On Thursday afternoons our team holds a soup kitchen entitled The Upper Room. This past Thursday the Lord opened my eyes to something I had never experienced before: someone who hated Jesus Christ.

I've met lots of people who don't believe in Him, and I've met lots of people who are mad at Him (because of something they've experienced in life), but I've never in my entire life met someone who literally hated Christ. She even hated me saying His name. Even though I have met people who are mad at Him a part of their heart still recognizes His authority and are mad because He didn't do anything to stop whatever happened you know? This lady, no...she hated Him for who He was.

I won't go into a lot of detail (if you want more just let me know), but the Lord allowed me to experience a couple things from this situation that I want to expound upon. First, the pain of hearing this lady speak hateful acccusations against the God I have given my life to, the God I love, tore my heart to pieces. She called Him a thief, a molestor, a dumb-dumb among other things. She told me about the "dumb cross" and how she didn't need Christ's blood because she had the blood of another. I praise the Lord for letting my heart break because now I know just an inkling of the way God feels when we are spoken badly of, when people attack us but mostly, the pain He felt when Jesus Himself was beaten, accused and spat upon thousands of years ago. Because of the pain I felt I know God's love.

Secondly, the Lord allowed me to see the spiritual battle in the world.  I know there is a devil, I know he is only looking to steal, kill and destroy (
John 10:10),

but I don't see his influence in such bold ways...what I know of satan is subtle and crafty. In this lady though, he was neither...only satan can hate something so good, only he can speak so horribly of something so pure. You know the scary thing? She actually worshipped him in flesh. She told me that he came to her house to teach them of his ways.

As Christians, do we realize the truth of satan? I know he exists, and I thought I had a clear understanding of how he worked in the world. I was so wrong. God opened my eyes to see the truth of the spiritual battle that is waging even as I type these words. Do
you realize the power of satan in this world? I pray that you seek to understand the reality of the spiritual realm because regardless of if you acknowledge it, God does and the war continues to rage on. Praise God He has equipped up and given us weapons to protect ourselves!! (click here to read about our God-given weapons) I will never again question the power of putting on my armor each day.