Whenever I've brought up the subject of "spiritual warfare", I get one of several reactions. There are some Christians who react out of fear. They have been influenced by movies like The Exorcist or the slew of demonic films that feed our sense of being vulnerable and powerless against monsters and demons from the pit of hell. Then there are those who are at the other extreme; they refuse to recognize that spiritual warfare is real, and also unavoidable. They chalk it up to radical Christians who see a demon behind every bad thing that happens to people. Of course, there are also people [both Christian and nonbelievers] who simply do not believe in the supernatural or existence of spirits in this earthly realm.
The Apostle Paul clearly states some very clear principles regarding spiritual warfare in Ephesians 6:10-12. First, it is assumed that we recognize that we are actually in a spiritual war -- a war waged from the spiritual realms by spiritual beings! Then he points out these realities about our position in this war ... 1) We can find our strength [to fight and win!] in the Lord and His mighty power; 2) The Lord has given us battle armor to protect us as we fight defensively and offensively; 3) The enemy we fight does not look like us -- it is not of human flesh and blood, but of spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore, we cannot fight and defend from our human abilities. We must learn to battle with supernatural authority from God.
I think part of our problem is that the world does not believe in or embrace either the Great Commission that our Lord and Savior gave us to thwart the schemes of the devil to claim lives for his dark kingdom, or in our supernatural authority to defeat him. It's easy to see those schemes that kill, steal, and destroy lives ... iniquity in the family bloodline (such as molestation and sexual abuse); addictions; disease; emotional and psychological attacks; anything that creates low self-esteem, among many others.
Jesus gave us the example of what His blood would eventually buy for us -- the ability to overcome those schemes through our spiritual relationship with Him and the commission He made available to us. [NOTE: our commission from Christ means that we have authority to perform a task or certain duties that He instructs and commands us to do. See Matthew 28:16-20, and Mark 16:14-19, keeping in mind that this passage uses idioms that would have been known to the hearers in that time period]. Sometimes He dealt with a demon and cast it out of a person. Sometimes, He simply declared that they were healed and washed clean. Other times He spit in His hand and made mud out of the dirt and applied it to a man's eyes. All of these examples are part of the Great Commission to His followers and disciples, and are forms of spiritual warfare.
But the important thing to note is that Jesus took control over Satan's strategy to enslave that person, and set Jesus them free through the power of Heaven. That's what it can look like for us, too, when we enter His Kingdom here on earth and receive His strategies so that we can overcome Satan's. But, too often, we react to Satan's game plan instead of taking control of the situation in the power of the Lord. And our most common reaction is FEAR.
But did you know that Satan actually fears US because he knows we were created to rule over him? Satan knows that Jesus brought the Father's Kingdom government to the earth at His First Coming. And He knows those who have entered that Kingdom domain as citizens, and the spiritual authority they have been given. Therefore, Satan is intimidated by our intimate relationship with the Creator, which is why he tries to get us to accept fear in the battle. But when we refuse to step into that spiritual place of fear, and recognize if for the trap that it is, the devil knows his defeat is imminent.
He recognizes that we are confident in our authority as Kingdom representatives and in the Lord's power. Satan realizes we are poised for victory! As part of our battle plan, we must always cling to God's promises, surround ourselves with people of strong faith, and be encouragers by sharing our testimonies of how the Lord has led us to triumph over the enemy. Remembering our history of victories in the Lord encourages us, too, and is a great practice to get into!
And it is important to come to the realization that God is never going to put us in a situation or send us into a spiritual battle that is above our level of obedience. He will not subject us to something over our heads, causing us to turn from our commission. He wants to see us win! If we are committed to fighting a battle for the Kingdom of God, in the center of His will and out of righteous obedience, then He will equip us to win. It's when we step outside that safe place of His will, that we receive self-inflicted war wounds.
So, I just want to reiterate how important it is for the Body of Christ to not only be aware of the spiritual war that is waging all around us, but to get into battle mode -- be obedient to the instructions and will of the Lord; and be ready to fight both offensively and defensively, as He leads you. Be so confident in your victory, and the ability of your armor to protect you, that the Enemy cowers in fear of you, knowing you will not only recognize his strategies, but have the power of the Lord behind you to defeat him ... the power of His blood that bought your salvation; the Lord's righteousness as your breastplate; God's Truth as your belt; the readiness to always spread the Gospel of Peace as your shoes; your faith [and God's faithfulness to you] as your shield; and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
I want to leave you with the wise words of Pastor Bill Johnson on this subject of spiritual warfare: We were born in a war. There are no time-outs, no vacations, no leaves of absence. The safest place is in the center of God's will, which is in a place of deep intimacy. There He allows only the battles to come our way that we are equipped to win. Not only is this the safest place, it is the most joyful place for each believer. Outside of intimacy, we are likely to miss the greatest event on earth ... the finale and climax of His Kingdom on earth!
Remember: we were born for a time such as this. All the mayhem and chaos we see in the world is not going to go away, "if we just try to get along". But we need not fear! We have the resources of Heaven that have been made available to us to ensure our victory, on earth and in the spiritual realms. Christ's blood covers us in the present spiritual war, and those to come!
2 Thessalonians 3:3 But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen you [setting you on a firm foundation] and will protect and guard you from the evil one.
