Who We Are in Christ
ICS DailY Devotions
Ephesians 6:10-14 (NKJV) Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armour 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 armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
In this passage, the apostle Paul asks us to put on the full armour of God, and we need to do it now because it’s urgent. It is a command, and we need to act on it quickly. We need to make the choice of putting it on so that we can be firm in the Lord, for we are not wrestling with flesh and blood, but against the despotisms (principalities), against the powers, against (the master spirits who are) the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere.
However, before we stand on the Word, we must first learn to sit with Jesus in the heavenly places far above all principalities, dominion and might. In other words, we must be mindful of who we are, what we have in Christ, and the spiritual blessings He has given us so that we can use these weapons to successfully stand up against all the devil’s strategies and deceits.
From Ephesians chapters 1-3, we know that we are chosen in Christ; in Him, we have become His children; in Him, we have the forgiveness of sins; in Him, we are redeemed through His blood; in Him, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise who is the guarantee of our inheritance, and in Him, we are seated together with Christ in the heavenly places. We are the body of Christ, and Christ is the head of the church, and God has put all things under His feet. This is our position in Christ as new creations.
The revelatory truth regarding the spiritual blessings in the heavenly places comes from the Word of God, namely the belt of truth. We are not ashamed and pressed down in discouragement. Once we know who we are in Christ, we can stand straight, upright, and confident. We will be potent if we stand on God’s promises for any particular situation when faced with a spiritual battle.
Sermon Series: The Weapon Of Our Spiritual Warfare