RESPONSIBILITIES AND PRIVILEGES OF CITIZENS

As followers of Jesus Christ, we have dual citizenship. While we may be citizens of the country in which we live, we are also citizens of heaven (Phil. 3:20. Along with citizenship goes responsibilities.

As citizens of heaven, we are to live in submission to the authority of God and His Word. Scripture, not the culture in which we live, needs to be our final authority for faith and practice. We are to keep His commandments (Jn. 14:21), seek first His kingdom (Mt. 6:33) and give Him first place in everything (Col. 1:18). We serve as Christ's "ambassadors" (II Cor. 5:20), acting as His representatives on earth, helping others to be reconciled to God (II Cor. 5:18,19). As citizens of heaven we also have the amazing privilege of access to our Heavenly Father at any time in any place through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who became our High Priest through His death and resurrection and continues to be our intercessor and advocate (Heb. 7:25; I Jn. 2:1). Through faith in Jesus Christ, we become children of God (Jn. 1:11; I Jn. 3:1,2), have all the privileges of sonship and are "heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ" (Ro. 8:16,17). We have been set free from bondage to the old, sinful flesh and have a whole new life in Jesus Christ (Ro. 6-8; II Cor. 5:17). We are made free by the truth (Jn. 8:32,36) and can experience the "abundant life" that Christ came to provide (Jn. 10:10). We have been "blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ" (Eph. 1:3). We are "blessed by the Best!" We are so privileged, but also have the corresponding responsibility to live for Him, not for self. "He died for all, that they who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf" (II Cor. 5:15).

As citizens of a nation, we are also to submit to those in authority over us, for they are established by God (Ro. 13:1-7; I Pet. 2:13-17). We are to obey the "laws of the land" unless they conflict with a command from God or truth from His Word. For example, when Peter and John were told not to speak anymore about Jesus (Acts 4:18), they said, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking what we have seen and heard" (v. 19). Peter and John continued to preach about Jesus and were brought before the Council where the High priest said: "We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name..." (Acts 5:28). "But Peter and the Apostles answered and said, 'We must obey God rather than men' " (v. 29). When we are saved, we are not taken out of the world (Jn. 17:15,16), but are left as His "ambassadors" (II Cor. 5:20) to be God's representatives to the inhabitants of the nation where He places us. We are not to isolate ourselves but insulate ourselves with the "armor of God" (Eph. 6:10-18) to be "salt and light" (Mt. 5:13-16). We are to be a godly influence as good citizens both of heaven and on earth.

For those of us who live in a free country, we have many privileges but with them, many responsibilities to use those privileges to be Christ's ambassadors to help others be reconciled to God. One way in which we can be "engaged" citizens and influence others for good is to exercise our privilege to run for political office and to vote. It demonstrates that we care about the condition of our nation and its people. We are seeing a great spiritual battle taking place between good and evil, between an anti-Christian worldview and a biblical worldview. It is not just a matchup of personalities from which to choose, but of moral policies and issues. If Christians are not involved in the politics of their nation, decisions will be made by people who think that Christianity is no longer relevant and that absolute truth does not exist. As Edmund Burke once said, "All that is required for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing." Not voting is a form of voting, as it will influence the outcome. We are not only responsible for our actions, but also for our lack of action. James 1:17 says, "Therefore to the one who knows the right thing to do, and does not do it, to him it is sin." Voting is part of our stewardship to use all the resources we have been given to be an influence for God.

A poll released this month by the "Cultural Resource Center" at Arizona Christian University reported that 51% of those who identify as "people of faith" do not plan to vote. That's 105 million people, 41 million of which are professing Christians! How sobering is that! Granted, politics is not the most important thing, but that doesn't mean that politics isn't part of the larger arena by which God can orchestrate things for His glory. Politics matters because politics creates policies that impact people made in the image of God. Our elected leaders make decisions that will have an incredible impact on us and on our children and our grandchildren.

