By Al Menconi
Al Menconi Ministries
September 21, 2006

(AgapePress) - We're in a spiritual war. This war is not against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual powers of Satan and his demons (Eph. 6:12).

For most Christians it's a little hard to get worked up about this war, since we don't have the threat of real bullets zinging past our heads every day. But wait, there are real bullets being aimed at us! Did you ever stop to think that the immorality and false ideas of much of today's entertainment media are the ammunition in this war?

Let me adapt an illustration from The Bondage Breaker, a book by my friend Neil Anderson. Imagine you're standing at the end of a long, narrow street that is lined on both sides with houses and shops. At the other end of the street stands Jesus Christ. Your spiritual life is the process of walking down that long street to holiness and maturity. As a Christian, you fix your eyes on Him and start walking.

But this world is still under the dominion of Satan. The houses and shops on either side of the street are occupied by beings who want to keep you from reaching the other end of the street. They have no real power to block your path or restrain you, so they hang out the windows hurling lies, insults, and temptations at you in an attempt to disrupt your progress toward Christ. One of the weapons they're using to launch this attack is the entertainment media. The more we entertain ourselves with the empty philosophies of today's entertainment, the more we're hindered in our walk toward Christ. If Satan can't keep us in his house, he will still try to make us slow down, stop, sit down, and if possible, give up our journey to Jesus.

Unfortunately, Satan's strategy works all too well. Many Christians treat this journey like a stroll through a shopping mall instead of a race through a battlefield! Instead of keeping focused on Christ, we wander around casually window-shopping at the enemy's stores! And the longer we linger, the easier it is for Satan to hit what he's aiming at!

Satan can never again own us, because we have been redeemed by Jesus Christ and we are forever in Him (1 Pet. 1:18,19). But if he can get us to listen to the empty ideas of this world instead of what Christ has said (Col. 2:8), he can influence us. If we allow him to influence us long enough, he can even control us.

This is why I am so concerned about what I allow to entertain me. I don't want to be just another target for the enemy in this spiritual war. Too much of today's entertainment media is designed to distract us from our true goal. I don't know about you, but I don't want to be strolling on the sidelines. I want to walk the walk and run the race for Jesus Christ.

Interested in gauging the influence of your entertainment "input"? Consider taking the FullTilt Media Challenge. American Family Radio, a nationwide Christian radio network, kicked off its 30-day Challenge with its listeners in early September -- but you can start your own anytime you wish. The information below will provide you more information about the FullTilt Challenge sponsored by American Family Radio and Al Menconi. You can order a personal devotional (for $10 plus $2 postage), including a free worship CD and wristband to keep you focused on Him.