The Believer’s Response

Satan is ancient, experienced, intelligent, and invisible to the human eye. Moreover, Jesus taught that Satan leads a disciplined army of demons who follow him zealously (Mt. 25:41), and Satan’s army is unified (Mt. 12:26). The demonic realm is disciplined, fearless, unethical, and fully devoted to their cause.^[1] What hope do we have in battling Satan and his angels?

Scripture teaches that followers of Jesus have incredible power at their disposal. But we need to learn about the resources God has given us, return to this frequently, and rely on it. The primary text appears in Ephesians 6.

Ephesians 6:10-19 (Spiritual warfare)

Paul was chained to a Roman guard when he wrote this letter (Eph. 6:20), so he may have used the metaphor of soldiers by observing the Roman soldier sitting next to him. Of course, “it is not altogether certain that such a custodian would have been in full battle dress.”^[2] All the same, Paul probably had a lot of time to talk to the Roman guards about their service and warfare. So, it shouldn’t surprise us that he would use the Roman soldier as a model for his metaphor regarding what to wear into warfare.

(6:10) “Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.”

We should never battle Satan out of our own power. We need to gain our strength “in the Lord,” not in ourselves. Indeed, this expression (“be strong”) is actually passive—not active. It could be better rendered “let yourself be strengthened.”^[3] Foulkes writes, “People cannot strengthen themselves; they must be empowered, and that not once for all but constantly, as the tense of the Greek indicates.”^[4]

(6:11) “Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.”

We need to wear the “full armor of God,” not just some of it. Sanders writes, “We need the whole armor of God. If we put on every piece except one, we leave an Achilles’ heel, a vulnerable spot that will enable Satan to gain the initiative and inflict defeat on us.”^[5]

“Stand” (stēte) is a “military term for holding on to a position.”^[6] As we’ve already studied, Satan uses multiple means and methods to get us to shrink back in fear. If he can drive us into retreat or take us out of the battle, his tactics will have worked. Our role is simply to take our stand and refuse to budge or give ground.

There are times when we don’t understand why our ministry isn’t progressing at the rate we desire. Even Paul had times where he was “perplexed,” but this never led him to “despair” (2 Cor. 4:8). We need to take our stand and refuse to quit during these times. Even if we have the scars of battle, we need to be able to say, “I’m confused and hurt… but I’m still standing!”

“Schemes” (methodeias) refers to Satan’s “methods” in battle (2 Cor. 2:11). So far in this letter, Paul states that Satan would use false teaching to attack us (Eph. 4:14) as well as unrighteous anger (Eph. 4:27). In fact, his tactics are so effective that we often fall for them—even when we are well-aware of the fact that this is a scheme of Satan! How many times have we nursed bitterness or anger—even when Scripture directly teaches that Satan uses this to destroy relationships in Christian community? (2 Cor. 2:11; Eph. 4:27) We do well to understand how he operates and remain cognizant of his methods (see “Satan’s Tactics”).

(6:12) “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.”

Paul gives various names for demons. This implies that there are many species of demons (see “Angelology”). These fallen angels didn’t fall together with a Federal Head. Rather, each individual angel chose to fall.^[7]

“Rulers” (archoi) were defeated by Jesus (Eph. 4:9).

“Powers” (kosmokrators) was a term that “occurs frequently in classical and rabbinical literature. It denotes one who aspires to world control. It was attached to savior gods in the ethnic religions and identified with the sun.”^[8]

“Spiritual forces of wickedness” (ta pneumatika tēs ponerias) refers to the “language of contemporary astrology in which the heavenly bodies were regarded as the abode of demons who held human lives in their grip. Pagans had no option but to resign themselves to an unalterable destiny. But Christians can fight against such malign influences.”^[9]

“In the heavenly realms” (hoi epouranioi) could refer back to “the prince of the power of the air” (Eph. 2:2).

(Eph. 6:12) Are the rulers and authorities human institutions or demonic institutions?

(6:13) “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.”

The “evil day” could look back to the fact that “the days are evil” (Eph. 5:16) or could refer to our “present evil age” (Gal. 1:4).

(6:14) “Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth.”

