Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  Ephesians 6:10-11

Sarah Winchester didn’t have to be convinced of the spirit world.  The widow of the man who invented the Winchester rifle believed that the spirits of the people killed by Winchester rifles would haunt her unless they could be driven away by the sound of hammers.  So she had men construct a house built with stairways leading to nowhere and doors leading into one inch deep closets.  For 36 years carpenters labored 24 hours a day.  Eventually a house was built with 160 rooms, containing 47 fireplaces, 13 bathrooms, and 10,000 windows.  Undoubtedly, it is the strangest house ever built.

The West has been behind the rest of the world to have an interest in the spirit world, focusing on the worship of Satan.  But a question eventually must be faced.  Are people who worship Satan playing games with words?  Or, are they worshipping God’s archrival who yet has spiritual power?

Years ago the very conservative Africa Inland Mission reported that members of a Church of Satan in London, Ontario (Canada) had prayed to Satan for the elimination from the Christian ministry of a select list of the city’s leading evangelical leaders by means of immorality or breakdown of marriage and family.  And what happened?  In one year, reported AIM, they succeeded in seeing five of the finest men on their list forced to leave the ministry.

Possibly you are thinking, “I don’t believe that.  It must have just happened.”  Dr. William McRae, then President of Ontario Bible College and Theological Seminary didn’t have to be convinced.  He wrote, “Never in my life have I sensed the reality of our spiritual warfare as during these last two years.  The enemy has brought out his most destructive weapons and leveled them directly at marriage and families.”  The world’s oldest authority on satanic power, the Bible, never scoffs at demonic power.  Peter, the man who witnessed demons going out of a man into a herd of swine during the ministry of Jesus, later wrote, “…Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter. 5:8).  The Apostle Paul wrote to families at Ephesus and told them that Satan was “the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:2, KJV).

There is another factor which has to be considered.  When Satan first attacked the human race, he attacked the family and tried to destroy the relationship of a husband and wife.  As you no doubt have seen, Satan is still at the old business of attacking families.  When Paul wrote that classic passage in Ephesians 6, he encouraged families to “be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.”   He said, “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes” (Ephesians 6:10-11).

The Greek word which is translated, “schemes” is methodeia.   We get our English word “method” from the same word.  It means, “methodical assault.”  The problem confronting so many today is that Satan has had a lot of experience tripping us up, while we are neophytes on the battlefield who have not taken the protection we need to safeguard our lives and families. Do two things:  1) Take a good look at the relationships in your family; and then 2) Read the passage in Ephesians 6 and ask yourself if you need to beef up your protection.

 

Resource reading: Ephesians 6:10-19