Entangled

The Apostle Paul said, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this [present] darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) places.” Ephesians 6:12 (AMP)

If you are a follower of Christ, you must recognize we are in the midst of a spiritual war and must put on our spiritual armor and fight!

If you asked Believers today, many would acknowledge this war, but how many of us are active military (engaged) and how many in the Reserve (entangled)?

“No soldier in active service gets entangled in the [ordinary business] affairs of civilian life; [he avoids them] so that he may please the one who enlisted him to serve.” 2 Timothy 2:4 (AMP)

In the spirit of full disclosure, I feel I have as much authority to write this article as I do on “The Joys of Natural Childbirth,” but it’s true just the same.

Currently I put myself in the “entangled” camp. I know I shouldn’t be, but I am.

Paul told Timothy if you are in “active” service, you do not entangle yourself in the affairs of civilian life, but avoid them.

I walk right into them.

If you’ve ever unknowingly walked into a spider web (why would you knowingly), your immediate reaction is to exhibit all the martial arts moves you didn’t even realize you had.

But why the overreaction?

Because in 1/10,000 of a second your brain deduces the fact that where there’s a spider web, there’s a….spider.

And we don’t like spiders.

And yet how many times am I fully aware that when I open my Facebook, Instagram, or X app, I’ll experience arachnophobia? I’m going to walk right into a “I’m a Christian, but…” and then completely deny the truth of God’s word. Or post a meme that basically says if you’re a Christian your “place” is to basically sit down and shut up.

And they’re posted by those who identify as Christians!

Entangled.

Once entangled, I find myself having a hard time falling asleep because I’m writing, and rewriting the response in my mind. One which I rarely post because it only expands the web.

Getting entangled in social media meme wars rarely does anything to advance the Kingdom of God and results in greater entanglement, attracts even more spiders, and distracts from the “the One who has called you to serve.”

Recognizing we are in a spiritual war is the first step.

Getting untangled may be the first action.