Whether we know it or not or like it or not, we are all engaged in a spiritual battle. We don’t live in a spiritually neutral world. There is great spiritual opposition to the plan of God for our lives. Our battle is not with flesh and blood, people, and other religions. In fact, our biggest problem is not the current cultural, moral, political and economic issues that we face today.

Our battle is with the enemy of our souls, the devil. Our battle is with his schemes, strategies and hierarchy of darkness that influences our world today. The good news is that we win!

A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.
(Eph. 6:10–13 NLT-SE)

This verse clearly tells us that we are able to stand against all of the devil’s schemes, strategies and hierarchy. The good news certainly overrides the darkness. However, this takes more than “God loves me”, having a Bible with your name engraved on it, or a “Honk if you love Jesus” bumper sticker on your car.

The ability to stand happens because we use His power, put on the armor of God and are in the know.

The devil will use whoever and whatever he can. He will even use innocent things to frustrate, hinder, limit and distract. He will use who whoever and whatever he can to drain off our peace and joy, get in the middle of our progress, work against our stability, favor and grace, leave us stuck, and feeling guilty.

“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”
(John 10:10 NKJV)

At Meadowbrook Church we like to say that we are HSFB! HSFB is happy, stable, fruitful and blessed. We need to realize that the enemy is very anti our being HSFB. We know from the two verses that we have looked at that we are in a battle and we have an enemy.

Where Is The Battlefield?

They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”).
(Matt. 27:33 NIV)

Jesus was crucified at a place called Golgotha that is translated “the place of the skull.” Golgotha is a rocky knoll outside of Jerusalem. It is called Golgotha because there is an image of eye sockets, a nose and a mouth, that look like the face of a skull.

The major battlefield that we will encounter is the battlefield of our mind. It is the battle that takes place between our ears. It is the “place of the skull.”

Where is the Devil?
The devil likes and works in darkness. Let’s look at a few verses to see that the devil operates in darkness:

When I was with you daily in the temple, you did not try to seize Me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.” (Luke 22:53 NKJV)

To open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God’s people, who are set apart by faith in me.
Acts 26:18 NLT-SE

Those who came to arrest Jesus, came at night in the darkness, but they could have come during the day when he was in the temple. Paul was called to help people turn from darkness to the light and from the power of satan to the power of God.

The devil works and traffics wherever there is darkness. He works to create, get us into, or keep us in darkness.

What is Darkness?
Darkness is not just “evil.” Darkness is also ignorance. We shouldn’t be offended by the fact that we can be ignorant about something. Ignorance means that we have a lack of knowledge about something. Stupid means that we lack intelligence. We can all agree that there are areas in life where we are ignorant and that does not make us stupid.

The devil works in darkness or ignorance. He works when we don’t know something. It has been said: “The strength of the oppressor is the ignorance of the oppressed.”

“whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.”
(2 Cor. 4:4 NKJV)

A darkened mind is a mind that is unable to see. Light is knowledge. Virtually, without exception, any problem area in which we are bound, confused, frustrated, losing, or in strife; there is darkness there.

When we are in darkness:
There is something that we don’t know.
There is something that we do not recognize or remember.
There is something that we cannot “see.”

We all have areas of struggle. We all deal with frustrated and broken areas. Remember that darkness is there and that’s where the enemy works. He works in darkness. When we are in darkness and don’t know what to do it causes us to stumble.

Proverbs 4:19 NKJV says, “The way of the wicked is like darkness; They do not know what makes them stumble.”

Know This!
There are some things that we need to know so that we can correct our assumption about a problem area. We need to know, recognize, remember and see:

• What God has promised
• What God is able to do
• That we are free
• What belongs to us
• Who we are in Him
• … and so much more!

If we only knew that for every problem, God has a promise. If we only knew that He is able to back up what He has promised. If we only knew that were actually free and that we are under no obligation to do what the flesh tells us to do. Sin does not have any dominion over us. If we only knew what belongs to us in Christ Jesus and how much He loves us.

The Elephant and the String
The story is told about a person who visited a missionary friend in India. They noticed a little, tiny old lady and an elephant on the street. She walked with a little string tied around the elephant’s foot and when she pulled it the big elephant stopped. She stopped at a store to talk to friends. She pulled on the string and the elephant stopped too. She eventually went her way and returned a few hours later and pulled the yarn like string and the elephant stopped.

This friend to the missionary was amazed and asked how this could be. It was explained to them that when the elephant was little they took a substantial rope and tied it to a stake in the ground with some slack in it. The elephant could only go so far before the rope would stop him. Through time the trainer reduced the size of the rope but the elephant learned to think that he couldn’t do anything with a string around his foot. If the elephant only knew…

The enemy has little strings and he has been jerking and pulling us around for years. Some of us can’t sleep, our finances are poor, etc.

Hosea 4:6a says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” What we don’t know can kill us!
Matthew 13:19 (NLT-SE) says, “The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts.”

It’s good to know that when we understand something it can’t be taken from us!

John 8:32 NLT-SE says, “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.””

Elephant on the loose! When we know the truth, it sets us free!

We need to get information until we understand it. Understanding brings knowledge and knowledge gives us the wisdom on what we need to do.

When the lights come on in a problem area, then the devil can no longer work. We are coming into the light in this Battlefield series!

In brief, we need light. Light comes from God’s presence, God’s Word and God’s people!

The people who walk in darkness have seen a great light!

But the path of the just is like the shining sun, That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day. The way of the wicked is like darkness; They do not know what makes them stumble.
(Prov. 4:18–19 NKJV)

Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”
(John 8:12 NLT)“

For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.”
(2 Cor. 4:6 NLT)

But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests,[a] a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.”
(1 Peter 2:9 NLT)

For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!”
(Eph. 5:8 NLTSE)

Worship
Thank You for setting me free and giving me the light to walk in this freedom!

Grow
“For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!” Ephesians 5:8 (NLT-SE)

Serve
Intentionally pray for someone that you know that is darkness. Pray that God’s light will shine in that area for them.