Satan is powerful in our world, but our Lord has not left us defenseless. In this six-lesson series based on Ephesians 6:10-17, Sue Bohlin teaches the importance of putting on “the full armor of God” in order that we may successfully “stand firm” against the devil. The ancient Roman soldier’s armor is described and related to biblical principles of standing firm when we are experiencing a spiritual attack.
In the first lecture of her Spiritual Warfare series, Sue Bohlin states that God’s goal is for Christ’s life to be lived through us. Three enemies thwart our progress: 1) the “world”: the things about our culture which are hostile to God; 2) the “flesh”: everything we do apart from God; and 3) the devil. Sue describes ways in which each of these enemies attacks us, relates what God’s Word says about each enemy, and offers strategies for combating each enemy.
In Ephesians 6:11-13, Paul urges us to put on “the full armor of God” and to “stand firm” against the devil. In this lesson, Sue instructs us to combat Satan based on truth from God’s Word. Sue warns us against harboring “strongholds” by teaching what they are and how to recognize them. She then advises us to demolish strongholds according to biblical principles.
From Ephesians 6:13-14, Sue speaks about the two important elements of truth and righteousness in preparing to resist the devil. She describes the ancient defensive belt and breastplate and relates them to the necessity of our proper preparation for battle. We must know the truth as presented in God’s Word, believe it, and live according to it. We must also know the person who is Truth, Jesus Christ. We must possess the righteousness of Jesus Christ, who died on our behalf, in order to be in right standing with God. Sue concludes with a discussion of how to deal with guilt.
Just as a Roman soldier’s shoes protected his feet and helped him to firmly stand, peace from the Lord provides us with emotional and spiritual stability. Peace is stolen by anger, bitterness, unforgiveness, and fear. Sue defines each of these thieves, and prescribes scriptural “fear busters” for overcoming them. In order to utilize the shield of faith, we trust in the Lord and take refuge in him.
The Helmet of Salvation protects what we think and how we think. Sue guides us in ways to think about ourselves in the contexts of belonging to God and to the body of Christ. She discusses in detail her response to the celebration of Halloween by Christians. The Sword of the Spirit represents the use of the Word of God to stand against the lies and deceptions of the enemy. In order to use this offensive weapon most effectively, we should study and memorize Scripture.
A proper balance should be achieved in one’s perception of spiritual warfare. A Christian should neither ignore the topic of spiritual warfare nor be preoccupied with it. The worldview of animism, which attempts to manipulate the spirit world, is influencing Christianity. Sue teaches how to recognize animism, as well as how to prevent its influence in our thinking. Sue summarizes the series with a three-step program for spiritual warfare, based on James 4:7.