Sometimes I think Christian leaders refrain from talking about evil because, well, it makes everyone uncomfortable. But if we don’t talk about it and we don’t acknowledge it, then it may be able to penetrate our lives without us even realizing it.

Spiritual warfare is a real thing, and to be victorious we must stay vigilant and rooted in the Word of God and in Jesus Christ. The Bible says in 1 John 5:19 that “We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one." In other words, as followers of Jesus, we can be sure that Jesus is our foundation – but the rest of the world is where the enemy lives until Jesus’ return.

We can be sure that someday, Jesus will come again to this world, but until then, we are called to be His light on the earth. This means as Christians, we may face persecution. We may be mocked. We probably won’t “fit in” with what’s popular – but we must remember that our foundation is in Christ. We must be vigilant and aware of evil, so we do not fall into it ourselves.

I urge you to get connected with a church if you aren’t already. Find a Bible study group. Spend time in God’s word personally. Remain vigilant and rooted in the Bible and in Jesus.

This is Andrew Palau.