus Christ, who has crushed the devil at the cross, and:
“Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. (1 John 4:4, KJV).
Thank you for reading through these brief explanations of the verses on the yellow card that you received. Please prayerfully consider what you have read, and follow up with a local christian pastor or email me at mrinalini@thehonestrational.com with any doubts, debates and prayer requests. May the Lord speak to you clearly and unmistakably as you keep reading the Bible.
