We have this fascination with powerful things. I’m sure you have your own list of powerful things that captivate your imagination. When I was a youngster, my Dad and I took my grandma’s car to an old junkyard. It had this large machine that could crush cars into little cubes. A large crane with a big magnet would effortlessly stack the smashed cars onto flatbed trailers for recycling.
When I was growing up, not far from my home there was a stone quarry. Throughout the day they would set off thunderous charges that would shake homes miles away. A neighbor operated a dump truck in that quarry the size of a small home. Its wheels were taller than a grown man. Its powerful diesel engines were unstoppable.
Within walking distance of our home was a train trestle. My brothers and I would put pennies on the tracks as trains approached. We were too cheap to put down nickels. The sheer weight of the train would disfigure Abe Lincoln’s face.
But these aren’t the kind of powerful things I have in mind. Think military technology. For several years I went to the world’s largest air show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Jet fighters, top-secret surveillance planes, apache helicopters, cargo planes, jumbo jets, and stealth bombers would fly overhead, commanding respect with their deafening roar. I hated the thought of being on the receiving end of any of those technologies!
Think institutions. One year, our family visited Washington D.C. While there we visited the various seats of power and influence including the White House, the Capital, the Supreme Court, the Pentagon, the Treasury, and the FBI headquarters. It was overwhelming to think of the global impact people in those buildings were having.
Powerful things are more than a curiosity for us. Whenever the days are evil, we tend to put our hope in these powerful things, powerful people, and powerful institutions. You name the evil, and for every evil jot down where the potential solution may lay. How will the evil of corporate corruption be defeated? How will the sin of pornography be defeated? How will the sin of abortion be defeated? How will the sin of homosexuality be defeated? How will the evil of Islamic terrorism be defeated?
The Christian response to these things is often the same as the non-Christian response. Our hope lies in technology. Our hope lies in the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government. Our hope lies in law enforcement, the mass media, higher education, or in the sheer might of our military.
The Christian response to evil powers.
One reason we are so powerless as Christians is because we believe the power to defeat evil lies in ourselves, in people, in man-made things, in institutions, or in governments. In Ephesians 6:10-18 we find some unconventional wisdom about how the Christian should overcome evil, in whatever form it manifests itself. Ephesians 6:10-18 (NIV) says, "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 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. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 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 saints."
In the first century the Roman soldier decked out in full military attire was a symbol of power and might. The Roman soldier had conquered the entire known world. With his helmet, his shield, his sword, his breastplate, his belt, and his footwear, the Roman soldier invoked fear and trembling among his enemies. He was undefeatable.
But the Christian is to be reminded that God is infinitely more powerful than the most notorious Roman soldier. The Christian has greater strength and greater might. Why turn to some lesser power than what we can find in God?
Throughout scripture God warns us against trusting in anything but his power. Psalm 146:3-4 (NIV) says, "Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing." Isaiah 31:1-3 (NIV) says, "Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the LORD."
In every generation the fleshly symbols of power are a dead end. They are useless. The projection of God’s power in our lives and in our world is what defeats evil. I love Psalm 44:4-8 (NIV) which says, "You are my King and my God, who decrees victories for Jacob. Through you we push back our enemies; through your name we trample our foes. I do not trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory; but you give us victory over our enemies, you put our adversaries to shame. In God we make our boast all day long, and we will praise your name forever." These are some great verses for us to say directly to God. Do you believe these verses with all your heart and mind? (Note to reader- the entire congregation read these verses aloud together.)
To overcome evil, know your power.
To overcome evil we need to know the source of our strength. Ephesians 6:10 (NIV) says, "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power." Imagine being able to harness God’s power in order to defeat the sin that is destroying your life, or marriage, or family, or workplace, or community, or world? The psalmist didn’t have to imagine it because he experienced it!
I am not convinced that we trust in God’s power as much as we should. I was listening to a person pray on a Christian radio station the other day. The person kept using the same word over and over. "God, just work your power." "God, just be with that person." "God, just send your Holy Spirit." "Just." "Just."
Why do we insert that little four letter word into our prayers? Are we just being careless? Are we just lacking faith? Are we just lacking confidence? Are we just not sure what God will do? Do we just not have any concept of the greatness of the name we invoke? Do we just not have any confidence that God will push our enemies back? We would do well to know the source of our strength.
To overcome evil, know your enemy.
In Ephesians 6:11-12 (NIV) Paul is very careful to describe our adversary. "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."
