We are not fighting against humans. We are fighting against forces and authorities and against rulers of darkness and powers in the spiritual world.*
Darkness thickens, I can feel it. Halloween winks and smiles. Wickedness peaks this week.
America sputters, we progressively turn from God. Putrid poison pours through our screens while we nod and justify. What we deemed abhorrent 20 years ago, is entertaining and informative. We trust it to feed us, guide us. As a result, denominations twist and turn, atheists multiply, hedonism clinks its glass and raises a toast. Good is evil and evil is good. The gold standard replaces God’s standard. Violence, addictions, immorality rise. Years pass, we swim in our own muck.
Halloween, though, every year at Halloween evil peaks. If you don’t believe me, read the news this week.
Many, maybe us, ignore or stay busy. It is only a holiday season, after all. Kids don costumes, parties happen, candy dishes come out–nothing more. Just beyond awareness, an ugly head rises and we sink to new lows: we despise our spouse, dismiss our children, “forget” to pray, seek a buzz, judge another, become a doormat. We hurt, but don’t know why…
Our costumes echo the “ghost” that haunts us. We slip into masks, we hide. Joyously, we giggle and belittle entities who point at us and laugh. We think we’re so powerful, so smart, so good. Nothing hurts us, we hurt no one. Evil isn’t, not really.
Impotent in our ignorance, he who hates us grabs the strings and makes us spin and swirl into an emotional coma. We cannot feel, we cannot see. We ignore or stay busy. It is only a holiday, after all.
Some see, some pay attention, some battle in prayer. Christ, through His Holy Spirit, empowers and invites His followers to join the warfare in the spiritual realm, the place where things happen first….yep, happen first before they happen on earth. No getting there without prayer, no staying there without prayer. **
…prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray [in the Spirit using God’s Word as a weapon] hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.***
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*Ephesians 6:12 (CEV)
**Importantly, Ephesians 6 also notes essential protective armor: truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation. Only weapon noted: a sword, God’s Word.
**Ephesians 6:18 (The Message)
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