The Battle You Cannot See

There is a battle that has raged since the days of creation. It’s battle of good versus evil, light versus darkness more epic than any battle ever conceived in the mind of man. But it is a battle that we humans, generally, are rarely even aware of.

Paul accurately describes it this way:

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. –Ephesians 6:12.

These rulers, powers and world forces are not politicians or evil governments. They are demons and Satan’s angels! These are behind all the wicked rulers of the world.

With this in mind, there is a scene from the Old Testament that gives us a glimpse into who fights for the believer. It’s the scene where Elisha prays and asks God to show his servant that there is nothing to fear one early morning.

The king of Aram sent out a large dispatch of horses and chariots to go and arrest Elisha and bring him back. They surrounded the village he was in during the night.

Now when the attendant of the man of God had risen early and gone out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was circling the city. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” –2 Kings 6:15-16.

This poor servant gets up and the first thing he sees is an army amassing on their position. He panics and asks Elisha what they should do. You get the feeling from Elisha’s response that he might have still been lying in bed peacefully without a care in the world.

He then says something really provocative: “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Who or what is he talking about?

Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” And the Lord opened the servant’s eyes and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. –2 Kings 6:17.

Elisha was surrounded by the angels of God! Whether Elisha saw the horses and chariots before he asked God to reveal them to his servant isn’t clear. But that really isn’t the point. The fact is Elisha knew that it was God who watched over them and would fight this battle for them, in faith.

Paul also reminds us:

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? –Romans 8:31.

I don’t mean to minimize the power of the demons and satanic angels. They are powerful. On your own, you are no match for them. But they are created beings and they are no match for the power of God.

I take great comfort in knowing that there are angels watching over my children. They stand guard over my family in the battle that I cannot see with my human eyes.

May He Increase!