‘Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.’
Ephesians 6:13-18, MSG)
There is a quote that goes like this: “the greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.”
It famously comes from the film ‘The Usual Suspects’, admittedly a film that I have not seen. However, the quote I have become familiar with in my adulthood.
I believe the sentiment of the quote is that evil can often go unnoticed.
When a person blatantly witnesses a crime, they are often indignant and fight tooth and nail to see justice come to pass.
But what about the evils that go on in our world, perhaps not under the immediate noses of us and our neighbours? What of those?
There are numerous evils in our world that, on a day-to-day basis happen predominantly in the dark.
Evil skulks in the unseen and it is in this unseen state that we can continue on with our lives, never realising that we have the power and the weapons to disable and disempower these evils in our generation.
Spiritually speaking, we are told in scripture:
‘For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.’
(Ephesians 6:12, NLT)
It is these forces that influence the flesh and blood people who choose to do wrong, to do harm, in our world.
Whilst this may sound discouraging, it is anything but!
If our fight is not with flesh and blood but in the spiritual, then we are more than equipped to win the battle with the weapons the Lord has issued every single one of us who follow Jesus Christ.
As today’s title scripture tells us, from the message paraphrase, we have the following elements of warfare to battle the darkness in our world:
Alongside this mighty armour we have another offensive weapon to take down darkness – prayer.
You may not always see the enemy’s schemes in your life, but you can certainly feel them when they are firing in your direction. When (not if) this takes place, you have the power to take authority in your life and the lives of your brothers and sisters.
Remember that you have an enemy, my friends. Not so that you can live a morbid, scared life. But so that you can be alert and sober minded, ready to discern the enemy’s schemes and take them down in prayer and with the Word of God.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
