10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.
12For 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. 13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground.
We in the west are essentially materialists. That is we believe in that which we see and can touch and are generally skeptical about what we can't. But the Bible emphatically declares that there is a world out there that is full of unseen spiritual realities that have their effect in our present, material existence. So for example, Paul here in Ephesians 6 recognizes that believers are in a battle, a struggle. So he says to them; stand firm in the Lord and his mighty power. He instructs them to put on armor and take a stand. He suggests a struggle with a dark world in which we are to take up our weapons and fight. Make no mistake though, that Paul and indeed all New Testament writers want to affirm that Jesus Christ is the ultimate victor (Col. 2:13-15) and the powers at work in our world will ultimately be defeated. So let us struggle and fight in the Lord Jesus Christ, for the kingdom of God to invade our realities and to have its cause and effects in our world.
Grace and Peace from Marcus
