I don’t know about you, but lately it seems that the spiritual warfare surrounding marriages has stepped up a notch. In the last month, I have seen several couples close to me experience intense turmoil. Being emotionally and spiritually drained through walking friends and family through some tough situations, I have found them and myself… weary.

In Ephesians chapter 5, Paul directly addresses husband and wife relationships. Most find this passage unpopular because of the misunderstandings of the passage. With that said, I don’t want to address chapter 5 today. Instead I want to focus on chapter 6. Do you find it as amazing as I do that the immediate thoughts that Paul wanted to convey AFTER discussing marriage and family was the issue of armament against spiritual warfare? Read this:

Ephesians 6:10 – 18

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

One of the biggest things we forget while in the throws of  marital contentiousness is that our fight is not “flesh and blood” but against “the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms“. If we believe that is true, then we must engage the battle by “suiting up”.

My challenge to each of you is to pray over each section of your armor. Ask God for the wisdom and understanding that each piece brings… to know truth (the belt), to practice righteousness (breastplate), to live and spread the gospel commission (shoes), to defend with faith (shield), to live as a saint and co heir with Christ (helmet) and finally know the Word, the sword that separates soul and spirit and helps us to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart (Heb 4:12) which is our offensive against the evil that attacks us.

I don’t know much, but what I do know is that if we engage these battles with spiritual preparation, we will be able to stand our ground against the enemy and stand FIRM!

Jesse Horne