DoublePortion_October2023_8.5x5.5_REV.indd

Israel.After conferring with his officers, he said,‘I will set up my camp in such and such a place’” (2 Kings 6:8). It seemed like the Arameans, also referred to as Syri ans, were always battling Israel, especially during David’s reign. Ben-Hadad, one of Aram’s more powerful leaders, fought Israel unsuccessfully, because the Lord promised to deliver his army into Ahab’s hands (1 Kings 20:13). Later, it was the Arameans who put an end to the wicked king’s reign by killing him (1 Kings 20:34 37). Here, a few years later, the Arameans are back at it again. Whether after power, plunder, or more territory, most of these kings were hawkish.These assaults have continued down through the centuries. Of course, the Jews have had to endure a significant amount of this aggression. Just like Israel has encountered a myriad of literal enemies over the centuries, we, as believers, are engaged in an ongoing spiritual battle. As Paul writes, “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). Pointing to our particular enemy, the Word says, “Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking some one to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). In this encounter, we don’t battle in conventional ways. As Paul also says, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of forces” (2 Corinthians 10:4). Our divine ly powerful weapons include the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, shoes of the gospel, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit (Ephesians 6:13-17). The king of Aram wasn’t thinking along those lines. He had traditional combat in mind, plans foiled by Elisha with his exhi-

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