“To Resist The Devil’s Stalking Them” [Spanish Jerusalem Bible Series - Ephesians sub-series - # 6:10-18]

I like the Spanish words they chose to use –
Ephesians six and ten – with devil loose
And roaming ’round, out stalking whom he may –
We’re given armaments for such a day.

When I was introduced to concept here,
Translator (English) tried to make it clear,
The nature of the evil which we face,
No doubt about it – had a human face.

Then others (English) held another view –
With “Powers and Principalities” in view,
They spoke of “Evil forces” in the air,
Who worked behind the scenes to bring despair.

Those two extremes confused me – evil is
Not what I find in life – just grays exist;
Perceiver’s “Black and whites” I don’t perceive,
Both in the flesh, and spirit world, indeed.

But Spanish brings them both to bear in text –
“diablo” roaming ’round by which we’re vexed,
Is first to be identified as foe
Who needs resisting as he stalking goes.

“potestades”, next on letter’s list –
The folks with power to act, we must resist –
For “Power corrupts”, when “Absolute” it will
Be absolutely bad – can maim and kill.

“dominadores” – bullies on the block
Of this dark world, in actions as in talk;
From school-ground days, to office politics,
Destroying as they from the shadows hit.

Then Paul in letter speaks of attitude –
The “Tone” towns have, the process people use
To keep in line their neighbors, “How we do
Life here – fit in – know what is good for you”.

This “Spirit in the atmosphere around”,
Is caught as we encounter it – is found
To be unspoken in its twisted ways –
“You’ve eighteen months to learn it or you’ll pay”.

To me this Spanish text helps make it clear –
“Not flesh and blood” as enemies round here,
But spirits that inform folks’ evil acts –
A choice is made to live out evil’s tacks.

There’s spirit-forces of all shades around;
Our sick and twisted attitudes abound;
We know that “Spirit forces”, quite unseen,
Can turn a mob from crowd which first it’s been.

So both exist – there’s humans with a face,
And spirit world, unseen, which we must face;
But in that fact I hear the hope of life,
For other spirits operate in strife.

And that’s the point of Paul’s concluding words –
“Buy into God’s protection, it’s absurd
For puny man to take on foe alone,
For a devil stalks us as through life he roams”.

Paul makes it clear – it’s not the human here,
But spirit, attitude, which now draws near,
And causes havoc in our daily lives,
As folks buy in, and evil then can thrive.

We’d say today “A war of attitudes” –
They matter, aren’t benign when rightly viewed;
We all excuse such when they seem “Alright”
To us, but that’s the locus of the fight.

There’s power in the word – creative force;
In attitudes, in ways we think, of course,
And how we act – it’s spirit in behind
Informing heart, and soul, and body, mind.

For attitudes just hover on the brink
Of forty-nine percent, so people think
At fifty-one, all’s well, relax, chill out –
It takes small acts to flip amounts about.

And that’s what Paul addresses – how that’s done –
He outlines tools and weapons, so when done
Our local battles, struggling with the foe,
As body-members, we Christ’s victory know.

Thanks Lord for this.

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