Rather than argue about the personalities, strengths and weaknesses of those running for office, focus on issues and policies. Check out their party platform and what they stand for and believe:

• Where do they stand on the sanctity of life versus abortion? 
• Do they uphold the law and those who enforce it? 
•  Do they support the Constitution and applying it, or advocate interpreting or changing it to adapt to our culture? 
•  What is their view of open borders and illegal immigration? 
•  What do they propose to do about rising crime rates, sex trafficking and the massive use and selling of drugs? 
•  What is their view of the dangerous teaching of the "Critical Race Theory," about sexual identity, and about the transgender mutilation of children? 
•  What is their view about homosexuality and marriage? 
• Are they advocates of "free speech" or do they squelch the speech of those who disagree with their worldview? 
•  Are they advocates of big government and high taxes or less government involvement and lower taxes?

These are not just differing political views, but crucial issues, matters between good and evil, that greatly impact each one of us, our culture, our nation, and affect the continuation of the Christian freedoms we have been so blessed with in this great nation.

So, please, please, as Christ's ambassador, Pray for our nation and leaders and the upcoming election (I Tim. 2:1-4), Vote, and then put your Hope in God! It is our great privilege and responsibility.

Forever His,
Pastor Dave

Eph 6:18-20 - Keep Alert and Pray

18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,
19 and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel,
20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

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Pray That I May Be Bold

Vs. 18 - “With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,”

“Pray at all times in the Spirit” - This sentence could easily be considered part of the “whole armor” passage (and often is). For indeed, we need to pray to the Lord for strength to be able to be strong in this spiritual battle.

“Be on the alert” - Always being ready to support other believers and Christian workers by prayer. I read somewhere (I wish I could remember the source) that an idiom for “be on the alert” was “sleep in the open” - do not seek a hiding space, but be ready to move and fight. In the open, you can see them coming. On the alert, you cannot be overcome by a surprise attack. Always be aware that Satan wants to defeat any effort a Christian will make. Satan wants you to stumble, to falter, to abandon your plans. Perseverance is required. “Don’t give up. Don’t ever give up.” (Coach Jim Valvano - He was fighting a terminal illness.)

Vs. 19 - “and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, “

“Pray on my behalf” - Paul was on the front lines in the battle for the faith. Scholars think he was in prison when he wrote this letter. He had been beaten, shipwrecked, threatened with death (and was sneaked out of town late at night), threatened with execution, and more. (See: 2 Cor 11:25)

“utterance may be given to me” - See: “‘WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.’ How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?” (Rom 10:13-14) Every where he went he spoke of Jesus Christ and salvation through Him. He spoke in every town, in every synagogue, in every town square. He debated with the Greeks in Athens (See: Acts 17:16-31 - he was in the big leagues of debating there). Even so, Paul the trained scholar, did not rely on his own power and knowledge but on the power of the Holy Spirit.

“Mystery of the gospel” - Note: he does not mean the Gospel is a mystery, a hidden or secret knowledge that only a chosen few can know. The mystery was that it was not revealed to the people of the Old Testament times just how God was going to provide salvation to us. The saints of old knew and believed the Lord was going to provide salvation to believers.

That He would do this through the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ was not revealed until Jesus Christ came to earth. We can go back to the Old Testament and pick verses or passages and proclaim them as ‘Messianic” - and indeed they do point to the Christ. But we are now blessed with 20-20 hindsight! People could know and believe it was coming, but not know and understand the particulars.
“Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” (1 Cor 15:1-4)
Also see: “It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.” (1 Tim 1:15-16)
And: “By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness: He who was revealed in the flesh, Was vindicated in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Proclaimed among the nations, Believed on in the world, Taken up in glory.” (1 Tim 3:16)

Vs. 20 - “for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”

“For which I am an ambassador in chains”. - He is in prison because he did not stop speaking of salvation through Christ. That is the gospel, the good news.

“that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly” - That is my prayer. All too often I am timid, afraid to speak out. I do not hold fast to the truth that He has not given me a “spirit of timidity, but of power, love and discipline.” (2 Tim 1:5) O Lord, forgive me for my failures. Have mercy on me!

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May you live in interesting times

That purportedly is an ancient Chinese curse; (most think it was spoken by a member of the British Parliament). Yet we understand the feeling and meaning of the saying.

In this political season, the rancor runs so deep and is so pernicious it is hard to not class these as ‘interesting times’. Most of us want to live in peace, in our homes, in our towns or cities, in our state and nation.

As Christians we must be careful to not place politics above our faith and hope in Christ. The political ads are so vile! Whichever candidate is advertising, the opponent will be ‘the end of the world as we know it’. We are deluged with hate - every commercial break! It is too easy to get sucked into the echo chamber.

