“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms“

Ephesian 6:12

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October 29, 2025

In the late 1970’s, the TV show Saturday Night Live had a recurring skit where a woman was given time on a fictitious news program to air her grievance-of-the-week. Each time she passionately ranted against a subject at length, until the news anchor let her know she had misunderstood. For example, she took offense that parents did not want their children to see “violins” on television. As you can probably guess, the anchor informed her it was “violence” that was the concern.

Each week, her ending tag line was the same: “Oh, that’s different! Never mind!”

A misinformed comedy rant is one thing; misidentifying our enemy is no joke. Who are some of the “wrong enemies” on whom we waste our mental energy and spiritual strength fighting?

  • Each other, inside the church: when we treat preferences like they are gospel imperatives; when we carry grudges over perceived slights.
  • “Them,” outside the church: when we see lost people acting like…well, lost people. Yes, we rightly fight to prevent evil (and punish evildoers through civil authorities) but we often fail to see that many are blinded to truth and are pawns of the real enemy, in need of rescue.

We bicker about worship music styles and outlooks on free will; we assume motives and become defensive. Yet God’s word calls us to stand our ground, united, against our common enemy—not each other.

 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

(Galatians 5:14-15)

Paul’s reminder that we do not fight against flesh and blood is not new information; over and over we are called to live at peace with one another and pray for those who persecute us. God’s Word corrects our perception of who and what we need to stand against. When God’s Word reminds us that our battle is not against our neighbor, it’s a call drop our “rant” against them. A call to realize “that’s a different story—never mind!” and abide in Christ together.

Questions for Reflection and Discussion

  • Have you let a misunderstanding, a preference, or even a wound get in the way of loving others in the body of Christ?
  • Has this led you to believe another person was your enemy?
  • Do you have a relationship—or lack of one—where Paul’s words to Euodia and Syntyche in Philippians 4 should apply? Paul pleads with these believers to be “of the same mind in the Lord.”

Church Reading Plan: 2 Kings 10-11; 2 Timothy 1