I remember as a child watching a movie where a man was trying to decide between the good or the evil choice. On one shoulder was a little devil and on the other shoulder was a little angel, both trying to influence his decision. Do you think there are spiritual battles for our souls today?
I do not think we have such spirits on our shoulders, but there is an evil one who wants our souls, and saints and angels who fight for us. Spiritual warfare is real, and a part of our daily lives. The more we are aware of it, the more we are empowered to choose all that is good.
There are many spiritual battles which surround us. These are not only battles of good and evil, but also battles of life and death for our souls. There are people on the earth today who wish to harm not only our bodies, but more importantly our souls. These are wicked people who exist only for themselves, and the power they wish to obtain. They are out to destroy our faith and our relationship with God.
How do we recognize them? They are evil forces and through them, we become confused, fearful, and begin to doubt and distrust our God. Evil no longer appears bad, and good becomes outdated in exchange for all that we desire in this world. What they speak of is not what God has taught us. Look for those who seek to divide for they know that there is strength in unity and weakness in division. They will strive to pull apart families and groups that promote sharing God’s love and wisdom. We will find these people in the government, military, workplaces, media, sports, the arts, and in schools and churches. We must keep our hearts and minds open, and our guard up.
On the National Day of Prayer, May 6, 2021, Lt. Col. Allen West, a retired combat veteran, former member of Congress, an author and speaker, and president and CEO of The Hope Center, made a plea for all of us to pray for our country. He referenced George S. Patton at the Battle of the Bulge and General George Washington at Valley Forge, both powerful examples of two leaders who believed in prayer and called upon God to help them in times of difficult battle. He stated that today, “While we may not be facing enemies at the gate, we are clearly in a battle for the heart and soul of our nation.” He believes, “……our country is in need of prayer more than ever.”
Our God will never forsake us. He gives us an armor of protection and the wisdom to discern between good and evil. The armor is the graces of love, prayers, and blessings. We are surrounded by the positive energy of angels and saints who pray for us, as well as earthly warriors. They help us form a wall against the evil forces which try to rob our souls.
God needs us, his faithful ones and his candles, to help his people and our country. We are the ones he has trained and made ready for battle. All that God has taught us now becomes our strength and our rock, and what we need to fight these spiritual battles for ourselves and for others. He tells us to be ready, to be daring, and to have the courage to stand up for what is right and just.
As the Body of Christ, it is crucial that we pray for each other, for we are all tempted. We must pray for all of us to open our eyes to those people who bring evil and despair and cause us to doubt love and goodness. Perhaps you have already seen this in action as more and more people are fighting for life, and those who are vulnerable and have no one to pray for them. Maybe you have seen groups who fight for our freedom to worship and love our God. Anything against these and other liberties is not of God.
As Lt. Col. West states, “Let us commit to staying on our knees in prayer, appealing to the Spirit of the Lord to pour out his blessings on our land, to renew a culture of life, love, and liberty in our midst.” We cannot wait any longer. God needs us to be bold, courageous, and ready to take on whatever he tells us especially if we are his prayer warriors. Are you ready to fight these battles?
Copyright © 2024 Marsha Luke – Rights for non-commercial reproduction granted: May be copied in its entirety, but neither retyped nor edited.