Science and Magic
“When the Apostle Paul speaks of taking our stand “against the spiritual forces of darkness”, is he alluding to a magical world that no longer exists? Could it actually be the case that powerful malevolent forces are still operative, but that moderns, through versions of science and sophisticated vocabulary, have so “dressed them down”, that they are hardly recognizable, and thus unchecked?
Could the result be that our humanity is being eroded, continuously, little by little? When Paul says “put on the full armor”, he is issuing a call to fight for the shape of humanity, that the image of God may yet be recovered and reflected in our time. Listen in as Pastor Cheung compellingly connects the dots.
Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-20
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. 19 Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
