Last week I touched on the reality that we are living in a great Story, and that we are all challenged to be the HERO.
Well, just like any hero, there is a BATTLE to fight.
The problem is that typically this battle is invisible to human eyes, but just because we can’t see it, doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.
In fact, this battle has been ongoing for thousands of years and will not end until our world passes away.
St. Paul put it succinctly:
“Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil. For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens. Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground” (Ephesians 6:11-13).
Yet, some of us might ask WHY we need to fight, as we never signed-up to be a soldier, or declared war against anyone.
The reality is that all Christians at their Baptism were drafted into this eternal battle. Either you or your Godparents said the following:
Do you reject Satan? (I do)
And all his works? (I do)
And all his empty promises? (I do)
There you have it! Those very statements put you and your children into the crosshairs of Satan.
St. John then narrates what happens next:
“Then war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels battled against the dragon. The dragon and its angels fought back, but they did not prevail and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. The huge dragon, the ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, who deceived the whole world, was thrown down to earth, and its angels were thrown down with it…When the dragon saw that it had been thrown down to the earth, it pursued the Woman who had given birth to the male child. But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle, so that she could fly to her place in the desert, where, far from the serpent, she was taken care of for a year, two years, and a half-year. The serpent, however, spewed a torrent of water out of his mouth after the Woman to sweep her away with the current. But the earth helped the Woman and opened its mouth and swallowed the flood that the dragon spewed out of its mouth. Then the dragon became angry with the Woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring, those who keep God’s commandments and bear witness to Jesus.” (Revelation 12:7-9, 13-17)
We may not realize it, or think that we are very important, but Satan has you and your children (and grandchildren) in his sights.
He wants to do everything he can to bring you and your family down.
We need to accept this fact, and when we do, it bring us to an even greater choice.
Do we fight back?
The problem is that we can’t sit passively on the sidelines. The war is all around us and Satan is chasing us. If we give up the fight and remain stagnant in our faith, Satan will find us and we’ll eventually enlist in his army.
There is no middle ground.
In the upcoming weeks I hope to continue to this series and to encourage you in the faith to remain steadfast in this fight.
It’s one of the reasons why we need the power of STORY to remind us of these spiritual truths. Good stories highlight this reality and then encourage us to pick up our sword and fend off the demonic forces trying to overtake our family.
Whatever you do, don’t deny the fact that you are currently in a BATTLE, a battle that has eternal consequences.
Philip Kosloski
Philip Kosloski is the founder of Voyage Comics & Publishing and the writer and creator of nearly every comic that has been published by Voyage.