Unravel the Inexplicable

Let’s say that someone from a prehistoric tribe, perhaps from the jungles of Papua New Guinea or deep within the Amazon rainforest, somehow stumbled into London. They saw the electronic billboards, the high end storefronts, the cars and taxis. They took a closer look at the people and saw them talking into strange hand held devices that seemed to be displaying images themselves. Let’s say then that this person was transported to a cutting edge hospital, where they saw the vast machinery and the things doctors could do with the human body. If he saw what we take for granted, he would say we’re wizards. He would say we’re magicians. What is normal and accepted for us is mysterious to someone unfamiliar and unaccustomed to it.

In the same way, many of us treat spiritual warfare like wizardry. It’s the Christian version of Harry Potter, with blessings (spells) and prayers (incantations). The supernatural world is a place filled with mysterious creatures like angels and demons. For most of us, our only education on the supernatural comes one of two places: fictional books or Hollywood horror films, convincing us that the supernatural world is fictional, or if it is real we should be afraid of it.

The supernatural world is very much real, as much as the air that you can’t see is real. But it doesn’t have to be a mystery. In the first century, the Apostle Paul wrote a letter to a group of Christians in modern day Turkey (we know it as the book of Ephesians). In this letter Paul demystifies the mysterious, speaking not only to the reality of spiritual warfare but also giving Christians practical tools to win the war in the spiritual. Over the remainder of this book Ephesians 6 will be our focus.

ON THE COUCH WITH GOD

1. What’s something in your life that is mystery, that you can’t fully comprehend? Perhaps it’s an advanced technology or something just invented? If someone from the 1700s walked around today, would they think we’re all wizards?

2. What’s been your education on the supernatural thus far in your life? Has it come from Scripture or from fictional books and Hollywood movies? How do fictional books and movies portray the supernatural?

NEXT STEP

If you’re into fictional books right now about the supernatural, put them down. If you’re watching movies or binging Netflix shows about the supernatural, put those on hold. Commit to educating yourself on spiritual warfare only from Scripture for the next several weeks.