Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour – 1 Peter 5:8

What if we are supposed to see the wrongs in this world as spiritual forces of evil beings? What if we are supposed to see the wicked spirit behind people and not see people as our enemies. I am not saying that we do not have a choice or that the spirit is forcing us. When we sin, we do make a choice but just like in the garden of Eden the adversary is waiting for our weakness to draw us even further away from God (Genesis 4:7), but we have to rule over the sin. The Bible tells us that we are not fighting against flesh and blood, so why do we see the problem as people. The problem is so much more than that. The battle we fight is not physical, so why do we only see the physical?

The Bible tells us that we are to put on the whole armour of God so that we can stand against the schemes of the devil. It says that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the authorities, against cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:11-12). Rulers, authorities, cosmic powers, and spiritual forces are words used to mean supernatural and non-tangible spirits that we often cannot see. We are against things that are not physical. We do not fight against people but against spirits of evil. These terms rulers, authorities, powers and the satan are referring to spiritual evil that are adversaries to God.

Jesus encountered spiritual evil many times in His ministry. When Jesus was led to the wilderness for forty days by the Holy Spirit, He was tempted by the devil. The devil offered Him all the thing He thought Jesus would want and see as good, but Jesus resisted him. Jesus resisted him by using the truth, the word of God. (Luke 4:1-13). Jesus gave the disciples authority over these unclean spirits and to cast them out (Matthew 10:1). The disciples where amazed by the authority that Jesus had given them (Luke 10:17). Jesus often cast out demons, and He did it with authority and peace (Mark 9:25).

When Jesus began to show His disciples, what was going to happen to Him at the crucifixion, Peter spoke against it. He told Jesus that this should never happen to Him. But Jesus said to Peter “Get behind me Satan. You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting my mind on the things of God but on the things of man.” (Matthew 16:21-23; Mark 8:31-33). Jesus spoke to Satan here, not Peter. He rebuked the spirit behind what Peter was doing. He rebuked the spirit that was trying to set His mind on the things of man and not on the things of God. This really emphasises for me that it is not people that we are up against, but we are to see people as souls that God has created. He desires to reconcile them back to himself just as He has done for us. So, we are to love them and speak out with our authority against the evil behind them.

The Bible points out that before we were saved, we all followed the prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2). The prince of the power of the air is the spirit of evil at work in us when we are unsaved and live according to the desires of the flesh and according to what we think is right. We are supposed to turn from darkness to light, from the power of the satan to God (Acts 26:18). This tells us that the thing we are against is evil spiritual beings who lead us astray, who seek to deceive us, who want to draw us away from God, just like in the beginning where he deceived Adam and Eve. These evil spirits have blinded the minds of those who do not believe so that the truth of the Gospel cannot be known to them (2 Corinthians 4:4). The satan (the adversary) is roaming the earth for who he may devour (Job 2:2; 1 Peter 5:8).

Even though there are these evil spirits that are waiting to take advantage of us, we know that God is greater and has overcome them already. We should rejoice because we know that even though we were enslaved to the evil spiritual powers, God sent his Son to redeem us that we might receive adoption as sons. And so, we are no longer slaves but sons and heirs of the most high God (Galatians 4:3-7). And Paul tells us that he is sure that nothing, not death, life, these spiritual beings, present, future, powers, height, depth, nor anything else in creation can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:38-39). Christ is seated above all spiritual authority, powers and dominion (Ephesians 1:20-22). He has disarmed the rulers and authorities and has triumphed over them (Colossians 2:15). Angels, authorities and powers are being made subject to Him (1 Peter 3:22). Jesus has already overcome these rulers of darkness (John 16:33).

So, what do we do? We put on the whole armour of God which is the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of readiness, the shield of faith, helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, the word of God (Ephesians 6:13-17). The passage goes on to add that we should be praying at all times in the Spirit. (Ephesians 6:18). So let us pray, have faith in the God we serve, stand on the confidence in our salvation and who we are, live according to God’s way, rely on the Spirit and spend time in the word of God. Let us be alert and ready for the adversary so that he can never catch us off guard and let us be confident in what we believe so that he cannot deceive us or sway us. And remember God’s word which says that He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4).

All photos were taken by Kyle or Vani. These photos are from the many adventures we have been blessed to experience together. We are so grateful for every blessing from God. No filters were used nor were the photos edited except for an occasional crop. We hope you enjoy.