Under Siege Part-1

 In the 1992 film " Under Siege", actor Tommy Lee Jones and his rock band, gets hired to perform in the USS Missouri battle ship heading to Pearl Harbor for decommissioning. In reality, Tommy Lee Jones is leading a band of terrorists with a mission to take over the ship and steal its nuclear arsenal. What they don't know is that actor Steven Seagal, the ship head cheff, is a decorated navy seal who is willing to defend the ship and avoid the attack at all costs.

In our lives, we are always under siege ( under attack). We are always in a spiritual battle with the devil and his minions. For illustration purposes, Tommy Lee Jones and his band of terrorists  represent the devil and his demons, and Steven Seagal and the ship staff represent Jesus and His angels.

The apostle Paul makes it clear in Ephesians 6:12 (ESV):

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."

But he also gives us the resources to fight these spiritual battles. He writes: " Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm." (Ephesians 6:13 ESV).

First, let's see who we are up against in Ephesians 6:12. Notice the word "against" appears in this verse five times. One referring to us as humans, and four referring to our spiritual enemies. Next, when I check the original Greek meaning for each one of these enemies, it leads me to believe they are all different, since Paul uses four different words for each one of them. It's like there's some kind of ranking for evil angels as there is for good angels. With the help of a Greek- English linear Bible and Clarke commentaries, we can gather up something like this:

1. Rulers. Chief rulers; beings of the first rank and order in their own kingdom.

2. Authorities. Derived and constituted by the rulers. Delegated empowerment ("authorization"), operating in a designated jurisdiction.

3. Cosmic Powers. The rulers of the world referring to Satan (demons) influencing the lives of worldly people. The emperors of the darkness of this state of things.

4. The spiritual forces of evil. The spiritual things of wickedness or the spiritualities of wickedness.

In other words, Satan, the god of this world, has chief demons which have subordinates that are assigned to specific places and to specific people or group of people to undergo an evil purpose. Ephesians 6:12 should be a reminder that we are up against a powerful foe which should not be underestimated. Our spiritual battle is constant and fierce but sometimes we don't realize the magnitude of its influence in our lives.

Don't you sometimes feel weird things that go on around you? Don't you get  goosebumps for whatever reason? Sometimes I think it's just my mind playing tricks on me but what about if it is the spiritual forces of evil trying to oppress you and the people you love? I'm telling you this past year felt like a humongous spiritual battle all year long starting with my Parkinson's diagnosis and some other family challenges that we had to go through. You might say, Juan, that's just life. Yes it is! But that doesn't necessarily mean Satan doesn't put forth his best efforts to make your life more miserable. Therefore, he is engaging in a spiritual battle against you. You'll  never know if your situation is the result of a dialogue that happened between Satan and God (Job 1). Not that we're tooting our own horns, but that can definitely happen. Or maybe, it could be a simple request from Satan like it happened to Peter: “Simon, Simon, behold,   Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat" (Luke 22:31). In both cases, Job's and Peter's, Satan had to ask for permission, and that in itself is a great encouragement! Satan cannot do anything without God giving the green light.

Spiritual warfare is a serious business! We need to be aware of it and we need to be alert. Remember, our struggle is not against "flesh and blood". Therefore, we need supernatural help and that's when the great Armor of God comes into play. We'll review that next time.

For now, know you're against a great foe but also know you have a Greater God on your side; in fact, the Greatest, the Mighty God of Israel. This reminds me of King David's words against Goliath in 1 Samuel 17:45: “...You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied."

David had confidence that His God will deliver Him. So should we in the midst of our spiritual battles. Remember, in the end, the battle belongs to the Lord. He will give us His armor to protect ourselves from the Devil, but ultimately, He will give us himself. Be encouraged.