Pastor Billy Myron concludes the Christian Life series section on Satan and demons by completing the armor of God in Ephesians 6. The final piece is the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. This is not the usual term logos but rhema, referring to a saying or utterance of God. The sword reminds the believer of the appropriate sayings of God for the specific attack being faced. Jesus’ temptation in Luke 4:1–13 shows how He responded to each approach of the devil with the fitting statement from Scripture: man shall not live by bread alone but by every saying that proceeds from the mouth of God; worship the Lord your God and serve Him only; and do not tempt the Lord your God. Satan himself quoted Scripture, so the effective counter is the proper application of what God has said rather than mere quotation. The Holy Spirit brings relevant things to remembrance. When facing spiritual cowardice, for example, one may be reminded that God has not given a spirit of fear. The six pieces of armor must be put on as a complete unit. Satan is capable of multi-pronged attacks and will not be deceived by partial armor; a gap left open can be exploited.
After describing the armor, the passage calls for praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, watching with all perseverance and supplication for all saints. The term for prayer here is specifically worship, repeating back to God who He is and what He says about Himself. First Thessalonians 5:17, “pray without ceasing,” does not mean occupying every second of every day with worship; it means not dropping logical opportunities to do so, comparable to remaining on a diet between meals. Worship continues even in affliction. Supplication is a cry for help, often involving unknown factors, and may be offered for others as well as oneself. The Corinthians co-helped Paul through supplication during his extreme trouble in Asia. After briefly assembling the armor, communication with God resumes as part of standing and resisting.
The review recalls the complementary commands to resist in 1 Peter 5:6–9 (humble oneself, cast all care upon Him, be sober and vigilant, resist steadfast in the faith) and James 4:7 (submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee). The armor supplies the concrete details for how resistance is carried out. Vigilance is required so that the armor is actually put on; it is not merely a mental reminder but something to use in standing against the attack. The same kinds of afflictions are experienced by others, so one can always find grounds for supplication on their behalf.
Distinctions between the sin nature and Satan are necessary because the two enemies are defeated differently. The sin nature is an indwelling principle in the members that remains present as long as one is in the body; it campaigns against the soul through emotions and appetites. Satan is an individual cherub, a person with an agenda, who attacks thoughts and lines of reasoning. The sin nature is defeated by reckoning oneself dead to it and alive to God and by yielding members as instruments of righteousness. Satan is resisted by putting on the whole armor of God and standing. Identifying the source of the attack determines which defense is applied. The next study will address the world system.
