I had a pretty awesome conversation with my wife the other day. She brought of this passage in Ephesians 2: 1-10:

1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

She was discussing with me how it feels to be directed by the Holy Spirit, how the Spirit prods her to say a kind word or to actionably pursue some course outside of her comfort zone. She told me how the Holy Spirit is always growing and challenging her tendencies toward “status quo”. She then shared something that was very sobering. She said if we are who are alive in Christ have the Holy Spirit at work in our obedience, it makes so much sense how those that are dead in their sins have the contradicting spirit of the “ruler of the kingdom of the air” working in rebellious hearts. Her final thought was that it’s amazing that with this spirit working in those who disobey how there aren’t even more heinous sins… she said she knows the undeniable influence of the Holy Spirit compelling her to act AGAINST her flesh, she could not imagine the spirit compelling others to act FOR their flesh… if grace is an ocean, we are ALL SINKING!!

I encourage you, like this thought has done for me, to pause and thank the Lord for His grace that is deeper than we can even know. For it is by this grace we are saved! Let’s thank Him for His grace and let’s continually engage in the battle to defeat “the ruler of the kingdom of the air” so that his work will not claim the hearts of those around us!

Soli Deo Gloria

Jesse