Daily Devotional For Friday, March 21, 2025
Well, it’s Friday and hope you are ready for the weekend. Many people think when we become a Christian, it is a one time decision and we can go live our lives however we please. To them, we can sin all we want because we now have our “life insurance” or “fire insurance.” We’ve got our ticket to heaven and escape from hell. Yet, there is nothing in Scripture that says that. In fact, everything in Scripture says the exact opposite. For such people or “Christians,” they have already lost their spiritual battles.
Look at Ephesians 6:12,” For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (NASB). We think our struggles are against people and organizations and armies, but our real struggles are against evil.
Evil is a spiritual force that opposes the wisdom and purposes of God. Its objective is destruction, and the only thing it will yield to is a power greater than itself. The audacity of evil to continue to assert and demand is stunning. If you look across the span of human history, you cannot find an instance where evil has produced anything good.
There is no record of evil bringing a positive outcome. Yet, evil continues to stand proudly in the public square, dominating and manipulating people and demanding its way. Denial of this spiritual reality is not a winning strategy. If we are going to stand firm for the Lord when we encounter evil, we need to be awake, aware, and prepared to wield the power we have been given through the Holy Spirit.
This struggle to fight evil is an everyday battle that we all face. For each Christian, the battles they face will ve individual to them. This means we cannot underestimate our spiritual enemy, we must know who our spiritual enemy is, and we need to know who to fight our spiritual enemy. Not knowing these three keys to victory will only lead to more defeat. The movie Lawrence of Arabia makes this point:
“Aqaba in 1917 seemed impregnable. Any enemy vessel approaching the port would have to face the battery of huge naval guns above the town. Behind Aqaba in every direction lay barren, waterless, inhospitable desert. To the east lay the deadly "anvil of the sun." The Turks believed Aqaba to be safe from any attack. But they were wrong.
Lawrence of Arabia led a force of irregular Arab cavalry across the "anvil of the sun." Together, they rallied support among the local people. On July 6, 1917, the Arab forces swept into Aqaba from the north, from the blind side. A climactic moment of the magnificent film Lawrence of Arabia is the long, panning shot of the Arabs on their camels and horses, with Lawrence at their head, galloping past the gigantic naval guns that are completely powerless to stop them.
The guns were facing in the wrong direction. Aqaba fell, and the Turkish hold on Palestine was broken, to be replaced by the British mandate and eventually by the State of Israel. The Turks failed to defend Aqaba because they made two mistakes. They did not know their enemy, and they did not have the right weapons.
We must be careful not to make the same mistakes. (Ephesians 6:12) makes it very clear who our enemy is: "Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world” (Source: Michael Boyland in Fresh Illustrations for Preaching & Teaching (Baker), from the editors of Leadership).
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7, NIV). The first step in resisting evil is submitting yourself to God. Are you willing to take that first step with the Lord?
Questions To Consider
- What are some of the challenges we face in winning our spiritual battles?
- What would you say are the weapons we need to win in our spiritual battles?
- Evil has never produced anything good. Never! It only enslaves and destroys. So what in your opinion is the appeal by so many?
- Would you say that your life is one of denying yourself, taking up your cross daily and following Christ (Luke 9:23)?
- What spiritual lessons can you draw from the story above about Lawrence of Arabia?
Scripture To Meditate On: Luke 13:24, Jesus said, “ “Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able” (NASB).
Prayer To Pray: “Heavenly Father, forgive me for when I blame people or organizations for problems that originate in the spiritual realm. Help me to recognize Your truth in each situation I encounter. Thank You that, through the blood of Jesus, I can be forgiven and delivered out of the hand of the enemy. I submit myself to You alone. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
I love you Southside!--Pastor Kelly