Student Devotion Week 39: Spiritual Opposition: The Riot In Ephesus And Paul's Third Missionary Journey

Key Verse: 1 Peter 5:8, "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour."

Whenever I think of demons, those stone gargoyles found on old buildings come to mind. They have big fangs and ugly faces, but they're definitely stone. It's kind of hard to think of something like that as being a real threat in my life. Isn't a belief in demons about as outdated as the buildings where those gargoyles sit? Surprisingly, no. Demons are real, and they take every opportunity to stand in your way spiritually.

In Acts 19:21-41 Paul and his fellow travelers faced some pretty significant opposition. But look closer. The real reason behind the opposition was spiritual; these people were worshipers of a false god. They wanted nothing more than to be rid of Paul and his companions-by any means necessary.

You may not have to deal with physical opposition, but you'll definitely have to deal with spiritual warfare. You're in for it whether you like it or not. But how do you fight an invisible enemy, and what do spiritual battles feel like?

This week we're going to look at the invisible war Christians fight and hopefully find answers to some of your questions. Try to see beyond the visible this week and recognize what's really happening in the spiritual realm.