Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Ephesians 6:10-13

The verses above are, perhaps, the most well known verses regarding spiritual warfare in the Bible. Sometimes it is worth going over familiar texts to see if the Spirit will give us any “new treasures” from the midst of the familiar, so let’s take a look.

It’s always good to take a look at the context of any scripture so that we might sense some of what was in the mind of the writer when he penned the verses. The Bible is anchored in history and the Holy Spirit was speaking into that moment of history whenever the scripture or letter in this case was penned. Here Paul was writing to a relatively small, fledgling church in Ephesus that was about ten years old at the time he wrote the letter from a Roman prison. Ephesus was a major commercial center as well as a center of idolatry. The temple of Diana (Artemis) was central to Ephesus and has been named one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Being a Christ follower was not politically correct in Ephesus. Not only that, but wherever there is extensive idol worship, there is tremendous demonic activity because behind every idol is a demon. Moses said, “They made him jealous with their foreign gods and angered him with their detestable idols. They sacrificed to demons, which are not God” (Dt.32:16-17). Two years after the writing of this letter, Nero would become emperor of Rome and a brutal persecution of the church would be launched.

Paul is writing to a church in hostile territory that would soon face persecution on an empire wide scale. If they did not already know, Paul needed to tell them or remind them of the some things we must all know during hard times.

First of all, in the face of day-to-day persecution from the citizens of Ephesus who were offended by the notion that Jesus was the only way to heaven and in the face of demonic assaults and more intense persecution on the horizon, they needed to know that strength and power would be found in the Lord. Whatever they needed to maintain their faith and stand against cultural and demonic attack could be found in the Lord and his strength would be their only real resource. Nothing else would do.

Secondly, they needed to know that the time would come when they would have to make a stand against the schemes of the devil. It wasn’t “if trouble came” but “when trouble came.” The most important concept in this text is that our struggle or wrestling is not against flesh and blood. The idea of wrestling is that the battle will get close, hand to hand, and face-to-face. It won’t be a drive by where the devil takes a shot and speeds away but we will have to engage him and persist in the contest to win.

In a microwave culture, many of us have no endurance. If the issue isn’t settled quickly, we give up. The devil is into protracted warfare that wears us down at times and uses up our resources. Understanding his strategies is key and also knowing that God will give us strength and power to resist…to stand. We may have to stand for a day, a month, or even years and we need to understand that.

Most importantly, since our struggle is not against flesh and blood, strategies and weapons of the natural realm will not do. Money, politics, psychiatry, drug therapies, self-help, and so forth will not be sufficient. We may be tempted to compromise and try to make peace with the culture around us, but Satan drives the culture and he will not compromise unless it gives him an advantage that he will use against God’s people at a later time.

Not only that but our struggle is against rulers, powers, world forces of this darkness, and spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenlies (spiritual realm). Not every demon can be easily brushed aside. There are ascending ranks in the demonic realm just as in any army and with the rank comes more power. We need both God’s strength and his armor when the day of trouble comes.

It may be a sobering thought that “the big, nasty demons” might come after you. Some believers fear higher ranking demons and hold back rather than going after major strongholds of the enemy, Paul alludes to these ranks but nowhere suggests that we should fear them. His point is that the strength and power of God, along with our spiritual armor is sufficient to stand against any of those listed. After all, he that is in us is greater than he that is in the world and our King has all authority in heaven and in earth.

Another aspect of this verse is that in our personal. Interior struggles, the main battle is also wrestling with the enemy more than ourselves. If Satan can convince us that we are the problem, we will never go after him with divine weapons but will continue to focus on our own issues, our own brokenness, and our own past with counseling, self-help, twelve step programs, and self-criticism. What we need instead will be the truth of God’s word about us and a dogged declaration of that truth over our lives with a bit of deliverance mixed in. We too often take blame for the sinful or crazy thoughts bouncing around in our heads rather than treating those thoughts as something coming from a lying spirit so that spirit operates without opposition. Remember, our struggle is not against flesh and blood…not even our own flesh and blood,

The key to victory is found in training ourselves to look to the spiritual realm first and the use of divine weapons as we face every challenge. I understand that not everything is demonic or spiritual, but we should start there and work back to the natural. Too often we operate in the natural and exhaust every “solution” the world offers before taking up divine weapons which, according to Paul, should be our first defense. God is more than sufficient, but we primarily stand in his strength and power when we engage the enemy in the spiritual realm with spiritual weapons rather than asking him to bless what the world offers. Think about it. Blessings in Him.

I believe that we need to increase our grasp on who we are in Christ. As ambassadors or representatives of Jesus, we must be able to re-present him to the world. That is why Jesus said that those who had faith in him would not only do the works that he had been doing but even greater things, (Jn.14). For us to do what he did, we must walk in the same authority he walked in. As we walk in that authority, our words carry a great deal of weight in heaven.

Because of our authority, our words can direct the favor of heaven. That is encouraging to me. To direct the favor of heaven is to bless. When Jesus sent out the twelve and later the seventy-two, he directed them to release their peace whenever they entered a home. The idea of that was to speak the blessing of shalom over the house. Shalom is the favor and prosperity of God in all things that touch our lives. Jesus was giving them the authority to direct the blessings of heaven.

