Paul tells us, ‘For 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.’ (Eph 6:12) So often, we feel thwarted by people, discouraged by opposition and put down by others. We can be preoccupied by tensions with people – in our families, in our workplace, in our neighbourhoods and even, sadly, in our churches. All division ultimately comes from the enemy who seeks to wreck the work of God by every method imaginable. If Jesus said that the world would know His disciples by love (John 13:35), it’s obvious that a lack of love is one of the methods he regularly uses to discredit the church, along with disillusionment, infighting and a critical spirit.

We need to understand who the real enemy is and pray accordingly. People are not the problem in themselves. We are in a spiritual battle. We face spiritual forces of evil who do not want to see God’s kingdom come on earth. However, we can be confident God will not let these powers triumph, for Christ has disarmed those powers and authorities and has triumphed over them by the cross. (Col 2:15)

Watching a child learn to walk is an exercise in fear! The little one learns to pull himself upright and is desperate to move forward, but before that can happen, he must learn to stand still without holding on to props. Paul says that we need to put on the full armour of God so that we can stand against the devil’s schemes (Eph 6:11). He goes on to say, ‘Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.’ (Eph 6:13) If we want to stand firm in faith, no matter what trials or hurricanes hit our lives, we have to put on the armour of God which acts as ballast and protection, enabling us to stand firm.

In our ‘Churches Together’ prayer meeting today, we looked at Ephesians 6:10-20, a passage which reminds us that the Christian life involves spiritual warfare. If we want to see real change in our communities, we must be prepared to pray in the Spirit on all occasions (Eph 6:18) and to put on the full armour of God so as to be equipped to stand (Eph 6:11-13).

This passage begins with the command to ‘be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.’ (Eph 6:10) So often, we feel weak and helpless when it comes to life, let alone to prayer. We face situations beyond our control and understanding; we feel vulnerable, inadequate and useless most of the time! But this command reminds us that our strength is in God, not in ourselves. It’s OK to be weak so long as we hide ourselves in the Mighty One! (see 2 Cor 12:9)

The story of David and Goliath which we looked at in our family service reminds us that physical strength is not the answer to life’s battles. We need spiritual strength, divine strength. Nehemiah reminds us that ‘the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ (Neh 8:10) As we give ourselves fully to God, His joy and strength are given to us.

To sing praise to God when we see His deliverance is easy. It’s a natural response to the exuberance and exhilaration we feel when we see His miraculous hand at work in our lives, as Moses and the Israelites demonstrated when they saw the Red Sea part before them and the Egyptians drowned as they pursued God’s people (Ex 15:1-18, 21).

God’s praise, however, can be sung even when it is not easy, ‘when the sky turns dark and heartache falls/ And a lonely painful season calls.’ (‘We Will Worship’, Kutless) We can choose to bless God’s name when we enter the desert of suffering and when confusion is our closest companion, not because we are happy in these circumstances, but because God’s character has not changed: ‘No matter what this life holds in store, the truth remains, You are Lord.’ (‘We Will Worship,’ Kutless)

Our tendency when heartache falls and life is difficult is to retreat into silence: bewildered silence, sullen taciturnity or even resentful grumbling (‘it’s not supposed to be like this, God!’) The Bible suggests an alternative path is more beneficial, however: the path of sacrificial praise. (Heb 13:15)

Instead of silence, praise God. Sing truth about Him instead of believing the lies the enemy whispers into our soul, lies about God’s goodness and love, lies about His purposes and kindness, lies about ourselves. This may feel artificial at first, even hypocritical, but faith is not simply about feelings. It is about obedience to God and about praising Him no matter what. (Hab 3:17-18) Give praise a go. This spiritual weapon can lead us out of darkness and despair into a place of confidence and victory, for our God is still the sovereign Lord.

We have recently had letters from Bedline and Innocent and it’s good to maintain that contact with the children we support. We will be sending Christmas cards and gifts shortly to the three children we support.

Fredrick and Reeba have sent us a letter detailing the news of their new building project. We visited this building on our trip to India last year, but there was much work to be done. When the church construction work started, they had £500, but now are halfway through the project and have spent more than £7000! Fredrick says, “Right from the foundation work, walls, raising pillars till the roof level and filling the land we saw God’s favour and provision. People from our church came forward and helped us in getting materials like sand for construction; some bought cememnts, bricks and steel. Young people every evening after their work come and help us in the building. Today we have completed concrete roofing work.”

Sacrificial saving and giving has been key to this work proceeding. There is much work still to be done:

• flooring work, laying tiles
• plastering the inside and outside walls
• electrical work, wiring, lightings and switches fixing and fans
• painting walls
• plumbing and sanitary connections
• building toilets and fixtures in the toilets
• wooden doors, steel grilles and windows fixing
• roof plastering

As you can imagine, this work costs money (an estimated further £7,000), but if all goes well, the church building could be dedicate by Christmas. Please continue to pray.

Smartphones are wonderful devices, enabling us to stay in touch with people and to stay connected to the world. They have become for many much more than a portable means of communication; they are our lifeline to information, our connection to friends and family, our means of sharing experiences, our music centre, our library, our map for life. We feel bereft and naked without them, cut off from ideas, people and news.

Yet a smartphone is only useful as long as the battery is charged. Without this, it’s a piece of dead metal. It needs regular connection (usually via a charger) to a source of electricity in order to function, and the more sophisticated the smartphone, the more it regularly needs the charging connection.

We are marvellous creatures, fearfully and wonderfully made (Ps 139:13-14), but, like the smartphone, we regularly need plugging in to be charged up. If we are to function at our best, we need regular rest and sleep, healthy food and frequent exercise to keep our bodies on top form. We also need to be plugged in to God to maintain spiritual function. We need time for prayer, to listen quietly to God and to share with Him our hopes, dreams, disappointments and needs. We need time for His word so that we can be shaped like plasticine or clay into the person He wants us to be. We need to be plugged into fellowship, for no man is an island and we were created for community.

Just as there aer things we need to do on a daily basis to maintain our health – brushing our teeth, washing, dressing appropriately for the climate – there are spiritual practices we need to employ regularly to keep our spiritual energy renewed.

Devote yourself to prayer, never miss an aopportunity to meditate on God’s word, seek out other Christians to encourage you and to build faith, be committed to serving God. As the meerkats say, ‘simples!’