Author: Bryan Gibson

Weekly Bulletin
November 15, 2020

The Battle For Our Souls
(Ephesians 6:10-20)
by Bryan Gibson
“We do not wrestle against flesh and blood” (6:12), so it’s not a physical battle. It’s fought in the spiritual realm, with nothing less than our eternal souls at stake. Victory won’t come easily, but rest assured, it will come—if we heed the admonitions found in the above passage. Here’s what we need to do to win.
Identify the enemy. The enemy, of course, is the devil (6:11), who is elsewhere described as “the tempter” (Matthew 4:3; 1 Thessalonians 3:5), a “liar” and a “murderer” (John 8:44), “a roaring lion” (1 Peter 5:8), “the wicked one” (1 John 2:13)—just to name a few. He’s no match for God, of course (1 John 4:4), but he is a ruthless enemy who abides by no code of honor, and to make matters worse, he has a loyal army behind him (6:12). Winning begins with taking our opponent seriously.
Identify the enemy’s strategy. Notice the phrase in v. 11, “the wiles of the devil.” The devil rarely uses a frontal attack; he would rather trick us or scheme us into doing something we ought not. But, “we are not ignorant of his devices” (2 Corinthians 2:11); all we need to do is look through Scripture to identify his tricks. He can trick us into thinking only about the present, with no thought to consequences—like he did with David (2 Samuel 11-12); trick us into believing that tomorrow, not today, is the day of salvation—like he did with Felix (Acts 24:25); trick us into believing a lie, because the man he uses to teach it “seems so sincere” and “is such a good speaker” (Romans 16:18); trick us into siding with the majority, despite what Jesus said (Matthew 7:13-14); trick us into thinking that this world has all we need—like he did with Demas (2 Timothy 4:10). These are just some of his “fiery darts” (6:16), but here’s the point: winning is easier when you know ahead of time your opponent’s plan of attack.
Make full use of our allies. First and foremost, the Lord is on our side, which gives us a distinct advantage, especially when we’re “praying always” (6:18). The instruction here is not “man up”; it’s “be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might” (6:10). We can also count on help from our fellow comrades, from “all the saints” (v. 18)—through their prayers, their encouraging words, their good example. It sure does help to witness first hand those who are resisting the devil at every turn. Witnessing others get the best of Satan convinces us we can do the same.
Use every weapon and form of protection the Lord has provided. “Put on,” or “take up” the “whole armor of God” (6:11, 13). It basically comes down to doing these six things. 1) Possess an unwavering faith in God (“taking the shield of faith”); 2) know the truth (“having girded your waist with truth”; “take…the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God); 3) obey the truth (“put on the breastplate of righteousness”); 4) teach the truth to others (“having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace”); 5) stay focused on the final victory (“take the helmet of salvation”—see also 1 Thessalonians 5:8); and 6) while it may not mentioned specifically in our main text, it is stated elsewhere in Ephesians: “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7). No way the devil can win if we maintain a “broken and contrite heart,” if we’re always willing to confess our sins and repent of them. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isaiah 1:18). Make no mistake about it, the blood of Christ is a vital piece of this armor (“and they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb…”—Revelation 12:11).
“Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand” (6:13). When the battle is done, let’s make sure we’re the ones left standing.

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	P.O. Box 680872 / Prattville, AL 36067
	(334) 365-5887 / (334) 868-0801
	prattmont@gmail.com / prattmontchurchofchrist.org

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The Prattmont Church of Christ is just what the name suggests, a church that belongs to Christ. We are not a denomination; we are simply a group of Christians trying very hard to practice the teachings of our Head, Jesus Christ. The New Testament offers a complete pattern for what each local church should be like—its organization, its worship, its work, etc. We are committed to following that pattern. We cordially invite you to attend our services. We would also welcome any comments or questions about this bulletin.

TIMES OF SERVICES:
(temporary during pandemic)
Sunday
Worship 10:00 A.M.
Wednesday:
Bible Study 7:00 P.M.