“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” (Ephesians 6:12-13)

     Paul stresses the importance of being ready to stand against all of the temptations and deceptions of this world.  As we commit our lives to Christ, we are not instantly and permanently removed from desires which would lead us down the right path.  It takes patience, persistence, and consistency.  Even then, we experience times when we falter, but when we repent, that is a time when the grace, mercy, and forgiveness of our Lord gives us a renewed Spirit.

     We can fight against the dark forces of this world.  A commitment to Christ, along with seeking his wisdom every day is a good place to start.  Some say that you can be a Christian without going to church.  I tend to agree, but when we are with other people who are of the same Spirit, share a very similar mindset, and share many of the same burdens we do, this helps to encourage us, and we get more insight by interacting with other believers.

     Let’s do all that we can to “fight the good fight.” We continue to struggle, but we are not alone.  We have the Lord, and we have each other.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for equipping us with all that we need to have victory in you.  I pray that we will continue to build each other up in the faith, enabling us to stand firm.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.