Stand Your Ground against the Enemy

Passage: Ephesians 6:10–18¹

Key Theme:

The Christian life is lived in a real spiritual war. In Ephesians 6:10–18¹, Paul calls believers to stand their ground in the power of Christ, clothed in the armor of God. We do not fight people but spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Our strength is not in ourselves but in the Lord, and our posture is to stand—no retreat—fully armed with truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, the Word of God, and persistent prayer.

Summary:

Paul uses three physical postures to describe the believer’s life in Ephesians: we are seated with Christ in the heavenly places (identity), we are to walk worthy of our calling (daily conduct), and we are finally commanded to stand in the power of Christ against the enemy (Ephesians 6:10–18¹). The battle is unseen but real. If we ignore it or pretend it does not exist, we become easy targets.

This warfare is against spiritual hosts of wickedness, not flesh and blood. Satan and his demons tempt, lie, deceive, discourage, confuse, and try to destroy marriages, families, churches, and individual believers. Yet they are created beings—limited and ultimately subject to God. Still, their activity is constant. Scripture describes this conflict in vivid terms: we “walk in the flesh” but “do not war according to the flesh,” because “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God” (2 Corinthians 10:3–5²).

The origin of these spiritual enemies goes back to Satan’s rebellion. He exalted himself against God, fell from heaven, and drew a third of the angels with him (Revelation 12:4, 7–9³; Isaiah 14:12⁴; Luke 10:18⁵). Those fallen angels are now demons—real, personal spirits who oppose God’s people. They cannot possess a believer, because the Holy Spirit does not share residency (1 John 4:4⁶), but they can oppress from the outside—whispering lies, stirring division, feeding fear, and trying to wear us down.

Spiritual warfare is not a blanket excuse for every sin or bad decision. Sometimes we gossip, lie, or drift simply because of our own flesh. But it is also dangerous to ignore spiritual warfare and try to resolve everything in our own strength. The enemy is relentless; he does not sleep and is constantly scheming. The real enemy is not your spouse, your boss, your kids, or people on the other side of an issue—it is Satan and his forces (Ephesians 6:12¹).

God’s call is to stand—no retreat. Three times Paul repeats this: stand, withstand, stand (Ephesians 6:13–14¹). There are seasons when you feel battle-weary and it seems easier to give up. But when you keep standing in Christ, the enemy eventually recognizes you mean business. As James says, submit to God, resist the devil, and he will flee. We plant our feet and say, in effect: “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. We are fighting for our families, our marriages, and our faith—and we will not retreat.”

Our strength must be in the Lord, not in our personalities, intelligence, or willpower. “Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might” (Ephesians 6:10¹). Even Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil, did not rely on his own authority but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” (Jude 9⁷). We are only as strong as our dependence on Christ.

To stand, we must put on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:14–18¹):

• The belt of truth – fastening our lives to God’s Word in a culture built on lies.
• The breastplate of righteousness – guarding our hearts by living in practical obedience, not giving the enemy easy footholds.
• Feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace – being ready to go with the good news, bringing the peace of Christ wherever we walk.
• The shield of faith – lifting trust in God to extinguish Satan’s fiery darts of fear, doubt, accusation, and condemnation (“For God has not given us a spirit of fear…” 2 Timothy 1:7⁸).
• The helmet of salvation – protecting our minds with the assurance of who we are in Christ.
• The sword of the Spirit – the Word of God, our offensive weapon to counter lies with truth (as Jesus did in the wilderness).
• And prayer – “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit,” staying alert and persevering for all the saints.

The picture is of a fully armed believer, rooted in Scripture, confident in Christ, and refusing to give ground. Our posture is not panic—it is steady, informed resistance in the power of God.

Key Points:

1. Know the battle is spiritual. We wrestle “not against flesh and blood” but against spiritual forces of evil (Ephesians 6:12¹). People are not the ultimate enemy; Satan is.
2. Recognize the enemy’s tactics. He tempts, lies, deceives, discourages, confuses, and harms. His aim is to destroy your life, marriage, family, faith, and any church that teaches the Bible.
3. Stand your ground—no retreat. God calls us to stand firm in the evil day, not to surrender ground in our homes, hearts, or churches (Ephesians 6:13–14¹).
4. Be strong in the Lord, not in yourself. Our confidence is in “the power of His might,” not our own ability (Ephesians 6:10¹; Jude 9⁷).
5. Put on the whole armor of God. Truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, the Word, and persevering prayer are all necessary; we cannot pick and choose (Ephesians 6:14–18¹).
6. Discern flesh vs. warfare. Not every struggle is “the devil made me do it,” but ignoring spiritual warfare leaves us vulnerable (2 Corinthians 10:3–5²).
7. Fight for others in prayer. Loved ones, prodigals, and fellow believers are under attack; standing your ground includes interceding for them.
8. Live with eternal perspective. The enemy wants to drag people to Hell; we contend for souls, believing Heaven and Hell are real, and urging people to turn to Christ.

Application:

Stand your ground in Christ. Refuse to retreat in your marriage, your family, or your walk with God. Ask the Lord to open your eyes to the reality of spiritual warfare without becoming obsessed or fearful. Examine your life: are you trying to fight in your own strength, or are you anchored in “the power of His might”?

Put on the full armor of God daily. Fasten truth around your life by saturating your mind with Scripture. Guard your heart with righteousness—repent quickly and close doors the enemy could exploit. Walk with the gospel of peace into your home, workplace, and relationships. Lift the shield of faith when lies, accusations, and fears come. Protect your thoughts with the helmet of salvation, remembering who you are in Christ. Wield the sword of the Spirit by speaking and praying Scripture over your situation.

Finally, commit to persistent prayer. Pray for your spouse, your children, your church, and those who are battle-weary. Stand in the gap for those who are under heavy attack. You may feel weak, but the Lord is mighty—and He has called you to stand.

Scripture to Remember:

Ephesians 6:10 (NKJV) — “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.”

Watch:

Please watch the sermon on your own and take your own notes for additional detail and context. Enjoy listening to the Word of God!

Disclaimer:

These notes were taken based on the sermon at Cornerstone Chapel in Leesburg, VA. These notes were compiled by ChatGPT using the bulleted notes I personally took during the sermon, combined with the transcript of the YouTube video produced. Since the notes were ultimately compiled using AI, please verify their full validity using your Bible and the Word of God alone.

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