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Ephesians 6:10-12?Spiritual Warfare ?Why does Paul take such a sharp turn? Well, recap the story: cosmic themes (1:1,21-22; 2:19-22; 3:10-11; 4:4,13; 5:1) ?There’s two kingdoms in conflict: God & Satan. God is infinity greater than the opposing kingdom, but struggle is involved.?Chapter six deals the negative corollary = spiritual warfare in the life of the Christian.??I know some of you think the idea of Satan is silly. Isn’t “he” a mythological symbol??But think about the implications of that.?1. Where did evil come from? If there is no Satan, that leaves you with only a few choices: ? Evil comes from 1) people, 2) God, or 3) or is a product of nature.?1. People?1. Problem: Unless you want to incriminate yourself as a sinner, you probably believe in the basic goodness of humanity—most people do.?2. God?1. The problem with this is that it creates more problems than it solves. Are you really more comfortable attributing evil to an all-powerful, all-knowing, sovereign God than a mere devil??3. Nature?1. If there is nothing in existence accept that which can be explained by the natural, you have no basis to call it evil or unjust. Nature is not evil—it is simply running it’s logical course. That is, unless there is a universal moral standard, like God.??God’s Word explains that there are spiritual forces at play. And we need to be aware.??What spiritual warfare is (the reality)??Satan (11) is an “intelligent, powerful spirit-being that is thoroughly evil”  who rules over other 1demonic (12) spirits, and influences those who are not in Christ…?Ephesians 2:2?you previously walked…according to the ruler who exercises authority over the lower heavens, the spirit now working in the disobedient.??Satan and his demons have a certain amount of power…?1 John 5:19?the whole world lies in the power of the evil one??…that they use to destroy people…?1 Peter 5:8?Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.??…and anyone who is not of God is under their influence.?Ephesians 2:1-3 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? AP!?And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air??1 John 3:8?Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning.??And according to today’s text,?Satan and his demons also attack Christians.??In medieval times, a strategy of fighting the devil was to laugh at him. So many artful renderings depicted Satan as a laughable court-jester in a red suit, etc. This is the silly image most of us have.?Contrary to popular caricatures, Satan and his demons are intelligent. (see Sproul)?? Clinton E. Arnold. 3 Crucial Questions about Spiritual Warfare. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 1997) 351