God's Chosen: Understanding Spiritual Warfare

“… That you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil”

The capacity to hang on in many small and large crises of life is metaphorically termed “the bulldog’s art.” The bulldog has the capacity to hold on once he sinks his teeth into a person’s leg (sic). A story is told of an oil company executive who was in a boat that was swamped and overturned in a port. A strong ebb tide washed him out to sea. Nine hours later, a flood tide cast him ashore, exhausted but unhurt. He had clung all that time to a kapok cushion. Once when a shrimp boat came within less than two hundred feet of him, and passed on without anyone seeing him, he felt that his last chance was gone, but the will to ‘stay up just ten minutes longer’ still lived, and he kept his grip on the cushion. When it is a matter of physical life or death, we have our instinct of self-preservation to help us. We naturally grab even at straw if we are on the point of drowning (Piper, 1948, pgs 41-43).

Our charge to stand requires the same type of tenacity the oil company executive had. Standing firm in challenging times, in the intensity of spiritual warfare, “becomes an art at a higher level – the level of Christian convictions and of one’s duty to God and his fellow men” (Piper, 1948). Standing in the “evil day,” the terrible time of adversity and bitter strife, withstanding the devilish schemes mounted against us, at times mean we have to wait on God and trust Him for a change in the deluge. These are the times in which the “bulldog’s art” is most needed. These are the moments when we must stand firm depending upon all the strength, power and grace of God to see us through.
Being clad with the whole armor of God necessitates a readiness to stand and to keep on standing even in the face of temptation and testing. We do battle with the enemy by maintaining a solid position. A fixed and rigid posture in holding fast to what is good, to our profession of faith, to holiness and godliness is what Paul is advocating in this passage. We don’t have to cower and retreat even though the devil is always hanging around waiting for his opportunity to strike. We are bold and courageous because we know instinctively that the battle is not ours but it is God’s. We are convinced that we already have the victory. We have this assurance since the Bible tells us so – we emphatically believe what the Bible says. In so doing, we take God at His Word. We stand firm in the liberty wherein Christ Jesus has made us free and we hold fast to Him.
We follow David’s example of waiting patiently for God knowing that from Him comes salvation; knowing full well that He alone is our rock and our salvation; that He is our defense and we will not be greatly moved. Though our enemies attack us we are confident that they will be slain for our expectation is from God. He only is our rock and salvation; He is our defense; we shall not be moved. In God is our glory; God is the rock of our strength, and our refuge, is in Him (Psalm 62:2-6). Our shield belongs to the LORD who is our King and the Holy One of Israel (Psalm 89:18).
Joseph’s life is a primary example of the fact that no matter how much the enemy attacks, no matter what situation he designs to obstruct God’s work in our lives and no matter how many times we are imprisoned by his schemes, God’s will and purpose will overtake us and be fulfilled in our lives, if our trust is in Him. Joseph trusted God from one prison cell to the next, from one false accusation to the next, from one advent of loneliness and isolation to the next, from one place of rejection to the next. He was away from his family for years because his brothers hated him due to the favor of God upon his life and the future God promised him.
Joseph’s ordeal began with his brothers plot to kill him. They had their opportunity when his father sent him with food for them out in the wilderness. After putting him in a pit to kill him, he was taken out and sold into slavery. During his time in his master’s house, he was preyed upon by the master’s wife who desired to have sexual relations with him. When he resisted her advances, she took revenge by accusing him of raping her. He was then thrown into jail. God was with him and blessed him even in his ordeal. He is a wonderful example of practicing the “bulldog’s art. He tenaciously clung to his God. And in the fullness of time, God restored him and blessed him above and beyond his wildest imagination but according to God’s earlier revelation. God also used Joseph to bless those whom the enemy exploited to devise his harm. God’s plan for Joseph’s life did not fail because the enemy riled and attempted to wreak havoc. We need to be encouraged by this. Our God is the same yesterday, today and forevermore. He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Joseph. He is our God. He loves us as much as He loved His prophets of old. The Bible says of God that He is not a respecter of persons.
Standing firm in God during adversity is one of the lessons we learn from Joseph’s life. Just as he was able to hold on to God during the years of his testing and tempting, we also must stand firm in our convictions. What are our convictions? What convictions should Christians stand firm in? The Christian’s convictions (What do we believe and how do we operate in the belief?). Firstly, our faith, trust, love and worship belongs to the Almighty God and is given to Him through our allegiance to Jesus Christ whom we acknowledge and receive as Lord and King in and over our lives. Secondly, separated from the world through commitment, dedication and sanctification to Christ we are in the world but not of the world. We are separated unto God. We willingly sacrifice worldliness and self-seeking to pursue, obey, rely trust and be used of God. Thirdly, we have been washed, cleansed, purified and purged – given lasting, durable qualities. We are refined in God’s fire and He has given us a quality with strong moral fiber (Pr. 15:16; Ps. 11; 12:6; 18; 19:9). Fourthly, our hearts have been made right with God and our souls are guiltless because of Christ (1Pet.1:22). We are convinced that the promises of God are true and are manifested in our lives as we live for Him wholeheartedly. (Jam. 4:8).
Unger reasons that the believer’s resources are described under the figure of a Roman soldier’s equipment in full battle dress. Unger further argues that the Christian’s secret of victory in spiritual battle is reckoning or counting by faith on those resources which are actually ours in Christ who is the Victor (Col 1:13; 2:15). Taking on the whole armor of God underscores the responsibility of this reckoning. The Believer must do this in order to “wage effective warfare” (1967) and to stand firm.