The Real Battle
For some weeks (even years, off and on), I had been burdened, even depressed, about two people close to me who seemed unconcerned about going to heaven, knowing and loving Jesus, and really are agnostic or atheist. I wondered if they had not come to faith through some fault in my own witness or character. I tried hard to show them love, and hopefully through my love, and the genuine love of other Christians, they might see their need for Jesus. At times when I got more explicit and asked about having a personal relationship with Jesus, it didn’t go as I’d hoped.
Then one day while pondering all this, this Scripture popped into my head: “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12, NLT).” Suddenly I saw it all in a new way. This is not a battle between myself and others, but it’s a battle against evil forces that have influenced others negatively or even destructively. I even fight these battles within myself at times.
So, once again Scripture has set me free of a burden that I wasn’t meant to bear, at least the burden of blaming myself. Yes, I will pray and try to act on promptings from the Holy Spirit to share Jesus, but the outcome is not up to me.
clarakatalin 