We are in a spiritual battle, but it may be more and less than what you think. Here’s what I mean. On the one hand, we often go day to day without giving much thought to the spiritual realm, aside from our focus on God. Yet, as Paul makes clear in Ephesians 6, there is an unseen war that is waging behind the human actors in this world. This reminds us that our real enemies are not human, but spiritual. It also helps us see the human agents as people to be loved and reached for Christ. And it further reminds us that at times traps are laid for us by elements outside our immediate view. Staying armed and ready allows us to meet the challenges even in those moments we were not planning on fighting a battle.
To be armed is to be in God’s word (and God’s word being in us), to pray continually, to obey what we know God has told us to do, to stay close to Christian community and fellowship, and to look to the Holy Spirit for power. Yes, there are other items you might include (e.g., fasting, serving others, communion), but the WORD, OBEDIENCE, PRAYER, Christian COMMUNITY, and the HOLY SPIRIT are the “meat and potatoes” that will allow us to “stand” in the day of battle.
Now, I also said in the opening line that spiritual battle may be less than what you think. By saying this, I don’t intend to make light of the reality of spiritual warfare. What I am saying is that much of what is mentioned in Ephesians 6:1-20 has less to do with esoteric insight that only a few super spiritual people have access to, but rather with the daily life of obedience to God’s word, living as children of the light. The way of truth has already been delivered in Jesus and through God’s word. What God requires of his people has been revealed. Now, we may not feel like we know everything there is to know, but we do know enough to obey. As we obey what we already know, God will reveal more as we grow.
As we will see Sunday, the breastplate of righteousness is God’s call for us to live in ways pleasing to him. This doesn’t mean we will do it perfectly. Furthermore, we are not saved by our own righteousness, but Christ’s righteousness! (See Romans 5) However, if we are to fight the battle victoriously, it requires us to wear righteousness by living like Jesus. When we stumble, we fall on his grace, confess, repent, and get back up and keep moving toward the fight. We stand strong: in what we say to others, in how we respond when we’re angry, by what we think and how we act toward the opposite sex, by seeking the best for others. This is what spiritual battle entails, day in and day out.