“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.” — Ephesians 6:10 (ESV)

This verse kicks off a powerful section of Scripture about spiritual warfare, and it starts with a deep truth we can’t afford to miss: our strength doesn’t come from ourselves. It comes from the Lord. Paul doesn’t say, “Be strong in your personality,” or, “Be strong in your skills.” He says to be strong in the Lord and in his mighty strength.

That means our power to stand against the enemy isn’t something we produce—it’s something we receive. And it’s already been won for us. This truth is beautifully echoed in Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” That’s not about winning sports games or acing tests—it’s about enduring, thriving, and remaining faithful in the Christian life because Christ lives in us.

There’s something else we need to hold on to in this fight: Satan is a defeated enemy. He’s still active, but he’s already lost the war. We know this because of what Jesus did at the cross and through His resurrection. Hebrews 2:14 says that Jesus shared in our humanity “that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil.” Death was the devil’s greatest weapon—and Jesus broke it. In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul celebrates that death has lost its sting because of Christ’s victory. The resurrection is the final word.

But while the war is won, the battle isn’t over. Not yet. We still live in this world where spiritual conflict continues. We don’t fight for victory—we fight from victory. That’s a big difference. There are still struggles and temptations we face, but even these become tools for growth. Scottish pastor Samuel Rutherford once described the devil as our “fencing partner.” The idea is that even in our opposition, God is working through our struggles to strengthen us, train us, and grow us.

Spiritual warfare isn’t just about defense—it’s also about sanctification. Ephesians 6:10 is a call to Christian growth. When we stand strong in the Lord, we’re not only resisting the devil’s tactics, we’re also being shaped to look more like Jesus.