Page 176 - Ephesians

chapter 6:10, the scene changes, you open your eyes, and
you’re in enemy territory.

Look at verse 20, “For which I am an ambassador in chains”.
When Paul wrote this, he was chained to a Roman guard. It’s a
shock to come to this chapter and this passage. It reminds me of
Revelation 1:10, where the Apostle John was on the Isle of
Patmos all by himself, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day.”
Wasn’t that tender? I Picture him sitting on a rock, and looking
out over the water. Meditating in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day. “I
heard behind me a loud voice, like the sound of a trumpet”.
Picture that, sitting on a rock in quiet prayer, and all of a sudden
behind him, a loud voice, like the sound of a trumpet. When he
heard that blast he spun around and said, “I fell at His feet as a
dead man.” That would have scared the daylights out of me! I
would have jumped right out of my skin. That’s, how 6:10 hits me!

I’m reading about all this wonderful wealth. Loving wives, having
our children obey, submitting to the authorities, and seated with
Christ. All of a sudden, I’m standing in full armor, in enemy
territory. Now I’m braced, to stand against all the powers of hell.
Something has changed, and the Greek illuminates it further. It
talks about minor skirmishes, and major attacks. All-out offensive
warfare, and an army that’s organized, brilliant and greater than
flesh and blood. Our enemy is superior to the whole system of
this world.

The Army, Navy, Marines and air force, don’t stand a chance
against them. He says it’s bigger than all that. This is against the
wiles and the schemes of Satan and his demons. You are
warring against principalities, powers and world rulers of
darkness, spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places. I say,
“What’s going on? What happened? I was sailing pretty good,
and all of a sudden a big wind came and toppled my little boat.
How am I involved in this?”

Whatever the war is, and whatever our involvement is, we need to
know. We are responsible to have full victory in it. Just like in