Chapter 76 - Positional Warfare

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“… be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.” (Ephesians 6:10-11)

The New Testament does not instruct the church to fight against the schemes of the devil. Instead, it commands the church to “be strong in the Lord.” According to the Apostle Paul, the strength of God is appropriated by putting on His armor.

Concordant with satanic deception, however, the New Testament church on earth is largely ignorant about the “full armor of God.” Therefore, it typically does not know the meaning of the armor or how to put it on.

Nevertheless, the armor of God is the only means He has given His beloved ecclesia to defend against the devilish schemes. By putting it on, the church is privileged to ascend into glory far above and beyond the devil.

Schemes of the Devil

The devil continually perpetrates schemes against the New Testament church. He desires to destroy the church by causing pain, suffering, spiritual fruitlessness, etc.

Despite his utter defeat, the devil is allowed the freedom to prowl “around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8) However, as previously clarified, he is not free to prowl around in whatever manner he chooses. His efforts are moderated by God.

The Apostle Peter further informed that the devil does not merely prowl around quietly. He prowls around “like a roaring lion.” It is merely a distraction designed to mislead his prey from the truth that he is utterly defeated.

During this present age, the New Testament church is the primary prey of the devil. However, as also previously indicated, he was disarmed, unarmored and bound and as a result, rendered powerless. Therefore, the devil was left with only one means to oppose the New Testament church.

The devil’s only remaining strategy to destroy the church is to promote lies through the intimidation of a fierce, roaring voice. When the New Testament church chooses to submit to his strategy it becomes susceptible to his lying schemes.

The devil is not someone who occasionally tells a lie. He is the source of falsehood (the “father of lies”). Therefore, it is his nature to lie. Thus, he lies constantly and speaks truth only if it supports his lies. Jesus said, “… the devil … does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44)

The deceptive schemes of Satan emphasize a common goal. They seek to divert the New Testament church from Jesus Christ.

Diverting the New Testament church from Jesus alters its practice. It is redirected from God to self, the eternal to the temporal, and thus, immutable positional truth to mutable conditions on earth.

When church practice is redirected from God to self, the church does not live in accord with unconditional, divine truth. Instead, it values conditional feelings and appearances. As a result, the church walks in an unworthy manner.

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Armor of God

Jesus did not create His beloved ecclesia on the renovated earth to exist in the friendly confines of the Garden of Eden. To the contrary, after the fall of mankind He chose to build it on the degenerated earth in the realm of sin and death. It presented a darkened, lawless environment that was subject to the deceptive influence of the devil and his angels.

Despite the hostile environment, Jesus made two promises regarding the coming Church Age. He said, “… I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.” (Matthew 16:18)

Jesus promised both to build the church in the realm of sin and death on the degenerated earth and prevent it from being overcome by the power of death. He referred to the “gates of Hades” not only in regard to the power of His upcoming death, conquered once and for all by His resurrection, but also the power of the dead, spiritual forces of evil who would oppose the New Testament church during the impending Church Age. Thus, Jesus did not instruct the New Testament church to protect itself by fighting against its hostile environment. Instead, He promised He would protect it from death regardless of its particular manifestation.

In agreement with Christ’s promise of protection, the Apostle Paul instructed the New Testament church to “… be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.” (Ephesians 6:10) According to Paul, it had one condition. The collective community of the New Testament church was required to faithfully “put on the full armor of God.” (Ephesians 6:11)

Relative to its importance, the devil and his angels, have worked very hard to prevent the church from learning how to “put on” the armor of God. As a result, very few Christians know how to defend against the deceptive schemes of the devil.

Understanding the full armor of God first requires the knowledge that there are two types or armor, positional (Ephesians 6:14-15) and cooperative (Ephesians 6:16-17). Both are necessary to “be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.”

