We Are At War....And Not Against Flesh And Blood...

I have already shared that my week on Tanna was most difficult. Joel had been sick, relentless rain had washed out the road, and Erik's closest neighbor had asked a Cleva (like a clarivoyant) to come and divine the causes of both a recent death in the village and a death that had happened many years ago. He was also asked to explain why so many people had been getting sick lately in the village. In spite of the weather he spent two days meeting with villagers giving them instructions and guidance.

On Thursday the day of our clothes sale we learned that he had been asked to come. So Erik decided to speak from the translated book of Acts to confront him while he was there.
I had just settled down on my mat to eat my much anticipated laplap when Sierra came running across the field.
"Someone must come quick, Joel has made such a mess," she said in high volume.
"I will go. It is important for you to stay here," I told Erik.

Entering the house the smell was enough to gag a hungry maggot, as the saying goes. Now my young grandson is having trouble getting potty trained, but only partially he can pee without a problem, it is the other he tends to do wherever he feels like it and he felt like it on the kitchen floor. Then he tried to clean it up leaving hand prints pretty much around the room and down the hall wall. I put a screaming Joel in the shower, and began to clean up the mess with cold water and the one rag that I could find.

Sierra poked her head in the door just long enough to say, "Are you okay grandma?"
"Sierra, you go tell daddy that our battle is not against flesh and blood," I said with a chuckle sweat rolling into my eyes as Joel continued to scream.

"What does that mean?" she asked.
"Just tell dad he will understand."
She shrugged and ran off.
Within a few minutes Erik came running back to the house. By then, I had dried and dressed Joel though he was still clearly upset, and I was still scrubbing away.

"Mom, I'll do it," he said.
"Don't worry about it, he is my grandson, I don't mind."
"Are you sure? Sierra said you told her to tell me that it's not my flesh and blood."

At that point we had a much needed laugh, as I told him what I had really said.
I share this story to make my point.

I saw a new that week, over and over, that WE ARE AT WAR, and our battle is not against flesh and blood.
And I saw very clearly the absolute need for me to be praying fervently for my children, their work, and the people they serve.
I've always prayed, but my experiences this week showed me so clearly the need to be more diligent.

Ephesians 6:10-12
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places."

2 Corinthians 10:3-5
"for though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses, we are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ."

Sometimes having them so far away I have been lax, not any more.