9 October 2015 - not against flesh and blood

Whoever is not with me is against me,
and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

We need to be on guard against scattering. We see a crowd try to assert ulterior motives in the power Jesus has over demons. This power is a frightening power. Demons are frightening. Power of them is frightening in turn. This is so because that power reminds of the reality of the spiritual combat in which we find ourselves.

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 (cf. Eph. 6:12).

We think that if we keep such struggles from our minds we won't have to encounter them in the world. We prefer a blissful ignorance to the reality of the struggle between light and darkness. When people do acknowledge these realities we justify our own lack of involvement by suggesting that those who pay attention to the supernatural have questionable motives.

“By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons,
he drives out demons.”

We prefer our sanitized reality where the prince of demons plays no part. Even those who are interested in casting him out are a problem for those who would rather not think about him at all. On the one hand, who can blame us for wishing that these threats were imagined? But we can't afford to scatter and cause division in the Church around this point. We must acknowledge the deeply spiritual realities that often underlie the day-to-day and the mundane.

We need to do our part with the spiritual warfare of prayer and fasting to send these demons running. We need to help brothers and sisters who now have the spirits "swept clean and put in order" to be filled with the Spirit so that demons have no place to which to return. If we don't acknowledge spiritual warfare our brothers and sisters become easy pickings. An individual may not come to a prayer meeting simply because he doesn't want to come. But it is at least as likely, if the prayer meeting is good, that the enemy does not want him there. Without prayers, without intercessions, without acknowledging the darkness in play and taking steps to counter it, they are left defenseless and blessings are left unclaimed.

We've probably missed the signs of spiritual oppression many times in our lives. We've squandered the opportunities we've been given to respond and to help. Let us repent. It is not too late!

Alas, the day!
for near is the day of the LORD,
and it comes as ruin from the Almighty.

The thing to remember about spiritual warfare is that "the LORD sits enthroned forever" and that the enemy is already cast down. The victory is already won and the last page is already written.

We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign (cf. Rev. 11:17).

Nothing in this battle is up to us, so we needn't fear it. Nothing is even possible by our own power or strength. But if we refuse to gather with Jesus we most assuredly scatter. Let us gather by recognizing the finger of God at work in our midst. Let us welcome the Kingdom Jesus longs to bring so that all may be gathered therein.