January 26 Daily Devotional

Monthly Theme:

The theme of the month is spiritual war. Jesus won the battle not by might but by obedience. He is the source of salvation for all who obey him. When we have stood the test, we will share Christ's glory.

Bible Reading:

Ephesians 6:10–12

Bible Text:

Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but ... against the powers of this dark world (Eph. 6:12).

Devotional:

We are nearing the end of the twentieth century. Our knowledge of the physical universe has grown tremendously in the past fifty years. But our sense of the unseen reality, the spiritual universe, is not getting any sharper.

We need the Bible to understand the cosmic shape of the spiritual world. We need to know the power of Christ that comes through the Holy Spirit. But we also need to know the enemy and his army—the rulers, authorities, powers, and spiritual forces that have invaded God's good creation.

Our struggle is not against black or brown or white people but against pride and racism. Our fight is not against this or that government or leader, but against graft and the abuse of power. We don't battle the ignorant but the darkness that hides the truth. We struggle not against drunks but against the beast that causes the alcoholic stupor. We fight the folly of waste, the chilling grip of poverty, abuse of money, and corruption in high and low places. We are the sworn enemies of greed, gluttony, and covetousness.

Christians are not the only ones who are up against these tempting, destructive, satanic forces. But only Christians have the equipment to overcome the present evil darkness.

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published in 1994. This edition is copyright by Faith Alive Christian Resources, from whom may be ordered Daylight, the predecessor of Twilight.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this edition of Twilight are from the New International Version

Be sure to read the "Preface" and the "Acknowledgments" by the author.