I’m not a fighter, but maybe I should be.

For I,” says the Lord, “will be a wall of fire all around Jerusalem.” Zechariah 2:5 NKJV

If God is for us, who is against us? Romans 8:31

I’m not a fighter. When I was a young boy I got in trouble for hitting my sister in the stomach – even though she had bitten me and left teeth marks on my arm! Well, my mom was right. I could really hurt her. When my next-door-neighbor and I would fight, I would almost always win. But not always. And when I fought a neighborhood boy, I ran home with a bloody nose. In the 60 years since then I have astutely avoided physical conflict. I’m not a fighter.

But maybe I should be: Not of the physical type, but in the spiritual realm. That’s particularly true because I have sensed lately a spiritual assault on my soul, my church, and my friends. This is no spooky or Exorcist kind of spiritual assault. I’m not talking about spinning heads, or morphing bodies. I’m not speaking of demonic voices or unexplainable movement of inanimate objects.

I’m talking about people taking offence against one another. I’m speaking of marriages under attack. I’m aware of feelings being hurt and offence being taken for no good reason. I’m talking about a spiritual malaise that comes over the church. I’m speaking of my own personal struggle with faithfulness. These are real spiritual attacks.

This is not a time for sitting idly by and trying to ignore these threats, or worse yet, wondering whether God knows or even cares about them. This is not a time to acquiesce to evil’s intent. This is a time to lean into God’s promises. This is a time to look for the wall of fire behind which we can take cover.

God’s consuming fire will destroy everything this is not pure and genuine (cf. 1 Corinthians 3:13-15). That fire is a hedge of protection for God’s people and all who wish to do right, love justice, and walk humbly with God. We don’t do that perfectly, but we have One who has. Jesus has done this for us. He is our righteousness. He is our Protector. Jesus is the One who has revealed how much God is for us. He is the One who faced down Satan and won the victory.

That victory was one of faith. The battle against evil of every kind will be won by those who keep the faith in Jesus. That’s a fight I need to join. Holy Spirit, help me please!