Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil… . That ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and, having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your loins … having put on the breastplate … having shod your feet … taking up the shield … . And the helmet … and the sword … praying … and watching. — Eph. 6:10–11, 13–18.
Every true Christian experience starts with sitting. From the standpoint of sitting with Christ, we walk worthy of Him here on earth. Lastly we stand before the enemy.
The context to which the greek word “stand” is uded in Ephesians chapter 6 means “to hold your ground”.
The command to stand against the wiles of the devil is not invade a foreign territory (the camp of the enemy).
The gound on which we are standing is not the enemy’s, it’s the Lord’s and is commited unto us by Jesus Christ.
We are not gaining the ground it has been secured by the Lord. All we need to do is to stand still and hold.
Our warfare with the arch enemy of God (satan) is not offensive, it’s defensive, that’s why most of the weapons of th warfare outlined in Ephesians chapter 6 are purely defensive.
The war waged by the Lord was offensive, because he carried the war to the very camp of satan (hell) Ephesians 4:8,9. While His was offensive, ours is defensive
Today we war against Satan only to maintain and consolidate the victory which Christ has already gained. — Watchman Nee
We need not fight, we rest on the victory that has been wrought by Christ. Romans 8:37;
We must not ask the Lord to enable us to overcome the Enemy, nor even look to Him to overcome, but praise Him because He has already done so; He is victor. It is all a matter of faith in Him. — Watchman Nee
The Name of Jesus
Ephesians 6:17-20; Matthew 18:8-20; John 16:23-26
The very name of Jesus given to us to use is not the natural name. He is risen and coronated as the Lord of Lords, King of kings, and authority has been vested on him (equally his name) by God because of His obedient even unto death. Phil 2:6-10.
Jesus has given us His authority, which is in His name to use. Acts 4:12
The power of His name operates in three dimensions:
- For the salvation of souls in our preaching. Acts 4:10–12; Luke 24:47, Acts 10:43, 1 Cor. 6:11.
- To bind and bring satan and his cohorts under subjection in our spiritual warfare. Mark 16:17, Luke 10:17–19, Acts 16:18
- In approaching the father for prayer and supplication.
God, in His name has committed Himself unto His servant.
No work is worthy to be called a work of God if God is not, in this sense, committing Himself to it… this is not something that can be “worked up” at a time of crisis. It is a fruit of obedience to God and of a resulting spiritual position known and maintained. It is something we must have already if it is to be available in a time of need. — Watchman Nee
Works that God Commit Himself to:
- We must have a revelation of the eternal purpose of God. Ephesians 4:11-16;
- All work that must fit in the divine purpose must be authored by God, fo it is this that God can commit Himsleft to. Jphn 5:19; Ehepesians 16:7; Genesis 1:1.
- All work must depend on the grace and power of God alone for its continuance. Acts 7:22; Exodus 4:10; Acts 8:16; 19:5
- The end and object of all work to which God can commit Himself must be His glory. This means that we get nothing out of it for ourselves. It is a divine principle that the less we get of personal gratification out of such a work, the greater is its true value to God. Eph. 1:6, 12, 14.
The Christian life consists of sitting with Christ, walking by Him and standing in Him. We begin our spiritual life by resting in the finished work of the Lord Jesus. That rest is the source of our strength for a consistent and unfaltering walk in the world. And at the end of a grueling warfare with the hosts of darkness, we are found standing with Him at last in triumphant possession of the field. — Watchman Nee