The Secret War

The more I’ve thought about it, the more I am convinced that the question we (meaning the church—all followers of Jesus) should be asking is, how did we become so unaware of the spiritual battle we are in the midst of? Why is our default posture to let the spiritual realm become the background noise of our lives as we go about our days, weeks, months, and years?

Here’s what I want to make abundantly clear: Your story has a villain. You most likely don’t think about him much, but he thinks of you every single day. He has an active plot to bring you pain and suffering. He wants to drive you to despair. When you are scrolling through social media comparing your life to others, he is involved. When you want to buy something you hope will make you happy, he is involved. And sometimes the “he” is actually “they.” They team up when they need to. You are at war.

In an often-referenced verse in John 10:10, Jesus describes the Enemy as a thief who “comes only to steal and kill and destroy.” If we pause to look at the world (and even within our churches), we can see this is happening all around us. Yet we often fail to think about the second half of that verse. Jesus shows us the alternative to the thief by saying that he has come so we “may have life, and have it to the full.” I believe there is a full, abundant, joyful, good life available to all who follow Jesus, but too few of us actually experience that life here on earth. We experience the thief robbing us in our spiritual lives. We fall prey to the villain’s tactics and end up discouraged and downtrodden—which is exactly what he wants.

I pray that this journey will bring you to a greater awareness and understanding of what is going on all around us. My life is different now than it was a few years ago because of what I have learned. If we understand our Enemy’s tactics and endgame, we stand a much better chance of defeating him. Let’s learn all we can.

Lord God, thank you for heightening our awareness of the true battle going on around us. Guide, lead, and protect me as I learn more about the one who wants to keep me from you, so I can remain in your truth.

Application Question:
Satan and his forces have goals for your life. They have choice they want you to make and paths they want you to follow. Take a moment to think about this reality and list the choices Satan might be tempting you to make.