Ephesians 6:10-11 (Amplified) In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [draw your strength from Him and be empowered through your union with Him] and in the power of His [boundless] might. Put on the full armour of God [for His precepts are like the splendid armour of a heavily-armed soldier], so that you may be able to [successfully] stand up against all the schemes and the strategies and the deceits of the devil.
Spiritual warfare is real, and the devil is not fair in his dealings with us. Therefore, we must learn how to stand firm against the wiles of the evil one.
As Christians, we are seated with Christ in the heavenly realm, beside the Heavenly Father; with Christ far above all principalities, dominion, might, and He has placed the enemies beneath Jesus’ feet! It is a position of victory. Therefore, we are not trying to win in spiritual warfare because Christ has already defeated the devil. We are enforcing His victory.
There are two types of spiritual warfare. First, there are temptations thrown at us to lure us back into our old selves and discourage us from living out the newness of life in Christ.
The second kind is fiery darts hurled by the devil. Have you been in a state of distress, facing tribulation in your life, with thoughts, doubts, frustration, anguish, and emotional turmoil, alongside various questions in your mind, such as, “What have I done to deserve this?” or “Is it a discipline of God?”
We also encounter diverse opinions, suggestions, and interpretations from different people, as in the days of Job. Some are helpful, but some are stoking the fire. Therefore, it is best to listen to one voice amid the chaos, frustration, and anger rather than letting our thoughts go wild and trying to identify all the causes. The key is to get into the Word and enforce the victory.
The Apostle Paul has revealed to us that the devil and his followers are real, and natural weapons are ineffective against them. Sometimes, we are to blame because we have walked in the flesh and disobeyed God’s commands. Therefore, we must discern whether we are facing the onslaught of the devil’s attack, because he will attack us whether we are lukewarm or on fire for the Lord.
One of the devil’s tricks is convincing people that he does not exist. If we are unaware of this, we might even misunderstand God as the source of our evil encounters. Some Christians believe that everything they experience in life comes from God, which leads them to blame Him and develop a theology of suffering from it, or to be deceived into thinking that they need to earn their salvation, when God has already chosen to see us in Christ and seated us with Him!
Many Christians are passive in the face of the devil’s disturbances, but the Bible tells us to put on the whole armour of God and to stand against the wiles of the evil one. God wants us to enforce the victory of Jesus, and we can do it more effectively when we know who we are in Christ, what we have in Him, and what we can do in Him.
Sermon Series: Cell Group Campaign (Stand)
不要被迷惑！
以弗所书 6:10–11 （扩展版）“我还有末了的话：你们要靠着主，倚赖他的大能大力做刚强的人。要穿戴神所赐的全副军装，（因为祂的真理，就像装备齐全的精兵所穿的荣耀军装），好叫你们能站立得住，抵挡魔鬼一切的诡计、策略和欺骗。”
属灵争战是真实的，而魔鬼在与我们交手时从不公平。因此，我们必须学习如何站立得稳，抵挡那恶者的诡计。
作为基督徒，我们已经与基督一同坐在天上，坐在天父的右边；基督远远高过一切执政的、掌权的、有能的、主治的，神也已将一切仇敌放在耶稣的脚下！这是一个得胜的地位。因此，在属灵争战中，我们不是在努力争取胜利，因为基督已经战胜了魔鬼；我们所做的，是执行祂已经得着的胜利。
属灵争战主要有两种形式。第一种，是各种试探——企图把我们拉回旧人的生命，使我们灰心丧志，不再活出在基督里新生命的样式。
第二种，是魔鬼所射出的火箭。你是否曾处在困境之中，面对生命的患难与压力，心中充满怀疑、挫败、痛苦与情绪的挣扎？是否不断问自己：“我做错了什么，才会遇到这些事？”或“这是神在管教我吗？”
在这样的时刻，我们也会听到来自不同人的意见、建议与解释，就像约伯的日子一样。有些话能带来帮助，有些却只是火上加油。因此，在混乱、挫折与愤怒之中，最重要的是只聆听一个声音，而不是让思想四处奔走、试图找出所有的原因。关键在于回到神的话语中，站立在基督已经成就的得胜里。
使徒保罗清楚告诉我们，魔鬼和他的权势是真实存在的，而属血气的兵器对他们毫无作用。有时，我们确实因顺从肉体、违背神的命令而给仇敌留了地步；但我们也需要分辨，是否正面对魔鬼的攻击，因为无论我们属灵冷淡，还是火热爱主，仇敌都会攻击我们。
魔鬼其中一个最大的诡计，就是让人相信他并不存在。若我们对此毫无警觉，就可能把生命中一切不好的遭遇都归咎于神。有些基督徒以为自己所经历的一切都来自神，于是责怪神，甚至发展出一种扭曲的“受苦神学”，或被欺骗去相信必须靠行为赚取救恩；然而，神早已在基督里拣选我们，使我们与祂一同坐在天上！
许多基督徒在面对魔鬼的搅扰时显得被动，但圣经清楚吩咐我们，要穿戴神所赐的全副军装，抵挡魔鬼的诡计。神渴望我们去执行耶稣已经赢得的胜利，而当我们真正认识自己在基督里的身份、在祂里面所拥有的产业，以及我们在祂里面所能行的权柄时，我们就能更有效地站立得稳，得胜有余。
讲章系列：小组主题活动（站立得稳）