Fight Spiritual Battles by Standing

When we think about physical battles, we often think of two opposing parties locked in combat, fighting until one or the other declares victory over their opponent.

But what about the spiritual battles raging all around us? How do we—mere mortals—fight supernatural enemies? Thankfully, the Bible has much to say about how we are to fight these battles in the spiritual realm. The answer may not be what you expected.

Armor of God

Our New Testament preserved many of the letters the apostle Paul wrote to the early Christian churches. And a constant theme across most of his letters was the encouragement to stand firm. Paul mentions “stand” or variations of this verb more than thirty times in his letters. But in one particular passage, the exhortation to stand is often overlooked.

¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 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. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. ¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. ~ Ephesians 6:11-18,  NIV

When we examine the armor of God, many readers focus on the need to be equipped to win against our spiritual enemy. However, the importance of being equipped to fight often overshadows God’s instructions to us regarding these spiritual battles. According to Paul, the purpose of putting on the whole armor of God is not to attack.

Attack or Stand?

In his letters to the Corinthian church, Paul encouraged them to “stand firm in the faith” (1 Cor.16:13) and later commended them for “standing firm” in their faith (2 Cor. 1:24).

In his letter to the church in Ephesus, Paul mentioned the word stand four times in three verses:

• Verse 11: “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand.”
• Verse 13: “Put on the full armor of God, so that . . . you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”
• Verse 14: “Stand firm then.”

The purpose of the armor is to enable us to stand firm. The reason for the armor is protection in a spiritual battle. And the result of wearing every piece of the armor enables us to resist supernatural attacks. Truth, righteousness, the gospel, faith, and salvation all work together for our defense.

Still, you may have noticed that amid all these defensive pieces, there is one weapon: the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. However, the word for this sword refers to a large knife or small sword. It’s a weapon used in hand-to-hand combat, unlike a spear or large blade. We are not equipped to initiate the battle by running toward it. Rather, we put on the armor of God daily to be ready when the enemy brings the battle to us.

Bottom line? Don’t fight spiritual battles by fighting. Fight spiritual battles by standing!