The other evening, as
Genni the wonder dog and I went for our
evening stroll by the lake, it was bitter out.
The temperature was only -30 or so, but the
wind was brisk, making it feel more like -40
or maybe a little colder. Strangely enough, no
one else was out and about. There weren't even
any hardy souls out for a brisk skate.
Like an old farmers
grey rag-wool toque, pulled down hard to keep
out the cold, the clouds were pulled snug over
the horizon in all directions. The sky was
close and tight. There wasn't a star to be
seen anywhere and even the moon couldn't seem
to break through.
I know the moon and
stars were still there, even though I couldn't
see them. The night before last Genni and I
were out, and the sky was a complete contrast.
The deep black velvet night seemed to stretch
out into eternity. More stars than I could
count shone like so may jewels in the heavens
and the moon looked like an airport search
light in its brilliance.
Life is like that.
There is much that goes on unseen. We don't
see the air we breath (okay, I know some times
you can see the smog, but you know what I
mean), but we would be dead without it. The
sun is still there even in the black of night.
God is ever present even though His face
remains unseen in the sky.
In the same way,
battles still rage in the spiritual realm,
invisible to the naked eye. Angels and demons
struggle against one another for the most
important thing in the universe, short of God
Himself. They battle for the eternal souls of
people.
The struggle often
manifests itself, at least to our physical
senses, as struggles against people and
circumstances, but it runs much deeper than we
can see.
Finally, be
strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
Put on the full armor of God so that you can
take your stand against the devil's schemes.
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. Ephesians
6:10-12 NIV
The people and
situations are not the true enemy. They may be
willing or unwitting servants of the evil,
one, but by themselves they hold no power. Our
battle rages in the unseen realm. That's why
believers are called to wear the armor.
Therefore put on
the full armor of God, so that when the day
of evil comes, you may be able to stand your
ground, and after you have done everything,
to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of
truth buckled around your waist, with the
breastplate of righteousness in place, and
with your feet fitted with the readiness
that comes from the gospel of peace. In
addition to all this, take up the shield of
faith, with which you can extinguish all the
flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the
helmet of salvation and the sword of the
Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray
in the Spirit on all occasions with all
kinds of prayers and requests. With this in
mind, be alert and always keep on praying
for all the saints. Ephesians 6:13-18
NIV
If you've been a
believer for a while, you knew I'd quote those
verses, but there are some other components of
the armor that you might not be as familiar
with.
And do this,
understanding the present time. The hour has
come for you to wake up from your slumber,
because our salvation is nearer now than
when we first believed. The night is nearly
over; the day is almost here. So let us put
aside the deeds of darkness and put on the
armor of light. Romans 13:11-12 NIV
But since we
belong to the day, let us be
self-controlled, putting on faith and love
as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation
as a helmet. 1 Thessalonians 5:8 NIV
There are more verses
as well, but space is short, and this isn't
intended to be an exhaustive study. The battle
rages in the spirit realm but there is
something we can do about it. We can stand
equipped by God Himself to face whatever the
enemy throws our way.
Until next time, may
you face the battle clothed in all the Lord
has provided for your protection and victory.
Be blessed
Hallelu Yah (Praise
God)!
Kevin
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