“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.” –Ephesians 6:12
Years ago, our pastors in Newberg told us of a simple truth: “Nothing is personal, everything is spiritual.” And I think we often forget that. Here in Ephesians 6, Paul reminds us that our battle is not against flesh and blood. In other words, people are not the real enemy.
And yet, how often do we find ourselves battling people? We get frustrated with someone, angry at someone, offended by someone—and before long, that person becomes the problem.
But what if we all stopped and remembered what Paul tells us? There is an enemy who loves division. He loves to create conflict, stir up anger, and turn people against one another. And if we forget who the real enemy is, we can end up fighting the very people God has called us to love.
We see it happening all around us: Families divided; Friendships broken; Christians arguing with one another. People responding to anger with more anger and to hatred with more hatred.
But as followers of Jesus, we’re called to respond differently. When we understand that our battle isn’t against people, we can stop fighting people and start fighting the real battle—on our knees in prayer. We can choose love instead of hate. We can show grace instead of anger. We can seek unity instead of division.
The next time someone frustrates us, hurts us, or makes us angry, maybe we need to stop and remember: This person is not my enemy. And instead of fighting back, maybe we should start praying. Because our battle is not against flesh and blood. And when we remember that, it can actually change the way we respond to everyone around us.
