Battle

Some days you get a close up view of the damage inflicted by the Father of Lies. He seems to be hell bent on destroying the unity provided to brothers and sisters in Christ. I'm starting to think this is his primary task. Division. If our bonds have not been made strong, he has less to gain by his destruction than when he succeeds with those who have not been made strong. And for those weak bonds, his task is easy.

He steals glory for himself every time he shows the world that togetherness is a joke. If the world gets a glimpse of Christ's life when Christians love one another (how they know we are Christians), then conversely, perhaps, what they are getting a glimpse of when Christians are in conflict with one another, is the devil.

What greater pain is there than when the one we love is torn away from us? Physical pain is bearable but the pain of division is horrific. The antithisis of heaven. The opposite of the abundant life. The converse of the kingdom. It is the land where the devil is king. His kingdom.
We have to cling desperately to the kingdom of Christ. To cry out to him and rebuke the devil. The Father of lies has no authority in the kingdom of Christ. Jesus told him so, we must tell him so. To not do so is to give him power over our lives, and his mission is clear. To kill, steal and destroy.

Do we want the abundant life as it is intended? I do. So it's time to do battle. We have been properly equipped. Perhaps we need training. Maybe we just need to use the weapons that have been provided; you know, the ones we store in the garage for a moment that we haven't identified yet.

Lord Jesus be my guide. Turn my rage into holy passion and bring it effectively down on the head of the devil. Lord Jesus, as we pray, please respond with power.
Send the devil straight to hell.