It is important to be street smart in addition to being academically smart because if one is only academically smart, they may not be able to see that the foundations of society are almost gone. This is a gospel-oriented world and no one wants to focus on the negative things that require grace. However, we try to erase this reality by focusing on the Greek New Testament. The apostle does not say that we are only exposed to special grace and then common grace, but he says that we fight against principalities and powers in the heavenly realms.Some people think that being a Christian means leading a life of peace and tranquility, only attending church once a week, and never experiencing any problems. However, this is not what the apostle Paul was saying when he wrote about how Christians should view the world. Paul was saying that Christians should fight for peace, even though they don't have any physical weapons to fight with. So in a sense, the millstone that was dropped from the wall on the head of the Israelite is this anxiety in this two line softness.We are engaged in a difficult struggle against a stronger opponent. However, we are not fighting this opponent directly, but through the power of God's word. We are using God's truth to fight, with God's power, to bring about God's salvation. But our words are not always just soft and loving. Sometimes, we have to fight hard and speak the truth forcefully in order to win the battle and bring about God's salvation. Even though we are supposed to be careful with our words, we see that there is also a type of language designed for battle that is meant to be used exclusively in fighting. We go out into the world to find lost people, but we are also aware that there are dangers lurking in the form of devils and spirits. This is not a threat from a helpless God who tells people they will get what they want if they do not repent. Rather, this is a God who blinds the minds of men but will reveal the truth to them so that they cannot disagree with Him. We encounter Fallen Angels and Demons fighting each other in hand-to-hand combat for our souls. It is a dangerous and chaotic world, and we must stay alert at all times. We are not merely talking about a generation who is given over to more extreme sins like adultery, theft, fornication, murder, rape, threatening and violence, but we are fighting against the demonic forces that generate this powerful influence. We are involved in a battle that is much more powerful than our words. You may say this person has gone off the deep end. No, I am not saying that we say certain phrases or use certain prophetic gifts. What I am saying is that we must be sober minded and very street smart as to what is going on out there. In order to win this battle, we need to be aware of the enemy's tactics and be prepared to fight back.There is nothing in the physical world that can harm us, but we may still face difficulties that trouble our spirit. These challenges only make us stronger and help us to realize the power we have within us. We have weapons that cannot fail, and we have the shield of faith, which can stop the arrows of the evil one. This shield surrounds us so that we are protected from the attacks we cannot understand. God is our shield in this sense, and He comes to our aid with a fire that surrounds Him. Some people might say that His holiness is what makes Him our shield, but His holiness is also what protects us and helps us to prevail. In other words, God's holiness is a double-edged sword that not only protects us from our enemies, but also helps us to defeat them. It is the work of God's Son that has procured God's promise to be our Father and to defend us like a lion of Judah. The purpose of God's fire is to destroy our enemies on every side. This destruction is not God's real fire but His presence through His overriding the wills of men in His heavenly army. God commands the angels to come to our aid and help us find peace in our present circumstances, even though the world is full of devilish forces. We are not wimpy two-line Christians who sit around a campfire thinking that singing kum ba yah will solve our problems. But we learn how to ask for God's wisdom, and if we do this He will give it to us.This is the old testament being revealed in the new testament. We have access to the grace of God in this way. We have His ear or He comes to our defense because He promised us real defense more than the armies of the Israelite in the new testament gift of the Spirit. Then we have the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. This sword is not only the word that we believe in, but it is also the longing for a new word of salvation. It is not only believing in the word, but also wanting a new word of salvation or an application of personal salvation in the form of personal assurance out of a sense of peace and safety.What we have here is a representation of God's throne, in which there are thousands and thousands of angels who carry out the will of God. Angels that cannot be numbered. These angels are not merely worshipers but they are fighters too. These angels are the messengers of God's saving word or His seals as a testimony that He is a saving God.These angels come from the east because they have access to the earth. They are the protectors of the testimony of God's grace. They act as our representatives who are the servants of flames of fire or these warriors who destroy God's enemies on every side. They are literally our ministering spirits! We cannot think like men if we do not see the seriousness of this spiritual warfare. It is important to put on the armor like fighting men! God is always on our side, protecting us from harm and helping us to achieve our goals. We need to be alert and ready to fight, because the enemy is real and is trying to defeat us. But we have the power of God on our side, and we will prevail! We have the angel of the Lord on our side, who is known as the angel of the covenant. This angel will come to our aid and prevent harm to us from our enemies. We have the army of the Lord who is known as the army of salvation. Or God eyes and ears of defense by our call. We focus on God who is the covenant keeping God who defends our purposes in this life.