Bible Study - Who is the enemy? - Ephesians - August 31, 2025

Bible Study – Who is the enemy? – August 31, 2025

Ephesians 6:10-20: Christian Warfare

¹⁰ Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens. ¹³ For this reason take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. ¹⁴ Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, ¹⁵ and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In every situation 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 Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints. ¹⁹ Pray also for me (and each other), that the message may be given to me (and all who have been “born-again”) when I (we) open my mouth to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel. ²⁰ For this I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I might be bold enough to speak about it as I should. (All “born-again” Christians are ambassadors for JESUS and their citizenship is in Heaven as recorded in Philippians 3:20:

Our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly wait for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.

And we are ambassadors 2 Corinthians 5:20:

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.”

Okay, you citizens of Heaven, Ambassadors for JESUS, and Christian soldiers, it is time to step up, suit up, pray, and fight.

Who is the enemy? Back to Ephesians 6 ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens. 

As, I write this, a terrible shooting has taken place at the Catholic school in Minnesota. Satan’s game plan is to make people think, “Where was GOD?” HE was there. What can we do? Pray for each other, our schools, churches, institutions, and homes.

Satan’s tactic is to turn the eyes of peoples from him to make the enemy GOD. Don’t fall for this deception.

We see this being played out between the President of the United States versus the leader of Russia. When the implements of war fail, what do those who depend upon GOD and JESUS do? They take it to GOD in prayer, in the name of JESUS.

Do you recall the time when as recorded in Exodus 17 ⁹ And Moses said to Joshua, “Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand.” ¹⁰ So Joshua did as Moses said to him and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. ¹¹ And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. ¹² But Moses’ hands became ^[e]heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. ¹³ So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

There are times when fellow Christians need to step in and support fellow Christians who are fighting physical and spiritual battles regardless of our opinion of them. Alienation is one of Satan’s tools to place a barrier between those who know the truth and those who are struggling. Keep in mind we do not fight against “flesh and blood” but “powers and principalities.”

It is time for who those are “born-again” Christians to pray and help support the arms of our President as he seeks peace for Ukraine.

We continue in Ephesians 6:13-22: We who have been redeemed by the blood of the LAMB, JESUS, are called to step in and support our President in various Spiritual battles he has opened up. His fight is also our fight regardless of your political views. It is time for unity among fellow believers.

Dear FATHER, open the Spiritual eyes of all who know YOU through faith in JESUS to respond to this Spiritual battle, for we do not fight against flesh and blood but as we read in Ephesians 6:12:

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the world forces of this [present] darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) places.

¹³ But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. (Reconciliation and unity in JESUS although diversity in political views.) ¹⁴ For he (JESUS) is our peace, who made both groups one and tore down the dividing wall of hostility. In his flesh, ¹⁵ he made of no effect the law consisting of commands and expressed in regulations, so that he might create in himself one new man from the two, resulting in peace. ¹⁶ He did this so that he might reconcile both to God in one body through the cross by which he put the hostility to death.^[c] 17 He came and proclaimed the good news of peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. ¹⁸ For through him (JESUS) we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. ¹⁹ So, then, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God’s household, ²⁰ built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. ²¹ In him the whole building, being put together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. ²² In him you are also being built together for God’s dwelling in the Spirit.

The Holy Spirit dwells in the temple and our redeemed bodies are as stated in 1 Corinthians 6:19:

 ¹⁹ Don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, ²⁰ for you were bought at a price. So glorify God with your body.^[e]

Folks it is time for all “born-again” Christians to pray for our country, our President, the world, and world leaders. First, confess any unconfessed sin and pray for America and our world. Don’t withhold your prayers for political reasons because the days are evil.

Satan loves disunity.

We read in 1 Timothy 2:1-2: Instructions on Prayer

First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.

It is time for all true believers to step up, suit up and become prayer warriors in the name of JESUS for all the people of earth and for the second coming of JESUS.

JESUS is coming again, stay ready!

Blessings!!!