It is a motif foundational to the Christian life—as believers we are at war! Yes, spiritual warfare is occurring as I pen these words and as you read these words, whether we realize it or not.

Books have been written, seminars given, DVD and YouTube videos produced, and rightly so. We are involved in a spiritual war of cosmic and eternal proportions, for the souls of men and women are hanging in the balance, and our spiritual vitality and effectiveness as believers are being attacked.

In light of this reality, we begin this lesson with a familiar passage of scripture, which highlights the spiritual war we find ourselves in: 

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand” (Ephesians 6:10-13).

As one popular bible teacher once quipped, “When you declare allegiance to heaven, you declare war on hell. And hell fights back pretty hard.” 

1 Peter 5:8 states, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” As the spiritual war pertains to our witness, the enemy of our souls would do anything and everything within his power to keep us from sharing the life-giving message of the gospel. 

And he works to keep unbelievers in the dark regarding the gospel: “But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them” (2 Corinthians 4:3-4).

While serving on a church staff in East Tennessee years ago, I met a man I’ll call Chet. He was a parent I had met while doing ministry at a local school. We struck up a friendship. Knowing I was a Christian, Chet was curious about Jesus and the Bible. We began meeting regularly at a coffee shop for Bible study. 

Chet was not a Christian. He said he was a Wiccan, but was open to learning about Jesus and the Bible. We did a few Bible studies. I shared the gospel mostly from the gospel of John, but along the way felt I needed to share a bit from Ephesians 6. I wanted to share the reality of spiritual warfare, not from a believer’s point of view, but from a different bent. I talked about the fact that he would be getting thoughts in his head that would say, “Larry’s an idiot, and Jesus and the Bible are pipe dreams.” I was simply warning him. 

Now, I wouldn’t say sharing Ephesians 6 with him was necessarily standard operating procedure, as witnessing conversations can go in numerous directions, but since he was dabbling in the spiritual, I wanted to apprise him of the spiritual war he was in. I encouraged him to seek God, asking Him to confirm the veracity of the claims of Jesus, the Bible, and the gospel. 

In the parable of the soils (Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23), which we’ve addressed, we read about seed that lands on shallow ground and how it is snatched away. After a few Bible study sessions Chet seemed to be tracking well and understanding the gospel message. We made plans for the next study and as usual, we’d confirm via phone.

The next time I tried to contact him, I got only an answering machine. Then after leaving messages over the next few weeks, I discovered his phone was disconnected. He didn’t contact me. In fact, I never saw Chet again.

You might say that he may have moved on, or had a crisis that precipitated the phone being turned off, but there is no denying he wanted no contact with me. I believe there was a spiritual war component to this series of events. 

In Ephesians 6:10-20, Paul informed his audience regarding the spiritual war and notably pointed to a specific element within that war. In Ephesians 6:13 he exhorted the church at Ephesus to be strong in the spiritual battle by putting on the “whole armor of God,” then specified the components of the armor in Ephesians 6:14-17:

“Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

I am struck by the last two verses of this section on spiritual warfare, because they apply precisely not only to our gospel witness, but to the proclamation aspect of that witness:

“Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will boldly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I should” (Ephesians 6:19-20).

I find it fascinating that Paul referred here specifically to the evangelistic component of the Christian life immediately following the section on spiritual war. He could have chosen any other area of our walk, and make no mistake, Satan and his minions oppose all of our Christian walk, not just our witness! 

The Greek word parrhesia is rendered “boldness” in the above verses. It also conveys the idea of free and fearless confidence. 

Paul wrote Ephesians while a prisoner in a Roman jail. It certainly took boldness to make known the gospel in the midst of constant opposition, hostility, and persecution while in the free world. While in chains, Paul asked the Ephesians to pray for him to boldly proclaim the gospel, “as he should.”

And why would Paul choose to follow the section on spiritual warfare and the armor of God with a prayer request for boldness in proclaiming the gospel?

Perhaps because the opening of our mouths and proclaiming truth is most dangerous to our enemy and most profitable to our audience, the lost. For “faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17).

Because of this dynamic, the verbal proclamation of the gospel, “the truth that sets men free” (John 8:32), is challenging for any Christian, as it was for the Apostle Paul.

The talking component of a Christian witness is a stumbling block for many believers and the reason some simply shirk this aspect of testimony for Christ. 

I don’t know how the opposition to your witness today is being manifested, but I do know the enemy wants you to be silent. He wants every witness for Jesus to be silent, for we are in a spiritual battle.

Therefore, may we be vigilantly cognizant of this spiritual war raging and those forces which seek to silence our witness. May we also put on the whole armor of God and pray, not only for open doors and open hearts, but for open mouths—ours—in order to boldly speak and make known the gospel. You pray for me, and I will pray for you.

Father, I thank you for my brothers and sisters who desire to proclaim Jesus! I pray for them and myself, that whenever we speak, words may be given us so that we will boldly make known the mystery of the gospel. I pray that we may declare it boldly, as we should. Amen.