Ephesians Part 35

“We” Includes Us as a Nation 

When Paul teaches that our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against rulers, authorities and spiritual forces of wickedness, it helps us understand why entire nations have drifted so dramatically from the ways of God. Scripture makes it clear that Satan works through nations and governments, influencing cultures just as he influenced the ancient empires described in Daniel and Revelation. The same forces that stood behind Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome still influence worldly systems today. Throughout history, nations have been blessed when they honored God, and they have fallen into confusion and collapse when they turned to other gods. This pattern appears in Israel, and it appears now in modern nations that were shaped by biblical values. 

When God gave His laws to Israel, He promised blessings for obedience and warned of consequences for turning away. Those same spiritual laws operate today. America and many English-speaking nations incorporated into their governing documents and practices principles shaped by Scripture, and their exceptional prosperity mirrors the blessings described for the descendants of Joseph in Genesis 48. Yet like ancient Israel, these nations have gradually pushed God out of public life. Prayer and scripture have been removed from schools, moral boundaries reflect societal preferences and norms, and truth has been replaced by the belief that everyone can decide right and wrong for themselves. This leaves a spiritual vacuum that does not remain empty. Just as Baal, Ashtoreth and Molech once captured the hearts of Israel, modern versions of these ancient influences appear again through materialism, sexual confusion, the breakdown of family, substance abuse and the devaluation of human life. 

The result is a nation that celebrates what God defines as sin, dismisses biblical wisdom, and embraces spiritual ideas rooted in false gods rather than in Scripture. Popular culture normalizes darkness, and public events often display imagery that resembles ancient idolatry more than biblical values. Movies, music, entertainment and even childhood media increasingly treat demonic themes as harmless or humorous. As Romans 1 describes, once a nation rejects knowledge of God and His ways, it eventually embraces behaviors that reflect spiritual rebellion rather than spiritual truth. 

Understanding this helps us see that the battle is not political. It is spiritual. Satan aims to influence nations in order to weaken families, divide people, distort truth and remove the knowledge of God from public memory. Yet God has always preserved a remnant of people who hold fast to Him even in times of national decline. When we understand the spiritual nature of what is happening, we respond not with fear or anger but with prayer, righteousness and a renewed commitment to stand firmly in the truth. Paul’s words become deeply relevant, because only God’s strength enables His people to remain faithful in a culture that drifts toward darkness. 

“We” Includes Us as a Church 

The Church is not simply an organization. It is the living body of Christ, formed by the Spirit and called to represent His character in a world under spiritual pressure. Paul’s reminder that we wrestle against unseen powers speaks directly to the Church, because the enemy works persistently against anything that belongs to God. Scripture reveals that Satan hates the Church, wars against it, and seeks to divide it by any means possible. Revelation 12 describes the dragon pursuing the people of God, resisting their witness, and attacking both the Church and her offspring. This tells us that spiritual warfare is not an occasional event. It is the ongoing reality for the people of God. 

When the Church forgets that its true battle is spiritual, it becomes vulnerable to division, distraction, pride and false doctrine. The enemy works subtly, using discouragement, suspicion, personal offenses and cultural pressures to weaken the unity of believers.  

Paul calls the Church to put on the whole armor of God so that it can stand firm, not in human strength but in the power of the Spirit. When the Church lives in this posture, it becomes a light that exposes darkness and a refuge for people who are weary of the confusion of the world. 

Even though the enemy works against the church, Christ is the head, and He has already overcome the ruler of this world. The Church stands in His victory, not its own. It is called to remain separate from the spiritual patterns of the world, to reject idolatry in all its modern expressions, and to hold fast to the truth that has been entrusted to it. When the Church recognizes the nature of the battle, it stands with clarity, courage and joy, knowing that God protects His people and strengthens them to fulfill their calling. 

“We” Includes Us as Individuals 

Paul’s teaching becomes deeply personal when he reminds believers that we are each engaged in a spiritual battle that touches every part of our daily life. The enemy who deceives nations and pressures the Church also aims to weaken each of us as individuals. Scripture shows that Satan attacks through discouragement, temptation, distraction, deceit, doubt, confusion, fear and the subtle influence of spiritual forces that seek to draw us away from God. He works to make sin seem harmless, to make holiness seem unnecessary, and to make faith seem unrealistic. The battle often begins in the mind, where thoughts and desires can either be shaped by truth or manipulated by lies. 

This is why Paul tells every believer to be strong in the Lord and to rely on His power. We have no sufficiency in ourselves. Our strength, wisdom and endurance come from God alone. Jesus taught that apart from Him we can do nothing. We are branches that must remain connected to the vine if we are to bear fruit and resist the pressures of the world. When we stay close to Christ through prayer, Scripture, worship, fellowship and obedience, we become spiritually alert and able to recognize the enemy’s schemes. As we will see, the armor of God becomes essential for the individual believer.  

The spiritual battle is real, but it is not fought alone. God equips every believer, and He promises to complete the work He has begun. When we understand the nature of the struggle, we are no longer surprised by pressure or discouraged by weakness. Instead, we rely on the strength God supplies, and we grow in maturity through the very challenges the enemy hopes to use against us. In this way, Ephesians 6:10 becomes a daily call to stand firm, knowing that the victory belongs to the Lord. 

UYA Team | uya@ucg.org  

United Young Adults (UYA) primarily serves the 18–32-year age group for the United Church of God. There are three fundamental areas of contribution to the lives of the young adults: Promoting Spiritual Growth, Developing Meaningful Relationships and Making the Most of Your Talents. The Know Your Sword series is a daily expository message introducing God’s Word from a trusted perspective.