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christian counseling today
VOL. 22 NO. 1
N
ewsflash… we have an
enemy who hates our guts!
Whether we realize it or
not, we are in a war—an
intensely private one with, inevitably,
public ramifications. This unseen and
unconventional war is nonetheless very
real and deadly. It is just not the kind of
war we see video clips of on the nightly
news or read about on the Internet.
As a leader, you no doubt are
cognizant that there are often red lasers
targeted at your chest, if not your back.
However, the most lethal shots fired
at us are not from those we typically
expect to attack… they are from our
adversary.
Several thousand years ago, Israel
was ready to fight a battle in which
they were greatly outnumbered by
the enemy. Elijah’s servant was terri-
fied, so being the effective leader he
was, Elijah told him not to fear. When
the Lord enlightened the servant so
he could apprehend the thousands of
angels on the battlefield ready to defend
Israel, he grasped why Elijah had such
unswerving and faithful confidence.
See, our biggest battles are waged in the
invisible spiritual realms, which are far
more real than our sensate experiences
enable us to perceive. Our vision must
transcend our fleshly first glances.
The Bible emphasizes that our
battle is not against “flesh and blood”
(Ephesians 6:12). However, it sure seems
like it at times—especially when we
experience “friendly fire” from someone
we are leading. Every effective leader
knows what it is like to be shot in the
back by power struggles, personality
conflicts, philosophical differences,
and competing agendas. Many people
we lead may not be the devil personi-
fied, but they sure seem to act like him
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REV. JARED PINGLETON, PSY.D.
leadership psyc
Dastardly Dirty Deeds and Diabolic Deceptive
Devices of the Devil