In a.d. 61, while under house arrest in Rome, Paul tried to steady the Ephesian church for the tough years ahead; a time when, as he had already warned, they would have to carry on without him (Acts 20:17-28).
Materialism, commercialism, a cynical sensuality—these constantly threatened the faith of Paul’s converts at Ephesus. Religious deception was rife. How could Paul rally the church to carry on their spiritual battle without him? Near the end of his letter to the Ephesians, the Holy Spirit filled Paul with a stirring word picture drawn from Paul’s prison experience.
We can almost see the creative fires burning inside Paul as he neared the end of his letter. "Put on the full armor of God," Paul concluded, "so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes" (Ephesians 6:10-11). "The Roman soldier has his armor," Paul was saying, "so does the true Christian."
With the armor of God we can brace ourselves for the battles we will face in our Christian lives (1 Timothy 6:12). We, like the Ephesians, are up against Satan’s wiles. But we, like them, will win!
Second Corinthians 4:4 exposes Satan as the "god of this age." It’s no stretch to see what Paul means in Ephesians 6:12: "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."
Soldiers who have been briefed by their commander-in-chief are on spiritual alert. They expect battle! That is why Paul counseled young Timothy: "Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Jesus Christ" (2 Timothy 2:3).
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