Through A Glass Darkly

Things are never as simple as they seem. Murphy was truly an optimist. The world around us seems bright and clear, but that is a deception. And it is a deception because we live in a world that is dominated by a spiritual dimension that we cannot see. Our emotions, our minds, our actions are all influenced to one degree or another by this spiritual dimension. There are forces at work that seek to trip us up and keep us from connecting with God, and there are forces that are just as determined to make sure we have the chance to talk with Him.

At this time of year, approaching Halloween, I find it funny (in the sense of ‘strange’) that people love to watch horror movies that routinely deal with evil, demons, monsters and the like. A high level of credence is given to them. People at their basest level seem to believe in the existence of palpable evil. Yet they seem to have trouble believing that there is a God, that He is good and that He is powerful. Why is that?

Paul said, “For now we see through a glass, darkly” (1 Cor 13:12). The realities of this dual world are largely hidden from us, but we are told enough about it to know that it is fraught with danger. We are under constant spiritual attack. If you don’t feel the heat of battle, that is the time to be worried, because the evil forces (yes, Satan is real!) have you exactly where they want you and feel no need to disturb you. You are no threat. The good news is that the war has already been won by Christ on the cross, and that we have been given the resources to win the battle we are engaged in.

Maybe this is a good time of year for us to proclaim our message of the Gospel. Rather than retreat into our cocoon, we need to let people know that yes, there is true evil, but there is also a God in heaven who fights for us.