Protection from Unseen Danger
Ephesians 6:10-12 emphasizes the importance of spiritual strength and preparation in facing challenges such as fear, doubt and temptation.
All these challenges are a part of the daily landscape currently because these are times of “poor spiritual visibility,” not because the S-U-N is dim.
Visibility is a problem because many who have gained public notoriety have no love for the S-O-N. Even those who are truly focused on replicating the works of Christ are challenged with vision problems. They fail to recognize the unseen dangers of poor spiritual visibility. Every Christian must recognize that there is a spiritual battle going on between righteousness and symbolic religiosity that parades itself as serving Christ. It is religion without relationship.
The Scripture passage from Ephesians encourages believers to equip themselves with the "whole armor of God." It points to an active participation in being equipped to engage in a spiritual battle. Spiritual wisdom and relationship are built through prayer, studying Scripture and seeking God’s wisdom. By doing these things, believers can better differentiate between truth and deception in their lives.
As it was from the beginning, Satan is a deceiver. He hates humankind because we are made in the image of God. It is for this cause believers must use every spiritual weapon at our disposal to avoid his tricks. Believers must guard their temple by dressing the temple in the attire of spiritual warfare. (More about spiritual armor next week.)
Though fear, doubt and temptation are challenges for the believer, God has made it clear that he is the source of strength in our time of weakness. The call to "be strong in the Lord" is a reminder that strength is not within the believer. Instead, it comes from God. Armed with this knowledge, we can focus on God, the source of strength, and recognize that we are not held by personal limitations. Recognizing that God is the source of strength fosters courage and resilience.
Another tactic used by the adversary is the infiltration of doubt into a situation. Once there is a clear understanding that the battle is not against physical foes but against spiritual forces, believers are empowered to rely on the promises of God. God has said he will fight for us (Exodus 14:14). God said he will be with us (Joshua 1:9). God said he will bless us (Matthew 6:20-22). Holding firm to faith and the truths of Scripture, we are better equipped to combat doubt with assurance in God's promises and provisions.
As we resist temptation, “the schemes of the devil,” it becomes apparent that temptation is part of a larger spiritual struggle, and we must be empowered to resist the devil. By donning the armor of God — such as truth, righteousness and faith, we as believers we can stand firm against temptations that pull us away from our faith and values.
We must be careful to discern that the deceiver is at work in the spiritual realm and his caustic fruit is manifested in ways that we can see, hear, and feel. It is our job, as believers, to seek help from God to do what is right, not by our standards, but to do what pleases God. We may not be able to see the unseen dangers, but God knows, and we put our trust in him and not ourselves.
St. James AME Church is located at 360 Dorothy St. in Charleston and worship service is held on the first and third Sunday of each month at 11 a.m. You may also join us on Zoom - pastorv.com.
