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Dead People See Me

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"I see dead people"

No, not really. But who could forget one of the most memorable movie lines ever? The Sixth Sense brought thrills and chills to millions of people and ramped up the cultural awareness of the spiritual world. It helped people remember that there is so much more to life than meets the eye, and there exists a whole different world where invisible beings live and interact on a regular basis.

But then they left the theaters and eventually the consciousness of an unseen world faded to black like the screen after the closing credits...which is a mistake you don't want to repeat.

Why a mistake? Because like it or not and believe it or not, dead people see you. No really- here's what the Bible says:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us (Hebrews 12:1)

God's word teaches that Christians who have died are now cheering us on from the bleachers of heaven. To forget this is a mistake because we need to know that we're not alone in the day-to-day battle against Satan and his demons. There are thousands and thousands of believers who know exactly what you are going through in your struggles- which is why they are on their feet cheering for you and wearing a huge foam finger with your name on it!

OK- maybe the foam finger thing isn't real, but the cheering is...and I'll let you in on the four cheers they are screaming at the top of their spiritual lungs. They all come from Ephesians 6:12-20, which was written by a guy in the stands known as the Apostle Paul.

Cheer #1 - WAKE UP!

The first critical piece in living the Christian life is to know that you are in a spiritual battle. Here's the way Paul puts it:

For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 6:12)

You need be aware that there is a cosmic battle going on all around you that involves God, Satan, angels, demons, and...you. If you choose to ignore this, you give the enemy a victory by default by putting your time and energy into "fighting against people made of flesh and blood". Remember, if the Devil can keep you earthly minded, you'll do no heavenly good.

Cheer #2 - SUIT UP!

The second critical piece in living the Christian life is to prepare for the spiritual battle:

Use every piece of God's armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the sturdy belt of truth and the body armor of God's righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News, so that you will be fully prepared. In every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6:13-17)

God's armor is infinitely more important than a credit card, which is why you definitely don't want to leave home without it! Remember, you must be armored if you expect to survive the attacks of Satan and his army.

Cheer #3 - PRAY UP!

The third critical piece in living the Christian life is to engage in the spiritual battle:

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 saints. (Ephesians 6:18)

Paul paints a picture of prayer, not as a one time event, but as a way of life. When you think about this it makes perfect sense, because if you think first of the battle going on around you, praying will become second nature. This is the one thing Satan does not want to happen, because he knows that the only way to do real damage to his evil realm is to call on the power of God. I absolutely love this quote:

The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, and prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray. (Samuel Chadwick)

Cheer #4 - SPEAK UP!

The final critical piece in living the Christian life is to win the spiritual battle. How? By telling people how to get to heaven:

Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should. (Ephesians 6:19-20)

When you tell people about the forgiveness they can find and the eternal life they can have by simply trusting Christ as their only hope of salvation, you have scored a major victory in the spiritual battle. If the Devil can just keep your mouth shut, he can keep his victory secure. However, when you speak up and give people the good news of the gospel, you take ground for our God who desires all to know Him (2 Peter 3:9).

So dead people not only see you, they cheer for you as well- to wake up, suit up, pray up, and speak up. The question is...are you ready to fight? I hope so, because if you approach this conflict casually, you'll easily end up a casualty.

Head: What you need to know about this truth

All Christians are involved in a spiritual battle against Satan and his forces, therefore we must wake up to this reality, put on God's armor, pray continually, and witness persistently.

Heart: What you need to feel about this truth

I don't know if you've ever had the opportunity to do something in fromt of a large crowd, but I can tell you from personal experience it is simply amazing. You feel nervous, excited, and focused all at the same time. Now that you know you are being cheered on by a crowd of super saints, you should feel similar about life. There is nervousness about dissapointing the crowd, excitement that you have the opportunity to serve the God of the universe, and focused on the battle around you.

Hands: What you need to do about this truth

Get in the game! Except it isn't a game. Souls are at stake and so is your chance to make an eternal difference in life. There are Christians who play around at Christianity and in doing so dishonor Christ. Don't be like the marginal, mediocre believers who spend their time and energy pulling down the big bucks and building up their little kingdoms. Wake up each morning hearing the crowd chanting your name and get busy changing your little corner of the world!