Can you feel the ground shaking under your feet? Do you smell the ever-present smoke, acrid and thick, making it hard to breathe? Can you sense the enemies that encircle you like a malevolent vapor, like a cold fog in the damp woods, bringing on an uncontrollable shiver? Do you hear the people screaming as they fall under relentless artillery fire? Can you taste the metallic twang of blood in your own mouth, though until this very moment you hadn’t even realized you’d been hit?

Welcome to the war zone.

They are coming for your children. They are coming for your spouse. And they are coming for you.

Is this a bit dramatic? Or is it possibly an accurate representation of what is happening, right now, in the spiritual realm? In some places, the battle is overt. In others? You won’t know you’ve stepped on the land mine until you hear that unmistakable “click”.

We have a crafty opponent. He knows that if he can get to our minds, we won’t even have the good sense to fight back! We’re almost identical to the POW with his arms manacled to the chair, forced to endure endless indoctrination until our brainwashing is complete. The only difference is, we’re here voluntarily.

The enemy’s propaganda machine feeds us a steady diet of twisted information branded as gospel truth: Confusion and chaos. Fear and division. Up is down. “It’s all normal,” they say. “This is progress. The really smart people all agree!” And if you don’t, well.. you’re probably, no definitely, a racist.

“We’re the good guys!” they scream. “And we’ll cancel you if you say any different!”

They are, quite clearly, not the good guys.

If they were the good guys they wouldn’t try to twist and pervert God’s good plan for sexuality and family.

If they were the good guys they wouldn’t promote the murder of unborn children as an ethical and reasonable course of action.

If they were the good guys they wouldn’t be telling us to get on board with dumbing down schools; with calling one group of people oppressed and another oppressor; with handing over our hard-earned money in exchange for the noble, country-wide poverty that socialism will bring. And branding anyone who dares to say these are terrible, divisive, ruinous ideals as evil.

The good guys don’t pretend to care about our well-being as they hand out crack pipes.

This is a war.

It is a war on common sense. A war on freedom. A war on religion. A war on our health. A war on independence from actual oppression. A war on relationships. A war on our very God-given identity.

It is a war on God himself. It rages against everything he calls good and true.

They’ve taken so many captives. And the heartbreaking thing is; those captives think they are free.

This is a war. And we, you and I, are the warriors God has called to battle. Scary. Terrifying. But we don’t fight in our own strength.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5
We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.

Ephesians 6:10-18
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. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

War is not pretty. And the enemy is strong. But us + God = victory in battle. Every time.

2 Kings 6:15-17
When the servant of the man of God got up early the next morning and went outside, there were troops, horses, and chariots everywhere. “Oh, sir, what will we do now?” the young man cried to Elisha. “Don’t be afraid!” Elisha told him. “For there are more on our side than on theirs!” Then Elisha prayed, “O LORD, open his eyes and let him see!” The LORD opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire. …

Armor up.

Angela