Whoever wins - whether it’s your candidate or not - will be a challenge for Christians. The recent series of messages from our pastor, titled “American Idols”, remind us that whoever is elected - Republican or Democrat - the ultimate authority for our lives is Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. The challenge for believers is that we do not fix our hopes on either, or any, candidate to make the world right. All of our leaders are merely human, and susceptible to human foibles and sin.

If ‘your’ candidate wins the presidency, you may be elated and believe that all will be well. Do not get too excited if your favorite wins the election. We cannot let ourselves get complacent because ‘We won!’ There are millions of people out there who have not heard the Good News. They do not know that Jesus came to save them and remove their sin. If your candidate wins, it is time to renew your efforts to bring others to Jesus Christ so they can know His peace, and receive His forgiveness. See: “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.” (John 14:27) Peace and quiet in the land means that we must be more willing to share the Good News, because people will not necessarily see the need for salvation. They have everything they want - so, who needs Jesus? Who needs forgiveness?

We all need Jesus - everyone, everywhere needs Jesus. (See: John 14:6) And the promise for peace is for the here and now. It is yours if you would believe and accept Jesus Christ.

If ‘your’ candidate did not win, do not fear - there is no reason for gloom and despair!. Now is the time for you to turn to the Lord, seek His guidance and strength. You will be able to demonstrate that it is the Lord who is in control of your life, not the national government. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. Be ready to face persecution - because you believe in Jesus! Paul stated, “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions.” (Col 1:24) He knew from experience that if he was living for the Lord Jesus Christ there would be people angry and out to get him. He had done that very thing before he believed and accepted Christ as Savior! It is Christ, living in you, who is the hope of glory. Not your glory, but His and His alone! That is the Good News - God in your heart and mind, right now, not in the distant future.

Eph 6:13-17 - Whole Armor

13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.
14 Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS,
15 and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE;
16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
17 And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

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Armor up. We are at War!

Vs. 13 - “Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. “

“Therefore...” - Look back at verse 12. We are in a struggle, a spiritual struggle - with Satan and the ‘forces of darkness’- his forces. These forces are arrayed against the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Knowing that, prepare yourselves for battle, spiritual battle.

This Sunday morning, our pastor’s message touched on this subject (tangentially). We read: “They went into Capernaum; and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and began to teach. They were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Just then there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, saying, "What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are--the Holy One of God!" And Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!" Throwing him into convulsions, the unclean spirit cried out with a loud voice and came out of him. They were all amazed, so that they debated among themselves, saying, "What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him." (Mark 1:21-27)

Jesus was teaching in a synagogue, and a man possessed by an evil spirit challenges Jesus. He was demanding to know what business Jesus had there, because it was his (the demon’s) town and his people. The demon was forcing a fight with Jesus - he got up into Jesus’ face, he wanted a little one-on-one face-off. The fight was over almost before it began. Jesus’ words, “Shut up. Leave him” ended the confrontation. The demon brought a sword to a gun fight. That is the battle we are engaged in.

“Take up the full armor of God” - Ephesus was not a military town as was Philippi. However, every citizen in Ephesus, and all around the Roman Empire would know and understand the imagery Paul is using. Rome, like most empires of that period of time was held together by brute force. The Roman legions and armies conquered nations. The Roman legions protected the empire from insurrection. The average citizen of that day would have seen the Roman soldiers move through the streets of their cities, and march across their countryside.

“so that you will be able to resist in the evil day” - Satan and his demons are working to destroy the church and Christians. They are working to destroy the influence of Christianity on the world. Satan and demons are far more powerful than you or I. They are not more powerful than Jesus Christ. We must be prepared with all the tools and power that Jesus supplies to us.

Our Spiritual Protection and Armament

Vs. 14 - “Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, “

“having girded your loins” - (Referenced to: Isa 11:5) An expression to prepare yourself for service or an activity. The “loins” are the area of the body between the waist line and the knees. This is the location of the strongest muscles of our body - thighs and buttox. This is the center of the human procreation - but that is not the emphasis here: “Get ready for battle!”

I remember playing football in high school. The coaches would remind us, “Don’t forget your jock strap and cup! Don’t forget the knee, thigh, and hip pads in the pants!” All of these were for our protection in this contact sport. Soldiers buckle on their ammo belts - which holds the items they will need in battle. Soldiers in Paul’s time would strap on the belt holding their swords or knives.

In scripture: The Hebrews were instructed to get ready to leave Egypt. The Passover meal was to be eaten while ready to leave in a moment. “Now you shall eat it in this manner: with your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste--it is the LORD’S Passover.” (Exo 12:11) Other calls to action: 1 Ki 18:46; 2 Ki 4:29.

God told Job, “Man up! You instruct Me!” (Job 38:3 - Job wisely declined the invitation.) Christians are told to ‘gird your minds for action’, and to ‘always be ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you.” (1 Pet 3:16)

“with truth” - Jesus said, "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." (John 8:31-32) Paul tells us the world “exchanges the truth for a lie.” (Rom 1:22-25)

And Paul says this: “It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.” (1 Tim 1:15-16)

The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth! “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.” (Note 1) “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)

“having put on the breastplate of righteousness” - (Quoted from: Isa 59:17) Armor to protect the heart and lungs. (An ancient version of the modern ‘bulletproof’ Kevlar vest with ceramic plates.) The picture is God’s righteousness that protects your life in Him. It is not your personal righteousness, but the Lord’s which envelopes and protects you. “‘Let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,’ declares the LORD.” (Jer 9:24)
We are reminded, “He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,” (Titus 3:5)

Vs. 15 - “and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; “

“Having shod your feet with preparation of the gospel of peace“ - (Quoted from: Isa 52:7) There is no one in the world that would look at my feet and exclaim how beautiful they are. The image here is even the feet of the person who brings the “gospel of peace” are beautiful.

We are not going out into the world empty handed, but offering peace with God and the peace of God. (See: Phi 4:6-9) God brings a way of peace. (See: Isa 59:8) Jesus came to bring peace with God (See: John 14:27, 16:33, 20:21; Acts 10:36; 1 Cor 14:33)

An interesting side note: The nation of Israel travelled through the desert about 40 years during the exodus from Egypt - their sandals never wore out! God provided for them the whole time, even though they were a rebellious and stubborn people. He kept His promise to them. He will provide for us, as we go into the world to spread the Gospel of Peace.

Vs. 16 - “in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. “

“taking up the shield of faith” - (See: 1 Thess 5:8) The shield is an additional piece of defensive gear that keeps the offensive objects away from the body. Breastplates, leg and arm pads protect at the skin surface. But the points of arrows, darts, spears can penetrate the breastplate and wound, if not kill, the soldier. Today, shields are not much of a defense against bullets, but are very effective against thrown objects. Look at the riots going on in American cities (ref. “George Floyd - Black Lives Matter” riots in May-June 2020) - the police are holding large shields against the bricks, bottles and rocks being thrown at them. Molotov cocktails or flaming arrows will set their clothes on fire - the shields keep these objects away from them.

God’s righteousness protects us, not our own. Faith in Christ will provide additional protection - not faith in ourselves. In the midst of the spiritual battle, when the slings and arrows are launched against us, tell the Lord, “My faith is in You, Lord!”

Vs. 17 - “And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. “

“Take the helmet of salvation” - (See: Isa 59:17; 1 Thes 5:8) - Protection for the head and mind. Like the breastplate, the helmet is protection in battle. Salvation is not an emotional lunge, a mindless leap. See Rom 10:9-10: “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.” See also: Acts 15:11, 16:31). Even Jesus’ enemies demanded physical proof. (See: Luk 8:12) Throughout the Old Testament the people are admonished to follow God’s precepts, hold on to His testimonies, obey His commandments. See: “Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You.” (Psa 119:11)

“Sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” - (See: Eph 5:26, Heb 6:5) This is the only weapon mentioned here. Our offensive weapon is not our intellect, nor our education. We must fight back using only scripture. “‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the LORD of hosts.” (Zech 4:6) Jesus Himself used this method when refuting Satan when tempted in the desert. (See: Matt 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13)

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Note 1: “Four Spiritual Laws”, Campus Crusade for Christ.

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Eph 6:10-12 - Stand Firm

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.
11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

The Full Armor of God!

Vs. 10 - “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. “

“Finally,” - Paul has been writing about the church community living together from the beginning of chapter 4 to this point. Most of his instructions are for person-to-person living. To review some of the teachings to this point:

Chap. 4 - Unity; walking worthy because we are one in Christ; building up each other; growing in Christ in our new selves; living and working with other believers.

