Our Pastor is covering the Book of Ephesians and happened to preach this week on Ephesians 6, the war that we have, daily.  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.  It never hurts to be reminded that we have forces that are working desperately to keep us out of Heaven. 

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Satan is not a red monster with two short horns that carries a pitchfork; he is the god of this age that has a host of fallen angels at his beckon call.  Just consider that if he was deceitful enough to cause 1/3 of the Holy Angels to follow him, how much less cunning does he need to be to deceive us mere humans?  If they would come at us as red monsters with pitchforks it would be much easier, we would be aware of their presence and be able to react.  But they are invisible rulers of darkness, agents of spiritual wickedness!  2 Thess. 2:9-10, The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.

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In the Garden before sin entered into the picture, you see perfection and beauty, absolutely nothing wrong and Adam walking and talking with God.  After the apple incident, we can plainly see what has been happening to the world as we know it.  We are in a downward spiral, new problems every day.  God is not the author of failures and disasters, Satan  is.  Satan wants to create as much darkness as he can before his time runs out.  Be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 

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It is an ongoing battle, it is a daily battle.  But the Bible tells us that we can win, if we use the Bible battle plan.  Only the "good news" of the gospel of Jesus Christ can break the grip of the "bad news" of the devil.  When you read in Ephesians 6 about putting on the Armor of God you will notice that four of the items listed are for protection, one item, the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, is for defeating the enemy and winning the battle. 

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We have been born into a world under the control of worldly satanic forces. Yet, in the mystery of the cross of Jesus and in the power of His resurrection, applied by faith, we discover that those worldly forces that tempt us and draw us can be defeated.  Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you, James 4:7. 

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The devil is real, he is active, he is working day and  night, trying to undo and defeat God's plan in human  history. The devil is our enemy.  And this is war.