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Positional Armor

The positional armor of God is represented by the “belt of truth,” “breastplate of righteousness,” and the “shoes of peace.” (Ephesians 6:14-15) They are select attributes of the life (zoe) of the indwelling Christ relevant to the immediate topic, spiritual warfare.

The positional armor of Ephesians 6 clearly does not constitute an exhaustive list of the attributes of divine life (zoe). It is important to clarify; however, the New Testament church is indwelt by Christ in fullness and therefore, shares all of the attributes of His nature. (Colossians 2:9-10)

Consisting of attributes of the living (zoe) Christ, the positional armor of God was “put on” in the past when the New Testament church was “baptized into” Him and consequently, “identified with” His person and work. Consequently, the Apostle Paul used the past tense in reference to when the armor was “put on.” He said, “having girded; having put on; having shod”.

The “belt of truth” is descriptive of the truth of God in Christ. (John 1:14-17; 8:32; 14:6; Ephesians 1:13; 4:21; Colossians 1:5) It is an attribute of the divine nature and therefore, evidential of the presence of Christ actively indwelling the New Testament church. By the truth of His indwelling life (zoe), God has chosen to defend His ecclesia against falsehood promoted by the devil.

The “breastplate” of righteousness is descriptive of the righteousness of God in Christ. (Jeremiah 23:6; Romans 1:16-17; 3:21; 5:17; 1 John 2:29) It is also an attribute of the divine nature and therefore, evidential of the presence of Christ actively indwelling the New Testament church. By the righteousness of His indwelling life (zoe), God has chosen to defend His ecclesia against every accusation of unrighteousness by the devil.

The “shoes” of peace are descriptive of peace with God in Christ. (John 1:14-17; 8:32; 14:6; Ephesians 1:13; 4:21; Colossians 1:5) Peace is also an attribute of the divine nature and, therefore, evidential of the presence of Christ actively indwelling the New Testament church. By the peace of His indwelling life (zoe), God has chosen to defend the ecclesia against the lie that He is the source of its difficulty and suffering.

It should be clear, comprised of select attributes of the living (zoe) Christ, the positional armor of God is descriptive of Jesus Christ. He is the positional armor of God.

Positioned “in Christ,” the New Testament church is perfectly safe from the schemes of the devil. It is not only empowered with divine truth, righteousness, and peace but all of the attributes of the living (zoe) Christ necessary to counter every deceptive scheme perpetrated by the dead forces of evil.

The New Testament church has been resurrected to eternal life shared with Christ, ascended with Him into heaven, and seated with Him at the right hand of the Father in glory. Therefore, it is privileged to exist in an eternal position of victory “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named …” (Ephesians 1:21; cf. 2:4-7) Thus, when spiritual battles rage on earth, the only responsibility of the New Testament church is to “put on” its heavenly, positional armor, look down from above, and rejoice.

“If God is for us, who is against us?” (Romans 8:31)

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Cooperative Armor

The armor of God is not only positional but also cooperative. The cooperative armor is represented by the “shield of faith,” the “helmet of salvation,” and the “sword of the Spirit.” (Ephesians 6:16-17) It was designed to allow for the New Testament church to cooperate with the indwelling Christ against the schemes of the devil.

In contrast to the positional armor, the cooperative armor was not “put on” in the past when the New Testament church was “baptized into Christ.” Paul did not refer to the second three pieces of armor in the past tense.

Rather than “put on” in the past, the armor of faith, hope, and the word of God are to be “taken up” and actively exercised against the schemes of the devil. They provide for the New Testament church to cooperate with the indwelling Christ and His unparalleled power and thus, “… be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.”

The “shield of faith” is referent to faith in the immediate presence of Jesus Christ (evidenced by His indwelling attributes of truth, righteousness, and peace). (Romans 12:3; Ephesians 2:8-9) Active, dependent faith in the incomparable power of His indwelling life (zoe) provides a “shield” of protection for the New Testament church during spiritual battle.

