This is War

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12

Baseball, basketball, football, hockey–I’ve been a sports junkie all my life. (Apologies to those who get tired of all my sports references when I’m teaching!) From pee wee teams to professional leagues, athletics are all consuming. And serious. How many times have you heard someone say, in reference to a tough matchup, “This is war!” I always wonder how our combat veterans feel about those statements. Certainly in actual war, the stakes are much higher than in an NFL playoff game, right? It’s life and death.

There is another war that has been raging since the beginning of civilization. This war is fought for the highest stakes of all–the eternal souls of mankind. The strange thing is, most people do not even know it is being fought. Paul tells us that the battle is taking place in the spiritual realm. He speaks of “cosmic powers” and “spiritual forces of evil” that are active in “heavenly places.” Now that sounds quite mystical to us living in the physical realm. But, friends–here is the thing. The battle for your soul is real, it’s happening right now, and you cannot afford to ignore it! Satan has spent thousands of years perfecting his techniques. He is very skilled at finding ways to distract you from the Truth of God’s Word. Grow your spiritual life! Guard your heart with God’s righteousness, protect yourself with faith in Him, let the assurance of your salvation steady your mind, and let His Truth hold it all together. This is war and you are in it.

-Pastor Mike