Who is the Enemy?
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:10-12).
The above passage should send shivers down our spine. The enemy of old is alive and well and roaming the earth seeking to “kill, steal and destroy”. He is targeting our children, born and unborn. They are the very image of God, and he wants to devour it through our families. And the adults are fighting among each other, pointing fingers and threatening one another laying blame for yet another child’s life destroyed in cold blood. The enemy even targets them in the womb and whispers to us that it’s somehow okay.
The Fight Belongs to God
Yes! Lay blame for the atrocities of our world – the ones in our daily news and the ones few speak of – human trafficking, murder in the streets, abuse, etc. – Children! But know the God of the universe will embrace these afflicted little ones with open arms. If they pass from this world, they are in the arms of our Christ. Our hearts break because we feel helpless, hurt and angry. But we must also hit our knees in repentance each and every day. We, the responsible adults, have failed the little ones, the baby ones, the unborn ones. We, the adults, were commissioned to protect them and we’re not doing a very good job. God said love one another. We are hardly doing so. The adults are broken too. We need our Savior. This fight is not ours. We cannot fight the evil forces on our own (or pretend they do not exist).
A Call to Action and Hope
I’ve thought and prayed long and hard before sitting down to write this. It is uncomfortable. It may not be “inspiring” as I wish this ministry to be. But it needs to be said and honestly, I hope you find hope within it. Perhaps it is a call to action; action in prayer and meeting our responsibilities toward children and those in need. In these actions, we find hope because God is our Creator and He promised us He would be with us. He did not promise this current fallen world would get easier, but He promised us grace, hope and love if we accept it. And one day, we will be with Him in the promised land. I believe this from the bottom of my heart.
There is hope. Prayer IS our weapon! Repentance and forgiveness and love are our fortress against evil. I am saddened that even prayer is now scoffed at. The enemy is using us to mock God. God, however, will avenge the afflicted. He will pass judgment on His enemies. We must simply stand in His presence.
One Out of 100 Million Plus
My friends, think of it. YOU were meant to be! God chose YOU! Out of 100 million sperm cells that could have fertilized one egg, you were chosen to be the one formed in your mother’s womb and born into this world. What are the odds? YOU were One out of 100 million plus! That gives me chills. Many had it tough growing up as some of the adults failed us too, but we did not have to stay there. As adults who were chosen, we must now reach out to protect our babies and children through love, understanding; teaching what is godly and right. It’s never too late to begin doing so. In our heart of hearts, we DO know what is right. We are born with a moral compass. The Word of God does show us the way. We do fail and there may even be consequences, but God knows our hearts. He knows our fears and insecurities. Let us humble ourselves before Him, cry out to Him and ask His forgiveness and for direction.
A Prayer
Lord, help us! Whether we understand or not, we somehow feel a presence surrounding us that is not of you. We are all searching, whether we know you or not. I pray for forgiveness and your presence to manifest so we can see we are not alone with evil. We have a Protector. Speak to our hearts and show us where to turn. Let us seek you and you, alone. Show us adults how to protect our babies in the best way – your way. We are broken, Lord, but we are made holy because you are holy if we only lean into you. If we are born in your image, let us reflect that. In your most holy name, I pray. Amen.
Tonya Noren
May 29, 2022