This is a season of contention. On so many fronts there are calls to take sides, whether it’s this party or that party, this theological position or the opposing, this side of a debate or another. It seems conflicts are endless. It’s exhausting, quite frankly. And part of the problem is that there is so much worth fighting for. But while conflict is abundant, often, clarity is not. And the phrase rings in my ears, “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.” It’s clearer to me than ever that there are spiritual forces at work in the very human world we struggle in. But what’s easy to get backwards is the fact that the Lord ultimately calls us not to fight against flesh and blood, but to fight for flesh and blood.

This is what he calls us into. He calls us to join him, through his flesh and blood, to fight the darkness for the life and good of others. We fight the darkness not like the darkness fights, but in the way only light can. Darkness cannot be snuffed out. It can only be dispersed by light shining brighter.

In this time of contention my encouragement to you is to not succumb to the temptation to fight darkness with darkness. But instead live and love like Jesus in ways that makes evil flee, that makes darkness impossible. Bless someone who disagrees with you. Host someone who hates your worldview and listen without arguing. Pray for our country, our church, for those embracing the darkness that is killing them. Find ways to be the radical, upside-down, life-giving body of Jesus. We are called to be and bring the presence of heaven on earth in whatever ways we can. So take the stands you feel the Lord telling you to take. Abstain where He compels you to abstain. Do in obedience what He bids you do, and do so with the radical love of the ONE who calls his people to be ONE, and love our neighbors and enemies as ourselves.

The Logos, the WORD of God became flesh and blood. He came eating and drinking and living among us. He was hated and loved. He took some stands and avoided others. He resisted the evil one but loved his enemies. And that is as radical today as it was then. But that is what he calls us to as his people. Our struggle is not against flesh & blood, but for it. Jesus brought the presence of heaven on earth, and laid down his life to the very flesh and blood he came to redeem. to be and to bless the flesh and blood he came to redeem, hands and feet, his flesh and blood. Let’s continue to do likewise.