Battling against the Forces of Evil

Negative energy, karma and positive thinking – these are the 21st century’s buzz words used by famous psychology gurus all over the world.

The constant advice that psychologists impart on us today is to possess good karma, impede negative energy, and propagate positive thinking. Words like evil or sin have all but vanished from the books and lectures of our academicians and scientists to the extent that people now mock and belittle anyone who speaks of the presence of evil. The world claims that there is no such thing called evil – only the proliferation and retraction of negative energy. No sane person would believe in evil spirits insisting that these are fairytales that the media sells through children’s books.

I understand that one cannot have tangible proof about the reality of evil because evil has no physical form. So how can we be sure that we are not alone on this planet? I personally believe in the presence of evil – it is real and it lurks among us. However, I cannot fully explain evil because it is part of the unseen spiritual realm, while we humans belong to the physical realm.

So what exactly is evil? Socrates describes evil as merely ignorance, while Plato illustrates it as the absence of good. During the Bible study at the Emmanuel church youth gathering, a friend described evil as anything that hinders the work of God; another described it to be the source of laziness; and yet another friend considered any disagreement among believers as stemming from evil.

Now the Bible mentions that one of the gifts of the spirit is the gift of discernment which means that those who possess it have the ability to identify evil in a person or in a gathering or place. However, everyone is prone to advocating – consciously or unconsciously – the diabolical schemas of the forces of darkness. I believe that evil breathes hatred, murder, disagreements, wickedness and malice among people. But it works behind the scene; it never plays up from front. It’s because of its subtle maneuvers that people underestimate its role among us.

Paul announces in Ephesians 6:12 that we do not fight against flesh and blood but against the evil spirits against which we have been embarking on a spiritual warfare. Hence, we as believers in Christ should always be aware that our fight is not against flesh and blood but against the higher powers of this world, against the forces of evil. Therefore, we should all be on guard to not let evil gain a foothold among us.

From a personal point of view, I have felt the works of evil within the church itself. Unfortunately, we never realize that the evil works heavily among the community of believers to tear it apart. There is countless number of believers who have retreated from the church community and cut themselves off because somewhere we weren’t aware that many times we were perpetuating and advocating the works of the dark forces. I only ask God that He may give us the wisdom to accept our wrongdoings and the humility and power to rekindle the long lost fellowship with our forgotten brothers and sisters in Christ.

As a conclusion, I want to say this: Whenever we face fierce disagreements, hatred or divisions in our households, among friends, colleagues or within the church, we must be aware that evil is working among us trying to create havoc through and among us. Our duty as believers in Christ is to stand still, hold our ground and resist the forces of darkness at all cost.

ManoChil

Mr. Varouj Mazmanian Visits Emmanuel Church from USA


(L to R standing) : Koko Avesian, Raffi Chilingirian, Jiro Ghazarian, Varouj Mazmanian, Hagop Kalebjian, Rev. Hovannes Svajian, Avo Gurunian, Mike Hagopian, Raffi Akbasharian.
(L to R front): Arek Karagoezian, Samuel Demirjian, Mano Chilingirian

For the First Time: Sunday Services-Քարոզի Պաշտամունքներ, in Mrouj village in the mountains

At last! For the first time, this Summer, and after praying for this vision that was held dear in the hearts of dedicated members, through God's blessings, and organized by the Armenian Evangelical Emmanuel Church, Sunday Services will also be held in the Evangelical Church of Mrouj, in the mountains, where lots of members spend their Summer.

The services will start at 10:30am, and they will begin starting from Sunday 19 July - 27 September, 2009.

This is a great opportunity to all those who are spending their Summer in the mountains to come together to worship our Lord and enjoy the fellowship of dear friends, colleagues and brothers/sisters in Christ.

Kchag Café, where you can enjoy your Summer

KCHAG CAFE is BACK!

The Armenian Evangelical Summer Camp Center - Քրիստոնէական Ջանից Ամառնային Կեդրոն - will hold its Sunday Nights, starting on Sunday, 19 July, at 6:00pm.

Everyone is Welcome to enjoy the cooler weather, and have fellowship and enjoy the food with all of us together.

Invite your friends and bring them with you!

Thanks to the Kchag Committee
PREPARE FOR SURPRISES THIS YEAR!