The Christian War

GOLDEN TEXT: “It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.” —Romans 14:21

EPHESIANS 6:10-20; ROMANS 14:19-21

THE Christian warfare is not conducted with carnal weapons and against “flesh and blood”—that is, against other human beings. Paul explains that the struggle is against “principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against wicked spirits in high places.” (marginal translation) In order to be victorious in a struggle in which the odds are so much against us, it is essential to draw our strength from the Lord.

The apostle writes, “Be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might.” We can be strong in the Lord only if we take advantage of the provision which he has made for us, that is, his “armor of righteousness.” (II Cor. 6:7) So the apostle continues, “Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”

The “armor” of God is in reality the truth of his Word, the truth which acquaints us with the “wiles of the devil.” It is because of this truth that we are “not ignorant of his devices,” and can defend ourselves against them. (II Cor. 2:11) Paul uses the various parts of the armor of the ancient Greek soldier to illustrate, from various standpoints, just how the truth serves us as we “fight the good fight of faith.” (I Tim. 6:12) These are, starting with the head, the “helmet,” the “breastplate,” the “shield,” the “girdle,” the “sword,” and the “sandals.”

In I Thessalonians 5:8 Paul indicates that the helmet represents our “hope of salvation.” Our hope is based upon our knowledge of God and of his purposes, particularly that he has called us to the “great salvation, which … began to be spoken by the Lord.” (Heb. 2:3) A firm grasp of the great fundamental truths pertaining to this “hope of glory” is essential, especially in this evil day when the devil, by his wiles, is endeavoring from various standpoints to rob the Lord’s people of their hope.

Then there is the “breastplate of righteousness,” or as Paul states it in I Thessalonians 5:8, the “breastplate of faith and love.” Our righteousness is based upon our faith—“Being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Rom. 5:1) But this faith is more than a mental assent to the fact that Jesus died for our sins. It is “faith and love” together; that is, a faith which leads to full consecration, and in the spirit of love, a determination by God’s grace to follow faithfully in the footsteps of Jesus.

This is what is involved in our putting on the breastplate of righteousness, and it represents God’s provision of love whereby we may have the constant assurance of his favor and blessing. “It is God that justifieth,” wrote Paul; and then he asks, “Who is he that condemneth?” (Rom. 8:33,34) Satan tries to condemn and discourage the Lord’s people, but his fiery darts will not get by our “breastplate” if we have it properly fastened and adjusted.

There is also the “shield of faith.” The shield was held in the hand of the soldier, and its position changed to meet the attacks which were hurled against him from various quarters. This might indicate that the “shield” is our “most holy faith,” that is, the truth which we use to ward off Satan’s attacks when he hurls errors against us.

Paul speaks of having our “loins girt about with truth.” The girdle helped to hold the armor in place. A girdle is used in the Scriptures to symbolize service; so the thought is that through our active use of the truth the armor is kept fastened securely to us. It is certainly true that if we fail to use the truth for the blessing of others we will soon find ourselves becoming lax in our appreciation of it, and its effectiveness as a protecting armor will largely be lost.

“The sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God,” is our only offensive weapon. We are not to use this against others, but only against errors which are entrenched in high places—strongholds, which, as Paul declares, exalt themselves “against the knowledge of God.” (II Cor. 10:5; II Thess. 2:4) These strongholds of opposition may well be in our own minds. The mind is the principal battlefield of the Christian, and it is there that we need to wield the “sword of the Spirit.”

The “sandals” are described as “the preparation of the Gospel of peace.” This suggests that by walking in the pathway of truth we will be peacemakers; that we will have peace in our own hearts and radiate peace for the blessings of others. Besides, the “Gospel of peace” is the “word of reconciliation” which establishes peace between God and men.—II Cor. 5:19

In our walk in the Christian way we should be especially careful lest we be a hindrance to others. We may frequently have to come to grips with our own selfish propensities, lest in exercising the liberty we think we have, others may be “offended” or stumbled.

QUESTIONS

Against what great forces of evil is the Christian warfare conducted?

What constitutes the armor of God?

Name the various parts of the Christian armor, and explain what they represent.

Explain the relationship of the Christian warfare to refraining from doing those things which may stumble other Christians.

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