The Battle is Real!

I struggle with the following verse a lot:

Ephesians 6:12

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

You may ask, why do you struggle with this verse, it’s seems straight forward?  And it is straight forward.  But the part I struggle with is that it is hard to separate flesh and blood from the spiritual force of evil in the heavenly realms.  When I’m attacked my first response is to blame an individual when in fact I may have been attacked by an evil spiritual being.  It is so easy to blame what we can see or touch and forget that our battle is not against flesh and blood but against evil forces of the heavenly realm.  I’m quite sure, I’m not the only one that struggles with this.  

  A couple years ago I had an experience during worship at church were I was showed the light that emanates from believers and how bright that light is.  Imagine a super bright starburst that originates from your chest and proceeds you where ever you go.  Again, our battle is not against flesh and blood but against evil.  However, there are many people entrapped by evil that need the light of Jesus to escape the situation they find themselves in.  

  It’s so simple to forget, and either blame those people for the problems they are dealing with or blame somebody else for the situation that they are in and totally forget to place blame where it truly belongs with the rulers,  the authorities, the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 

So yes, the battle is real, we are not in a dream world or fantasy land.  We are in a full fledged spiritual war.  And remember, this is not our war but God’s war.  

To do that effective we must don the Full Armor of God every day.  It includes: 

• The Belt of Truth, nothing is more powerful that living by truth.   And one reason Jesus came to earth.   John 18:37  "You are a king, then!" said Pilate. Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me." 

• The Breastplate of Righteousness.  1 Peter 3:14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.”  

• Be ready with the gospel of peace.   Mark 16:15 Jesus said “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation...”

• Take up the Shield of Faith.     With which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  

• Put on the Helmet of Salvation.  John 14:6 says it well:  “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

• Carry and know the Sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Otherwise known as the Holy Bible.

One other topic that I want to discuss is that of our responsibility to speak life into to other people and situations.  Your words are more powerful than you imagine and the harm they can do is only equivalent to the good that your words can do.  So, what you are going to say, don’t say it out of anger but rather out of love that speaks life into somebody’s life or situation.

The time to compromise is over, it's time to press forward with the truth. Stand firm, don't be swayed from the truth and then, stand some more!