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Ephesians 6: 12 (NIV)
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.
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| When we pray, unseen things happen in the spiritual realm.* |
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Have
you ever participated in a séance? I hope not. No doubt you have seen a movie
or television show that featured someone trying to contact a dead loved one. I
do not believe that dead people come back and communicate with us, but I do
believe 1) that Satan is a deceiver and he can trick us into believing any lie
that we wish to believe; and 2) there is
a spirit world – an “alternate universe” – that we can’t see but which is
heavily involved in our lives. It has all the ingredients for a good sci-fi flick
– but it’s neither science nor fiction and it is too serious to be
entertaining.
Paul
paints a vivid picture of the “dark side” of the spirit world. We are at war
with evil, invisible forces, but we are not unarmed. Spiritual warfare requires
spiritual weapons. At our disposal are the belt of truth and the breastplate of
righteousness (verse 14). Our feet are outfitted with boots that are made for
marching, thanks to the gospel of peace (verse 15). Thus armored, we lift up
the shield of faith which deflects the flaming arrows aimed at us by Satan
(verse 16). With the helmet of salvation on our head and the sword of the
Spirit in our hand (verse 17), all that’s left for us to do is to pray. Pray in
the Spirit, on all occasions, with all kinds of prayers and requests; be alert
and keep on praying for all the saints (verse 18).
In
other words, it does no good to be armed to the teeth if your weapons have no
ammunition! Prayer is the ammo that unleashes the only power capable of
overcoming the spiritual forces of evil.
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| Prayer is the first and last action of a spiritual life.* |
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