Guerilla Warfare

Guerilla Warfare

Ephesians 6:10-20

            Paul loves athletic metaphors.  He talks about wrestling, about running races, about striving for the prize—and these are effective ways to describe the Christian life, especially to the people of his generation.  The Greeks and Romans loved sports (although the Roman sports seem to have been a bit more for the bloodthirsty). We have no biblical evidence of athletics holding a place of high esteem in Jewish culture.  However, since Paul wrote his letters to primarily Gentile congregations, these metaphors would have been entirely appropriate. 

            The idea of guerilla warfare is on our minds these days.  Ever since 9/11 we have been aware of how easy it can be for a group of dedicated people to attack us in this manner.  The neighbor from next door or down the street suddenly becomes a terrorist (or freedom fighter, depending on which side you’re on).  You never know which person you pass on the street, or sit next to on the bus might pull a gun, or detonate a bomb, or otherwise cause death and destruction.

            Spiritually, we should be prepared for guerilla warfare because we should expect it.  It’s the way our spiritual enemy has always fought.  Seldom are we attacked head on.  Direct confrontation seems to happen, if at all, when the enemy is desperate to get to us.  Most of the time we are attacked subtly, sneakily, when, where, and how we least expect.

            It’s been said that the big frustrations in life are easy to deal with.  What gets to us are the little things:  not finding a parking space when we’re in a hurry; losing our car keys when we most need them.  Having our computer break down when we’re facing an important deadline.  This is when we become annoyed to the point of losing our patience and saying or doing something we shouldn’t.

            Temptations work the same way.  We can usually spot the big ones and deflect them.  It’s the little ones, those that don’t seem like temptations that get us.  This has been true all the way back to Eve.  The serpent didn’t say, “Come on, enjoy the fruit!  You deserve to eat well.”  Instead he said, “You’re not going to die!  That’s God’s scare tactics.  One little bite and you’ll be wiser than you could ever imagine.”

            And she fell for it!  Would we have reacted any differently?  I’m afraid we’d be as susceptible to the ego ploy as Eve was—if not more so.

            Paul doesn’t tell the Ephesians that they’re going to fight a pitched battle against a human foe.  When early Christians faced such fights they almost always responded with supreme courage, accepting martyrdom as the price they had to pay for being followers of Christ.  After all, if their Lord and Savior had suffered crucifixion, why should they expect any better?

            Using one of his famous sports metaphors Paul says, (v. 12), “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”  How are we going to stand up to cosmic powers?  How are we going to confront spiritual forces?  Even the rulers and authorities he mentions are less physical opponents than spiritual ones.  They’re not going to come at us in full frontal attack.  They’re going to sneak up on us, hit us from behind, blindside us—anything to undermine our faith in God.  How do we fight such enemies?

            Paul tells us to be fully armed, of course, but this will only protect us, not get rid of the problem.  As an offensive weapon Paul advises us to know the word of God so thoroughly that we can use it like a sword.  Paul also says pray—pray for ourselves, pray for our neighbors, pray especially for strength to resist guerilla attacks.