“SPIRITUAL FORCES OF EVIL!”

Ephesians 6:10-12                        (ESV)

“10 Finally, be strong in the LORD and in the strength of HIS might.

11 Put on the whole armor of GOD, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

12 For we do not wrestle against FLESH AND BLOOD, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present DARKNESS, against the “SPIRITUAL FORCES OF EVIL” in the heavenly places.”

It is so easy to falsely identify who “the enemy” is and what kind of battle we are involved in.  Blaming a political party, or a certain race of people, the rich people, the poor people, a flawed education system, and big money hungry corporations are just a few of the tools used by “the enemy” to accomplish his work, and we are kept SOOO BUSY at the pace this world operates that we fail to identify who is causing the havoc we are experiencing.   And I am one of the world’s worst at recognizing and identifying “the enemy”, even though I have studied about him for years, and in depth at times!  

FLESH AND BLOOD is NOT our enemy!!!  The devil wants to shift our focus to something other than the true culprit, but our battle, struggle, our warfare is against “SPIRITUAL FORCES OF EVIL” in heavenly places!  It is EXTREMELY tempting to blame FLESH AND BLOOD, as we most often are used by satan, partly because we do not recognize and identify him. Once that is accomplished, he is defeated because “greater is HE WHO is in you, than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4)!  Allowing “the enemy” to camouflage himself is the most effective tool “the enemy” has at his disposal, and we generally are SO easily swayed, even complicit!

Being able to recognize and identify “the enemy” is crucial to living a victorious LIFE IN JESUS!  Allowing satan to hide behind the actions of people or circumstances is precisely what he prefers!  Don’t allow him to trick you like he did Eve in the Garden of Eden.  The “SPIRITUAL FORCES OF EVIL” in heavenly places are who we are wrestling with, and we need to recognize and identify that!!!