11-13-2024

Good Morning All,

      Ephesians 6:12, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” 

   Some days are just a real struggle, a real battle.  At the end of the day, we are completely exhausted.  Yet we go to bed and rest very little.  How come our life can be a struggle?  It seems like others don’t have struggles.  The truth is that we all have struggles; it is just that some can be seen while others cannot.

    Everyone struggles with some issue.  It might be trouble at work, at school, or at home.  But sometimes it seems like Christians have more struggles than non-believers, why is that?  If we are God’s children, why is it such a struggle in life?

    Through the years I have met people who struggle.  One couple, both very devout believers, had a daughter who detested the church and had no belief in God. They really struggle with that.  Some had issues with their place of employment, some have really struggled with their relationships, some finances, some addiction issues, some seemed to live in a really dark place.

     These are the same struggles that we all deal with.  Perhaps there are even some tougher struggles to deal with.  Dealing with death, family relationships especially with children or spouses, issues that may require some ethical decisions like hospice or adoption.  We all struggle, and we struggle because we are Christians. 

      That is what our verse tells us.  We wrestle (struggle) not against flesh and blood but against the devil.  We struggle because our faith matters in our life.  We struggle because we strive to follow God’s will.  Look at our examples. What unbeliever would care if their daughter was or wasn’t an unbeliever? What unbeliever doesn’t place a measure on their relationship and as soon as “you are more trouble than you are worth” don’t bail on that relationship?  We struggle because of our faith.  When it happens, don’t be caught off guard, don’t be surprised. 

     As a believer, you are in the devil’s sights and when you struggle the devil is ready to make it more difficult.  The devil is ready to make it difficult to follow Christ.  Why does it always seem that everyone else can cheat, lie, steal, act in any fashion they want but we think it is wrong, so we struggle with these actions?  It is because we know God’s will and the spirit moves us to follow God’s will, but our own sinful nature tries to cause troubles, so we struggle.

     So, when those struggles occur always remember this.  At the end of it all, you are God’s forgiven, redeemed child.  He loves you, cares for you and gives you the promise of eternal life.  This doesn’t always remove the struggles, but it gives us hope to overcome them.

Father in heaven, you know the days that we struggle and the devil whispers loudly in our ear.  Give us an extra measure of your grace that we will defeat him.  Lead us to seek out your Word for comfort and also the arms and ears of our brothers and sisters in Christ.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray.  Amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret