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“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 6:12 ( ESV)

I was caught up in the beauty of the crashing waves coming at me, completely lost in the moment.  So caught up that I forgot about the undertow.  Causing me to lose my footing and left me struggling to recover.

An undertow is when waves break along the ocean shore. Once that occurs, gravity pulls backwards and the water (and sand beneath your feet) is sucked right back into the ocean.

An undertow can be dangerous. If the water going back into the ocean is strong it can knock you down with another wave swooping in before you can recover.

I was so focused on what I could see, I forgot about what was going on underneath the surface.

That is what Paul was trying to teach the church in Ephesus that their adversary is not the people in their lives -it’s not what they can see on the surface.  It’s what is happening underneath (in the spiritual realm).

In other words, your enemy isn’t the woman from church who doesn’t speak to you in passing or smile at you the way you think she should. Most likely, that lady has her own troubles on her mind.

Our adversary is Satan and the spiritual forces of evil that do his bidding.

But to the woman who has heard messages of rejection and struggles with insecurity – the enemy knowing that is your area of weakness; will hit you harder there hoping to get a reaction.

Meaning he will feed you messages of insecurity from the past that will trigger feelings that will cause you to react in the present based on a past feeling.  Essentially pulling you backwards into a dangerous emotional undertow.

Your enemy can’t read your thoughts ladies, but he’s been studying you for years; and he knows which feelings to push to reduce you to a fit of tears and rage.

By knowing who your adversary is – you will know how to battle him.

And ladies, we are in a spiritual battle for our souls and the souls of those we love.

The best weapon against our adversary is the word of God – “living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul”. (Hebrews 4:12, ESV)

We must know the Word and speak its’ truth back to ourselves when the enemy attacks.  Understanding that feelings and behaviors are a direct result of the thoughts going through our minds.

The more you speak truth to yourself, the stronger you’ll become in managing the emotional undertows of life.

“Father thank you for the weapons of warfare you’ve given us to battle our adversary.  Teach us to use the Word to cut through the lies the enemy feeds us.”

For His Glory

Laura Holmes  ( www.ephraimministries.org)
TRBC Women’s Life