Spiritual battles are raging all around us. Satan wants to steal, kill and destroy all that God loves. He wants to destroy the family, destroy people’s will to work, and destroy our love for one another. He wants to divide and sow discord. And he and his evil minions seem to be ramping up their evil crusade everywhere. But many of us go into the battle ill-prepared. So, how can we strengthen and prepare ourselves for life’s battles?

And today’s readings in Proverbs and the New Testament talk about spiritual battles of another kind, the ones that go on inside of us.

First, how the “lions” of fear can keep us from moving forward and trusting God.

And in Romans, after acknowledging the war between the flesh and the spirit, the Apostle Paul tells us how we can be assured of victory. A message we all need to hear concerning our personal spiritual battles with sin, the flesh, and the devil.