Welcome to the final episode in Gospel Spice’s series, "Identity in the Battle." Stephanie draws from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, with a primary focus on what it means to know and live out our identity in Christ, especially amidst spiritual warfare. This serves as a conclusion to the study on our identity in Christ and how that shapes our engagement in spiritual warfare.
Ephesians: Tone & Context
Stephanie emphasizes two critical ways to approach Ephesians:
- Mature Tone: Unlike Paul's other letters, Ephesians is deeply theological and not focused on addressing specific church problems. Instead, it equips believers for mature faith, acknowledging life’s difficulties, but encouraging us by affirming that victory in Christ is already secured.
- Context: Paul writes from prison (likely AD 62), aware these may be his final words to the church in Ephesus. Despite his chains, he speaks with gentle affection, offering encouragement and a desire for continued connection.
Four Pillars in Paul’s Farewell (Ephesians 6:23–24)
Paul concludes with four key blessings:
- Peace: A deep, abiding peace (shalom) from God.
- Faith: Assurance in the unseen, a call to trust God in uncertainty.
- Love: Love that unites the community.
- Grace: The foundation for all Christian living.
Paul challenges us to let these words be the flavor of our own walk with Christ and to root ministry and relationships in love and grace.
The Spiritual Battle
Each believer has a choice—either to remain bystanders or to take up their place in the spiritual battlefield. Importantly:
- Jesus’ love is not lessened by our reluctance, but we are invited to participate in battle for the sake of others, including addressing evils like human trafficking.
- The enemy (Satan) is not complacent, so we must not be either. Knowing the victory is won should lead not to laziness, but to courageous engagement.
- Our battle is never against people, but against evil and spiritual forces. With people, we are to demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit—love, patience, kindness.
Handling Conflict in the Church
Stephanie points out that disagreements among Christians are inevitable. The priority is always reconciliation, but when that’s not possible, it’s best to move aside while continuing to pray blessings over one another, remembering that we are all fighting the same spiritual war.
Five Steps for Engaging in Spiritual Warfare
- Become aware of the spiritual realm.
- Train up: Study scripture, pray, and fellowship.
- Stand firm: Hold your ground in Christ’s strength.
- Resist the devil: Persevere with God’s might, not your own.
- Train others: Help disciple and equip younger believers.
True Identity in Christ
The reality of our identity is found in the fullness of Christ. Everything—our calling, purpose, and ability to overcome—flows from knowing who God is, what He has done, who we are in Him, and what we are called to do.
We are the inheritors of a deep legacy of spiritual riches and calling. So, root your life in the peace, faith, love, and grace found in Christ, remember your true identity, and take your place in the spiritual battle with courage.
As the series ends, Gospel Spice invites everyone to "taste and see that the Lord is good," step boldly into battle, and empower others to do the same.
Reflection/Response:
- How do Paul’s final words in Ephesians inspire you to engage the spiritual battles you face today?
- What does it look like for you to stand firm in your identity in Christ
Enjoying these reflection questions? Consider the accompanying workbook as a resource to go deeper, at https://www.gospelspice.com/identity
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more details here: gospelspice.com/payitforward
What matters to us here at Gospel Spice is to create a place where people who seek deeper intimacy with Jesus, will find Him. We want a warm, welcoming atmosphere to journey ever deeper into the heart of God. We believe it is the ultimate calling of the Christian life, and I like to summarize it with my motto, God’s glory, our delight. That is why we invite you to “taste and see” that the Lord is good. And we have been doing this every day since 2019. We need YOU to keep Gospel Spice alive and growing.
Financially speaking, we rely on people who understand this vision and who understand that we cannot function without a minimum budget. We run an extremely tight budget. For example, I work full time but don’t draw a salary. And yet, we have expenses – for example, the equipment and technology we use, and also the wonderfully gifted staff who make it possible to deliver high quality content all around the globe, and then the necessary occasional promotional budget to make it possible to be discovered by those who seek to live a life spiced with the gospel of Jesus Christ. We need your help.
So we would love for you to consider if this ministry is blessing you to pay gospel spice forward. You can partner with us monthly with $10 or $25 a month, by example, or you can make one donation, once.
