I remember the story of a boxer who was being pummeled in the ring by his opponent. His opponent left him with a bloody nose, swollen eyes, and a lot of obvious pain. As he sat and rested in his corner between rounds, the battered boxer’s trainer kept trying to encourage him. The trainer would say, “You’re doing great, Fred. That bum is barely touching you.” To which the boxer responded, “Then you better keep your eye on that referee because somebody is killing me.”

You see, no amount of smooth talk could camouflage the reality of the bloody battle in which this fighter was engaged. Nothing the trainer said could mask the pain the boxer was suffering. In the same way, you and I are engaged in a real battle, one of cosmic proportions. We know the battle is real and the opponent ferocious because this world bears the bloody, painful scars of this conflict: wars among nations, shattered lives, broken homes, suicide, and immorality of every imaginable kind. Nevertheless, we must remember that everything visible and physical is the result of something invisible and spiritual. Therefore, only by addressing the invisible, spiritual cause can we fix what is wrong with our visible, physical lives.

Here’s the key to effective spiritual warfare: (Ephesians 6:10-11) “Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” It is when God fights the battle for you that you win against the evil one. Victory in spiritual warfare is found in dependence on God. We are at war, but it’s not like other wars. Christ has already won this war. All we have to do is enlist, put on our fatigues and our boots, and pick up our weapons . . . because it’s time to march.

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