Ingram (Sex 180
), president of the Walk Thru the Bible ministry, draws on personal experience in this book about confronting spiritual darkness. He succeeds in taking a balanced approach, challenging readers who either ignore spiritual warfare or see manifestations of it around every corner. Expounding upon Ephesians 6 (in which Paul talks about putting on the "armor of God"), Ingram gives most of his time to "the everyday schemes of the evil one" and daily defensive spiritual disciplines (prayer, Bible meditation, repentance). He stresses that we are all in the middle of an "invisible war," that we don't need to fear the enemy but respect him, and that God's victory can be ours in every spiritual conflict. As a pastor in Santa Cruz for more than a decade, Ingram confronted occult activity that he believed threatened his ministry and family. While these tales are fascinating, more enlightening is Ingram's description of the subtle attacks he and others feel they have experienced through discouragement and doubt during key periods of ministry. While well-balanced with useful information, the book often reads like a sermon series transcript and will prove most informative for pastors looking for detailed sermon outlines, which are included with each section. (Jan.)
