Living Catholicism: Spiritual Warfare: A Practical Guide to Ephesians 6:10-20

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October 17, 2005

Spiritual Warfare: A Practical Guide to Ephesians 6:10-20

From time to time I assist with our local parish's youth group. Most recently, I have been involved in the Research & Development phase of planning the different meetings. The following are my notes on Spiritual Warfare. This really helped me to refocus on the things that I needed to be doing in my daily walk with Christ. Enjoy!

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the equipment of the gospel of peace; above all taking the shield of faith, with which you can quench all the flaming darts of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that utterance may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.”
- Ephesians 6:10-20

This passage is the biblical foundation and guide to all spiritual warfare. St. Paul lays out what is required and how we are to prepare for spiritual warfare.

Spiritual Warfare and the Christian Life

A. Imitators of Christ – The one who conquered sin, evil, and death is Jesus Christ, therefore we must imitate Him.

B. How Do We Do That?

1. Gird your loins with truth – Living true Christian chastity…blessed are the pure of heart for they shall see God (Mt 5:8). To gird our loins with truth literally means living as beloved sons and daughters created in the image and likeness of God. Just as Jesus lived a chaste life so must we, focusing on Eternal Life rather than temporal pleasure (especially the pleasures of the flesh).

2. Put on the Breastplate of Righteousness – a breastplate protects the body’s vital organs…our life sustaining organs. Righteousness, living in accordance with God’s law and love, protects our spiritual lives. It enables us to fight against evil in the world by keeping us in God’s grace.

3. Shod you Feet with the Equipment of the Gospel of Peace – Our feet carry us where we go, our feet provide us with balance and agility. It seems odd that in describing how we are to prepare for “warfare” that the part of our body that directs us is protected by the Gospel of Peace. And yet, we are here to be peacemakers (Mt 5:9) as sons and daughters of God. In a world torn with violence we must proclaim the Gospel of Peace and Love. So to equip our feet with the Gospel of Peace means to make sure that our balance, our direction is turned toward proclaiming the peace that only God can give.

4. Taking Up the Shield of Faith – The devil never ceases to try to find ways to bring about man’s eternal damnation. But once overcome by Christ on the cross he has no longer any real power over us provided we use in our struggle against him the weapons provided by faith and complete trust in God. St. John of Avila argues in this way: “Since this enemy is stronger than we are, we must avail of the ‘shield of faith,’ which is something supernatural, whether it be by using the word of God, or receiving the sacraments or (countering the devil with) a doctrine of the Church. We need to believe firmly with our mind that all our strength comes from God.” It is our faith in Jesus Christ and our confidence in His Bride, the Church that we are able to ward off the attacks of the Evil One. That is why it is so important that we know our Catholic Faith and that we strive to live it daily.

5. The Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God – Knowledge of Sacred Scripture is essential for spiritual warfare. Jesus shows us this in the desert (Mt 4:1-11). Seeking to understand the Word of God more fully equips us with a valuable weapon. We are able to strike untruth down for Sacred Scripture is literally “God’s Word.” It is also important to seek the wisdom of the Church in interpreting Scripture so as to be confident that we do not error in our understanding.

C. The Life of Prayer

1. Praying Always - St. Paul tells us to pray at all times in the Spirit.
a. The Mass – there is no greater prayer than the Mass. Participating in the Mass is literally to be joined with Christ in His prayer to the Father through the Holy Spirit.
b. The Rosary – the Rosary is a meditation on the Gospel and since Scripture is our “sword” the Rosary is an excellent way to meditate on the Word of God.
c. The Lord’s Prayer – although included in both the Mass and the Rosary it is good to pray, as Jesus taught us (Mt 6:9-15).
d. The Apostles Creed – It is recommended that we pray this prayer each night before going to bed. It was once said by a certain saint that in case that he were to die during the night he wanted his final words to be the profession of faith.

2. The Sacraments – all of the sacraments, including the Eucharist, are life-giving fountains of Jesus’ Grace. It is especially important to celebrate the Eucharist and Reconciliation on a regular basis. They greatly assist us in living a life of righteousness that is pleasing to God.

D. Serving One Another – The Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy

1. The Corporal Works of Mercy
a. Feeding the Hungry
b. Giving Drink to the Thirsty
c. Clothing the Naked
d. Sheltering the Homeless
e. Visiting the Sick
f. Visiting the Imprisoned
g. Burying the Dead

2. The Spiritual Works of Mercy
a. Counseling the Doubtful
b. Instructing the Ignorant
c. Admonishing Sinners
d. Comforting the Afflicted
e. Forgiving Offenses
f. Bearing Wrongs Patiently
g. Praying for the Living and the Dead

These are the fundamentals of living the Christian life. May we all continue to implement these things in our lives. Amen.

In Christ,
Joe

Posted by jay at October 17, 2005 12:53 AM