For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Ephesians 6:12 NIV
Struggle
Violence against women remains one of the social issues which Canadians are currently struggling with. Approximately 25% of violent crime reported to Canadian police is family abuse. The Canadian Women’s Foundation estimates that over 6,000 women and children sleep in shelters every night, while a further 300 are turned away. First Nation Canadians are around six times more likely to be killed by their partner than non-indigenous Canadian women. Sadly, approximately every six days, a woman in Canada is killed by her intimate partner.
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In this world, it isn’t easy to live consistently in harmony with others. None of us love conflict, but all of us have had to deal with it from time to time. We don’t get up in the morning looking for ways to pick a fight that day. We want to get along with others. Why then do struggles with others come? Why can’t we all just get along? The answer is found in something the apostle Paul says in Ephesians 6:12: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” We need to remind ourselves that any conflict with other people has a deeper root. Ultimately, our struggle isn’t against another human being – it is in the spiritual realm. So, when we are facing conflict, or temptation, we need to recognize that the weapons we have for the battle are spiritual – we need to stay in God’s Word, we need to pray, sometimes we need to fast, and we always need to lift our eyes to the Lord.
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley