SERIOUS MISREAD

Ephesians 6:10-13
10 Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12 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. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

"You don't seem to like me. Can I ask why?" Bob Welch asked a student in his Reporting 1 class. "Because you're part of the liberal media," she said. "You've got the rest of the class conned, but not me."

"And why's that?" the professor asked.

"Because I'm a Christian," she said smugly. With this revelation, Bob wanted to say to her, Uh, let's just keep that our little secret.

The University of Oregon professor, who was a believer in Jesus, had asked the young woman to stay after class because she had berated him in front of other students. She stayed and her heart was revealed.

Professor Welch wrote in Today's Christian magazine, "In that instant, I knew what it was like for nonbelievers to encounter Christianity at its ugliest. I knew what it was like to be 'the enemy.'"

It's so easy to focus on who we think are our foes--those people who are antagonistic to our values and beliefs. A young woman lumped her professor in with a group she despised. But, as we sometimes do, she made a serious misread.

Let's read some helpful words from the apostle Paul to get realigned with reality. "Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the . . . spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Ephesians 6:12). These words are an epiphany that allows us to see people the way Jesus sees them. He recognized that the battle of life is ultimately between God and Satan. The evil one has blinded the eyes of people.

Jesus had compassion on those who were lost in spiritual darkness. Quoting a passage from Isaiah, He wanted them to "see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn," so that He could heal them (Matthew 13:15).

People can act ugly, but they're not the enemy. Reach out in love and truth and help them be healed from the foe who has blinded them. --Tom Felten

DESTINATION POINTS

* Why is it so hard for me to see my struggles with others from a spiritual point of view?
* What will happen if I begin seeing enemies of Jesus through His eyes?

bottom line: Our battle with others is all about Satan.

soul journey