Warfare

Ephesians 6. Chapters 1-3 dealt with the believer's Wealth. Chapters 4-5 dealt with the believer's Walk. Now Paul concludes in chapter 6 with the believer's Warfare. Make no doubt about it, we are in a spiritual war. And Paul says in 2 Corinthians 10:3-4 that "the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds." If we are then fighting a spiritual war, then we must be armed with spiritual weapons. And here in Eph.6, Paul gives us the details of that spiritual armor.

Paul also describes our enemy in v.12. While Satan is certainly our primary enemy in this spiritual war, he does not fight alone. He is the commander of legions of demonic forces that are listed here in four levels or ranks. Pay attention to one of those levels "rulers of the darkness..." The Greek word for "rulers" is "kosmokrator", which comes from two Greek words: "kosmos" which means "world" and "krator" which means "ruler". Satan is a "world-ruler."

Now fast forward to the book of Revelation. Nine times in this climatic book Jesus is referred to as "Almighty" (Rev.1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7,14; 19:6,15; 21:22.) "Almighty" comes from the original word "pantokrator". "Pan" means "all", and again "krator" means 'ruler'. Thus, Jesus is not just a "world-ruler". He is the "All Ruler". He is the Omnipotent, all Powerful God, Ruler of All, the Sovereign King of kings and Lord of lords. Now when Satan tempts you remember this and remember 1 John 4:4, "greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world." (Greater is HE-PANTOKRATOR- that is in you, than he-KOSMOKRATOR-that is in the world.) Dear Christian, with Christ in you, you are an overcomer who has overcome this world. Don't ever forget that!