One of our biggest mistakes is not understanding the nature of the conflict we are in. Our struggle is not against flesh and blood. It is not against the perpetrators of sin. It is not against the people who hurt us or promote evil. We waste a lot of time and energy attacking people and personalities. Our battle is against spiritual forces. It is against the schemes of the devil and against things unseen.
In the Bible we find the devil constantly at work. In 1 Peter 5:8 (NIV) he is described as, "Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." The devil has a whole arsenal of weapons. He seduces us with sin. He deceives us with falsehood. He tempts us with evil. He darkens our hearts and minds from the truth of Jesus Christ. He manipulates the truth. He twists the scriptures for his purposes. He shoots flaming arrows at our points of greatest vulnerability. He uses people as instruments of discouragement and distraction and destruction. Our focus should be on redeeming people from the power of Satan. He is the one who is behind it all. He is the one against whom we are to take our stand.
To overcome evil, we must be fitted for battle.
In Ephesians 6 Paul mentions some essential pieces of armor for spiritual warfare. First there is the, "belt of truth" mentioned in Ephesians 6:14 (NIV). In John 8:44 (NIV) Satan is described as the, "father of lies". His work flourishes wherever there is darkness and wherever his lies go uncontested. One of the most powerful ways to defeat Satan is to label sin for what it is. Sin doesn’t bring happiness or joy. Sin doesn’t bring freedom and life. Sin brings brokenness and despair. It brings bondage and death. As Christians, the truth must become a central part of who we are. The truth binds the whole armor of God together. It is something to be buckled firmly around our waists.
Second, Ephesians 6:14 (NIV) mentions the, "breastplate of righteousness." Righteousness refers to having a right relationship with God. In Romans 8:31 (NIV) Paul asks, "If God is for us, who can be against us?" When I was a freshmen in high school, I got picked on a lot. But before long, I got smart. I started lifting weights with a couple of stocky linemen on the football team. When people messed with me, they would stand alongside me. Alone, we are vulnerable to Satan. But with Jesus Christ as our Lord and savior, God protects us from the devil.
Third, there are the, "boots of readiness" mentioned in Ephesians 6:15 (NIV). In this verse Paul speaks of, "feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace." It is so easy to grow weary in our Christian walk. Most often we feel like we are walking upstream and against everything our culture stands for. In these circumstances it is easy to get discouraged over our failures or lack of progress. It can be easy to lose sight of God’s unconditional love, or of the presence of his grace in our lives. Reminding ourselves of the gospel is the only way not to grow weary in doing God’s will. The gospel keeps our soul encouraged and our progress steady through very end.
Fourth, there is the, "shield of faith" mentioned in Ephesians 6:16 (NIV). When Satan launches his flaming arrows, it is important to trust in God’s deliverance. Without faith in God we are terribly vulnerable to attack. When we don’t trust God we get anxious and worry ourselves into a frenzy. We start acting out of our sinful nature, making sinful choices. We look for solutions in ourselves instead of in God. We begin ignoring or second guessing the perfect will of God. One of our greatest protections is trusting in God to shield and protect us from Satan. In the end, God always proves faithful and worthy of our trust.
Fifth, Ephesians 6:17 (NIV) tells us about the, "helmet of salvation." The helmet protects the mind, the inner thought life of the believer. One of the greatest protections for the believer is having accurate knowledge about God. It is having the right beliefs and knowing the whole counsel of God’s will. To be saved, God must have control of our thoughts. He must be directing our will. We must gain an understanding of what he wants for our lives, for the moment we are in.
Sixth, there is the, "sword of the Spirit" in Ephesians 6:17 (NIV). The sword of the spirit refers to the word of God. The word of God is the only offensive weapon God provides the Christian. Without God’s word we have no offense! During some of the most difficult times of my life, it has been God’s word that saved me. It has been those scriptures I’ve memorized, those passages I’ve studied and preached, and those lessons that I have taught.
The devil would rather us not use our swords. He loves to see dusty, misplaced Bibles. He loves to see Bible-less Christians. He loves to see an empty Sunday school. He smiles when people don’t dig into the word. The devil would rather us leave our swords in their sheathes. This gives him a distinct advantage and puts us at a severe disadvantage!
Last, to overcome evil, we need to be on alert. In Ephesians 6:18 (NIV) Paul says, "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 saints." The most exciting part of spiritual warfare is staying in tune with what God is doing in us, through us, and all around us. When you pray, God gives you insight into how he is working in a particular situation. When you pray, God extends his protection into the lives of other believers. When you pray, you invite God to do his greatest work in your life through his Spirit.
The key to overcoming evil is knowing the source of your strength, knowing your enemy and the battlefield, being fitted for battle with the full armor of God, and staying alert in prayer to everything going on around you.