For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Eph 6:12 (ESV)
Against the Darkness – Part 3
Frederick Buechner said,
“But there is another war that we fight, of course, all of us, and this one is not a war against flesh and blood. ‘For we are not contending against flesh and blood,’ the letter reads. Then against what? What worse is there to contend against in this world than other men? “The principalities . . . the powers . . . the world rulers of this present darkness . . . the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places,” Paul writes.
This other war is the war not to conquer, but the war to become whole and at peace inside our skins. It is a war not of conquest now but of liberation because the object of this other war is to liberate that dimension of selfhood which has somehow become lost, that dimension of selfhood that involves the capacity to forgive and to will the good not only of the self but of all other selves. This other war is the war to become a human being. This is the goal that we are really after and that God is really after. This is the goal that power, success, and security are only forlorn substitutes for. This is the victory that not all our human armory of self-confidence and wisdom and personality can win for us – not simply to be treated as human but to become at last truly human.”
We fight against each other in so many different ways. Jostling and hustling for our worthiness, success, prominence, to be seen and noticed, to be picked and chosen. We struggle within ourselves and against others, wrestling for our place in the world and our own sense of security and belonging; a patch of ground, both spiritually and physically, to call our own. These battles grow and take wings. They have become, over the ages and today, battles betweens nations, violent wars, despots controlling tribes and people groups, extremists killing and murdering to advance their brand of power and control, a young man killing 9 in a church in South Carolina… we fight and war and wrestle and struggle against each other when all along, the struggle to be fought is in the one within us. And that's something we could stand side by side and help each other with. What's more human than to be down in the dirt with someone suffering, or dancing with someone rejoicing?
Violence begets violence.
(**THOUGHTS** It is a complex issue, and I’m not trying to make this political. I do believe that we have a responsibility to stand up for the vulnerable, step in for the powerless and afflicted, rescue the oppressed and set captives free. I believe that we should defend our families and nations against corruption and hatred… but I keep asking myself, to what end? Where does the line go from defence to attack? We must always ask ourselves who wins in these situations, those we are trying to save? Or ultimately, ourselves? Email us your thoughts: talktous@pktfuel.com)
Back to the devotion.
When we have settled our worthiness with Christ, there is no need to try and take it from another human. Instead, we are given tools, armour, even weapons to fight the real war that’s going on within our hearts and under the fabric of the material world. And this is the war we need to engage in with all our faith, hope and love.
Go to Part 6 – Fighting Fit
[vcex_image_grid columns=”3″ pagination=”false” thumbnail_link=”custom_link” link_title_tag=”true” custom_links_target=”_blank” overlay_style=”title-category-visible” columns_gap=”5″ img_hover_style=”fade-out” image_ids=”20934,20935,20937″ custom_links=”https://itunes.apple.com/app/apple-store/id1239768002?pt=118656308&ct=blog%20footer&mt=8,https://www.pktfuel.com/dailyemail,https://www.pktfuel.com/support” img_height=”350″]