Spiritual Warfare

 

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. There take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” Ephesians 6:10-13 KJV

 

 

From the moment we are brought into this world, the enemy is working to keep us from knowing our God. We do not often think of our “every day” circumstances as opportunities for the enemy to work against us. However, the enemy will use anything and everything to keep us distracted from Jesus. He will dangle earthly things in front of us to the point that we are no longer looking for ways to share the Gospel or grow closer to God. The enemy will distract us with jobs and working more hours to make more money. The enemy will use financial struggles and family issues to distract us from God. The enemy will continue to corrupt the world we live in, hoping to create more and more chaos.

The more we seek out God and His kingdom, the more the enemy works against us. The enemy does not want to see us succeed in God’s plan. Last week Sheauxtime Ministries, Bobby Williams "Sheauxtime" posted a beautifully written blog about the spiritual gifts that we each have and how we should use them to ultimately bring Glory to God. When we “offer all we have to Jesus”, the enemy is furious. The enemy will work hard to bring you down and stop you from pursuing those gifts and using them in the way God intended. The sole purpose of the enemy is to win us over. To deceive, tempt, and intimidate us – to prevent us from reaching our spiritual potential through Christ Jesus.

 To fight against the spiritual warfare we are faced with each and every day – we need to wear the armor of God. The enemy cannot and will not win the battle if we are immersed in God’s word.

 

While the Armor of God will protect us from the spiritual warfare we experience every day, we must not forget how important it is to PRAY. Prayer not only opens the channel between us and God, but it allows us to receive encouragement and direction when we are facing these spiritual battles. The enemy is cunning and deceitful. There may be times when we question ourselves. However, if we are in communication with our Heavenly Father, He will steer our thoughts straight. He will remind us of those spiritual gifts He has given us and how they can be used to defeat the enemy by bringing Glory to God. If we are steadily in the word and praying, then the enemy cannot work. We serve a God that is more powerful than anything and everything. The enemy is nothing compared to Him. As long as we have God on our side, we can overcome and concur all that is in His will for us.

 

-Cassandra Whitworth