“Stand firm” is mentioned twice in back-to-back verses (vv.13-14). Much of spiritual warfare is simply standing our ground, and not retreating or slipping backwards. It is a refusal to be swept away by false teaching (Eph. 4:14) or to retreat in fear of the opposition.

Paul cites Isaiah 11:5 and Isaiah 59:17, which in context refer to the Messiah’s armor or Yahweh’s armor. Because we are “in Christ,” we gain Jesus’ armor. After all, we find truth in Jesus (Eph. 4:21). Why not his spiritual armor as well?

“Girded your loins.” The belt in Roman armor served as the “jock strap” that would hold all of the other armor and weapons together. God’s truth is central to our battle with Satan. If we rest on our own abilities or competence, we will surely lose an argument with him. Sadly, most Christians are woefully ignorant of the contents of their Bible—their foundation for battling the evil one. Barna studied how many Christians hold to a Christian worldview.^[10] Participants needed to score an 80% or higher on the poll to qualify as having a biblical worldview. A biblical worldview was defined with propositions like these:

ü  Believe morality is absolute, not relative.

ü  The Bible is accurate.

ü  Salvation cannot be earned.

ü  Jesus lived a sinless life.

ü  Satan is a living force.

ü  God is the all-knowing, all-powerful maker of the universe.

He found that only 6% of Americans held to a biblical worldview!

“And having put on the breastplate of righteousness.” The breastplate protected the Roman soldier from a death blow from the enemy.

Does this refer to our righteousness or Jesus’ forensic righteousness? Some commentators believe that we should live holy live and display our own personal righteousness when Satan attacks us. Lordship theologian John MacArthur writes, “The weapons of warfare can be summarized in one word: Obedience.”^[11] Likewise, Bruce writes, “It is truth and righteousness as ethical qualities that are meant, rather than truth of doctrine and justification by faith.”^[12] Walvoord and Zuck write, “The breastplate of righteousness refers not to justification, obtained at conversion (Rom. 3:24; 4:5), but to the sanctifying righteousness of Christ (1 Cor. 1:30) practiced in a believer’s life… righteous living (Rom. 6:13; 14:17) guards a believer’s heart against the assaults of the devil.”^[13] Foulkes states that this refers to the “loyalty in principle and action to the holy law of God.”^[14] Others, like Sanders, take a middle ground.^[15]

We firmly disagree with this majority view. Instead, we agree with Cole,^[16] Wiersbe,^[17] McCallum,^[18] Wood,^[19] and Unger^[20] that Paul is referring to Christ’s righteousness—not our own personal righteousness. For one, the OT citation fits this view. Paul cites from Isaiah 59:17, where Christ (Yahweh) possesses the breastplate of righteousness and helmet of salvation. Of course, God doesn’t need “salvation.” Instead, he gives it away. Similarly, because we are “in Christ,” we possess all of the armor that Christ possesses in that passage.

Second, the other pieces of armor in this section are gifts—not something we produce. That is, we don’t produce “truth” (v.14), “the gospel” (v.15), “salvation” (v.17), or the “word of God” (v.17). It’s true that we need to exert “faith” (v.16), but righteousness? This seems out of line with the immediate context.

Third, elsewhere, Paul writes that he is not looking to have a “righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ” (Phil. 3:9; cf. 2 Cor. 5:21).

Fourth, battling Satan on the merits of our own personal righteousness is just about the worst way we could defend ourselves. The Greater Accuser relishes in our desire to defend ourselves based on our own righteousness, because he can always find innumerable chinks in such a miserable armor.

(6:15) “And having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace.”

Josephus describes the shoes of Romans soldiers (the caligae) as being “full of thick and sharp nails” (Josephus, Jewish War 6.1.85). Roman soldiers needed strong traction and good shoes in battle. If you slipped during a fight, you would be vulnerable to being trampled or stabbed.

In our estimation, the “gospel of peace” refers to our message for others. Jesus said that believers should remain on the offensive—not the defensive (Mt. 16:18). It could also refer to the peace that we have with God through Christ. Wiersbe writes, “We stand because of the gospel [1 Cor. 15:3-5]. It is this victory of Christ that gives us a safe and solid standing as we fight the devil. Wherever we walk, we stand on victory ground!”^[21] Perhaps, both understandings are in view.

