The Real Problem with a Bully

[The Real Problem with a Bully]( Current Teaching Series [Talking About Stuff That Matters]( [Listen to Today's Broadcast]( [The Real Problem with a Bully]( By Rick Warren — 10/12/2020 [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Email]( “We are not fighting against human beings but against the wicked spiritual forces in the heavenly world.” Ephesians 6:12 (GNT) Bullying is on the rise in our schools, our workplaces, and even online. Whenever someone exhibits aggressive behavior or tries to exert power over somebody else, that’s bullying. It could include making threats, spreading rumors, physically or verbally attacking, harassing, or purposefully excluding somebody from a group. Bullying doesn’t just happen in person. Today we’re more and more connected through texts, social media, video games, and apps. And that means cyber bullying happens in all those spheres. In previous generations, kids could escape bullies by leaving the playground, but today the bullies can reach you through your phone, tablet, or computer. Sometimes it can seem like there is no escape. When you or your children face this kind of behavior, it’s important to recognize the source behind the bully. “We are not fighting against human beings but against the wicked spiritual forces in the heavenly world” (Ephesians 6:12 GNT). The bully is not your real problem. The real problem is a spiritual force. It’s called evil. The bully is just being used by Satan. You’re not fighting against human beings. You’re fighting against wicked spiritual forces. All evil and hatred come from Satan. And he can use anybody who doesn’t know the Lord, because they don’t have God’s Spirit in them. Satan wants to hurt God, but he can’t—so he does the next best thing: He goes after God’s children. The best way to hurt a parent is to hurt his child, and the child of God is the enemy of Satan. This is why prayer is such an important part of dealing with harassment or a bully at school or work, because you’re not dealing with just human beings. There’s a spiritual force behind it all. You may not have the power to stop that bully, but God does. Always start with prayer. That’s where you get God’s power to fight the spiritual forces at work around you. [PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>]( Talk It Over - How would you tell another adult at work to respond to a bully? What would you say to your child? - In what ways does your perspective shift when you see the spiritual forces at work behind bullying? - How does prayer connect us to God’s power? The post [The Real Problem with a Bully]( appeared first on [Pastor Rick's Daily Hope](. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Email]( [Get Words to Love By Gift Book when you give a gift to support Daily Hope]( Words have the power to build up or to tear down. And one of the greatest gifts you can give a child is the ability to wield that power for good. Pastor Rick’s fun and engaging book, Words to Love By, invites the children in your life to discover how they can use their words to encourage, forgive, heal, and love. Whether you’re a parent, a grandparent, or you simply want to bless kids the Lord has placed in your life, you’ll love how this beautifully illustrated hardback book engages young readers (specially designed for ages 4-8) and inspires them to speak life through their words. [LEARN MORE]( [Complete Audio Series (Purchase)]( Includes 5 full-length messages from Pastor Rick's series Talking About Stuff That Matters. [LEARN MORE]( [Series Summary]( Message 1: Don't Let Anyone Steal Your Identity Message 2: Forming Healthy Friendships Message 3: Creating Life Shaping Conversations Message 4: Being a Disciple in the Digital Age Message 5: When You're Harassed and Bullied [PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST]( Pastor Rick Warren [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Linkedin]( Enjoy today's devotional? Listen to Pastor Rick’s daily audio teaching at [PastorRick.com]( Did someone forward this devotional to you? [Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional.]( As the founding pastor of Saddleback Church with his wife Kay, Dr. Rick Warren leads a 30,000-member congregation in California with campuses in major cities around the world. As an author, his book [The Purpose Driven Life]( is one of the best-selling nonfiction books in publishing history. It has been translated into 74 languages and sold more than 50 million copies in all formats. His book [The Purpose Driven Church]( was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the century. Rick also founded [The PEACE Plan]( to address five global issues—spiritual emptiness, self-serving leadership, poverty, disease, and illiteracy—through the power of ordinary people in the local church. You can listen to Pastor Rick’s Daily Hope, his daily 25-minute audio teaching, and sign up for his free daily devotionals at [PastorRick.com](. © 2020 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe by clicking the link below. Sent to: {EMAIL} [Unsubscribe]( Pastor Rick's Daily Hope, 23182 Arroyo Vista, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688, United States