Russell Brand Shares Deep Dive Into Ephesians
By Movieguide® Contributor
Russel Brand read through Ephesians to explain how Paul’s letters are still relevant today and why it is important to understand that the spiritual world impacts everything.
“This has been what I’m looking at in the Bible today. You know, Ephesians 6:12, one of Paul’s letters — Paul’s letters to the Ephesians — he wrote a lot of letters Paul, he done a lot of miracles, he got a lot done but he still had time for correspondence,” Brand said. “I’ve liked this, ‘For our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.’
“What do you consider that to actually mean in terms of the global struggle? The geopolitical wars that spill across the world right now? The sense that there are corporate geopolitical forces corrupting and co-opting democracies and sovereign nations everywhere we look?” he continued. “How does what Paul’s writing to the Ephesians in 6:12 relate to what all of us feel, that our leaders have become corrupted, that there is a need for a significant spirit to infuse and empower us that we may oppose them?”
Brand’s highlighting of Paul’s writing is a powerful reminder of the unseen forces that have a profound impact on everyday life. In 1 Peter 5:8, Peter warns that “the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” Similar to Paul, he speaks to spiritual forces that are always looking for opportunities to corrupt people’s thoughts and actions for the ill will of humanity.
Thankfully, the Lord promises His followers freedom from this corruption and protects us from the hand of the devil and his agents. Therefore, the biggest impact we can have on evil in the world is to share the good news with our friends and neighbors to free them from the clutches of Satan as well.
Brand’s understanding of this struggle is extremely impressive given that he only became a Christian this April after years of searching for a faith that would give him peace. He got baptized at the end of April after finding that his desire for Christ became unavoidable and he began to realize as he found wholeness with the Lord.
Movieguide® previously reported:
After sharing on social media that he got baptized at the end of April, actor and comedian Russell Brand went further in-depth into his decision, explaining why now was the time to devote his life to Christ.
“I’ve reached a point in my life where, for a long while, in fact, I’ve known that the material world was not enough…I’ve learned as an addict in recovery [that] the pursuit of my own goals on my own agenda always leaves me cold and always leaves me empty and always leaves me wanting more,” Brand said.
“You can never have enough of what you don’t really want. For me, this is a new discovery. It is a surrender, undertaken in gratitude and in sincerity. I know it’s not something I’ll be able to undertake perfect but for the first time in my life, I fully understand that I’m not at the center of my universe,” he continued.
Brand’s conversion to faith has been a long time coming, fueled by not only his past addictions and hedonism but also by relationships in his life leaving him feeling empty. It is only through Christ that he has found the peace and wholeness that he has been chasing his whole life.
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