Good Versus Evil {Spiritual Warfare- A Present Reality}

My wide-eyed kiddos are speechless when I read books about fire breathing dragons, swords, princes, and princesses.  The pages are falling out of several books that we have read over and over again because of their vast love of hearing good versus evil, and the good guy wins- kind of stories. Why?  Because within all of us, we know that there is so much more to life than what meets the eye.    

They want to hear stories that have grit, love, honor, and danger; warfare is serious business, and it is a present reality. 

There are several things when entering a war most people think about…

1. Who or what cause am I fighting for?
2. Is it worth my life?
3. Who is the enemy?
4. What do I need to prepare?
5. When am I heading out?
6. What is my main purpose when at war?

God has opened my eyes lately to the reality of spiritual warfare.  Since the beginning of time, till the end of time on earth- it will continue.  There is good, and there is evil.  There is light, and there is darkness.   It is a reality, and we need to truly pray and wake up to what is going on all around us. 


Ephesians 6:10-20
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 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. 13 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. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18 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. 19 Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

Who or What Cause Am I Fighting For?

When someone is going to war, one of the first questions they will ask is who or what cause am I fighting for?  Is it- WORTH it?  If the cause- or the person is not worth fighting for then- why fight?

The cause is to stand up against the devil’s schemes- to fight evil.  Who are we fighting for- the LORD!  But, the kicker is that we are fighting with His mighty power!  The war has already been won, it is His fight.  He is fighting- ultimately for our families, churches, communities, and souls.  Who is the opponent?  The devil- to stop him from destroying our lives!  It is definitely a worthy cause, don’t you think?

Is the Cause Worth Dying For?

This question piggy backs the first question.  Is the cause you are fighting for worth dying for?  A similar question has been asked, “Is what you are living for worth dying for?”  If you are living and ready to die for the LORD, you are on the right side.

 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. Philippians 1:21

It doesn’t matter if we live or die; it is whose side we are on that truly matters.  If you are on Christ’s side, you are fighting for a cause worth dying for. 
 

Who is the Enemy?

To know the enemy is power.  To recognize that the enemy is not flesh and blood, but the devil!  The enemy is not our spouses, our children, our bosses, or our neighbors.   The enemy wants us to fight each other and not stand up against his schemes.   

Ephesians 6:18-20
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.

The enemy is the “father of lies” (John 8:44), masquerades as an “angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14), and a “roaring lion” looking for someone to devour (I Peter 5:8). To know a few of the many names that the WORD of God uses to describe Satan will help us understand our enemy.

Satan was created by God, he is NOT comparable to God.  RESIST the Devil and he will flee from you (James 4:7).  However, he is out to destroy or kill you!!  He is not to be trusted. 

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What Do I Need to Prepare?

One of the most fascinating insights about the Ephesians 6 passage of scripture is that all the pieces of armor and weaponry are all defensive- except, the sword.  And even the sword- is the WORD of God, so again, it is His power!  All the other pieces of equipment are all defensive.  Why?  It is not against flesh and blood, it is so much bigger than we realize.  We can’t do it on our own. If we are His and He is ours, then the war is won. 

However, we need to be protected.  I always picture my son, when he was little- as he put on his belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, boots of peace, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, and finally, the sword of the Spirit.   He would put on his armor and stumble around the room pretending to fight off the dragons with his sword held high.

Without even one of the pieces of armor, we are in trouble!  All pieces of the armor are extremely important.  All of them are not of ourselves, but come from the LORD!

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When Am I Heading Out? 

This war is from the first breath of life, till the last breath of life.  It is a battle field throughout our entire life.  Is there rest for our souls- of course! 

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.  I Peter 5:7

But, it does say- after we are dressed in the armor- to STAND!  Once we are a child of the King, we are called to get in the fight.  Have you ever been dressed up with nowhere to go?  Not a great feeling.  That is not the case here.  He dresses you with the intent of having somewhere for you to go!  It begins when God calls you to go.  Stand and fight when that day comes.  It is His power!  Trust Him to be faithful and cast all our cares on Him because He cares for us!

What Is My Main Purpose When at War?

After the entire garb is on- you would think the Lord would tell us to tear into our enemy, to give it all we got!  That is not the case!  He tells us to PRAY…

18 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. 19 Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.  Ephesians 6:18-20

Why in the world would Jesus want us to pray rather than “fight”?  It is HIS war, HIS power.  It is too big for us.  It is with weapons we can’t comprehend with an enemy that doesn’t fight fair.  If we just trust the LORD- we would have so much more power! 

We try to fight with all the wrong type of weapons.  We need to remember it isn’t against flesh and blood, but against SPIRITUAL FORCES. So, trust the Lord and His mighty power.  Know the Word, PRAY using the Word, and SUBMIT to the Word- and the devil will flee!  

Good versus evil isn't a fairytale, it is a present reality.  The Victory is in JESUS!