“So Moses spoke to the people, saying, “Arm men from among you for the war, that they may go against Midian to execute the Lord’s vengeance on Midian.” (Numbers 31:3, ESV)
Our adversary is cunning. Our conflict is real. Our battle is fierce. However, our battle is not against “flesh and blood,” but “against the spiritual forces of wickedness” (Ephesians 6:12). Therefore, we must arm ourselves properly.
Moses commanded the people to arm themselves for war. Remember that on Balaam’s counsel Midian lured Israel to sin at Peor (Numbers 28:16). They lured Israel to sexual sin and then idolatry in the worship of Baal of Peor (Numbers 25). For this reason, the Lord commands Moses to war against Midian and eradicate their evil threat.
Midian here is a picture of the forces that attempt to lure us to sin against God. The forces that war against us are not of flesh and blood, but rather spiritual forces. Our conflict is not material, but spiritual. As such we need to arm ourselves properly.
In Moses’ day, the armament could have included swords, spears, clubs, etc. The were the things necessary to wage a physical war. Each combatant would have chosen an appropriate weapon to combat his adversary in the conflict. However, since our conflict is in a spiritual dimension, our armament is spiritual, not material. Paul, in Ephesians 6, writes of this armament. He states,
“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” (Ephesians 6:11, ESV)
He then listed both the defensive and offensive spiritual armament that we are to use in Ephesians 6:11-18.
- The belt of truth (v14) – God’s Word is the truth which envelopes and directs our life.
- The breastplate of righteousness (v14) – God imputes and imparts His righteousness by grace. He manifests righteousness in our lives as we live by the Spirit.
- The gospel of peace (v15) – The gospel, Christ’s salvation and presence in our lives, is the sure footing of our testimony by which we stand confidently and courageously.
- The shield of faith (v16) – Faith is trusting in God regardless of the circumstances, which keeps us on the right path.
- The helmet of salvation (v17) – Those who experience salvation in Christ have clarity of thought regarding sound doctrine.
- The word of God (v17) – The word of God, the Bible, is also an offensive weapon. It will ward off darkness. It illumines those that seek truth.
- The power of prayer (v18) – Since we wage this battle in the spiritual realm, and realize that apart from Christ we can do nothing, prayer is paramount in the conflict.
In war, each combatant not only needs the correct armament, but also must be skilled in using his choice of weaponry. As we look at the list of armor, we see a need for proficiency and practice. Believers must seek proficiency in God’s word. They must practice living a Spirit controlled life. They must practice living by faith.
Renewing the Heart 