You and I woke up this morning in a spiritual battlefield. The spiritual war between God and the devil has been being waged for millennia. Ephesians 2:1-3 describe three enemies opposing the Christian: (1) the fallen world system we live in; (2) the "flesh" or our old sinful nature, which resulted from our original parents' rebellion against God; and (3) the devil or Satan himself. The word "Satan" comes from Hebrew and it means "adversary," "enemy," or "accuser." The nature of this warfare is between the truth of God versus the lies of the devil. Jesus said of Satan, "He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies" (John 8:44). We are set free by knowing and believing the truth of God, and not being caught in the deception of the devil. "You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free" (John 8:32). The warfare is unrelenting and ongoing, but we can live in peace and in the power of God. We can enjoy the blessings of God in our lives, in our families, and in our church if we stand in the truth of God. For the next several weeks we will be examining this final section of Ephesians on spiritual warfare and how, by on putting on the whole armor of God, we can - as individual Christians and as a church - stand in the power of God against the world, the flesh, and the devil. - Pastor David Packer