Chap. 5 - Imitate Christ; no sexual immorality because you are in the light; be careful how you live; husbands.n and wives.

Chap. 6 - Parents and children; masters and slaves.

The next verses, 6:10-20, Paul expands his teaching from the personal interaction with other believers to the interaction with the spiritual world, especially with the forces arrayed against the Lord. He concludes the instruction part of the letter.

“Be strong in the Lord” - Place yourself in His strength. Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) We get strong physically by exercise, practice and repetition, but our spiritual strength comes from the Lord. It is His might that fills and empowers us, and not our own. (See: 1 Pet 4:11). 

However, this does not mean that magically you become a Christian who makes the decisions Jesus wants you to make; that you are obedient to His call and direction. Just as physical conditioning is required to develop your muscles, spiritual condtioning is required. You do not miraculously go to God in prayer; it may be a miracle that the Lord God Almighty would want to be with you, but He is the Lord and you are not. Deciding to Pray and Worship Jesus must be made by you.
Your salvation happens the moment you accept Jesus and turn your life to Him - you are saved to be with Him for eternity. You develop your 'spiritual muscles' by discipline - spending time in prayer and worship. You seek Jesus in your prayer life. You call on the Holy Spirit to fill and empower you. God prepares you to meet situations, even crises, when you have been with Him. A 'working relationship' with the Lord is built by prayer and time spent with Him. if you neglect prayer and worship it is highly likely you will fall short if a crisis happens.

V 11 - “Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.”

“Put on the full armor of God” - The devil is at war with the Lord. It has been so since Satan rebelled. (See: Isa 14:12-20; Eze 28:12-19; Rev 12:7-9) Satan was also at the fall of Adam and Eve. (Gen 3:1-5) Satan has been plotting a coup to replace God with himself.

Side note: I have heard it said the reason the “earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep” (Gen 1:2) was because of the destruction caused by the rebellion and battle that threw Satan from heaven (Rev 12:7-9). I am not sure about that line of reasoning.

We are in a spiritual battle. Satan is the enemy. He continually seeks those he can destroy. (1 Pet 5:8) Armies typically are not sent into battle without the proper equipment - armor and weapons.

“Stand firm” - Be strong and courageous. (See: Deut 31:6, 23; Josh 1:6-9, this admonition appears 10X in the OT.) Don’t panic. Don’t retreat, or run and hide. The Lord was sending the people of Israel into battle with established nations who appeared to be stronger and well defended. A nation of apparent nomads, with little battle experience. No wonder they needed encouragement. David exhorted Solomon with these words, plus adding “Show yourself to be a man.” (See note 1, below.)

The church is told to “Stand firm.” The battle is the Lord’s. We are to be strong in our faith, to be ready to repel attacks from Satan, for they will come to us. There was a similar situation during Jehoshaphat's reign in the OT when Judah was attacked by three armies. God told them the battle was not theirs to fight. "The battle is not yours to fight, but God's." (see 2 Chr 20:1-18)

“Schemes of the devil” - We do not need to defeat Satan, for we cannot, but we need to make ourselves available to the Lord, so He may work through us to thwart Satan. The ultimate victory is Christ’s. We will be involved in skirmishes along the way. Satan is always looking for ways to overcome us, in essence to defeat Christ by proxy. “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Pet 5:8)

Vs. 12 - “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

“Our struggle is not against flesh and blood” - We see the enmity of government, the news media, the entertainment industry toward the church. How do we fight them? How do we resist?
Focusing on the people is mis-direction

“Rulers... powers... force of this darkness... spiritual forces of wickedness” - These make up the power behind the push to eliminate Christ in the world today. (Also, the force behind the opposition to God and the Gospel. ) This power is centered around and from Satan. The angels and demons who followed Lucifer in the rebellion against the Lord (see: Rev 12:7ff) operate in the world around us. He is called the “ruler of this world” (John 12:31, 14:30, 16:11). Humans, and Christians especially, are harassed and tempted by Satan to rebel also. (1 Pet 5:8).

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Note 1: The statement, “Be strong”, is said 28 times in the OT. "Do not fear" is often used as a command, or encouragement - about 24 times. A few of the verses are a warning because the people who 'do not fear' the Lord.