Spiritual Warfare: What is it, Who are we fighting, and HOW do we win?

Spiritual Warfare...it's a deep topic this week so grab your favorite beverage and get comfortable. It's one that many want to ignore, pretend doesn't exist, or are just uncomfortable talking about. It's clearly an important message in scripture and we need to be aware of what we are facing. Plus, no one likes to lose. So, let's take a look. I promise, it's not THAT scary.

S -
"For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does."
2 Corinthians 10:3-5

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. ¹⁴ Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. ¹⁵ For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. ¹⁶ In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. ¹⁷ Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. ¹⁸ Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere." Ephesians 6:12-18

"Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour."  1 Peter 5:8

O - A few key words in these verses help us identify just who our "enemy" is. It's not God, that's for sure. I haven't read a verse yet in the Bible that made me think that God wanted to "devour" someone or that He "prowls"...those are "dark" words to me and this is definitely referring to someone that is focused on doing evil, not good. We might read in the Old Testament of the consequences for disobeying God, but if you look at the big picture, when you read the WHOLE story, God is not prowling and He is definitely not desiring to devour His people. Those that claim they are acting on God's behalf but generate fear and do harm, have not read completely who God claims to be. The enemy is described as someone that lives in the shadows and not in the light. This is someone sneaky and focused on satisfying a hunger. I wrote recently about who our Daddy God is, so if you haven't read that yet, it might shed some light on how I know, without a doubt, that in spite of the fact that bad things happen to good people, the overwhelming message of the Bible is that God is out for the GOOD of all people. He also gives us a LOT of weapons at our disposal to confirm that He is good and wants to help us fight this warfare! (More on that in the "application" that follows)

Peter says our enemy is the "devil" and gives us the image of a "roaring lion" - this is not a lion taking a nap but one bent on satisfying his hunger for flesh. This enemy has authority over our world and rules over forces of evil. Paul writes to the Ephesians about the "powers of this dark world" and that the forces are "spiritual". "Power" means that this enemy is not weak and we are told that he lives both among us in our world and in the "heavenly realms". I don't think this is the same as the "Heaven" that is a promise of eternal friendship and communion with God, but a place where evil lives unseen by us. This also tells us that the enemy has followers, both unseen and of the world. That means that there are those that call him lord. And Paul writes to the Corinthians that we cannot wage war against this enemy as the world does, meaning not with weapons and tools we can pick up and use. This is not conventional warfare against an enemy that is visible. On the contrary, he is hiding and watching. There is no element of surprise on our part of the battle but we always seem to be surprised when he attacks. He can see us but we cannot see him. And he does mean to do harm.

Kind of gives me the creeps, actually. But that's exactly what he wants so I say FORGET YOU! Let's do battle.

A - So how do we fight an enemy we can't see, who is powerful over spiritual forces that are hiding in the shadows...watching us?

This is Spiritual Warfare, my friends. Let's go get 'em.

First, we do NOT try to wage war as the world does. The worldly way would be to fight back with hurtful words or weapons that cause harm. The world's way is self preservation and to physically conquer when we are attacked...or sometimes retreat, hold onto denial, and hope the problem will just go away. The way of the world is to DO whatever it takes to win the war. I'm right, you're wrong. My way is best. This is exactly what the enemy will use against us...deceive us to think we need to defend ourselves or fight. Spiritual warfare is the deception of the truth and being blinded by our worldly reality instead of focusing on God's reality.

