We need to put on the whole armor of God so that we “may be able to stand” (v. 11). In chapter six the word stand is crucial. In chapter two we sit with Christ in the heavenlies (v. 6), and in chapters four and five we walk in His Body on the earth (4:1, 17; 5:2, 8, 15). Then in chapter six we stand in His power in the heavenlies. To sit with Christ is to participate in all His accomplishments; to walk in His Body is to fulfill God’s eternal purpose; and to stand in His power is to fight against God’s enemy.
By putting on the whole armor of God, we are able to stand against the stratagems of the Devil. These stratagems are the Devil’s evil plans. Not only does the Devil have an evil will, but he also has subtle stratagems to work out his will. Even now Satan is busily working and plotting to carry out his evil, subtle stratagems.
In verse 12 Paul goes on to say, “For our wrestling is not against blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenlies.” “Blood and flesh” refers to men. Behind men of blood and flesh are the evil forces of the Devil, fighting against God’s purpose. Hence, our wrestling, our fighting, must not be against men, but against the evil spiritual forces in the heavenlies.
We in the Lord’s recovery should realize that spiritual warfare is not a matter of fighting against men. Even if men cause damage to the recovery, we should not fight against them. Behind them and over them is the evil power. For example, when Saul of Tarsus was desolating the church, he was under the influence of the power of darkness. The reason certain people and religious organizations oppose the Lord’s recovery is that they also are being utilized by the evil power that is over them and behind them.
The principalities, the authorities, and the world-rulers of this darkness are the rebellious angels who followed Satan in his rebellion against God and who now rule in the heavenlies over the nations of the world, such as the prince of Persia and the prince of Grecia in Daniel 10:20. This indicates that the Devil, Satan, has his kingdom of darkness (Matt. 12:26; Col. 1:13). In this kingdom, Satan is at the top, and under him are the rebellious angels.
“This darkness” refers to today’s world, which is fully under the dark ruling of the Devil through his evil angels. The world-rulers of this darkness are the princes Satan has set up to rule the various nations. According to the book of Daniel, the Jewish nation was the only nation that was not under Satan’s power. This nation was ruled over by Michael, the archangel who fought on behalf of Israel. All the Gentile nations, however, are ruled by devilish, rebellious angels under the administration of Satan. Therefore, in the eyes of God, darkness covers the earth and fills the atmosphere around the earth. Only God Himself remains in the light. Because of the working of Satan, who is the authority of darkness, the earth and its atmosphere have become “this darkness.”
In verse 12 Paul also speaks of “the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenlies.” The heavenlies here refer to the air (2:2). Satan and his spiritual forces of evil are in the air. But we are seated in the third heaven above them (2:6). In fighting a battle, the position above the enemy is strategic. Satan and his evil forces are under us, and it is their fate to be defeated by us.
We need to be reminded again and again that our warfare is not against human beings, but against the evil spirits, the spiritual powers in the heavenlies. The rebellious angels are the evil spirits in Satan’s kingdom. Thus, the warfare between the church and Satan is a battle between us who love the Lord and who are in His church and the evil powers in the heavenlies. Apparently it is people of flesh and blood who damage the church. Actually it is Satan and his evil angels working behind them who cause the damage. Therefore, we must fight against these spiritual forces.
Verse 13 says, “Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day.” In verse 11 we are told to put on the armor of God, and in verse 13 we are charged to take it up. We have seen that the armor of God is prepared and provided by God for us. But we need to take it up and put it on; we need to use and apply God’s provision. Some items of the armor, such as the sword and the shield, we take up. But other items, such as the breastplate, the helmet, and the shoes, we put on. Whether we put on the whole armor of God or take it up, we must exercise our will in a strong way.
Paul specifically mentions “the whole armor of God,” not just a part or some parts of it. In order to wage the spiritual warfare, we need the whole armor. This requires the Body of Christ, not only individual believers, to take it up.
By taking up the whole armor of God, we shall be able to withstand in the evil day. To withstand is to stand against. In fighting the most important thing is to stand. In 5:16 Paul says that the days are evil. In this evil age (Gal. 1:14), every day is an evil day because Satan is at work every day.
Paul concludes verse 13 with the words, “Having done all, to stand.” In fighting we need to stand to the end. Having done all, we still must stand. As we shall see in the next two messages, verses 14 through 16 are a modifier describing how to stand.