Fight Together

Stand . . . Take . . . Pray. Ephesians 6:10, 14, 18

The final step in successful spiritual warfare is one that is as critical as the others but it is far too easily missed. The last step isn’t a specific verse or a piece of armor mentioned, but rather a verb tense. When most Americans read the armor of God passage in Ephesians 6, we read it through the lens of our individualistic, self-focused mindset. We worry about ourselves first and foremost. As harsh as it sounds, everyone else can fend for themselves. But that’s not the intention at all behind Paul’s instructions on spiritual warfare.

When Paul tells us to stand firm, to take the pieces of armor, to pray, the verb is not in the singular form, it’s in the plural. To use Southern language, it’s as if he’s saying, “Y’all stand, y’all take, y’all pray.” Why is this important? Because too often our defeat in spiritual warfare comes from the fact that we try and engage in it on our own. And please understand this: if the enemy has you alone and isolated, he has you right where he wants you. Peter describes the enemy as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:17). When a lion attacks, the lion will never directly attack the herd because even a mighty lion knows there is strength in numbers. A lion will always look for the weak, the isolated, the one animal who strayed too far from the herd. As long as you stay with the herd, as long as you fight together, you’re protected. When you isolate yourself from the body, you’re easy pickings for an enemy seeking to devour you through spiritual warfare.

There is strength in numbers, in not just attending church but intentionally doing life with other believers in a small group. Do you want to be victorious in spiritual warfare? Fight together.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

1. If you were honest with yourself, would you say that you’re within the protection of the herd or are you isolated, attempting to do life alone? What affect do you think that has on your spiritual warfare?

2. Have there been times when strong relationships have helped you through a time of spiritual warfare? How has fighting together helped you be successful in your battles?

NEXT STEP

The next step in fighting together is to discuss what you’re learning with someone else. If you’ve been reading this on your own up to this point, you’re not getting the full benefits of this book. Bring someone into this conversation, share what you’re learning, ask someone to fight along side you. Who are you fighting along side? You need to be able to name several people that have committed to fight for your victory.