• Our strategy is a focus on faith and hope. (Ephesians 6:16) We don't have to wonder what will happen in the end. The war has already been won. And there is nothing that we can DO to produce this outcome on our own. Jesus already promises a victory without any effort on our part. We know the end result, for Jesus conquered death and paid the price for us falling into the temptation that WILL be thrown in our path. We can claim a relationship with the Great I Am through a friendship with the Lord Jesus Christ. This gives us the advantage for we can KNOW who we belong to in battle and can conquer the fear of the fight. There WILL be a battle, but we know who wins.  Colossians 1:13-14 confirms this hope. "For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, ¹⁴ in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." Do we know the TRUTH? Do we know who we belong to? Are we embracing the security we can have from trusting God? (Ephesians 6:14)
• The battle is not about physical strength but for control of our mind. We must put on the helmet of salvation to protect it. (Ephesians 6:17) We must know our enemy and what he's capable of because we are going in blind. Most battles are between two opponents that can see each other. Our enemy has an unfair advantage in that he is lurking in the shadows, unseen. I think of it like Randal, the disappearing monster in the Monsters, Inc. movies or when Harry uses the invisibility cloak. We will not be able to see the enemy coming over the hill but we need to know that he's there, and we need to prepare for a surprise attack. We need to be aware that since he is, and has been, watching us, that means he knows our history, what we've done in our past, and what our temptations are. He knows what will trip us up every time and which emotions are triggers for negative behavior. He knows what our parents did and what our kids are doing. He will use this information against us. The flip side is that God knows this stuff too and will help us use it to our advantage. Do WE know what our temptations are? Do we know our weaknesses? Are we alert? Do we know what tricks the enemy is going to try to pull? To win the battle for our mind, is to KNOW what the enemy is capable of, even when we don't see him coming. We turn our negatives into positives. We allow God to use our past as a vehicle to bring glory to Him in our future!
• We don't charge the enemy on the attack, but we stand firm and are alert when the arrows come flying (Ephesians 6:14). And the arrows WILL come flying in the form of temptations, conflict, denial, hardships, crisis, misunderstandings, illness, boredom, pleasure, addiction, etc. Some personalities retreat, some come out slinging. Some won't even know what they've gotten themselves into and won't see the warfare happening until it hits them HARD. But God's word calls us to neither retreat or attack. We are to stand firm, be ALERT, and use the tools that God has given us by the Holy Spirit. (keep reading :) The enemy uses the sin of pride to make us think that we can "earn" our salvation, convince ourselves that we're "better" than others, or to get caught up in the adoration of our following. The ways of the world corrupt our thinking to compare, to covet, to overwork ourselves, and to make time for God later. He uses guilt to make us think we have to redeem ourselves when we mess up, and sometimes this keeps us trapped in sin because we think we will never be "good enough". Even those of us that have been "saved" battle in our mind over guilt when we have confessed and received forgiveness. The enemy convinces us that we can't let it go. He uses grief and hardship to divide families and keep us focused on our pain instead of doing what God has called us to do. Christians are especially subject to your "unconventional temptations". We make choices because it appears to be a "blessing from God" or spend our time doing ministry while neglecting our families. We say "murder is bad, adultery is bad, stealing is bad" but how about gossip or vanity? These are minor sins, right? Not so much. We make parenting and entertainment choices based on our "happiness" and what everyone else is doing. We justify our private behavior when it's not harming anyone (snacking, pornography, staying up late - do they REALLY not harm anyone?). What messages are we teaching our kids through our own behavior and entertainment choices, and how is it creating a window for the enemy to sneak in with a surprise attack. Maybe we need to evaluate and make some hard choices, perhaps boarding up some windows. 2 Timothy 1:7 gives us the strength to make the hard decisions. "For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline."

Our weapons for battle are not conventional weapons.

