“Our Spiritual Arsenal"
Acts 16:11-40
But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed. [Acts 16:25-26]
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” [Eph 6:12] Our battle is spiritual! Jesus said to Peter in Gethsemane, “put your sword into the sheath.” The old Peter used physical weapons; the new “after Pentecost” Spirit-filled Peter used spiritual weapons.
In our study of Acts thus far [16 chapters] the church had yet to pick up swords. We will see the same is true for the remainder. Nowhere in the New Testament will you find the church instructed to do physical battle against adversaries. To the contrary, they repeatedly receive beating and imprisonment without a physical fight. Their battle is with spiritual weapons, and that is exactly what we see Paul and Silas exercising in Acts 16.
During Paul’s Second Missionary journey, he and Silas were led by the Spirit westward toward Europe. They had originally planned to go into Asia Minor, but the Spirit forbid them [ref. Acts 16:6]. As they follow the Spirit’s leading, they end up beaten and imprisoned [ref. Acts 16:23-24]. How’s that for a Spirit-led journey! Many would say they heard wrongly. Yet indeed the Spirit led them to the right place [a prison] and the right person [a Philippian jailer].
This Philippian jailer became a key figure in the startup of the Philippian church. God’s ways are higher than ours.
Important to note, however, is our spiritual arsenal, worship, prayer, and God’s Word. And these are readily available to the child of God. Because we battle “not against flesh and blood,” it is vital that we use our spiritual arsenal.
Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and this shook the spiritual foundation which shook the physical foundation. Notice both physical and spiritual doors were opened and chains loosed [ref. Acts 15:26].
Worship shakes darkness to its core; it crumbles it. Remember the walls of Jericho?
In times of despair, feelings of fear, anxiety, and depression; determine your heart to worship. Decide to sing praises to God; to pray; and to read God’s Word aloud. These practices will crumble any darkness around you.
