Ephesians 6:10-12 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

This passage in Ephesians 6 alerts us that war has been declared against God and his people and the enemy has been identified. All the hate, divisions, war-mongering, unrest, drug trafficking, people trafficking, disintegration of families, oppression and so on come under the broad heading of “the devil’s schemes”. Who are the enforcers? Rulers, authorities, powers of this dark world, spiritual forces of evil in heavenly realms. Not so long ago, one would be tempted to whisper if you wanted to mention “the powers of this dark world”. Now we even hear much talk in media about the “dark web”. Just one manifestation of how mankind keeps busy pursuing evil. This “darkness” or the crowding out of God from our consciousness has existed since Adam. It is only now magnified because of the speed and volume of information being shared today.

So war has been declared and the enemy has been identified, but the defense strategy and armor have also been revealed. “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep praying for all the saints.” (Ephesians 6:14-18). You enlisted, now put your armor on and fight daily! Push back against the darkness.