The “helmet of salvation” is the hope of deliverance from the schemes of the devil in the “evil day.” It was graciously gifted by God. (Ephesians 4:4; 1 Thessalonians 5:8; 1 Peter 1:3) The helmet of the “hope of salvation” recognizes that deliverance by the incomparable power of indwelling life (zoe) is an eventual certainty in the “evil day.”

The “sword of the Spirit” is the word of God. By context of usage, it is a specific passage or verse from Scripture illuminated by the Spirit that is relevant to the particular scheme of the devil. It provides specific direction for the exercise of faith and hope in Christ.

The New Testament church is not commanded to fight against devilish schemes. It is called to “put on the full armor of God,” both positional and cooperative.

Putting on the armor of God requires cooperation with the positional armor of the indwelling Christ. It occurs by taking up the cooperative armor of faith in His person and work, hope in the certainty of His deliverance, and the Spirit illuminated word of God relevant to the specific scheme of the devil. As a result, the New Testament church is privileged to experience both the unparalleled power of life shared with Jesus Christ and His eternal victory over the devil and his angels.

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Put On the Lord

By unconditional benefit of the Eternal Covenant, the New Testament ecclesia “put on the Lord Jesus Christ” in the past. (cf. Romans 13:14) It occurred at the moment of salvation when it was spiritually “baptized into” Him and consequently, identified with His person and work. (Romans 6:3)

The New Testament uses language that is descriptive of the New Testament church’s putting on the Lord Jesus Christ in the past. For example, it says the beloved ecclesia of God “abides in Christ” and is “clothed… with Christ.”

The English word “abide” is used many times in the New Testament to describe the church’s position “in Christ.” It is translated from the Greek word “meno” (men'-o) which means to remain or dwell in a place. In addition to “abide” it is translated in the New Testament as “stay; remain; endure; continue; dwell; etc.

The Apostle John specifically used meno a number of times in reference to the New Testament church’s eternal position “in Christ.” For example, he stated, “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.” (John 6:56) He also said, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.” (John 15:4)

Relative to having put on the Lord Jesus in the past, the Apostle Paul also referred to the church as being “clothed… with Christ.” (Galatians 3:27) The English word “clothed” is translated from the Greek word enduo (en-doo'-o) which means “to clothe, to dress, to put on.”[1] It is used 28 times in the New Testament in reference to having “put on the Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 13:14)

Abiding “in Christ,” being “clothed with” Christ, having “put on” the positional armor of God, and having “put on the Lord Jesus Christ” are synonymous. They are the result of “baptism into Christ” and refer to the intimate union of shared, eternal law and life between Jesus the Christ and His New Testament church body.

Although the Lord Jesus Christ and the positional armor of His indwelling life (zoe) were “put on” in the past, the Apostle Paul commanded the New Testament church to continue to put on the Lord and His armor in the present. (Romans 13:14; Ephesians 6:10-13) Consequently, the church is called to practice its past “baptism into (identification with) Christ” in the present.

Stand Firm

Fully armored “in Christ,” the New Testament church should not fight back against the schemes of the devil. It in itself is one of his schemes.

The church’s fighting back against his schemes effectively demonstrates he was not fully defeated, continues to have authority and power over the church, and should be feared. (cf. Philippians 1:28) He was, does not, and should not.

Jesus did not enlist the help of the church in the past to utterly defeat Satan. the devil and his angels. He accomplished it on His own.

The New Testament church was yet to exist when Jesus defeated the devil and his angels. Consequently, there is no precedent or need for the church to help defeat the devil today.

Relative to the devil’s utter defeat, the New Testament church only need respond to the devil’s schemes in two acts. First, it must understand its position “in Christ.” Far above the enemy, it is an eternal position of utmost safety and security. Second, the New Testament church must faithfully choose to “stand firm” in its eternal position.

