Joy — Philippians 1 – Wednesday
TODAY’S VERSE
Ephesians 6:12
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. (ESV)
This past weekend, my son Riley and I took a guys' trip. He’s getting ready to turn 18, and what he wanted for his birthday was to go to Las Vegas. Before you start questioning my parenting, there was a very specific reason he wanted to go. He wanted to visit Battlefield Vegas and Bullets and Burgers. The names give you a pretty good hint, but both are gun ranges where you can rent and shoot machine guns.
So that’s exactly what we did. We flew to Vegas, sat through all the safety briefings, and then burned through hundreds of rounds in just a few seconds. It was an absolute blast. One of the funniest parts was that after every gun we shot, the range officer would ask, “So… are you gonna buy one now?” And after every gun, our answer was basically, “Absolutely.”
But even if we could afford them, most of those weapons are heavily restricted and designed for real warfare, not casual use. At the end of the day, even though it was exciting and fun, Riley and I were really just “playing war.”
And honestly, I think that’s how many of us approach our spiritual lives.
The truth is that we are in the middle of a very real war. Every single day, there is a battle being fought for your soul and for the souls of the people you love. We are surrounded by an enemy who wants to destroy, discourage, distract, and divide us. God has given us everything we need to fight back: His Word, prayer, His Spirit, and the people of God around us.
But too often, we barely use them.
Maybe we pray before meals or right before bed. Maybe we open our Bible every once in a while. Maybe we show up at church occasionally and assume that’s enough. We are playing war.
Instead, we need to go to war.
We should be spending time every day in God’s Word. We should be going to our Father in prayer, not just to ask for things but to seek Him, depend on Him, and draw strength from Him. We should treat this spiritual battle with the seriousness it deserves, because the stakes are eternally high.
Don’t settle for playing war when God has called you to fight.
APPLICATION
Take an honest look at your spiritual life this week. Are you truly preparing for battle, or are you just “playing war”? Commit to intentionally spending time with God every day through prayer and His Word. Don’t treat your faith like a hobby or a last resort. The battle is real, and God has given you everything you need to stand strong.
PRAYER
Father, help me remember that the spiritual battle around me is real. Forgive me for the times I’ve treated my relationship with You casually or only sought You when it was convenient. Give me a hunger for Your Word and a deeper desire to spend time with You in prayer. Strengthen me to stand firm against temptation, discouragement, and distraction. Help me fight with the weapons You have given me and trust in Your power each day. In Jesus’ name, amen.