• Pray without ceasing. Did you notice what Ephesians 6:18 says on prayer? This is a powerful weapon. Just speaking the name of Jesus will drive away the enemy. One of the most important purposes of prayer is to connect with God and limit the power of the enemy to influence your mind. The Holy Spirit lives in you when you know the Lord but the enemy will try to make you forget that. Do not underestimate the power of spending time in prayer DAILY. Romans 8:26-28 for me is FULL of this power, available for us to tap into! "And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. ²⁷ And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. ²⁸ And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them."
• God's word. (Ephesians 6:17) Just speaking God's word is a hedge of protection and a weapon to drive away the enemy. His word shines a light and cuts through the darkness. His word is truth and consumes any lies. Hebrews 4:12 says it clearly. "For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow."
• Use God's map, not our own. His eyes are always on us and He knows the battles we are facing, therefore we must seek His wisdom when doing battle and trust that He is on our side. God has the map of the battlefield and even if we can't see what's ahead, God does not lead us down the wrong path. Hebrews 4:13 says that God's word "exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. ¹³ Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable."
• Shoes of peace will outrun the enemy every time (Ephesians 6:15). One of the most powerful weapons that the enemy will use is to divide us from each other. He will use pride to keep us from apologizing, and as a justification to elevate ourselves or dishonor each other. Sometimes for me the hardest situation is conflict with someone that does NOT desire resolution and maybe doesn't know the Lord. If we are standing firm in the shoes that desire peace, honor, reconciliation, forgiveness, and love, we will always win the race at the finish line. Sometimes we have to try for peace, and then let God do the rest. No peace, no God. Know peace, Know God.

One of the reasons I have been thinking about this topic lately is the combination of facing the potential of WWIII in the middle east, extreme celebrities, school starting up again (which generates a lot of fears or stress for some kids, parents, and educators), and the fact that our first born son is a senior and will be leaving the nest. We just had the LAST first day of school. I have to admit that it's a little weird and my feelings are confusing. Our daughter just graduated this past May and it was different. I wasn't as emotional. It doesn't mean I love her any less because I can promise you that God has given me a love for that girl that I can't explain. She only joined our family 3 years ago though so I wasn't there for her first day of school. I don't have the same memories. I know it will be emotional when she eventually leaves home cuz I will miss her and it will be hard to let her go, but for now she is living at home, working and attending community college classes so it seems like nothing is really changing much. For our son, we know that he has already decided the college he will attend next year and we are making plans for him to leave. On top of that, he wants to be a federal agent and fight "bad guys". I have memories of his "firsts" and there will be a lot of "lasts" this year. He will soon brave the big, bad world on his own and I will have to trust God to protect him. Of course we will still be there to support him but it won't be the same. He will have to make a lot of his own choices in the day to day. And in reality, this is true for our daughter as well as she grows into adulthood and gains her independence in the next year or so, even while living at home. My hope is that we have taught them to use the weapons/tools in their toolbox and to be aware that spiritual warfare, especially for a young man and woman that know the Lord, will be ever present. The most important thing I hope they remember though is this:

Greater is HE who is in you, than he who is in the world. (1 John 4:4)

When our oldest son was little, we were into Veggie Tales and one of our favorite songs to sing, especially at bedtime in the dark was "God is bigger than the boogie man, He's bigger than Godzilla or the monsters on TV. Oh God is bigger than the boogie man, and He watches out for you and me!"

Finally, I ask you this: How BIG is YOUR God? Is He greater than whatever you are facing in the world? Is He bigger than the boogie man in your life? Or has fear found it's grip? The bigger God is, the easier it will be for you to face spiritual warfare. It doesn't mean that life will be easy and we can be sure that the enemy will shoot arrows. Having fears is normal but they can create unhealthy, emotional havoc when left unattended. We overcome fear with faith, and we can only have faith if we trust that our God is bigger than anything we might face. All that's left is fighting the battle, but we know the outcome so this conquers fear. We have already won the war. Done. Do you believe it? Do you claim it? Are you living in fear, or living victoriously?

P - Oh Jesus, my heart sings joyfully for all to hear! "Into marvelous light I'm running, out of darkness, out of shame. By the cross you are the truth, you are the light, you are the Way. Sin has lost it's power. Death has lost it's sting. From the grave you've risen VICTORIOUSLY!" (Charlie Hall) And I praise you God of the universe! "Our God is Greater, our God is stronger, God you are higher than any other! And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us!" (Chris Tomlin) My prayer is that all that read this would believe it. I pray that many would come to be alert to spiritual warfare and would know the truth about HOW to fight the battle, and embrace the victory. I pray that even as I write, this message would bring you glory Lord. For we know the truth and claim it, in Jesus' name. Amen!