When our country and our world seem to be heading down a dangerous and destructive path, this is a time when God needs his believers to stand in the gap for each other, for everyone we meet. Whether we recognize it or not, battle rages all around us. Spiritual forces of darkness, the darkness of this age conspire to drag us away from our source of Light and Life.

We are simultaneously warriors in this fight and the battlefield itself.

Ever felt tempted? Ever post something mean on social media? You are the battlefield. Ever prayed against it? Ever helped a stranger in need? You are a warrior.

You get the picture.

This is why God needs us in this fight–because we are the very battleground the evil one and his forces of darkness are attacking. If we agree with God in prayer, we give him the high ground. We become, for a time, unassailable. Not for long, sadly, as we are all too easily coaxed out of such an advantageous position, but it is glorious while it lasts.

But what does it mean to fight in this weird war where we can’t even see our foe, at least not directly (it is usually easy to tell when we are face-to-face with evil)? As I alluded to earlier, prayer is a particularly deadly weapon against the darkness. What else? I know I feel like a warrior for God when I help others. There are other easy answers as well: be kind. Be joy in someone’s otherwise dreary day. Be Love.

As innocent and wholesome as these things seem, they are Kryptonite for the foul spirits who would have us be mean, be bitter, and be hateful and selfish.

So what’s the point?

The point is that God has given us each special abilities and experiences. He expects us to use them to advance his kingdom, to win the war on spiritual terrorism. This is not a time for us to be complacent or, worse, complicit with the forces of darkness.

In the fourth chapter of the book of Esther, Mordecai is trying desperately to convince Esther to stand up for their people, the Jews. Esther is reluctant due to fear for her own life. Paraphrasing Mordecai’s response slightly, he says to her, “How do you know that God hasn’t given you your abilities, experiences, and opportunities to prepare for just such a time as this?”

It’s a good question for all of us.

So whatever you do well, do it. However God has gifted you, wired you, stand up and do it. The world needs you. God needs you. I need you. We need each other. This is the way God intended it to be.