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"Our Struggle Is Not against Flesh and Blood"
November 1, 2009
Dear Friend,
I’ll never forget the first event where I was asked to do more than a talk or two. It was a Christian High School in El Cajon, California. Four classroom lectures, a chapel, an afterschool small group discussion, and an evening parent event. Seven talks in all. No problem, right? At the end of that day, I found myself sitting alone in my car, in the school parking lot, absolutely exhausted and facing a two-hour drive home. Who knew talking was so tiring?
But this is the norm. I quickly discovered the emotional and physical toll speaking demands. But why? Because there’s an unseen conflict taking place.
The Apostle Paul reminds us “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” (Ephesians 6:12). Paul then proceeds to use a warfare analogy, exhorting us to put on the full armor of God in preparation for this struggle. And warfare language is apropos.
When I speak, I’m not just giving students a pep talk. There are “spiritual forces of evil” at work. The “powers of this dark world” are setting up strongholds against the knowledge of God (2 Corinthians 10:4-5). False ideas are trying to take captive young minds. It’s spiritual warfare. And I received a stark reminder last month in Nebraska.
I landed in Omaha on a Friday afternoon and proceeded to give 11 talks in two-and-a-half days. After my final talk on Sunday, the youth pastor drove me to the airport. I was ready to crash, exhausted once again. But during the drive we talked about the weekend. The youth pastor reflected on the students who attended the Saturday youth conference and some sobering facts emerged. One young man in attendance had been struggling with an extremely serious addiction to pornography. One of the freshmen girls had been sexually abused for much of her childhood. Another student lost her mother at the hands of her father, murdered a couple of years ago.
I was stunned. I had been aware that Saturday’s events felt like a real struggle, but I had been oblivious to the brokenness—physical, emotional, and spiritual—surrounding me. I remember returning to my hotel that night completely worn out, even declining the opportunity to enjoy some food and football later on. But in that conversation on the way to the airport, God gave me a clear reminder of the nature of my work. It’s not just intellectual. It’s not just academic. It’s nothing less than a spiritual struggle for the very souls of our youth.
Indeed, we’re all involved in that spiritual struggle and we must not forget the nature of our warfare, nor Paul’s instructions for engagement: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes” (Ephesians 6:10-11). I am grateful to the Lord that I’m not in this alone but give thanks for fellow soldiers like you. Thank you for fighting by my side.
Battling for young hearts and minds,
Brett Kunkle
STR Student Impact
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