Fight!

Fight!

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Ephesians 6:12 KJV

Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus on so many topics, but it is quite instructive that he ends his letter on a note of warning or caution. He makes it clear that this Christian journey is like a war, where all who will come into the faith must be ready to fight in line with the terms of engagement. I do not see anywhere in the bible where God promised us just earthly comforts with no accountability or responsibility. Along with all that God gives those who are his own, he also warns that there is a stand, a contending and a battle that I must undertake so that I can enforce God's mandate on the earth. The devil will not let go without a fight; I cannot also live as if there is no battle to be fought. What then would God have me know and do? 

Wrestling is like close combat; face to face. You cannot wrestle and turn your back on your opponent at the same time, otherwise, the opponent can hit you with something that could cause damage and loss. You can't stand afar off and still wrestle; you have to come close to your opponent so you can study his weakness and be able to capitalise on those weaknesses. This is the principle here: the fight with the enemy will not happen in abstract; it is an actual fight, where the devil will use all he has. He knows he cannot defeat God, but he also understands the power of sin, so he will always appeal to the fallen human nature of man. It is that nature that cannot resist him, which is why God's recipe for success in this fight has to do with the spiritual plane.

The battle is not against flesh and blood; the fight is not with another human being like myself, even though the devil knows how to use anyone for his evil purposes. The devil wants to blind us to the reality of his evil work, and that is why people fight against each other, harm each other, and even sometimes pray against each other. Oh, there will be times when a stand has to be taken against the antics of men, but I cannot look at man as the ultimate enemy, but a tool in the hands of the ultimate enemy. As long as Christ died for that person, s/he cannot be the ultimate enemy. As far as God is concerned, the fight is not on the physical plane, based on physical weapons and against physical enemies, but the battle is in the spirit. If I will battle in the spiritual realm, I have to be sure that I am aligned with the spiritual realm.

The fight is defined, and the targets are clear: principalities, powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places. As there are stages in wickedness, so are there depths too. From principalities that rule over areas and domains, to the powers that rule over the world's system, to the rulers who control the darkness of the world and to the highest level of wickedness, God makes it clear who the enemy is and where and how the enemy operates. Pray, how can I fight spiritual wickedness in high places if I am only conscious of what goes on in the physical? How can I focus on the spiritual if I am distracted by the physical? How can I counter the wiles of the devil in the spiritual plane if I am not adequately equipped and tooled for the fight that is due? 

God provides the tools and guidance required for this fight. He has done his bit, and also assured me of victory. I just have to stand in the place of his victory and uphold that victory on a daily basis. The devil will keep at it, hoping to break or distract me, but as long as I stay focused on God, I have the assurance of daily victory. I must not take my eyes off God and place them on men like myself. I must not take my eyes off that which God has done, and be distracted by that which men are doing. As long as God is the Victor, all who are in him also enjoy the blessings of victory. I must not settle for anything less; God is on the throne and all powers answer to him. Who do I answer to? The answer here will define the focus of my life and whether I will live in the reality of the victory that is already accomplished in Christ. God's time of favour is here.