In this battle there is never a need to justify ourselves.

The apostle Paul sends a reminder. He tells the people that their struggle ‘is not against flesh and blood’. Too often we think in terms of what other people are doing to us personally and  respond  in a direct way against them  in order to justify ourselves. Here we are told that the battle is actually against forces which we cannot see ….. ‘spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms’.

This raises a question. How is this different kind of battle to be fought? Paul tells us this also. The weapon of this warfare is prayer which is connected also to the word of God. Prayer focusses our attention on God and His power which is the gospel message. It is this alone which can truly reconcile enemies because it brings people into a right relationship with God and therefore one another. In the gospel there is no need to justify ourselves because everything is done for us in Jesus Christ.