June 9

Day 87: Conflict

Our present culture is pretty much a dumpster fire. Yet what we read and see and experience right now is only an illustration of what the Bible tells us are deeper realities.

When we are each born into this world, we are born into a world of conflict. And most of the conflict we don't even see.

(Now forgive me for going all theological on you.)

New Testament scholars generally acknowledge four levels of spiritual conflict:

The conflict between God and Satan (Hebrews 2:14, 1 John 3:8)

The conflict between elect angels and evil angels (Daniel 10, Revelation 12)

The conflict between Satan and the saints, either direct or indirect (Ephesians 6, 1 John 5:18-19)

The conflict between Satan and the unsaved (Matthew 13:1-23, Acts 26:18, Colossians 1:12-14)

Okay, spooky enough. But how can we know this tangibly? We live in a world of inescapable conflict. We see it horizontally, if not always vertically.

Our world, thus our immediate culture is shaped by values, ideologies, institutions the Bible says are energized by Satan. The unbelieving world gladly sides with Satan, while not knowing that they do. To our North American culture, Satan is nobody, therefore not an influence. (Always one of Satan's preferred strategies.)

But...if we acknowledge we are surrounded by so much evil (even the residual evil still within us), how can we possibly survive the conflict (see #3 above) intact?

Sunday School answer here...wait for it...Jesus!

Luke 10:17 tells of 72 people being sent out in 2's to be gospel missionaries. They all later return, amazed that "even the demons are subject to us in your name!"

Two verses later, Jesus responds with, "Behold, I have given you authority...over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you."

What's this? Jesus has given His followers authority over the Satanic forces, an authority not even the good angels enjoy? Crazy, right?

If we have and thus exercise this authority we've been given, then we are not obligated to be subject to the world systems Satan is still trying to deteriorate and wrestle away from God.

Meaning, among other things, we will remain intact when we remind ourselves, everyday and all day, that Jesus has already won the war for our souls. At some point in the future, even all of Creation will be redeemed.

The present conflicts are not the eventual reality. His power, His authority are vastly greater than that of any other system or power, seen or unseen.

Our faith is also our hope. Our only real hope is found in Jesus. He is how we'll survive the conflicts intact. We will, by faith, survive the battles, because He has won the war.

-Mike Rydman, Lead Pastor, Radiant Church | Juneau