Armed and Dangerous, a Study in God's Armor for Menনমুনা

Friendly Fire

“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 6:10-11

Have you ever heard about picking your battles wisely?

Some men never follow this advice, staying in a state of constant conflict with everyone. Others overthink this too much, never engaging in any conflict at all, hiding behind a persona of peace, while fading away into passivity.

Do you really know what battles to pick, or are you constantly finding yourself fighting the wrong one?

·Tired and frustrated after a busy week, you get into an argument with your wife just before date night. Ever thought that it might be your true enemy trying to steal your joy and destroy your marriage, and not simply your wife who misunderstands you?

·A friend at work, or at the gym, or even at church, has a different opinion than you on a seemingly serious matter. You are hell-bent to win the argument, not realizing that your real enemy is dividing and conquering by turning brothers against one another.

·The school system is failing in what children are taught and we get angry at teachers, officials, and policy makers. But we don’t realize it’s the powers of darkness indoctrinating the system behind the scenes.

So, what’s the solution? Do we seek to find the devil behind every detail? Of course not. We avoid friendly fire by asking the Holy Spirit for discernment when facing various confrontations throughout the day. At times we must simply confront people and problems head on. But at certain times, especially with complex matters, we must realize that fervent prayer and fierce persistence is necessary. Sometimes we face a people-problem, and other times it’s a principles-problem.

· A people-problem is something where there is in fact a misunderstanding between people, or maybe even a character flaw within someone. These are generally things better confronted directly and in person. It still takes wisdom and sensitivity but might also call for firmness and clear intentions. If people-problems linger too long, our true enemy, the devil, gets a stronghold, brings division, and destroys lives and relationships through everything. From frustrations and pretense, to gossip and lies being spread.

· However, a principles-problem is where we see the clash of the kingdoms of light and darkness. These are issues where principles and ideologies collide and the issues at hand are usually rooted spiritually, mentally, or even intellectually. It takes prayer to bring change, as well as patience and resilience. We can also discern between which of these are conflicts of ideologies, or battles with temptations.

Either way, we should remember that we are to confront problems, not people. Sin, not sinners. We must battle the powers of hell that hide behind various temptations, instead of firing at the friendlies at home, in town, at school, at work or in church.

Read Ephesians 4:17-32

Check Your Armory:

What is the difference between battling people or battling principles? How do you know which battles to pick?

Like wearing the right armor for picking the right battles, how can you practically take off the ‘old self’ and put on the ‘new self’ in Christ each day?

Where have you fired at friendlies, or even taken friendly fire yourself, in the past? How can you avoid this in the future?

What do you need to pray for today?