8/12/2022 • Desk of Dennis Piller
Who our battle is NOT against!
Wouldn’t you agree that too often we restrict our battles to the physical? We battle spiritual temptations to sin, the physical injustice prevalent in impoverished nations, and the physical evil of persecuting governments, to name a few. But when we restrict our focus to the physical realm, victory will only be temporary. It's like putting a band-aid on a wound where there is internal bleeding. We need the armor of God which allows us to fight not just the effects of the war but the root of the conflict. To understand that we need to know who, what and where we are fighting. You have read Eph 6:10-12 and discovered who our battle is not against. Our spouse, children, in-laws, caustic bosses, unruly neighbors, or even our own propensities and weaknesses of the flesh. Do I have you thinking?
Who are our opponents?
People are simply a conduit for the spiritual battle taking place in another realm…
”the heavens” Vs 12 simply means the spiritual realm.
That’s hard to grasp because it's easier to do battle with the physical. What you can see. But getting physical, like punching someone who is out of line. That would be like a policeman watching tv and pulling out his gun on a criminal he sees on a reality tv show. That only makes matters worse.
The truth is, whatever has gone on, is going on, or will go on in the visible, physical world, is rooted in the invisible, spiritual realm.
If you don’t know how to navigate the spiritual realm
you can’t hope to fix anything.
Does that mean there is no place for action in the physical world? Of course not. So what is the perspective we need to do battle in this spiritual realm to effect a physical change?
Because were active in spiritual warfare doesn’t mean you won’t have tough conversations with coworkers or family. Nor does it mean you will live in your prayer closet hiding. You can actually move with confidence and power in the physical realm because you're prepared and ready!
There will be no more settling for easy fixes and minor wins. You will have tapped into the secret of the abundant life and real spiritual victory. Meaning you will be living and fighting, at a deeper level than most people. (In Spirit and Truth… meaning waiting on God) But you will also know that your opponents are more dangerous, treacherous, and numerous than you ever thought possible.
"You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world." 1 John 4:4
Lord, today… begin to sharpen my spiritual senses
so that I can begin to see the true nature of the battles before me.
Riley Clemmons – Fighting For Me
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=in1uxSpvsw0&list=PL3oW2tjiIxvTstLS9GlgaT_mqONT0WVDw&index=13
Excerpts from Victory in Spiritual Warfare by Tony Evans
