It’s a Spiritual Battle Out There

“You do not have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body.” – Pastor George MacDonald (1824-1905)

Let your body take the back seat momentarily, and let your soul drive as we contemplate ourselves from this flipped perspective. I think it’s helpful for understanding Ephesians 6:10-12. “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 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.” Studying this verse while we emphasize our “spiritualness” shows us how imperative it is that we guard our souls. Willingly or unwillingly, we are participants in the eternal spiritual battle between Godly and demonic forces

Christians are not immune to the wiles of the devil. It’s necessary to clothe our souls in the spiritual armor of God to overcome the schemes of the devil and his minions. Satan’s been plotting against us since the time of Adam and Eve. His strategies to capture souls vary from person to person and are uniquely designed to target our weaknesses and desires. His schemes are tailored to succeed in any culture at any time– present or future. He will distract us, deceive us, destroy our relationships, and recruit us to amplify his chaos if we do not stand firmly in the armor of God.

In the letter to the church in Ephesus, Paul teaches that the church is fighting against “cosmic powers over this present darkness” and “spiritual forces of evil in heavenly places.” Satan’s cosmic forces of evil are not visible to our bodies’ eyes. But, if our souls are fortified with the Word of God and if we live in communion with the Holy Spirit, we recognize the work and power of Satan in our lives and our world.

Through Jesus, we can join forces with heaven’s spiritual army. We do not battle as the world does. Direct your fire against Satan and his demons– not his human victims. Our prayers can activate heaven and harness the power of God’s righteousness to combat the darkness of evil. Speaking of Jesus, John has written, “In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:4-5). Guard your soul and carry His light to a world clouded in darkness.