CONCERNING EVIL: SPIRITUAL WARFARE

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God, and Savior,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

CONCERNING EVIL: SPIRITUAL WARFARE

In his letter to the Ephesians, Saint Paul writes: “Finally, my brethren,
be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole
armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, BUT AGAINST PRINCIPALITIES,
AGAINST POWERS, AGAINST THE RULERS OF THE DARKNESS OF THIS
AGE, AGAINST SPIRITUAL HOSTS OF WICKEDNESS IN THE HEAVENLY
PLACES” [Ephesians 6:10-12].

More and more people who are witnessing current conditions in our country and in the world are saying that “we are living in evil days.” It seems to them that evil occurrences are happening more daringly, more often, and with boldness, as though they have nothing to fear. “It’s open season” they say. However, no matter how blatantly and conspicuously they act we must never be intimidated by them and their actions. We must remain steadfast in our Christian faith and follow our Lord God with humility and obedience to His commandments and holy Gospel. All who stand for good must wage a constant battle with the forces of evil. For the demons still have power in the world as is mentioned in Ephesians 6:12), UNTIL CHRIST COMES AGAIN IN GLORY. This is clearly acknowledged in the prayers at the conclusion of Orthodox baptism. Christians FIGHT WITH GOD’S ARMS, that is, His Uncreated Divine energy, given to us [1:19-23; 3:16-21] and actively used by us, The Christian has “put on” (4:23) at baptism all of the qualities listed as armor. “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand IN THE EVIL DAY, and having done all; to stand: Stand therefore having put on the breastplate of RIGHTEOUSNESS, and having shod your feet the preparation of THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; above all, taking the shield OF FAITH with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one. And take the HELMET OF SALVATION, and the SWORD OF THE SPIRIT, which is the WORD OF GOD” [Ephesians 6:13-17]. Just as important is spiritual armor is a Christian’s READINESS and ALERTNESS, DILIGENT PRAYER AND WATCHFULNESS in submission to the Holy Spirit. Those in the “FRONT LINES,” holy Apostles and Evangelists in this case, require the back up power of a PRAYING CHURCH.

No follower of Christ can act, under the current conditions, as though all of the above are foolishness and ludicrous. We are all witnesses of what is taking place throughout the world and the destruction of everything that is decent and good. We see the systematic and wicked way these evil forces have targeted all institutions with the intent to demolish them completely, such as education, law enforcement, family, Church, marriage, government, and many others. These evil forces do not want to leave anything standing. It is clear that their agenda is to subject all humanity and to enslave it. They consider human beings as dumb as sheep and easily deceived. They treat humans as stupid as frogs. It is claimed that frogs cannot sense a slow change in the temperature of the water around them. If you plunge them into boiling water they’ll immediately jump out. But if you place them into room temperature water and slowly heat it to boiling, the frog won’t notice and will slowly cook to death. Is it possible that this is what has been slowly happening to human beings? Is it possible that humans are already in the pot and into boiling water?

The spiritual warfare is very real! However, we must not be afraid of the unseen warfare that is taking place around us. Our Commander and Chief is our Lord Jeus Christ Himself and He will never permit the enemy to triumph. It is for His honor and glory we are waging war. Since He Himself leads us into battle, He will do everything possible to protect us from either being captured by the enemy or killed. Unless, again we do not cross over to the other side willingly. He will Himself fight for you and will deliver your enemies into your hands. “Do not let your heart faint, do not be afraid, and do not tremble or be terrified because of their face; for the Lord your God is He Who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to save you” [Deuteronomy 20:3-4]. We ought to remember all the good things that God has bestowed upon us throughout our lives. He has created us out of nothing and He has formed us in His image and likeness. He died on the Cross to save us from death and sin and to grant us His Heavenly Kingdom. What greater proof of His love do we need than this?

Be confident and trust in God. The holy Apostle Paul exhorts us “to fight the good fight of faith” (1 Timothy 6:12]. Prayer must be united with godly behavior. Prayer must not be reduced to empty words and promises. Prayer must be sincere, contrite and reverent. Our Almighty God knows if we truly mean what we are saying to Him. We ought to also remember that no Christian is perfect but as the Saints of our Church say, a Christian is one who falls and rises, falls and rises. He or she never gives up and will never surrender. Saint Paul writes, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief” (1 Timothy 1:15]. Throughout the Old and New Testaments and Church history, the greatest sinners have often become most notable Saints: for instance Moses, Rahab, David, Photini (the Samaritan woman at the well), Matthew, Paul, and Saint Mary of Egypt.

The life in Christ is one of suffering, and martyrdom. It is a life of sacrifice and of giving of one’s self to others. It is a life of repentance and of forgiving our enemies. It is a life of faith and good conscience, of righteousness and kindness. It is a life of agape for God and for our “fellow man. It is a life of renewal and godliness. It is a life of prayer, worship, and adoration. It is a life of obedience and saintliness. Every Christian trusts in the living God, Who is the Saviour of all men” (1 Timothy 4:10].

____________
“Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!”
– Saint John Chrysostomos
+ + +

With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George


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