Reality check: We are not in control. The power of life and death may be in our tongues, but it’s not in our hands.
Death can bring up so many emotions and for me on this particular day, it brought up anger and frustration. I remember praying, “God, this is the word of the enemy! Would you just demolish him once and for all so we can be done with this?”
“I already did.”
Reality check.
The reality we live in – what we can see, feel, and hear – is not the same reality that heaven experiences. It’s not the reality that Paul teaches us about in Ephesians 6:
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. Eph. 6:12
On the other side of our five senses, there is battle raging. We can’t always see its soldiers, but we can experience the impact of their weapons. Scripture declares that no weapon formed against us will prosper. But does that also mean they won’t wound?
Not everything that draws blood is fatal. We bleed from a paper cut (like the one I got from opening the Amazon box that was just delivered – cardboard paper cuts are 100% demonic, and you’ll never convince me otherwise). But that particular wound isn’t necessarily prospering as much as it’s annoying. A distraction. An inconvenience.
The reality we live in – what we can see, feel, and hear – is not the same reality that heaven experiences.
Sometimes that’s how this spiritual battle manifests in our earthly understanding: annoyance, inconvenience. And sometimes it’s bigger: heartache, discouragement, hopelessness. All of those things can feel so real that it’s hard to remember there is an alternate reality taking place.
Reality check…things are not always as they seem. What we feel is not always indicative of what is true. Likewise, what is true is not always represented in our tangible experiences. We feel the wounds – the inconveniences, the broken hearts, the helplessness, the humanity. But the truth is, He already defeated the enemy.
So why do we still feel pain? Why don’t we feel victory? The answer to that is the second reality check I got on my little prayer walk. Turns out, reality might just be a relative term. Whose reality are we speaking of – ours, or heaven’s?
We are not in the heavenly realms. We are here, somewhere between the broken Eden of Genesis and her restored counterpart in Revelation. We are here, between Alpha and Omega, desperately clinging to the only One who has been present in both. And while we’re here, there is still victory to be won.
What we feel is not always indicative of what is true. Likewise, what is true is not always represented in our tangible experiences.
If you’ve been hanging around for a minute now, you know how I feel about taking scripture out of its context. So let’s not do that with Ephesians 6:12. Let’s back it up to verses 10 and 11:
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.
Two things I want to point out about these verses. First, there are three references to the superiority of God: 1) be strong in the Lord, 2) in his mighty power, and 3) put on the full armor of God. Second, “so that you can take your stand…” We have a part in this. The battle is the Lord’s, but we are soldiers, too.
What exactly does that look like? Well, as we continue in this passage, we encounter the well-known armor of God. Paul has introduced us to the battle in verses 10-12, then he gets us battle ready in the next few verses.
Confession: I’ve always struggled a bit with the application of the armor of God passage. I totally get it theoretically. But in practice…I have no actual helmet to put on. So how do I do this practically?
We have a part in this. The battle is the Lord’s, but we are soldiers, too. And soldiers don’t sit idly by.
Soldiers go to war.
Then I noticed something. The emphasis isn’t on fighting – at least not in the way I imagine a soldier engages in battle. The emphasis is simply on standing.
The armor is all defensive, short of verse 18 which instructs us to pray in the Spirit. Prayer allows us to interact with God; we don’t engage with the enemy in prayer.
Reality check: The battle really is the Lord’s. Our part is to stand and pray. We are fooling ourselves if we think there is anything we do to defeat the devil. “I already did,” says God.
Our offense is the lordship of Jesus over our lives. And believe me…that is incredibly offensive to Satan. But don’t forget…defense wins championships. So stand your ground.
There is a war going on. We may not see it, but we can feel it. It feels like pain. It feels like hopelessness, faithlessness, loss of identity. This is how the enemy steals, kills, and destroys – by making us sit down and never get back up.
Our offense is the lordship of Jesus over our lives, which is incredibly offensive to Satan. But don’t forget…defense wins championships. So stand your ground.
things are not always as they seem. What we feel is not always indicative of what is true.
I love this! Thank God!
“things are not always as they seem. What we feel is not always indicative of what is true.”
I love this! Thank God!
I have to remind myself of this constantly!