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“I have changed a lot in the last couple years towards doing more for Christ and I feel led to continue even further...I have also never had so much contentment in my life! Neat how that works...”

That’s awesome! It’s amazing how He loves us and woos us into His life...and we’re satisfied! We’re made for that type of intimacy with Him...but also one another. I mean, there are over 45 different ‘one anothers’ and 15 ‘love one another’s’ in the New Testament. Loving and being loved, the very things missing here are what Jesus calls us to!

And yeah, things are looking a bit bleak, but because we have ‘His great and precious promises,’ we’re able to live out His nature and live in the hope of His return. But in the mean time, we have plenty to do!

I’m amazed though at what’s happening around the world. An estimated 120 million following Jesus in China in the last 60 years...20 thousand a day are coming to Him...and it’s all underground! There have been almost 1 million people who have turned to Jesus in the last 2 years in 1 area of India and all of these are movements focused on multiplication and some have purposed to head west! It’s staggering what He’s doing!

By the way, the US is the 3rd largest mission field on the face of the planet. There’s plenty to do there too ;-)

‘You don’t see a connection?’

Thanks for your reply and reminder! Anyway, I sure do see a connection. Absolutely! Yet what I was trying to point out, and I suppose not very well, was not that Satan isn’t strong or isn’t wrecking havoc...he is! But even the passage you pointed out in Eph. 6, Paul went on to write that we’ve been given all we need to stand and take the battle to the enemy, but we’re not doing it! (Remember I’m in Belgium)

We can look at Satan and understand that he does what his nature does...he (in part) ‘steals, kills and destroys.’ But Jesus, who has all authority over all kingdoms and dominions, came to give life to the fullest! He called His people ‘salt’ and ‘light!’ Those are to purify, preserve and cleans every area they’re used. But if you’re not salty what good are you to defeat satan? If your light is under a bucket, what good is it?

Jesus said in Matt. 16 that the gates of hell would not prevail against His Church. If I choose to look at this place through the lens of satan and his power, the gates of hell are defeating the church.

However, what I was trying to get at was, we have a nature too...a new nature where the living Christ dwells. We need to grow in that nature and, according to Jesus, that’s what all of us are supposed to be doing...making disciples of Jesus Christ.

If we’re not making mature disciples, we have people who are, ‘tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.’ (Eph. 4:14)

Therefore, I agree, Satan is wrecking havoc, but that’s who he is. To me the more important question is, ‘are we living out who we are supposed to be?’ Further, Satan does what he does, but are we taking responsibility for what we are supposed to be doing?

‘Greater is He who is in me than he that is in the world...’ (1 Jn. 4:4)

‘satan is still very strong there,’

I’m from the US, but am a missionary, just outside of Brussels, planting house churches. I’ve been lurking here forever...but this article really got me.
We know a couple who were pregnant and advised to abort, at this hospital, because of a possible abnormality. They aborted...
Belgium isn’t like it’s surrounding neighbors...you see the difference in people while just walking around. These people have been the punching bag of Europe since the time of Caesar.
I believe these issues are all just symptoms...Flanders is #1 in West Europe for suicide and #5 in Europe... Divorce rates are around 75% and alcoholism is off the charts. A significant number of people are on anti-depressants.
Oh yeah, less than 3% are practicing Catholics and less than .5% are protestant...a correlation?
So I’m not so sure the issue is Satan being strong as much as it is, disciples of Jesus Christ (in either of those camps) not ‘being’ who they’re called to be and are therefore, incredibly weak.
A significant problem too, is that the Church has failed to step in front of the mirror and let justice clean house. It was said recently that everyone in Belgium, has in one way or another, been effected by scandals in the Church.
People have committed crimes that have been covered up by Church leadership...I wouldn’t trust them either. One of the perps is living large in a protected place in West Flanders.
So I think many believe the only other decent option is ‘science.’ In schools it’s taught as the ‘only’ truthful and valid option on which to base your life. (my kids attended Flemish schools) So if science tells you you’re going blind or your baby may possibly be deformed...you trust it...more so than you can those in the Church... Sorry for being so long winded!