In my five Bible classes, we teach that evil is real and that Satan is no figment of a religious imagination. The world may laugh at the concept of light versus darkness but is a central theme of the Scriptures. The following, from September 10, 2007, explores that theme.
It was memory verse day this afternoon in my two eighth grade Bible classes. Normally, we concentrate on the Gospel of Luke but sometimes we step outside its pages. On Friday, we will have the first of three memorization assignments over the hymn, There Is A Sea. Today, we tackled a very difficult verse passage by Paul, the twelfth verse of the six chapter of Ephesians:
"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."
Christianity tends to overlook the power of Satan and what believers are up against. I mentioned a book by Frank Peretti, This Present Darkness, which is based on Ephesians 6:12. This Present Darkness, a religious novel, takes the viewpoint that forces of good and forces of evil are in a constant battle over our souls. According to Peretti's book, these beings surround us, invisible to the human eye. It is a chilling read. I point out what I believe to be fallacies in his interpretation of the Bible but I try to get the kids to comprehend that the most important war in history is over their souls. We snicker at television shows and movies that focus on the supernatural. I mentioned the Tennessee sheriff who spoke at Friendship Christian School, tackling the subject of Satanic worship. One illustration he gave, and you might think this is reaching, was that Saturday morning cartoons are dominated by supernatural beings in many forms. Maybe that's a stretch. A student asked what these rulers, authorities, powers, and spiritual forces of evil were. My response was, "I don't know." I do know, I told them, that anything to do with the occult is dangerous and condemned throughout the Word of God. I preached that Ouija Boards are nothing to be messed with. I told them that in Haiti, my nerves were rattled when riding in the countryside and voodoo worship sites were identified. Paul defined the world as dark. Jesus told us that we are the light of the world. We have the armor and the equipment to win this war. We have to be more aware of the enemy. Eighth graders don't get a pass because of their age.
Applicable quote of the day:
"There is no neutral ground in the universe: every square inch, every split second is claimed by God and counter-claimed by Satan."
C.S. Lewis
God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1www.hawleybooks.com
E-mail me at steve@hawleybooks.com
5 comments:
Fortunately, we, like Michael the archangel, have a powerful ally, if only we will call upon Him.
Jude 1:9-10 (New King James Version)
9 Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” 10 But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves.
Coach Hawley,
I don't remmeber you saying anything about the sheriff at the school...
I'll try to remind myself to bring you some jelly tommorrow.
Hi Steve,
I appreciate this message "What Then is This Child Going to Be?
Indeed, most Christians aren’t conscious of the wiles of the wicked one, much less discerning of his tactics. His many devices are too subtle to detect apart from spiritual acumen, a close walk with God, an intimate union with Christ. Nowadays he comes as an angel of light, a shrewd but seemingly benign “idea.” These principalities and powers, and wickedness in high places are blatant in America today, particularly in the political arena, where so many are calling good evil, and evil good. The enemy is in our midst, and more awareness of his plans to destroy us is much needed. Thank you for bringing this to the light.
Steve, that's very interesting about your time in Haiti. I've talked to others who have served in countries where occultic activity took place, and they all said they could feel the presence of darkness in those areas. Of course, the stories of God bringing light to those dark places are amazing.
Thanks also for stopping by my blog this week. I appreciate it!
Hi,
Hmm ... very interesting. You mentioned that you didn't know what the dark forces of evil were. They are demons doing Satan's bidding. As the people of God, we are constantly at war with these beings. They can't possess us, but they can be a nuisance; they can oppress us; and wreak havoc in our lives, or at least try to. We don't think about them too often, but they prowl around like roaring lions seeking whom they may devour!
Judy
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