Devotion 5: Spiritual Warfare
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12 (NKJV)
You cannot stop Christmas! Here it is once again. For some, this season is an endless stream of happy nostalgia. For others, it is turmoil, panic, and stress.
Which is it for you? How are you doing in this holiday season?
The difference in response to Christmas is tied to many factors. For some, it is a financial response. If the finances are good, we are good. If the finances are stretched, we are stressed. For others, it is a family response. If our family dynamics are good, this time of year can be a blessing. If the family dynamics are weird or bad, this time of year is often trouble! Questions may abound. “What will Uncle Frank say this year? Do we really have to go to your mom’s?” For many others, we go into the season cranky and stressed. We have eaten a lot of pie by this point; our pants are not fitting anymore, and we do not feel well. We have not seen the sun since September, and our vitamin D levels are far too low for us to smile, let alone sing, or make merry! Bah humbug!
Well, regardless of your response to Christmas, one thing is true for all of us. In the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, it is easy to lose sight of what Christmas actually is. Christmas is a reminder. That is all. It is a necessary, yearly call to forgetful people to remind ourselves that God came to us to save us from our sins. We often miss the point. Christmas and its real meaning get lost in the busyness, stress, and the chase of temporary emotional happiness. Let me remind you today: it is really not about lights, trees, or even gifts. The Christmas season is a reminder, and it becomes a blessing when it reminds us of what He did. When this leads us to deep worship and thankfulness, Christmas fills our hearts with joy. When we pause to reflect on this great act of God’s love toward us, we should remember that we would have been lost forever if He had not come. However, He came. He came to die so He could be with us forever. Christmas is a reminder of the lengths to which love will go.
So, why is it so hard for Christmas to be this way for us? As Christians, we must remember that anything good is under spiritual attack. Christmas is no exception. Ephesians 6:12 (NKJV) says, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Much of the Christmas season is a clever attack from a strategic enemy to obscure the truth of God coming into our world. Between the traditions, gifts, lights, get-togethers, and Hallmark movies, the entire Christmas season can come and go without any real reflection on what God did. Our enemy would love nothing more than for us to think that this is all that Christmas is with the chase of the Christmas feeling, the giving of a few gifts, the keeping of traditions, and get-togethers. However, Christmas is so much more. Can I encourage you to take the time to reflect and remind yourself of what this season really is? Let the truth of His love for you, that pushed Him into this world for you and me, drive you into worship and thankfulness today.