(6:16) “In addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”

The Roman shield “consisted of two layers of wood glued together, covered with linen and hide, and bound with iron. Soldiers often fought side by side with a solid wall (testudo) of shields. But even a single-handed combatant found himself sufficiently protected. After the siege of Dyrachium, Sceva counted no less than 220 darts sticking into his shield.”^[22]

In ancient warfare, soldiers could scare easily when their shields filled with fiery arrows (Livy, History 21:8). Because their shield was on fire, they would often panic and throw it aside. Bruce writes, “The soldier was tempted to get rid of his burning shield and expose himself to the enemy’s spear-thrusts.”^[23] Yet, Bruce notes that the “shield of faith” not only blocks the arrows, but these are “extinguished” as well.

This is probably not a separate piece of armor, but our trust in the armor we have. The word “faith” is synonymous with “trust.” As we recite the great truths of Scripture, we need to exert personal trust in the fact that these are true. While we might feel one way, we need to remember what is actually true of us. It’s hard for us to discern true “faith” in others, but Satan can see directly through unbelief or mental assent, as he did with the seven sons of Sceva (Acts 19:13-16).

Regarding the “flaming arrows,” Wood writes, “Herodotus described how cane darts… were dipped in pitch and then ignited. Octavius used such arrows against Antony’s fleet at Actium and they were not unknown in OT times. The reference is not, as some have surmised, to poisoned darts producing fever.”^[24] Believers do not merely deflect the arrows through faith, but they “extinguish” them.^[25] This must refer to refuting Satan’s accusations toward us, others, and God.

(6:17) “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

“And take the helmet of salvation.” Again, Paul cites Isaiah 59:17 to show that Yahweh wore (wears) this helmet. Going along with the notion of our position in Christ, we need to rest in God’s love for us—not our moral perfection. This involves declaring the great truths of our justification and our security in Christ. This could involve speaking these words of faith to God, to Satan, and to ourselves (Rom. 8:31-33). We need to express the confidence of our salvation outwardly, speaking the words of faith out loud (1 Jn. 5:13).

“And the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Paul says that the sword of the Spirit “is the word of God.” This would refer to knowing Scripture, memorizing key Scriptures, and reciting them and believing in them (Mt. 4:4). McCallum writes, “If Christian history teaches us anything, it’s that Satan is desperate to keep us away from the Bible, or at least to undermine our confidence in it. Wouldn’t you, if you were him? What an awesome accomplishment! Success in this area would mean getting those who are supposed to attack his kingdom to enter battle without their swords!”^[26]

(6:18) “With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.”

Prayer refers to outward requests for others (“petition for all the saints… that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth”). This refers to getting believers grounded and rooted in the mission of sharing the message of Christ with others (vv.19-20).

What does it mean to pray “in the Spirit”? Bruce states that this means that we should pray “under the Spirit’s influence and with his assistance.”^[27] Perhaps 1 Corinthians 14:15 and Romans 8:26 apply here.

(6:19) “Pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel.”

Paul needed prayer. How often do we ask others to pray for us? Why would we hesitate? Paul doesn’t ask that they would pray for non-Christians (though other passages certainly teach this; cf. 1 Tim. 2:1ff). Instead, he asks them to pray for him—that he would have the right words to share when he opens his mouth (cf. Col. 4:2-4; 2 Thess. 3:1).

“Boldness” (en parrhēsia) implies that Paul struggled with fear; otherwise, he never would’ve asked for this. In fact, he prays for this twice (v.20).

(6:20) “For which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”

Ambassadors usually had diplomatic immunity. Paul ironically notes that he is an “ambassador in chains.” The word “chains” is actually singular. This probably refers to the chain connecting him with his guard (cf. Acts 28:20).

Why is there no metaphor for armor on our backs? Sanders writes, “God makes no provision for armor for the back. He expects the soldiers of His army to be on the offensive. God lends no encouragement to us to turn tail and flee from the enemy when the battle grows fierce.”^[28]

Advance—don’t retreat

The believers in Revelation exemplify this militant spirit, when we see them being willing to die for Christ. Revelation states, “They overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death” (Rev. 12:11). Jesus uses the term “overcome” (nikaō) frequently in his letters to the Seven Churches (cf. Rev. 2-3 “To him who overcomes, I will…”). How do these believers overcome Satan?

