For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Ephesians‬ ‭6‬:‭12

When we’ve wrestled a bit with addiction, it becomes easier to believe in the dark cosmic powers we’ve heard rumor of in passages like these.

It seemed like storybook stuff when we were kids in Sunday school.

The only thing I took out of Ephesians then was the picture of a soldier decked out in armor and the understanding that this was the armor of God.

But the forces of evil do attack us. And they are compelling. And the only way to withstand them is with protection.

I don’t have enough on my own.

This is the issue I ran into as a supposed Christian teenager curious about the world and rules around me.

I just figured I’d be ok—what’s the big deal, anyway?

I didn’t think I was reckless, but I had enough cluelessness to amount to apathy.

Without an active defense against the temptations that will most certainly afflict us, we don’t stand a chance. They will plow over us one tiny wave at a time until we are cut down.

Addiction is progressive. It has no problem starting small because it has a literal lifetime to break us down.

Take up the full armor of God. And go ahead and carry it with you in every day.

It’s never overkill to protect the one soul that we have.

God, give me the defense that my life depends on.