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Immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, saying, "Ha! What do we have to do with you, Jesus, you Nazarene? Have you come to destroy us? I know you who you are: the Holy One of God!" Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!" The unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. They were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this? A new teaching? For with authority he commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him!" Mark 1:23–27 WEB.

There's an invisible spiritual battle going on in the heavens above and around us here on Earth daily. Most are unaware of it, but all are affected by it. Many churches are busy playing volleyball in the middle of a battlefield while the enemy is wreaking havoc in the congregation and going unnoticed.

When you begin to do something meaningful for God, there is a backlash of trouble that follows. You may become their new target. You can't see this struggle with the normal eye, but like the wind, you can certainly feel its effects. God works through His people. The enemy works through people too, and he will use them against you.

Evil spirits will gladly remain invisible. They are perfectly fine with you believing they don't exist, for it gives them the power of stealth and allows them to stay concealed. When Jesus cast out a demon 2,000 years ago, the people there asked: "What new teaching is this?" (Mark 1:27). Today, most people still ask the same thing when they see deliverance take place.

We once attended a conference at a church in Charleston, South Carolina. It was centered around fasting, and many people there were on a corporate forty-day fast. The guest speaker, Mahesh Chavda, asked everyone to say: "The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin."

As the congregation recited it together, a stately lady behind us, who looked to be in her seventies, suddenly let out a bone-chilling scream. Then she fell to the floor and began writhing, kicking, and screaming, "Nooooooooooo!" Her voice eerily trailed off as the evil spirit left her body. She literally exhaled it through a scream. Everyone looked at each other in amazement. "What new teaching is this?" That was an extreme case, but the spirit world around us is real, and they may be in the people we deal with.

It's normal for people to be stirred up against us by the enemy. Yet, we have to remember that the real enemy is what's living inside them. Even then, we are not to stoop to their level, no matter how much we would like to. Our weapons are spiritual (Ephesians 6). We are to remain humble and pray (2 Chronicles 7:14), which will bring in the help and power of God. Even Jesus had to pray, though God certainly knew everything going on in His life, and it had been planned long before.

Be subject therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you (James 4:7) WEB.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, please guide me into all that You have for me. I want more of Your presence in my life. Lord, use me in some way. Help me see the world around me through Your eyes. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!

Note: Today is Thankful Thursday at the Ministry Events group! This event gives us an opportunity encourage each other by posting thoughts, moments, and prayers of gratitude for Him, His creation and all that He does in our lives. All our welcome! To join, just click on the group name and then the join link on the page that will follow. As always, if you have a prayer need, we are here for you! We and the prayer team are ready to lift you up at our private prayer page: RHM Prayer Network.