Spiritual warfare is no game.

We think it's a game. That's one of the problems that Christ followers face. Our image of evil is that Satan is some little impish trouble-maker who likes to pull pranks on us or make life difficult. Why else would we tell jokes about hell or watch movies about funny "demons?"

Hear this...Satan doesn't want to play games with you. He wants you dead. Can I put it any plainer? He's not out to make your life inconvenient. He is out to destroy everything about you.

I've seen evil. I've seen it up close. It's not a character in a red suit with a pitch fork and a tail. It's not an inconvenience in your schedule or your favorite show being cancelled after its first season. It is viciousness like you've never imagined (unfortunately). No...it doesn't come at you in that form because, if it did, all of us would be smart enough to run.

Evil is the love of self. Evil is the love of money. Evil is the willingness to climb all over every one else to get to the top. Evil says "God owes me." Evil says "I deserve this." Evil says "I don't care who it hurts as long as I'm okay." Evil looks out for number one all the time.

Here's the catch. It's always pretty. It always smells good, tastes good, feels right, and appears to be the best. Make no mistake, that's why this is a war that we are in.

The bottom line is this. Satan hates God with everything that is in him. He can't touch God or injure God. But he can definitely hurt God's children. So that is his full time hobby. It is the very core of his being. It is why he rips apart marriages, causes father's to hurt their children, causes politicians to forget their place, causes pastors to seek their own glory, allows the unjust to run freely and attacks Christ followers unrelentingly.

No. Spiritual warfare is no game. It's a...well, a war. And until the church starts to understand that and treat it as such (instead of acting like it's the punch line to a bad joke), we will never wield the power of Christ Jesus in a manner that is worthy of our God. With Satan, the game is on...will Christ followers stand to meet the challenge?