Colossians 1:16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities.
There is another world out there. God has given us an instrument through which we can see this unseen world: His Word. It is through the lens of Scripture that we are able to see a raging war between good and evil in this unseen, invisible world. Paul said in Ephesians 6:12, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” That word “struggle” in Greek referred to a wrestling match. Paul was saying that you and I, whether we realize it or not, are engaged in a life-and-death struggle. And who is our adversary? It is not flesh and blood. Paul said our greatest struggle in life is against those “spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” We are in a spiritual battle, and the outcome determines our eternity. The devil may tempt us but we are ultimately accountable for acting on those temptations. We can recognize them. We can know when a thought that comes into our mind is good or bad, false or true, worldly or heavenly. We are commanded to take all thoughts captive and allow the Word of God, through the Holy Spirit living in us, to give us wisdom and understanding. It is through His Word we become aware of what honors and glorifies Jesus Christ and what does not. Just because we may neglect time in His Word does not eliminate our accountability for whether or not we succumb to temptations. Too often neglect and complacency of God’s Word has invaded our churches, homes, and lives. We are no longer able to see good and bad, right and wrong, truth and false, or heavenly and worldly. Our shallowness of desire and seeking understanding of these through God’s Word is shameful. No matter if the whole world says something is right, good, true does not make it so. How are we to understand the greatness of God, the Holiness of God, the love of God, the promises of God, the power of God, the grace and mercy of God, the anger of God, the wrath of God, the judgment of God, the purposes of God, the glory and honor of God, not to mention the fruits of the Holy Spirit and its active working in our lives, if we do not spend time in His Word with a hunger and thirst? We play church and do churchy things but the things of God are far from our minds.