And because we are a register nonprofit organization in the United States under the status of a 501c3 charity, it means that the amount that you pay to gospel spice is fully tax deductible. Completely tax deductible. So you're even saving money as you invest in gospel spice ministries. It is an eternal investment, and we are very grateful to you for it.
Now it's very important to us that we give back as much as possible from what you give us. And so we commit to giving the majority of what we receive, once all of our administrative costs are paid, to organizations that fight human trafficking on the front line. There are many worthwhile causes in the world, so why this one? Because I have always personally felt deep compassion for victims of human trafficking – maybe because I have never been its victim myself, so I feel a responsibility to help those less fortunate than me. Also, because Jesus tells us to love our neighbor. Human trafficking is modern day slavery, and that is something that revolts the heart of God. We want to play our part in raising awareness and then financially supporting those who fight this great evil.
So, we do some due diligence. We pick organizations who have proven themselves trustworthy of our support. And then we give money to these Christians organizations that fight human trafficking.
So would you consider paying us forward at gospelspice.com/payitforward ?
Your hard-earned money is always well used at Gospel Spice. Ultimately, you are giving back to the Kingdom, a portion of what Jesus has given you. We are well aware of the privilege to steward your partnership. And my prayer is always that you will find your own life spiced with the gospel as you partner with us to flavor the lives of those around us, near and far, with the spice of the gospel.
We invite you to check out the first episode of each of our series, and decide which one you will want to start with.
Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog
Identity in the battle | Ephesians
https://www.podcastics.com/episode/372022/link/
Malachi: Messenger to Messiah
https://www.podcastics.com/episode/356130/link/
Wisdom from the Book of Proverbs
https://www.podcastics.com/episode/324347/link/
Come to the Table | The Feasts Jesus celebrated
https://www.podcastics.com/episode/309956/link/
What matters to us here at Gospel Spice is to create a place where people who seek deeper intimacy with Jesus, will find Him. We want a warm, welcoming atmosphere to journey ever deeper into the heart of God. We believe it is the ultimate calling of the Christian life, and I like to summarize it with my motto, God’s glory, our delight. That is why we invite you to “taste and see” that the Lord is good. And we have been doing this every day since 2019. We need YOU to keep Gospel Spice alive and growing.
Financially speaking, we rely on people who understand this vision and who understand that we cannot function without a minimum budget. We run an extremely tight budget. For example, I work full time but don’t draw a salary. And yet, we have expenses – for example, the equipment and technology we use, and also the wonderfully gifted staff who make it possible to deliver high quality content all around the globe, and then the necessary occasional promotional budget to make it possible to be discovered by those who seek to live a life spiced with the gospel of Jesus Christ. We need your help.
So we would love for you to consider if this ministry is blessing you to pay gospel spice forward. You can partner with us monthly with 10, 25, 50, 100, a month, or you can make one donation, once.
And because we are a register nonprofit organization in the United States under the status of a 501c3 charity, it means that the amount that you pay to gospel spice is fully tax deductible. Completely tax deductible. So you're even saving money as you invest in gospel spice ministries. It is an eternal investment, and we are very grateful to you for it.
Now it's very important to us that we give back as much as possible from what you give us. And so we commit to giving the majority of what we receive, once all of our administrative costs are paid, to organizations that fight human trafficking on the front line. There are many worthwhile causes in the world, so why this one? Because I have always personally felt deep compassion for victims of human trafficking – maybe because I have never been its victim myself, so I feel a responsibility to help those less fortunate than me. Also, because Jesus tells us to love our neighbor. Human trafficking is modern day slavery, and that is something that revolts the heart of God. We want to play our part in raising awareness and then financially supporting those who fight this great evil.
So, we do some due diligence. We pick organizations who have proven themselves trustworthy of our support. And then we give money to these Christians organizations that fight human trafficking.
So would you consider paying us forward at gospelspice.com/payitforward?
Your hard-earned money is always well used at Gospel Spice. Ultimately, you are giving back to the Kingdom, a portion of what Jesus has given you. We are well aware of the privilege to steward your partnership. And my prayer is always that you will find your own life spiced with the gospel as you partner with us to flavor the lives of those around us, near and far, with the spice of the gospel.
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