Our Battle is Not Against Flesh and Blood

A reflection and study on St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians, chapter 6 verses 10-17:

“Brethren, be strengthened in the Lord, and in the might of his power.

Put you on the armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the deceits of the devil. For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood; but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in the high places. Therefore take unto you the armour of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and to stand in all things perfect. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of justice, And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace:

In all things taking the shield of faith, wherewith you may be able to extinguish all the fiery darts of the most wicked one. And take unto you the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

St. Paul gives us a magnificent call to arms against the enemies of our souls, as if a general is charging his soldiers for war at the front line. According to St. Jerome, putting on the armor of God is equivalent to putting on Christ, which echoes St. Paul’s teachings in other areas of his letters.

In Romans 13, he writes, “Put on the armour of light… put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Verses 12 and 14). In Ephesians 4:24, “And put on the new man, who according to God is created in justice and holiness of truth.” And again, this is echoed in Colossians 3:24, “And putting on the new, him who is renewed unto knowledge, according to the image of him that created him.” St. Jerome further equates “putting on Christ” as the acquisition and application of virtue, which aids us in combatting the strategy of our enemy, the Devil, who deceives us through the rotten fruit of vice.

One of the foundational points made by St. Paul in this battle charge is to be aware that our battle is not against flesh and blood. Indeed, it is never against mortal people. To the extent that we think it is with others, we are taking the rotten fruit of the enemy. So we have to keep our guard up and spot the origin of the actual attack, which is with unseen powers of darkness. In other words, demons.

We will always be tempted to think that the failures or sins or vices of other people are the cause of our grief or anger, but the reality is that God allows for all things in His Divine Providence for our good. And yet, the enemy, along with his pathetic minions, attempts to use such things as a stumbling block to get us to trip and fall. Therefore, we must stand firm with the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ empowering us, and with virtue guiding and leading us, so that we can stand perfect in the “evil day.”

The battle is never with people; it is always against demons who try to incite us so that they can mock God. We recall the words of St. James, who wrote, “Be subject therefore to God, but resist the devil, and he will fly from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.” James 4:7-8.

The “shield of faith” is a reference to a lively faith, meaning a faith that is active, alive, spirited, on fire, convicted, all proceeding from a submission of our intellect and will to Almighty God. The “sword of the Spirit” is defined by St. Paul explicitly as being the word of God, which Psalms describes so beautifully as a lamp for our feet and a light on our path. We recall the teaching of our Lord Jesus in Luke 11:28, “Blessed are they who hear the word of God, and keep it.” And our Lord, again, in Matthew 7:24, “Every one therefore that heareth these my words, and doth them, shall be likened to a wise man that built his house upon a rock.”

May we take these words to heart in our daily lives as we continue to pursue virtue and combat vice, by the grace of God and with the help of our Lady and St. Michael the Archangel. Also seek the intercession of your patron Saints, your Guardian Angel, and of course St. Joseph who enjoys the title Terror of Demons.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. We love you. Save souls. Amen.