Ephesians 6:1-2

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.

Reflect:

This weekend I attended a conference in Cincinnati where I ran into several psychiatrists I’ve called on over the years. On Saturday morning, one of those doctors struck up a conversation on the supernatural and faith. She shared some experiences from the church she attends as well as some of her encounters with patients. Her conclusion is one that I share. While many mental health issues involve biology and circumstances of life, there are definitely spiritual forces at work. The third person involved in our conversation was at least a little skeptical and so I shared the following account from the second book of Kings with both of them.

“When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked.
“Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”

2 Kings 6: 17-19

In a practical sense, I wonder how many times I have been like Elisha’s servant, focusing only on what I can see and lacking the spiritual vision of God’s active hand in the situation at the moment. I do believe there is an actual spiritual enemy described by the writers of both the Old and New Testaments.

To be, as Paul instructs in the verse above, strong in the Lord so that we can have the courage to stand against the devil’s schemes, the first step is to acknowledge there is a spiritual battle, even if we can’t see it with our own eyes.