What does it mean to “stand firm”? Translated from the Greek word histemi (his'-tay-mee), it means to “hold your ground.” What is “your ground”? It is the New Testament church’s eternal position “in Christ.” Through the redemptive work of the Christ, the Father has positioned His beloved ecclesia in heaven at His right hand. It is an eternal position of victory that is not only unconquerable but untouchable.

How does the New Testament church “stand firm” in Christ? It is to “put on” the positional armor of the Lord Jesus Christ by faith, hope, and the word of God.

How long is the New Testament church to “stand firm”? Minutes, hours, days, months, years? God alone knows. However, the devil will ultimately relent when he recognizes he is not fighting against mankind but against Jesus Christ Himself. It only happens when the New Testament church is strengthened by divine truth, righteousness, and peace, and as a result, refuses to waver from its firm stance “in Christ.”

While it is easier said than done, the New Testament church must not allow prolonged difficulty and suffering related to spiritual battle to keep it from standing firm. To “stand firm” means to not give up regardless of the intensity of the battle.

The New Testament church is to faithfully “stand firm” with Christ despite the extent of the adversity related to the schemes of the devil. Concordant with its firm stance “in Christ,” Satan will eventually flee. The Apostle James said, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7)

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Positional Warfare

The New Testament church can engage in spiritual warfare according to its immutable, eternal position in heaven or its mutable, temporal condition on earth. There is no other choice.

Satan is intimately aware that the New Testament church was “baptized into Christ” and is as a result, victoriously positioned with Him in heaven at the right hand of the Father. Therefore, he knows that Jesus Christ Himself is the New Testament church’s defense against his deceptive schemes.
Unfortunately, the church is not always aware of its victorious position.

Satan works feverishly to keep the New Testament church ignorant about its victorious position “in Christ.” However, his schemes are earth-based and earth-bound. The devil knows they cannot touch the New Testament church positioned in heaven.

The earth-based, earth-bound schemes of the devil are merely designed to keep the New Testament church on earth from living in accordance with its unconditional, eternal position in heaven. His objective is to motivate the church to live according to the conditional feelings and appearances associated with its existence on the degenerated earth.

The New Testament church is called to “walk in a manner worthy” of its heavenly position “in Christ.” Nevertheless, the devil would rather it walk in an unworthy manner according to its earthly condition. Therefore, he strives to mislead the New Testament church.

Satan’s earth-based, earth-bound schemes of deception are always supported by falsehood. As previously indicated, Jesus said, “… the devil … does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44) Consequently, Satan lies about everything, including his own defeat, the perfect victory of Jesus Christ, and the armor of God.

One of Satan’s most significant lies is that the New Testament church needs to respond to his schemes according to earth-based, earth-bound strategies, formulas, and thus, self-effort. Therefore, it is to his benefit to keep positional truth hidden.

The devil has great advantage against the church that is ignorant of its position “in Christ.” However, satanic schemes perpetrated against the church that is aware of its position “in Christ” are entirely unproductive.

When the devil schemes against the church that is cognizant of its union with Jesus, he is in fact attempting to scheme against Christ Himself. As a result, he is soon confronted with the truth of his failed, weakened state and once again relives the embarrassment of his defeat.

Conversely, when the church does not address devilish schemes in accord with its victorious position “in Christ,” it responds in the only other manner possible. It attempts to resist according to the weakness of the flesh in agreement with temporal appearances and feelings. Therefore, the church is in essence living a lie.

When confronted with satanic schemes, the New Testament church must remember that it has already put on the “Lord Jesus Christ.” It abides “in Him” and has been “clothed” with Him. As a result, the New Testament church put on the positional armor of God in the past. It is accessible in the present by the cooperative armor of faith, hope, and the word of God. Fully armored with Jesus Christ, the New Testament church must only “stand firm” against the schemes of the devil.

“… the [armor] of our warfare (Jesus Christ) [is] not of the flesh, but divinely powerful.” (2 Corinthians 10:4)

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