2 Kings 6:8-18
During World War II, Allied soldiers sometimes found themselves fighting without knowing what was happening beyond their immediate position.
From a foxhole, a soldier could see the enemy in front of him. He could hear the gunfire. He could see the danger. And from where he was sitting, things might have looked hopeless.
But what that soldier couldn't see was the bigger picture. Miles away, reinforcements might already be moving toward him. Aircraft could be on their way.
Artillery might already be positioned to strike. Commanders looking at maps could see resources and forces that the soldier in the foxhole knew nothing about.
What he could see was real. But it wasn't the whole reality. That's exactly where Elisha's servant found himself in 2 Kings 6.
He walked outside one morning and saw that the city was surrounded by the Syrian army. Horses, chariots and soldiers everywhere.
From what he could see, they were in serious trouble. But Elisha could see something his servant couldn’t. So Elisha prayed, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.”
God opened the servant's eyes, and suddenly he saw what had been there all along: “the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”
The enemy army was real but there was another army they couldn't see.
Sometimes the biggest problem isn't what we're seeing. It's forgetting that there's more going on than what we can see.
And maybe part of the reason we forget about the spiritual battle around us is that we have the wrong picture of angels.
When you hear the word angel, what comes to mind? Maybe a cute little baby with wings. A peaceful figure sitting on a cloud playing a harp. Or a delicate angel that belongs on top of a Christmas tree.
But that's not the picture the Bible usually gives us. Biblical angels aren't cute and cuddly. They're powerful. They're intimidating. And sometimes, they're warriors.
In 2 Kings 6, when God opens the servant's eyes, he doesn't see angels floating peacefully in the sky. He sees “horses and chariots of fire” covering the mountain around Elisha.
Throughout Scripture, angels are described as God's “mighty ones” who carry out His commands (Psalm 103:20). Hebrews says they are “ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation” (Hebrews 1:14).
And this isn't the only time Scripture pulls back the curtain and gives us a glimpse of the unseen world. Again and again, the Bible reminds us that there is a spiritual reality surrounding our physical one. We may not see it with our eyes, but that doesn't make it any less real.
There is an invisible war taking place and God's forces are anything but weak.
That means when you're facing something that feels overwhelming, don't assume that what you can see is all there is.
Your circumstances may be real and opposition may be real. The battle may be real. But none of those things are greater than the God who is with you.
When what you see makes you afraid, remind yourself of what you can't see. The battle is bigger than you realize, but so is the God who fights for you.