Judges 6:1-16; Ephesians 6:10-18
I have been considering the great conflict that was before Gideon, and how God prepared him for this conflict. As we read, Israel had sinned against the Lord, and the Lord had given Israel into the hands of the Midianites seven years. The total domination of this nomad people over Israel is demonstrated as we read in Judges 6:2-4, “And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel:and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens that are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds. And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them; And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till you come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass.” The Midianites raided Israel in very great numbers as we read in verse 5, “For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude; for both they and their camels were without number; and they entered into the land to destroy it.”
I imagine the Midianites were quite mobile with their camels, like an enormous light cavalry, probably able to arrive in great numbers within hours of their scouts sighting livestock or grain to be plundered; and they destroyed or took everything in their path. Israel seemed powerless to stop the Midianites and could apparently do nothing but hide themselves.
Such was the enormous hostile power facing Gideon and the children of Israel; but God did not prepare Gideon for the conflict before him by putting him first in mind of the power of the enemy. He began instead by telling Gideon of the power that was for him:“The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor” (6:12). Gideon was then instructed of God in 6:14, “Go in this your might.” He might be the least of his house and his family the poorest in Manasseh, but what is that to God? Gideon’s strength was not the issue. He was not a military leader, nor probably a leader at all, and he certainly didn’t have the wealth to gather and equip an army to go against these Midianites. But to all such objections, God responded, “Surely, I will be with you, and you shall smite the Midianites as one man” (6:16). The issue was not the power of the Midianites, nor that of Gideon, but the surpassing power of God.
For what is all the power of the world to God? “If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Rom. 8:31). The Lord used Gideon to rout the host of Midian with only 300 men armed with horns, clay pots, and torches. Similarly, the experienced commander Sisera brought his 900 iron chariots against Barak who had only inexperienced, lightly armed men; but we read, “the stars in their courses fought against Sisera” (Judg. 5:20), and he and his chariots were swept away. Jonathan, in 1 Samuel 14, took only his armor bearer with him when he attacked and defeated a group of 20 Philistines saying, “Come and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised; it may be that the LORD will work for us, for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few” (14:6).
We Christians today also have a powerful enemy and a great conflict before us that is described in Ephesians 6:10-18. This conflict faces each one in this world who bears the name of Christ and tries to walk according to His will. Our adversary is Satan. He and his powerful forces are at work in this world to oppose and discredit Christians and the Gospel. The conflict before us is spiritual, so unlike the battles of men, our enemy is largely unseen by our eyes. Gideon, Barak, or Jonathan could see actual forces arrayed against them which they must physically fight. We, however, see only the instruments of our enemy—people or circumstances that the enemy may be using against us; the real battle involves the forces behind the scenes. “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (6:12).
If we could see with our eyes the forces arrayed against us, I am certain the sight would be intimidating in the extreme! Luther in his famous hymn wrote, “For still our ancient foe, doth seek to work us woe; his craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate, on earth is not his equal.” The power that is arrayed against us is very great. But as in the case of Gideon, God does not prepare us for the conflict by showing us first the power of the enemy, or our own lack of strength. In Ephesians 6:10, He begins the preparation by reminding us of the much greater power that is for us:“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.” Our enemy may be much stronger than we are, but as with Gideon, the outcome is not decided by the power of the enemy as opposed to our own.
In verse 10, I believe we see two very important facts regarding the warfare that faces us:first, the Lord is on our side, and how encouraging and comforting that is because “greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). Our enemy may be powerful and we may be relatively weak, but God is greater than this, and He is on our side! However I think there is also an implied warning in verse 10:to be successful in this kind of fight, we must fight in the strength of the Lord, and not in our own strength (“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” Phil. 4:13). We may have gifts and personal strengths, and God can certainly use these; but if we try to depend on our own qualities, no matter how gifted, we must fail.
In verse 11, we are to put on the whole armor of God that we may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. To battle in the strength of the Lord means using the weapon and the defenses that are suitable to the task. These have been provided by the Lord and are described in verses 14-18. We are told to “put on the whole armor of God.” We do not automatically have this armor when we become Christians, but we must take it up. I believe that the way we take it up (and keep it) is by constant communion with the Lord—through reading His Word and prayer. It is through His Word that the affections of our hearts are exposed and brought under control (having our loins girt with truth); we also learn practical holiness (the breastplate of righteousness), and we learn that salvation is of the Lord (the helmet of salvation). We learn that God loves us and is for us, despite what circumstances may seem to show (the shield of faith).
We need this armor of God in order for us to stand against the wiles of the devil. These “wiles” are deceptions that he offers us, that may appeal to our flesh and seem at first to be harmless, but in the end lead us far from the path of faith. We also need the armor to quench the “fiery darts,” which are those wicked suggestions that would question the love and goodness of God toward us.
I believe that communion with the Lord is so important to our acquiring this armor that Satan will do all he can to interrupt that communion in hopes of getting us to put off our armor or perhaps never to take it up in the first place. To disrupt this communion, Satan may use the cares and concerns of life, infirmity, calamity, or even personal insults and irritations that depress and eat at us. Our enemy is likely to use anything that will get our minds off the Lord’s things and onto ourselves. We must learn to recognize this tactic and see it for what it is. Furthermore, we need the “whole” armor, not just some of it, and we need it all the time in order to “withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand” (6:13). We must not wait until the evil day to put on the armor—then it will be too late. Also, we cannot take our armor off or neglect it, even after a victory. If any part of it is missing, Satan will note the deficiency and attack accordingly.
I do want to mention the last two items in some detail. The sword of the Spirit (6:17) is identified as the Word of God. It is the only actual weapon described in this portion; and indeed, it is the only weapon needed or useful to the child of God in spiritual warfare. In Heb. 4:12 we read that the “Word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword.” Thus we find that this weapon is quick or living, and powerful in and of itself; its effectiveness is not necessarily dependent on the one who wields it—God’s Word can speak for itself. Personally, I find this quite comforting! As with Gideon, God does not require that we be skilled in swordsmanship, only that we be faithful and willing to use the sword of the Lord. As a practical example, I might feel that I lack the ability to effectively counter the arguments of an unbeliever who seeks to oppose. I may feel that I lack the fluency of thought and speech to make good and effective arguments that will win the day. But I need not be timid. If I am willing to use the Word of God, even if I just read or recite a verse I have memorized, God’s Word can speak for itself and have the effect that God intends (Isa. 55:11).
The world may scorn the Word of God, finding it to be silly and unintelligent. But like the two-edged sword of Ehud, it is the perfect tool for the job. When tempted by the wiles of the devil in the wilderness, the Lord used the Word of God in the power of the Spirit for every attack. The Word of God abiding in us is our strength. “I have written unto you, young men because you are strong, and the Word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the wicked one” (1 John 2:14).
Finally, prayer (6:18) is essential. In discerning and fighting off the attacks of Satan, we must be dependent on the power of God:“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.” We need to be in fervent, constant prayer in the Spirit, which takes energy and commitment. This prayer is not just for ourselves but for all the saints. Prayer springs from an attitude of dependence, and dependence is the key factor in our Christian walk through this world given the hostile forces that are arrayed against us.
“Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand” (Eph. 6:13).