I believe such a heavenly response to our words comes when we know who we are and when we believe by faith that God honors the authority he has given us to represent him. Of course, as stewards of the blessings of heaven, our Father would want us to be intentional and Spirit-led about those we bless. As we bless, we convey life because the tongue has the power of life. How critical is our awareness of this this truth? Priests bestow the blessings of God. In our role as priests, those around us need His blessings. Our children, our spouses, our families, our church, our leaders, and so forth need God’s blessings. James reminds us that we “have not because we ask not.” Perhaps, some don’t have because we do not ask or bless on their behalf.

Blessings are part of the fiber of the Christian life because they reflect the heart of God. Priests represent God to men and so, once again, we are his representatives who are called to rule as he would rule and also to bless as he would bless. There are nearly 600 expressions of the word “bless” in the New Testament alone. And remember, we are not just to bless those we love and enjoy, but even those who would do us harm.

Paul had many enemies who would have happily killed him if given the chance. But he declared, “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse…Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord. On the contrary: ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Rom. 12:13-14:1).

Not every expression of shalom will come to rest on a person. God will determine that, not us. However, we are to be a constant source of life or blessing to those around us. If nothing else, our life giving speech in every circumstance should mark us as a unique people who also represent a God whose first impulse is always to bless. In addition, one of the great benefits of blessing even our enemies is that, like forgiveness, blessing others keeps our hearts from becoming hard, embittered, and alienated from the heart of God. Not only that, but with whatever judgment we judge, we shall be judged. If we judge others worthy of God’s blessings, those blessings will return to us as well.

Blessings come in all forms and fashions but are always expressions of good will and positive outcomes for those we bless. We are told that the kindness of God leads men to repentance so his kindness expressed through our blessings, even toward those outside of his will, can draw those men to God.

Not only should we speak blessings over others but also over ourselves. Our words release the blessings of God and we need the favor and prosperity of God in our lives as much as others do. I have a friend who lost a grown son to a tragic accident a number of years ago. As people would ask him how he was doing after his loss, he chose to reply that he was richly blessed. He just turned 96, and still lives in his own home in good health. I believe the blessing he speaks over himself several times a day has contributed to his long life and health.

The familiar passage from Proverbs declares that “the tongue has the power of life and death, and those that love it will eat its fruit.” In other words, if we love cursing others, then we will eventually taste the curses we have spoken over others. If we love to bless, we will eventually taste the blessings we have extended to others. Blessing others, then, is a great investment. May we all be sources of fresh water to those around us and, in doing so, be that much more like our Father in heaven.

In the realm of spiritual warfare, we often hear conversations about making declarations over a circumstance or a person. So…what is a declaration anyway and why and what should we declare?

The spiritual realm operates on the basis of authority. As followers of Jesus, we live under grace, but the rest of creation operates under law. Law operates on the basis of authority. That is one reason the New Testament speaks so often about the authority of Christ. As he commanded his followers to go into all the world and make disciples, Jesus himself declared, “All authority in heaven and in earth has been given unto me” (Mt.28:18). Later Paul taught, “That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come” (Eph.1:19-21). Jesus has all authority and has delegated a measure of his authority to us.

As representatives of Christ on the earth, when we declare the word of God or the name of God over a situation we establish our legal ground and our authority for prayers or commands that follow. As representatives of Jesus on earth, we have been given authority to do what he would do in the same circumstance. The most important declaration we make is, “In the name of Jesus.” The Pharisees asked Jesus by what authority he baptized, cleansed the temple, and performed miracles. He stated that he had authority because he represented the Father. In the same way, we act in the authority of Jesus Christ and should clearly state that truth when we command sickness, infirmity, or demons to depart. We preach in his name, we baptize in his name, we heal in his name, and we command spirits in his name.

To attempt to operate in our own authority is a dangerous thing. In the book of Acts we are told, “Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, “In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.” Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?” Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding” (Acts 19:13-16).

When we declare the word of God and the name of God over a circumstance, we not only release his authority but also confirm our authority to work on his behalf. In other words, we declare that we are acting in his authority and that what we are doing is lawful for us to do. That is not too different from FBI agents showing up, displaying their credentials to establish that they are representatives of the federal government, and then producing a warrant which demonstrates that what they are about to do is lawful.

God assured Israel that if they were careful to obey his covenant and stayed aligned with his word, then he would exercise his authority through them and give them every place they “set their feet” (Dt.11:24). The Hebrew phrase translated as “set their feet” embodies the idea of soldiers marching to conquer or establish dominion over an enemy. Our declarations establish our authority and lawfulness to take dominion over a circumstance because of the one we represent.

As a young man, David declared his victory before charging Goliath, the surly Philistine warrior who stood over nine feet tall. “David said to the Philistine, ‘You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.’ When David declared victory in the name of the Lord, he “set his feet” or stepped out to establish the Lord’s dominion in that place.

