By now you are hopefully dialing in to this portion of the biblical story.

• Babel wasn't only about human arrogance.
• Deuteronomy 32 was about more than national boundaries.
• Psalm 82 wasn't just poetic drama.
• Psalm 2 was more than a holy royal ceremony.

All of these point us forward and provide clarity to Paul's words in Ephesians; our struggle is not against flesh and blood.

Now, this isn't to say human beings are harmless or that evil and injustice aren't real. What it does say is human conflict is never the deepest layer of the story. Behind the broken disorder of the seen world are unseen realities. Paul wasn't presenting us with a new idea only brought about for New Testament readers. He is simply relaying the reality of the worldview we've been following all week. The nations were disinherited, lesser rulers rebelled, and humanity lived in the fallout. A major part of Jesus incarnation was to reclaim and redeem everything that had been lost ... everything that belonged to God.

I've heard it said the enemy doesn't care which extreme we run to, as long as we don't land on the truth. Many Christians drift into one of two errors; denying the spiritual battle altogether and blaming psychology, systems, or crazy unfortunate circumstances. Others get hyper-focused on and so fascinated by the demonic they forget Christ's victory. They see the power of darkness as almost equal to God's! Scripture beckons us back from both cliffs to the firm ground of Truth.

The powers are real, but not ultimate; powerful, but defeated. The outcome is already decided.

Paul's words aren't meant to shake us up, but keep steadfast and grounded. There's no reason to panic, but to stand. The nations are not reclaimed by rage, fear, or worldly power. Our strength to stand in the face of this spiritual opposition comes only from the Lord. Success in a spiritually hostile world isn't fleshly striving, but consistent, faithful obedience.

As we scroll social media and read click-bait headlines, we realize we are being baptized in a culture of outrage where it has become acceptable to treat anyone and everyone like a life-long enemy. We've been convinced, even by faithful brothers and sisters, that winning arguments and debates, gaining influence, and trying to control outcomes is the way the Kingdom of God advances.

But it's not.

Paul urges us to look deeper. The battle ... the real battle ... is spiritual. That means the weapons used in it must be spiritual as well. Prayer, study, holiness, Truth, witness, and endurance aren't just professed virtues to make our social feeds appear godly, they are the designated means by which we .. the people of The Way ... move forward in the Victory of Jesus.

It's easy to find ourselves focused on the wrong enemy, fighting the wrong battles in the wrong way. But when we do, the way in which we fight often shapes us more than than the Word and the Way of Jesus.

Think of a time when you've been tempted to wage war, with words or otherwise, against flesh and blood instead of the true enemy. How can your life be changed today by standing in the power of Christ rather than reacting in fear, anger, or self-reliance?

Father, help me to remember the real battle is deeper than what I can see. Protect my heart from fear and keep my eyes open to reality. Give me strength to stand in the power of Christ, to walk in truth and obedience. Help me to be faithful to the way of Jesus in a world that would like to see me fail. Amen.