Spiritual Warfare
“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.”
~Ephesians 6:12
Imagine a perfectly calm body of water – smooth as glass. Now see a water drop strike the surface and watch the ripples move out from the point of contact. Both sin and acts of charity affect the sea of humanity in a similar manner.
As believers, we understand that we are set free from the most severe consequences of our sinful nature through faith in God’s son and our Savior, Jesus, who has redeemed us through His willingness to offer Himself in sacrifice in our stead. There is no way to adequately thank and praise Him for such a gift beyond never doubting the sufficiency of His offering.
As David declared, “Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is not deceit.” ~Psalm 32:1 & 2
But this does not mean that there are no longer consequences for our sinfulness. A spiritual warfare is ongoing. Future souls are continuously in the balance, and the consequences of sinfulness can be unfathomably grave.
We often fail to recognize, and thereby fully comprehend, the dire nature of spiritual warfare. The story of Cain and Abel offers understanding regarding the magnitude of the fight. It is, of course, the first murder in creation, but murder was a minor act compared to the profound victory evil enjoyed through Cain’s act.
God cautioned Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.”
The shedding of Abel’s blood was tragic, but imagine how greatly mankind would have been blessed by Abel’s desire to please God – passed on from generation to generation right up to this day. Is there any doubt in your mind that the world would be a slightly different place if Cain had mastered sin and Abel had lived?
We have, through faith, overcome the greater consequences of sin to enjoy the undeserved love and grace of our Father and God, but the profound consequences of our sinfulness on the world continues like ripples radiating out across the sea of humanity. That is the nature of spiritual warfare in the world.
Fortunately, Jesus gave us a new simpler commandment that He assures us fulfills the law: Love our God with our entire being, and love our neighbor as our self. With this truth in mind, our best defense and offense against evil is to imitate Christ.