Battles Hurt

Spiritual warfare is a tricky business. We all fight. Some fight bigger battles, but for others, the small ones ARE the big ones. Last night at church, my pastor stopped his sermon right in the middle. He had experienced some spiritual "interference" a couple of weeks ago, and last night it hit again. The microphone came in and out, the speakers clicked, his voice got raspy and hoarse -- he FELT the battle. But here's the thing. Now he started looking into the audience. Who was the PROBLEM here? Who has unrepentant sin? Who has demonic-hangers-on? Who is bringing the struggle? He said himself that the devil would like him to start accusing, but he wasn't going to do it. But that didn't mean that the devil wasn't going to do it himself. So, all the way home, the devil told me that I was the problem. I'm new to the church. I had been present at both of the services, and I have issues. The thought was clear, plain as day: "The devil is a liar," but that didn't stop me from sinking into a slump for the rest of the night. I guess my point is that battles HURT. Even when we are on the winning side, even when we know TRUTH, and even when we have figured out the devil's tactics, we can still get wounded. That's when we need to lean in to the Comforter who will balm our pains and bind us ever closer to our Savior. Here's a song that popped into my head this morning. It's a good one. Jeremy Camp -- My Defender https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ue_xEDOy7E4