A man with an unclean spirit was in their synagogue. He cried out, “What do you have to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?” —Mark 1:23–24
Everywhere Jesus went during His earthly ministry, demons were stirred up because He lived and spoke in God’s power and authority. In Mark 1, Jesus confronts an evil spirit in the synagogue. This wasn’t some casual encounter with the enemy. This was all-out warfare.
In an average day, we’re not likely to have audible or visible encounters with demons. But God’s Word teaches that at this very moment there’s a cosmic warfare being waged between heaven and hell. Sometimes God sends us right into the frontlines. Many of the people we encounter are in an intense spiritual battle for their souls, and sometimes we get caught in the crossfire.
In the course of being a mate, a parent, a friend, an employee, you’ll find yourself in difficult, demanding situations where you must be alert to Satan’s schemes and skilled in using the sword of the Spirit. Because it’s only through the truth of God’s Word and by His power that we will be victorious.
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A Place of Quiet Rest: Finding Intimacy with God through a Daily Devotional Life
©2000 Nancy Leigh DeMoss
Scripture taken from The CSB
Make it Personal
How can you become skilled at using the sword of the Spirit? Pray that God would help you be ready to face the battle.