(March 8, 2009 in the air somewhere over Oklahoma) The 9:00 a.m. news today bore the story of a man I knew. Pastor Fred Winters was shot to death this morning in the pulpit of the church he pastored in Maryville, IL.

Fred and I weren’t friends. I hadn’t seen him in over 20 years; since we used to sit in the same small classes in seminary. But I knew him. These tragedies always seem to happen elsewhere to someone you don’t know. But this time……I knew him.

The Apostle Peter said in chapter 5 of his first epistle that the devil is our opponent, and that he is roaming about like a roaring lion seeking people to devour. This time it was Fred. In devouring Fred he certainly scarred the Winters family, the Maryville church, the citizens of that area, and to a much lesser degree all of us.

It has become popular these days to pooh-pooh talk of evil verses good, or to mislabel the imperfect actions of well-intentioned men (GWB) as evil. Those of us who know the difference between good and evil must speak into the wisdom-vacuum on this topic and call it what it is: the work of our enemy.

I’m not the kind of Christian who sees a Boogie-man behind ever bush, or evil in every person who simply disagrees with me. But I do know the enemy has waited in hiding for me and struck my life in various ways and times, and that I was ill equipped to respond or even to recognize his threats.

I don’t recall in 46 years of church-going, Bible study, or seminary ever being taught how to engage the devil, or protect against him, let alone attack turf that he controls. Yet the Bible clearly states that the defensive gates of hell shall not prevail against those of us who are the Church.

When locked in battle, like the one Fred Winters lost today, or the micro battles we fight daily even with the ones that we love, we must remember the Apostle Paul’s wisdom to us Ephesians 6, that we battle not against flesh and blood, but against world forces of darkness, against spiritual forces in heavenly places. In Maryville, IL a gunman held the weapon, but Satan pulled the trigger.

The weapons of our warfare are not carnal (of the weak flesh) but mighty, for the destruction of strongholds the enemy has in the lives of people (II Cor 10:2). We have the power, but we don’t use it well, and often not at all.

Wise up! Don’t be afraid, but also don’t remain unaware. The Kingdom of Darkness is always trying to steal from the Kingdom of Light.

Speak up! Call evil what it is.

Man up! Speak clearly. Address Satan verbally (aloud), forcefully, and clearly. Leave no mistake about what’s God’s and command him to keep his hands off. The Bible promises in James 4 that if we resist (that’s being active, not passive) the Devil he will flee, and that if we draw near to God (again, action on our part) that God will draw near to us.

To Hell with the devil. And God bless the family of Fred Winters and the First Baptist Church of Maryville, IL.