The True Battle

"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 6:12, NIV).

The more I journey through this life, the more I understand one thing: we are definitely in a fight. Every single day of our lives. Every time we turn around, there’s an enemy in our face. There was a time early in my childhood when I wanted to curl up in a ball and hide out from life. The bullies were a constant threat to my physical and emotional well-being, and I just couldn’t take it anymore. Then I got smart and told my mom. Her reply was, “If you go after the leader of the group and take her/him down, the rest will leave you alone.”

I thought about that for a moment, since I didn’t have a-lick-of-fight in me, then I understood. The ringleader always has a posse, you know, the group of cowards cheering them on to beat you up. But I didn't want to fight. However, for me to gain back my freedom from hiding out and my dignity from cringing in constant fear, I had to fight. Not all of them, just one of them.

I thought my Christian life would be different. And even though I had given my life to Christ, I was still in a fight. But this fight was not the kind I was familiar with; this was a fight with an invisible adversary; and the ringleader was Satan (the devil). When I read Ephesians 6:12, I realized God was giving me the same counsel in the spirit realm that my mother had given me in the natural realm. “Take out the leader, and the others will flee.”

Now, I know how to fight the good fight of faith, especially where people are concerned. We can’t hit back at them the way they attack us; we must strike back at the head of the operation. It’s he who oversees every attack to intimidate, destroy, kill, and steal from us. (see John 10:10)

So, according to the Scriptures, our actual battle is with spiritual forces in the heavenly realms, not people. They are just pawns for the enemy's attack, sent to do his dirty work. And to get on our last nerve.

The Scripture also says, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ," (Ephesians 1:3, NIV).

Looking at it from this point of view, shows us that although we do have an adversary, we also have a Father, who is the Head of all (people, places, and things), and he gives us the victory in Christ Jesus!

1 John 5:4-5, KJV states, “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?”

As believers in Christ Jesus, we overcome the world by overcoming the prince of this world. How do we do that? By faith, the word of God, and by putting on the full armor of God. (see Ephesians 6:10-18)

Ephesians 6:13-18 (NIV) reminds us, “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 Lord’s people.” 

Prayer:

Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we ask you to help us fight the good fight of faith. We don’t always know how to fight spiritually, and we can’t fight back physically like the world does. Help us to pray in the Spirit as we ought, as your word instructs us to do, for we know not what we ought to pray for; but the Holy Spirit knows all. And help us to do the word of God, "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4:7, NIV)​. Amen.