Unseen Danger

When I bought this new car, I phoned the NRMA and had it comprehensively insured before I even drove it out onto the street. Why? Well I cannot see any problems ahead, but I know that a heavy hailstorm can wipe thousand of its resale value, a passing car can throw a stone and break the windscreen, or someone can accidentally bump it. All hypothetical possibilities, but potential dangers nevertheless and that protection relieves me of any stress.

When Julie Bishop was Minister for Defence, she visited Afghanistan to see our troops. She wasn't in a battle zone as such, but wore a bullet proof vest and helmet just in come some sniper took a shot at her.

The police do this too. You will have to admit that this policeman in Europe is prepared for the worst, if it should eventuate. 
Our house was broken into twice when we weren't home, by people we never saw. But, since we installed a security system, we have been safe from such intrusion.
In Australia, the average person is covered against every imaginable disaster and most people think this is ok. There are security systems to protect your computer from viruses, home and contents insurance to reimburse us if we get a fire or theft, insurance against ill health, workers' compensation insurance, in case of accident at work, or travelling to or from work, travel insurance if you are going overseas, health care and Medicare and many others that escape me at the moment.
Why all this? It is just we realise there are forces out there that can accidentally hurt us, and there are also forces out there that deliberately want to hurt us, like the people who get great pleasure by designing viruses to ruin our computers, even though they don't know us. Consequently, we endeavour to protect ourselves from all possible disasters, which is very sensible behaviour, as it relieves us of those concerns.
There is another side to our lives though, the Spiritual side. We are aware of mediums, magicians, seances, spritism, witches, demons and Satan; but most people do not realise the significance of these and how to avoid the dangers.
As a man who has been confronted by spiritism and hypnotists during my life, I know that we are surrounded by spirit beings, and there is a "Spiritual Warfare" going over our souls that we cannot see (and this is backed up by Jesus and the Bible's teachings). We get some protection from the insurance and armour already mentioned, but there is a lot that we are powerless to address under our own strength. What really concerns me is that our young people are walking out there in a world that is a minefield of spiritual wickedness, (dressed up as fun and entertainment), where the unseen forces of wickedness see to it that these innocent kids are introduced to alcohol, drugs, spiritism, immoral behaviour and temptations that look harmless, and they then become hooked on the very easily because they are walking in a "Spiritual war-zone" without any spiritual armour on. They don't realise that it is not cool to "go with the flow". A dead fish can do that! But it takes a live fish to swim against the tide. They need to realise that God designed them to be His Children and be Joint Heirs with Christ, and being in a war-zone they need to be Leaders with "Spiritual armour" on.

Not powerless followers of others, devoid of protection. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul says in chapter 6, verse 11 that we must "Put on the whole armour of  God that we may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, bu against Principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against Spiritual wickedness in high places." He then goes on to tell us the type of "spiritual armour" that we require in order to protect ourselves, and he tells us how to apply that. This girl in the picture illustrates it, as by prayer she has put on her "Helmet of salvation" and has the "Sword of the Spirit" (the word of God) in  her hand and will then use the "Shield of Faith" in these promises, to protect her from Satanic attack. If you care to read on from verse 11 of Ephesians chapter 6, you will see how it works, or you can contact me and I will be glad to discuss it with you. Best wishes, Tom