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
Something in a conversation I had today reminded me of Frank Peretti’s classic written in the 1980s, This Present Darkness. This was the first Christian novel I can remember that depicted the spiritual nature of the struggle described in Ephesians. As Christians, most of us believe in the reality of that struggle but it is incredibly easy to forget. After all, flesh and blood are so in our faces. Most of us would have to admit that our spiritual awareness is not what it should be.
When small things interfere with out good intentions, it’s easy to forget it may be spiritual. Why is it so much harder on Sunday to get everyone dressed and in church by 10 a.m. when we can get the kids to school by 7 and us to work by 9 five days a week? Why can we relate the details of the last episode of The Good Wife a week later, but can’t, for the life of us, remember the three points of last week’s sermon? Why do we shake our heads in disbelief when “good Christians” suddenly act like the devil?
This world is dark, not just because of the presence of evil, but because of the fog which exists over our spiritual eyesight. We don’t have to give in to the darkness. We can walk in the light. When anger and frustration rise over the actions of others, we can pause and consider the spiritual forces at work and pray. We can direct our energy and frustrations at the real enemy not the folks whom Jesus loves as much as He loves us.
When it seems that we can never win the flesh and blood war we see, we can remember the spiritual war we can’t see has already been won.
Be blessed.
Nick
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