Battle Ready: The Battlefield (Part 2)

Ephesians 6:10-20

When we study God’s story in God’s people, we discern that all who follow Jesus are engaged in a spiritual battle. God is sovereign. Jesus defeated Satan at the cross, and all believers share in that victory. For now, however, we have an enemy who prowls like a roaring lion, seeking to devour us (1 Pet. 5:8). We await the day when Satan will be defeated forever (Rev. 20:7-10).

We have seen that the spiritual battle comes at us from three sources: the world, the flesh, and the devil. These areas are often intertwined, deceiving us (Satan), normalizing sin (the world), and producing unhealthy desires (the flesh). From the temptation of Jesus (Matt. 4:1-11), we learn that Satan lures us to act independently of God, take advantage of God’s grace, and bypass God’s plan through sinful shortcuts. 

Today, I want us to recognize that the spiritual battle is all around us, even in places we can’t perceive.  

The longest dedicated section on spiritual warfare in Scripture is Ephesians 6:10-20. We will work through this important passage today and tomorrow. 

The first three chapters of Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus address theology, while the last three explain how to put it into practice. By the time we reach chapter 6, Paul has already told us about the sources of the battle—the world, the flesh, and the devil (Eph. 2:1-3), that believers always fight from higher ground (Eph. 2:4-7), and that the battle is spiritual (Eph. 1:3, 20; 2:6; 3:10; 6:12). When we read Ephesians 6, spiritual warfare is not a new topic. 

Paul urges believers to stand strong: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might” (Eph. 6:10). This verse contains two important truths. First, we are commanded to stand. That’s our responsibility. Second, we can stand strong because we have God's strength. The word translated “might” denotes power to overcome resistance. That power is found only in the strength God gives through the Holy Spirit. 

Here is the tension of the battle. God gives us the gift of responsibility. We must make wise decisions, avoid detours, and suppress ungodly desires. And… we can make the right choices only with the strength God provides. In essence, God says, “Go get it done!” However, we must acknowledge that we can’t get it done without him!

The spiritual battle is beyond our human capabilities because Satan is always scheming against us (Eph. 6:11). Satan’s plans are numerous and varied. We have seen him deceive Eve and tempt Jesus. Paul says, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12). 

The word “wrestle” describes an up-close, personal engagement. Next time, we will consider how to be battle-ready. But today I want us to understand the bigger picture. Even though we can’t observe it, a spiritual battle is taking place all around us. Paul says that spiritual warfare is against “cosmic powers” and “spiritual forces of evil.” The term “cosmic powers” is one Greek word—kosmocrator. It is used in “Greek classics and the writings of Jewish rabbis to describe someone bent on world control.”[1] These “spiritual forces” are at work in “heavenly places.”

In Jewish thought, the first heaven is the surrounding atmosphere (Ps. 104:12). The second heaven is the realm of the stars and constellations (Isa. 13:10). The third heaven is God’s dwelling place (2 Cor. 12:2; Rev. 11:12). The forces of evil are absent from the third heaven, where God dwells. However, in the first and second heavens, spiritual battles are ongoing between God’s army of angels and the armies of Satan’s demons. These battles are constant yet imperceptible to us. 

Let’s look at two examples from the Old Testament.  

In 2 Samuel 5:22, David was preparing to fight the Philistines and asked God for a strategy. God said, “You shall not go up; go around to their rear, and come against them opposite the balsam trees. And when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then rouse yourself, for then the LORD has gone out before you to strike down the army of the Philistines” (2 Sam. 5:23-25). Think of it! David heard God’s armies marching in the tops of the trees as they went before him to defeat the Philistines. That was a battle fought in the “heavenly places.”

In 2 Kings, another story recounts the king of Syria sending troops to encircle the city where the prophet Elijah was staying. When Elijah’s servant woke up in the morning and saw the vast army surrounding them, he was terrified. Elijah said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them” (2 Kings 6:16). God opened the servant’s eyes, and he saw the mountains full of horses and chariots of angels’ armies (2 Kings 1:17). 

The spiritual battle is real for every believer and is also being fought in the “heavenly places.” If God would open our eyes as he did for Elijah’s servant, we could see it. But we don’t need to watch the heavenly battles, because our focus must be on the spiritual battle taking place right in front of us. Our responsibility is to buckle up and be battle-ready. Next time, we will learn about the armor God has prepared for us. For now, remember these two truths: 

2 Kings 6:16
Don’t be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.

1 John 4:4
He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

PERSONAL TIME WITH GOD 
Time in the Word: Read and reflect on Ephesians 6:10-20.

Talking to God: In what ways are you tempted to act independently of God instead of relying on his strength?

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SAVE THE DATE: Bible Immersion trip to Israel: November 4-14, 2026.