We are reminded of the verse from Job. “You will also decree a thing and it will be established for you” (Job 22:28). I feel certain that God put that decree on David’s heart. It was prophetic but not a prophecy. David never said, “Thus sayeth the Lord…” Notice that David did not identify himself as a man representing Saul or even Israel but rather declared that he opposed Goliath in the name of the Lord Almighty. Earlier in the chapter, he asked who the man was that was defying the armies of the living God…not the armies of Saul or Israel, but of God. When you have that heart, you can declare a thing and it will be established for you.

Speaking the word and name of God over a situation releases authority. If you begin to minister to people in the arena of deliverance, it won’t be long until you will have an unclean spirit begin to argue that the person you are ministering to belongs to him. We should respond with the Word of God, using scriptures declaring that the person in question does not belong to the demon but has been redeemed by the blood of Jesus. We should also declare scriptures that establish our authority over the enemy. Demons will always attempt to persuade the person they are afflicting that they have every right to remain and that we have no power against them. That is when it is time to take out the sword of the Spirit and establish our authority in Christ to evict the unwanted intruder. When he came face to face with Satan, Jesus simply declared, “It is written…”

Declarations are divine weapons that undermine the position of the enemy. They have power in the spiritual realm to dislodge demons by releasing power and authority and to shore up our own faith in moments when that is needed. Every believer should make extensive use of this weapon as we charge the giants that occasionally get in our way as we are about the business of the kingdom.

When I first became a follower of Jesus in my early 20’s, I lived with the impression that all the neat, clean people that sat on the pews around me on Sunday mornings were sinless, happy, and healthy people who lived worry free lives of contentment. However, after decades of serving in churches, I can say unequivocally that my impression was wrong.

If we are honest, a great many believers today are saved but remain in bondage to sin, addiction, shame, and a host of other hindrances to their walk. The truth is that other than church attendance and having their sins forgiven, a large percentage of believers differ little from the people they work with or go to school with who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them. Divorce rates in the church rival divorce rates in the culture at large. Christian teens seem to have little power over the cultural pressure to drink, experiment with drugs, or to be sexually active. A significant number of believers live on antidepressants, tolerate marriages dominated by anger and rage, live with bitterness toward the past, and are crippled by an overpowering sense of unworthiness and rejection. In short, they continue to live out their lives in emotional brokenness and bondage.

I’m not scolding these believers for not being “the Christians they should be.” Through the years, I have struggled with many of those issues as well. These believers are desperately looking for freedom and healing, but for the most part have not been able to gain victory over the issues that rob them of the joy and peace they long for.

Jesus declared that he came that his people might have life and have it to the full – abundant life. He also declared that he came to bind up the brokenhearted and set captives free. For many believers, there is a huge gap between the promises and the reality. Why? We can say with confidence that the shortfall is not on the part of Jesus for Jesus has done everything perfectly.

The truth is that, in many cases, these men and women have not been shown by their churches how to access the freedom and healing that Jesus promises. The majority of churches in America, offer their people the forgiveness purchased by the cross but not the healing and freedom. When confronted with brokenness and bondage, they send the children of God out into the world to find solutions. They are left to seek healing and freedom from those who often do not believe the core values of our faith or even that God exists.

Even when they are referred to “Christian counselors,” those good men and women have nearly always been trained to use the weapons of the world rather than divine weapons. There is something terribly wrong with that picture. Doing so implies that Jesus has no answers for the emotional suffering of his people, so we must look elsewhere. The weapons of the world can help but cannot go far enough for real victory. They tend to provide “coping skills” rather than lasting freedom.

A gospel that only gets us to a place of forgiveness, but does not radically change us through the healing and freedom that is ours in Christ is not the gospel that Jesus preached. When Jesus preached the gospel, there was always a demonstration of life-changing power with it. Paul pointed to this truth when he said, “Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life” (Phil. 2:14-16).

Stars stand out in stark contrast to the darkness around them. Jesus himself declared that his followers were to be the light of the world. Those who wear the name of Christ should stand out in the crowd by their sheer “differentness” and have a testimony of his powerful work in their lives. Jesus spoke of being “born again,” not as figurative language for trying harder, but as a reality where something real and essential has been altered in everyone who comes to him. After a short while, that essential difference should become apparent, not a as a reflection of our efforts but as a reflection of the power of God working in us and Christ being formed in us.

If the world can provide the healing and freedom that Jesus promised his people, then much of what Jesus paid for with this suffering and death was unnecessary. Paul clearly stated that the wars we truly fight, must be fought with divine weapons rather than the weapons or strategies of the world (2 Cor. 10:4, Eph.6). Most churches have little idea about fighting in the Spirit and little access to those weapons. Therefore, their people continue to struggle with emotional brokenness and bondage.

We need a shift. We need to be willing to say that what we have been doing is lacking. We need to be willing to say that we have meant well but have missed something important in the scriptures because our fruit does not yet rival the fruit we see in the New Testament. My hope is that many senior pastors and elders will begin to ask for more, seek more, and risk more so that their people have access to everything Jesus purchased for them. The power of Jesus is immense and its impact should be profound and visable. Our people should stand out from the world and walk in victory over the things that burden most of the earth. It is not that we will be trouble free, but that the trouble will come from without rather than from within where Jesus lives – and that makes all the difference.