UNSEEN Battle

Matt Miles • April 20, 2022

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.Ephesians 6:11

     Spiritual warfare wages all around us for our souls. We see clear evidence of the battle in obvious ways: violent crimes, pornography, tyrannical dictatorships, terrorism, and abortion, to name a few. Yet if we pay attention and look closer, just under the obvious is the subtle: evolutionary belief, devaluing of marriage, identity confusion, and wokeism. As subtle as many attacks may be, they are most dangerous because they are slowly “snuck” into our daily lives on fronts that we are not expecting and may not be fortified against, or on fronts where we have been lulled into complacency with reasonable sounding arguments that are not Biblical.

     One such example might be the subtle attack on our children’s education. Over the last 20+ years there has been a subtle erosion of parents’ rights - God ordained rights. A parental awakening might be on the horizon as the subtle becomes less so before our very eyes. For example, in the state of Massachusetts private schools must have public school board approval to exist. I don’t know the history of that requirement, yet I assume it was established with good intentions, as most liberty-stripping requirements are. Late last year, a church in that state, Vida Real Church, had desired to open a new Christian school. Their desire, as with most Christian schools, was to help parents educate their children in a Biblical manner and worldview. The Somerville Public School Committee, who was over them, denied their application on the grounds it “does not meet the criteria” for approval. Evidently the school’s Biblical beliefs on sexuality and evolution were a couple of points that failed to meet their criteria. One committee member even allegedly stated on denying the application because of these beliefs was the “morally right thing to do.” So, a church made up of like-minded parents whose desire is to educate their children in a godly manner were denied that right by the state. The last I checked, there is still a standing and often proclaimed separation of church and state, especially when it comes to education. But once again that separation has been taken to mean the church can’t influence the state and not the other way around. We must wake up and take a closer look at what and who is educating our children.

     The spiritual battle that has been waging unseen for many years should concern us. We must open our eyes and ears to all that is going on around us in this “Christian nation”. The proverbial frog that is being boiled is us, God-fearing Bible believers. We must seek the Lord for open eyes to every battle that has eternal consequences, so we may SEE THE UNSEEN. Thankfully, to God be the glory, many states are beginning to wake up over these various subtle attacks and are countering them. It is up to us Truth Believers, through the power and wisdom of Jesus Christ, to continue to expose the sneak attacks of the Enemy as we protect our families and His Church. Blessings.

Signing the Mayflower Compact by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris, 1899
By Ryan Cox March 19, 2026
EACH OF THESE ARTICLES ARE EXCERPTS FROM AMERICA’S EPIC ADVENTURE TM - CTF'S NEWEST VBS CURRICULUM From Lesson 1: The Pilgrims, Walking by Faith in the Lord – Proverbs 3:5-6
model train engine
By Matt Miles March 19, 2026
There are moments in life that we experience the Lord’s Providence, which is the continual guiding and caring of us for His purposes. We may go though trials and suffering now to refine our faith in preparation for eternity. Other times we may see it for the here and now, with the aligning of plans for His purpose in our life, maybe with the opening or closing of a door. Many times we see Providence only in hindsight, looking back on life and seeing His hand working, molding and inspiring us for His plans and to His glory. I can see the Lord’s Providence at many times over the course of my life. Early in my grade school years I developed a love for building models I was recently reminded, along with my father, that we built a train set together in our basement. Following that, I began to build model cars and airplanes. I now know that love of building, tinkering and problem solving was Providence preparing me for this ministry. The Lord taught me early on how to stay focused and pay attention to detail. What I thought was only a hobby at the time is now something I must use on a regular basis in things such as fossil restoration, building crates, trailer and vehicle maintenance for our mobile museum. Later in high school, while active in church, the Lord called me to serve our children’s church ministry. I began to help teach others about Jesus. It seemed insignificant at the time. I remember helping in lesson times and the puppet ministry. I even was cast as “Pastor Rufus” in one of our ongoing puppet skits. My opportunities to share Christ and be an example to those younger than I was tremendous. Again through His Providence, the Lord was guiding me and calling me to ministry. He developed in me the love of teaching His Word to others, priceless to me today. Then in college Providence brought Theresa and I together. The Lord knew exactly who I needed to be my bride for life. She is strong in my weakness and more Christ-like than anyone I know. She is the perfect helpmate and partner for me in ministry as well, which has so far been 34 years, to be exact. Many times the Lord has used her discernment to direct me through a situation that I did not see correctly. I am thankful every day for Providence that brought us together in life and eternal work. As I look back on my life, there are more Providential moments than I have space to write. Most of those times have directly guided me to this specific ministry and my call to preach and teach His Word. Looking back on life and identifying those moments of Providence from the Lord is humbling and awe-inspiring. Please take a moment to remember your own moments when Providence has been evident in your life. This ministry is about identifying Providence from the beginning. His plan from the start is us spending eternity in His presence. Our sin messed some things up, but not His plan. He always has and always will know exactly how to guide and care for us so that we bring Him the glory, now and eternally. There is not a month that goes by that we here at CTF don’t praise the Lord for His Providence through you, our supporters and sustainers. Join with me in thanks for His Providence each day, guiding as only our Creator and Savior could do. Psalms 31:3-5 Blessings.
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