Peace family, have you seen the new movie, Captain America: Civil War?
Don’t worry, I’m not going to go into any spoilers (although I am going to tell you that if you plan to see it, remember that there are two “credit” ending things, one near the beginning of the credits, and one after all of the credits have finished scrolling past), but it should be obvious from the name and the trailers that a big part of this movie deals with division among the Avengers.
While I was watching it, I was struck by how often the Devil gets ahold of us by dividing us. He takes our attention off of himself or what our real problems are, and we lash out at those around us, often against logic. Peace family, we have got to remember that “our battle 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). We have got to keep our focus on God and on dealing with the enemy and our true problems, not just the symptoms of our sins or people around us.
So often, we believe that we can handle the devil on our own. We don’t act like we really need God or other Christians to help us in our walk, or in our battle. We think to ourselves, “I can handle it,” and we refuse to be vulnerable with others, sometimes even God. We would rather trust ourselves than trust God. We might even think that we are trusting God, and look to other people like we are, but somewhere along the line, our walks with God and our battles for righteousness have become about us. Peace family, that is not how God made us. He made us for community, and he made us to be dependent on him, not on ourselves.
What battles are you fighting today? Are you fighting alone? What are some of the tactics that the devil is using to distract you from the problems that are truly at hand? How is he distracting you from your true goals? What are some ways you can get back on track, and who are some fellow soldiers who can fight beside you and remind you of your goals when the battlefield gets smoky?
Take some time to think about it, and equip yourself with scripture, prayer, and the camaraderie of saints around you. Be vigilant, but be encouraged today; remember that you are on the winning side. Don’t let the devil sidetrack you. You are fighting under the greatest Victor, and the greatest Superhero. It is all about him!
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