1.     “The blood of the Lamb.” The “blood” refers to his death, and the “Lamb” refers to his substitution for us. Instead of standing against this “accuser” based on their own righteousness, they disarm and refute Satan’s accusations based on God’s righteousness (cf. Eph. 6:10-18).

2.     “The word of their testimony.” This seems to refer to our public witness of what Jesus has done for us (Rev. 1:2, 9; 6:9; 11:7). Instead of taking a defensive posture, they continue to move out into the world to reach others (Mt. 16:18). Green writes, “[Satan] keeps Christians silent. If, as the Book of Revelation maintains, ‘the word of their testimony’ is one of the chief means whereby Satan’s plans are thwarted, then the gagging of believers is obviously a prime necessity. Satan encourages this through a variety of means. Some are too fearful to open their mouths. Others maintain that life alone is what matters, and lips are at a discount. Others still are very dubious as to whether or not there is any good news to share. Others feel their lives are not good enough advertisement for them to come out of the closet. Others feel religion is too private a matter to speak of to others, or that it would be presumptuous to do so. Others have so small a grasp on the faith that they are easily persuaded that atheists who do not go to church but lead kind lives are just as good Christians as believers who worship God regularly. The means are legion: the result is the same. A silent church instead of a people who tell forth the praises of him who called them out of darkness into his marvellous light (1 Peter 2:9).”^[29]

3.     “They did not love their life even when faced with death.” It isn’t that the believers were all martyred, but that they were willing to face martyrdom. They “were [not] afraid to die” (NET). Sanders writes, “Life is of secondary importance when compared with the outcome of the battle and the victory of his Lord. His supreme concern is to see Satan defeated and Christ victorious, even if his life is sacrificed in the process. He regards himself as expendable.”^[30] These believers were willing to die for Jesus, because Jesus had died for them.

Jesus’ mission was offensive in nature—not defensive. John writes, “The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil” (1 Jn. 3:8). Likewise, Jesus said, “The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Lk. 19:10). Then he said, “As the Father has sent Me, I also send you” (Jn. 20:21). Jesus said, “The gates of Hades will not overpower [my church]” (Mt. 16:18). Gates are not offensive weapons in warfare; they are defensive. Therefore, we need to remember that our role is to take ground from Satan—not the other way around.

Resist him

When we encounter fearful and discouraging circumstances, followers of Jesus need to be keenly aware that Satan could be using these to get us to quit. During these times, we need to follow Job’s example: The main way we battle Satan is trusting in the goodness of God amidst suffering. Resist him and refuse to quit. As James writes, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (Jas. 4:7). When we resist Satan in prayer and perseverance, Satan must flee—he must leave. When we resist him, Jesus steps in like a bouncer at a night club, telling Satan, “Dude, you gotta go!”

Peter depicts Satan as a lion, who wants to destroy us. He writes, “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. ⁹ But resist him, firm in your faith” (1 Pet. 5:8-9). How can we resist a raging and ravenous lion like this? Simple. Scripture says that there is a greater lion. John heard, “Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne, has won the victory” (Rev. 5:5 NLT).

The best way to resist Satan is by choosing to reject his way of life—namely, pride. Instead, we can resist Satan by submitting to God through humility (Jas. 4:7; 1 Pet. 5:8-9), something that Satan would never do (1 Tim. 3:6).

Bind him

Amillennial interpreters hold that Satan is currently and constantly bound. We disagree. A thorough exegesis of Revelation 20 disagrees with this notion (Rev. 20:2-3). Instead, Jesus taught, “How can anyone enter the strong man’s house and carry off his property, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house” (Mt. 12:29). To do this, the believer needs to call on the authority of Christ to bind back Satan, knowing and believing that “greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world” (1 Jn. 4:4). To bind the strong man means to pray him into submission (Lk. 10:18-19).^[31]

Conclusion

Satan is real, strategic, and relentless—but not unstoppable. In Christ, we have everything we need to stand firm. This isn’t our armor, but his. Our role is to be strengthened and protected by taking our strength and protection from Christ. The battle is vicious and the causalities are very real, but the outcome is certain: Christ has won the war, and in the end, so will we.

