“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against the spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Ephesians 6:12)
As mentioned in part 1 of this article, we are both human and spiritual beings. Hence, what we refer to as life’s struggles take on two forms – physical and spiritual struggles. Have you ever been convinced that the struggles you have in your life are not against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against authorities of the unseen world, against spiritual forces of wickedness, and mighty powers in the dark world?
Well, if you think this is something that only Pentecostals/Evangelical churches or only Christians believe, then you need to pray for enlightenment so that your eyes and ears can be opened. Or at least you need to study the bible on this. We are helped to understand that we struggle and wage war, not against blood and flesh, not always against physical persons we see, but against the governments, spiritual wickedness and against the authorities of the dark world, which we do not see.
DO WE REALLY STRUGGLE?
If an adult is asked this question, “In life, do we really struggle?” It is very likely that the response you will get back is a “Yes”, “Of course we do”, “Struggle is a part of life”. If you go ahead to discuss the kind of struggles we encounter, the responses you get will be very diverse too. These struggles range from very simple ones we deal with daily to more complex ones which a normal human mind does not understand.
Having something you struggle with does not mean that it must remain in one’s life. The beauty about each struggle is that it is not forever. It can come to an end. And it does come to an end. However, in the meantime, how are you dealing with it? You may also prefer to use the word “challenges” rather than “struggles”, but it still comes down to the things we must struggle with until we overcome them.
There are certain struggles you have that you just don’t understand. You seem to have done all you can but they are still there. For instance, a young person may graduate with a good result, yet s/he is not able to get any job or business working. S/he searches and searches and for years nothing comes forth. Or you begin a business, and it gets to a point of no growth, or it even dies off.
You may be doing all you can to find ways to increase your income, but you keep experiencing blockages and setbacks you do not understand. A lady may see herself ready for marriages, but it just seems that no one is looking at her side, and she keeps asking herself questions. A person may get stagnated in career and finances for years and years even until it becomes like a normal life, yet his/her potential is far beyond where he or she is.
Again, you may observe certain trends in the history of your family that keep occurring and reoccurring and you wonder, “What on earth is going on?” Or have this body ailment that has lasted for years and seem to have defeated every medical remedy, and you begin to live with it as a normal part of your life. Or a person may find that every person that he or she marries either dies or the relationship ends abruptly. Or a certain challenge may just emerge and you have no idea how that came about, and you are left running from pillar to post for solutions.
We could go on and on with the kind of struggles that humans deal with. They are too numerous to recount. They are as many and as diverse as the numbers of hair on the head of every human being. So, where does this leave us? Our likely tendency is to search for a solution to our struggles.
OUR DESIRE FOR SOLUTIONS
As physical and spiritual beings, remember that our struggles are in both forms. In fact, it is believed and agreed in some circles that we are more spiritual than physical beings. The physical body has many limitations, while the spiritual part of us is free from limitations and hence stronger. So, there is a spiritual world that you do not access with your physical eyes. Now, when challenges and struggles emerge from that world, as they often do, where do you go for solution?
In finding solutions to your struggles, where you go to for solution is as important as making the choice between life and death. This is because where you go to find answers to your problems will either make your life better or pull it further into problems. It will make or mar you. If the struggle is really beyond the physical and is rooted in an invisible force, then your solution needs to be spiritual too. As much as you do what you think best in the physical, you would also need to face it spiritually too.
HELP FOR OUR STRUGGLES
It takes your will and decision to surrender yourself for help. If you decide to do it your way, you may likely struggle for long. Are you trusting in your own intelligence, your niceness, your understanding, righteousness, connections, position, tears, labour, education, bank account, investments or goodwill? When and where all fails, you can get your solutions only through the mercy of God.
Through God’s mercy comes, breakthroughs, upliftment and solutions to our numerous struggles. Not by our power. As the Psalmist says, “The Lord will perfect that which concerns me: your mercy, O Lord endures forever: forsake not the works of your own hands” (Ps 138:8).
The biblical psalmist says, “…I will lift up my eyes to the hills, from where shall come my help. My help shall come from the Lord, who made heaven and earth” (Ps 121). The book of Psalms is filled with such entreats to God for help, for deliverance, for protection, for mercy, for guidance, for safety, for salvation, for refuge, and such cries to God against oppressive forces and wickedness are bigger than what mere human strength can deal with.
The Psalmist reminds us that, “The Lord is near to all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry and will save them” (Ps 145:18-19).
“But my eyes are to you, O God the Lord: in you is my trust; leave not my soul destitute” Ps 141:8.
When we learn to trust not in our own knowledge, intelligence, wisdom, academic qualification, and begin to entreat the Lord, then we will see God’s handiwork in our lives. Like the Psalmist we can then say, “The Lord has done great things for us; indeed, we were glad” (Ps 126:3).
They have conquered him (the accuser) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony (Rev.12:11).
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