10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:10–12

Our son JP is a fighter. I don’t mean the bar-fighting type of fighter. I’m talking about jiu-jitsu and mixed martial arts. He has competed in jiu-jitsu tournaments and has a huge passion for all things related to fighting. One day, he hopes to step into a ring. But to do that, JP needs to be prepared.

He needs strength—physical strength to cause a submission or a knockout, mental strength to stay alert and anticipate his opponent’s next three moves and cardiovascular strength to outlast his opponent. How does he get that? Through lots of practice and a coach who knows more about the sport than he does. The repetitions and support he receives will provide the physical and mental growth necessary to be ready to compete in a ring one day.

But this is not the fighting Paul is referring to in Ephesians 6. Paul says our battle is much deeper than what we can see with our own eyes. Every battle we fight on earth is not the fault of mankind alone. It is the result of the underlying evil that the world is bound to and the sin within us, stemming from the spiritual forces at work.

Paul isn’t saying that flesh and blood aren’t affected by our battles—because they are. Cancer is a battle that affects flesh and blood. Addiction is a battle that affects flesh and blood. Abuse is a battle that affects flesh and blood. Murder, rape, drug overdoses, car accidents—all affect our flesh and blood. And all of these are a result of the fallen, sinful world we live in.

Ephesians 2:1–3 says, And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

Paul says here that before Christ, we lived in line with the sin of this world. The battle against flesh and blood is the result of a world under the influence of Satan and our obedience to him as fallen people.

In Ephesians 6:12, when Paul writes that we do not fight against flesh and blood, he is distinguishing followers of Christ from the fallen world. We once walked that path, but now our battle is much deeper. We fight the evil forces that we once followed. We are no longer on the side of this prince of the power of the air—we are at war with him. As believers, our fight is now a spiritual one.

In verses 10 and 11, Paul tells us three important things as we prepare for this invisible battle.

First, we must be strong in the Lord. As followers of Christ, we no longer rely on our own strength but on the strength of our almighty Savior. The battle belongs to the Lord, and we know that He has defeated death and already won!

Second, Paul says, “Put on the whole armor of God.” We will break down the individual pieces of armor throughout this week’s devotionals. In verse 11, Paul instructs us to dress appropriately for battle. The word whole is important. The whole armor of God contains truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation and God’s Word. Take one of those away, and the armor crumbles to the ground and becomes useless. We must utilize every resource at our disposal to combat the Enemy.

Third, Paul says we must “stand against the schemes of the devil.” In other words, know your enemy. When soldiers go to battle, they don’t go in blindly. They have strategies. They study their enemies and learn their attack patterns and behaviors to stay one step ahead. This requires paying attention, staying alert and studying diligently. Getting ahead of the Enemy and attacking first catches him off guard and leaves him weak and vulnerable. The same is true with the devil. Don’t wait for him to attack. Know the areas in your life where he is likely to strike. What is the thing he comes after when he comes for you? Everyone has a “thing”—and Satan knows what it is. Remember, Satan has an army too, and they study and learn our patterns and behaviors.

We can’t see this spiritual war going on around us, but we know it’s there. We feel the damage and pain it causes. So, how do we fight? How do we stay strong in the Lord, stay dressed for battle and stand against the devil’s schemes?

First, we praise God! Where there is praise, Satan cannot stand. Where there is praise, the Spirit moves, and Satan has no power where the Holy Spirit dwells. Praise Him through singing and Scripture. Dig into His word. Praise Him in the morning when you rise, and don’t stop until you lay your head on the pillow at night.

Second, we pray! What do you pray for? Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, strength and the words to declare the gospel! Pray for others to know Jesus. Pray for chains to break and lives to be restored. Pray for an opportunities to share the gospel with someone still dead in trespasses and sins, as you once were.

Third, we proclaim! Ephesians 6:19 says, “…that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel.” Be bold in your faith! He will give you the strength and courage you need to declare His name to those He places before you.

Praise Jesus, pray to Jesus and proclaim Jesus. When we slip and fall away from any of these three things, we give the Enemy room to enter. I can tell when I have strayed from any of them—the lies of the Enemy grow louder. The voices that tell me I’m not good enough, pretty enough or smart enough start to take over.

Stay connected with other sisters in Christ. Asking for accountability isn’t a sign of weakness; it’s a sign of surrender. I know I can’t do this on my own, and we weren’t made to do it alone. When Paul says, “Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might,” he was writing to many Ephesians. Be strong in the Lord together. Together we are stronger than we could ever be alone.

Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” No soldier goes to battle alone. We must fight this spiritual war together.

Lord, give us Your strength to fight these invisible battles that rage around us. Help us to put on and keep on the whole armor of God so that we can continue the fight for others to come to know You and enter this fight with us. Amen