Unseen Realities

Unseen Realities

Bible:Ephesians 6:10-20

Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but . . . against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (V.12).

Reading

In 1876, men drilling for coal in central Indiana thought they had found the gates of hell. Historian John Barlow Martin reports that at six hundred feet down, “foul fumes issued forth amid awesome noises.” Afraid they had “bitten into the roof of the devil’s cave,” the miners plugged the well and ran back to their homes. The miners, of course, were mistaken—and some years later, they would drill again and be rich in natural gas. Even though they got it wrong, I find myself a little challenged by them. These miners lived with an awareness of the spiritual world that is often missing from my own life. It’s easy for me to live as if the supernatural and the natural rarely come together. I get so distracted by what I see around me, that I forget “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but . . . against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (EPHESIANS 6:12). When we see things going wrong or when we’re having a hard time, we shouldn’t give in or try to fight it all in our own strength. Instead, we are to put on “the full armour of God” (VV.13-18). It is His strength and protection we need, because ultimately our enemies are not the people we see or the bullies in class. Our enemies are “the spiritual forces of evil” hiding behind and using the people we see. Studying the Bible, meeting regularly with our church family for encouragement and praying for the people we’re struggling with can help us “stand against the schemes of the devil” (V.11). Strengthened by the Holy Spirit, we’ll be able to stand firm in the face of anything (V.13).

WHO IS IT THAT OVERCOMES THE WORLD?
ONLY THE ONE WHO BELIEVES THAT JESUS
IS THE SON OF GOD. 1 JOHN 5:5

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