Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.  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.  Ephesians 6:10-12 ESV

Often times we are oblivious to the war that rages around us.  No, I’m not talking about nation against nation.  I am talking about the war of good vs. evil.  I am talking about the war that rages for our souls.  Now, if you don’t think that there is some serious spiritual warfare going on around you, you are blind, my friend.  The devil is a very good at what he does.  He uses good military strategy to take us down.  He researches and finds where we are weakest.  This is where he attacks.  This is why we are commanded in Peter 5:8 to always be alert.

I have some good news and some bad news.  I don’t know about you, but I always like bad news first because after I receive it, I know there is good news coming.  So, the bad news is that we are pawns in spiritual warfare.  We are like children of divorce.  When the devil was thrown out of heaven, he was angry and he wants us to be on his side.  Now, if you look at this like a divorce, then you see that we have one good parent who only wants the best for us and one evil parent who wants to destroy us.  If you are given a choice, which one would you choose?  That’s a no brainer, right?

That’s the bad news.  The good news is God is here to fight this battle for you.  In this battle we must choose sides.  Our scripture passage tells us to be strong in the Lord and His might. Even the weakest warrior can stand strong and tall. We are told to put on the whole armor of God.  This is where choice comes into play.  We don’t have to wear God’s armor.  We can step out onto the battle field totally unprotected, but why would we do that?  When we stand in the Lord’s strength and might, we are strong enough to withstand the schemes of the devil.  He is constantly scheming for ways to win us over to his side.  He doesn’t want to win us over because he loves us, quite the contrary.  He wants to win us over so that he can annihilate us.

There are no fences for you to sit on at the throne of judgement.  There is no middle ground there either.  If you are having a hard time deciding, know that not deciding to follow God is the same as deciding to follow the devil.

The biggest mistake we make is when we fail to understand verse 12 of today’s scripture.  We fail to realize that the believer’s enemies are demonic hosts of satan.  We fail to understand that it is not the person that comes against you, but the force that is driving the person to come against you.  People who are not strong in the Lord can easily fall prey to becoming a pawn for the devil.  They can be used to come against Christians that are striving to do God’s will.  Don’t ever fight against the person, fight against the demonic force that drives them.  The only way to do so is in the Lord’s strength and power, using the armor that God provides which is listed in verses Ephesians 6:13-18.

Now having spiritual forces of evil in heavenly places sounds like a contradiction, doesn’t it?  We know there is no evil in heaven, so what does this mean?  Well, a heavenly place is anywhere that God can be found.  If we are praying and in close relationship with God, then where we are is a heavenly place.  We are told that where two or more believers are gathered in God’s name, He is there with them which would make that a heavenly place, right?

None of us are immune to the spiritual warfare that rages around us.  We must make ourselves safe in the Lord.  Our strength and power is in the Lord.  We cannot stand against the devil on our own.  We must utilize every piece of armor that God provides.  And finally, we must choose to live in Christ who is our refuge and our fortress (Psalm 91:1).  Psalm 91 tells us that when we choose to live in the shelter of God, He will keep us safe.  We are told in Psalm 91:7 that though ten thousand may fall at our side, we will not be harmed.  We are told in Psalm 91:11 that God gives His angels orders to guard us in all that we do.

Today, I encourage you to stop and think about something.  You are involved in this war whether you choose to be or not. You can’t escape it.  The only choice you have is which side you will be on.  The bible tells us that anyone who is not for God is against Him (Matthew 12:30).  You must choose to come to God’s side. You must choose to live in the safety and comfort of His shelter.  You must also make a daily choice to put on His armor.

Now I am not proud to say it, but I’ve fought on both sides.  I am happy to say that I am now firmly committed to remain in the loving shelter of my Lord and Savior.  I strive every day to maintain my safety by putting on the armor that He provides.  I pray that you will do the same.  Make the right choice today, before it’s too late.

Have a great day!