[1] I am indebted to McCallum for these insights. See Chapter 8: How the Sides Match Up. Dennis McCallum, Satan and His Kingdom: What the Bible Says and How It Matters to You (Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House, 2009).

^[2] A. Skevington Wood, “Ephesians,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Ephesians through Philemon, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 11 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1981), 86.

^[3] A. Skevington Wood, “Ephesians,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Ephesians through Philemon, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 11 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1981), 85.

^[4] Francis Foulkes, Ephesians: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 10, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1989), 175.

^[5] J. Oswald Sanders, Satan is No Myth (Chicago, IL: Moody, 1975), 92.

^[6] A. Skevington Wood, “Ephesians,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Ephesians through Philemon, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 11 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1981), 86.

^[7] John M. Frame, Systematic Theology (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2013), 773.

^[8] A. Skevington Wood, “Ephesians,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Ephesians through Philemon, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 11 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1981), 86.

^[9] A. Skevington Wood, “Ephesians,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Ephesians through Philemon, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 11 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1981), 86.

[10] George Barna, American Worldview Inventory (2020).

[11] John MacArthur, How to Meet the Enemy (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 69.

^[12] F.F. Bruce, The Epistles to the Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Ephesians, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1984), 408.

[13] Walvoord and Zuck, The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, Vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1983), p. 643.

^[14] Foulkes is citing H. C. G. Moule, Commentary on Ephesians (Cambridge Bible; Cambridge, 1884). Francis Foulkes, Ephesians: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 10, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1989), 180.

^[15] Sanders says it’s both Christ’s imputed righteousness and our own imparted righteousness. J. Oswald Sanders, Satan is No Myth (Chicago, IL: Moody, 1975), 94.

^[16] Graham Cole writes, “The breastplate is of righteousness. That is to say, the gift of righteousness that comes through the gospel.” Graham A. Cole, Against the Darkness: The Doctrine of Angels, Satan, and Demons (John Feinberg, general editor, Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2019), 169.

^[17] Wiersbe writes, “Paul is referring her to the righteousness of Christ which we receive when we trust him.” Warren W. Wiersbe, The Strategy of Satan: How to Detect and Defeat Him (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 1979), 129.

[18] McCallum writes, “When Christians take their seat with Christ, not based on their own good works, Satan loses his most potent weapon: accusation.” Dennis McCallum, Satan and His Kingdom: What the Bible Says and How It Matters to You (Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House, 2009), 124.

^[19] Wood writes, “The Christian’s protection is not to be sought in any works of his own but only in what Christ has done for him and in him.” A. Skevington Wood, “Ephesians,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Ephesians through Philemon, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 11 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1981), 87.

[20] Unger writes, “The evil one delights to see a saint become occupied with what he is or does in himself rather than with what he is or does in his position in Christ. This is tantamount to leaving the protection of the mighty fortress God has provided in Christ for the perils of the unprotected open field… It is the omnipotent power of God that Satan dreads, and that power only becomes available to the believer as he counts on what Christ has done for him and is waiting to do through him in response to his faith.” Merrill Unger, What Demons Can Do to Saints (Moody Publishers: Chicago, 1991), 18.

^[21] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Strategy of Satan: How to Detect and Defeat Him (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 1979), 131.

^[22] A. Skevington Wood, “Ephesians,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Ephesians through Philemon, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 11 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1981), 88.

^[23] F. F. Bruce, The Epistles to the Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Ephesians, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1984), 408.

^[24] A. Skevington Wood, “Ephesians,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Ephesians through Philemon, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 11 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1981), 88.

^[25] A. Skevington Wood, “Ephesians,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Ephesians through Philemon, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 11 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1981), 88.

[26] Dennis McCallum, Satan and His Kingdom: What the Bible Says and How It Matters to You (Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House, 2009), 128.

^[27] F. F. Bruce, The Epistles to the Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Ephesians, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1984), 411.

^[28] J. Oswald Sanders, Satan is No Myth (Chicago, IL: Moody, 1975), 92.

^[29] Michael Green, I Believe in Satan’s Downfall (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1995), 65.

^[30] J. Oswald Sanders, Satan is No Myth (Chicago, IL: Moody, 1975), 123.

^[31] J. Oswald Sanders, Satan is No Myth (Chicago, IL: Moody, 1975), 106-110.