Not every hardship in life is spiritual warfare. Oops! We all face hardships; first because we’re humans, then Christians, and finally because we live in a fallen world. We could actually be in the refinery of God, being tested and proven by Him- Ps.66:10-12. We could also be reaping the harvest of our own seeds (Gal 6:7-8). And that is not tantamount to spiritual warfare.
What then does spiritual warfare entails? The Bible suggests a few:
1. Schemes Of The Devil – Eph.6:11
The devil since Eden, always seeks to deceive us into doubt and disobedience, with lies about God, ourselves, life and sin. “Did God really say…You will surely not die…For God knows that in the day you eat of it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God…If you are the Son of God….”. And sometimes he unashamedly comes attacking with: “it is written” because he knows we love the letter, but not the spirit of the word. That is spiritual warfare. We’re daily buffeted with the 21st century versions of these same old tricks and more from the devil, testing our faith and allegiance to God. Fear, doubt, anxiety, distractions, discouragement, and temptations are all part of the devil’s schemes we daily battle with.
2. Activities of Evil Spiritual Forces – Eph.6:12
Of course, there are rulers, authorities, powers of this world’s darkness and spiritual forces who plan, initiate, and perpetuate evil, oppressions and afflictions of various forms against believers and the body of Christ out of sheer wickedness or with our corporation. They seek to sustain negative patterns, and restrict the advancement of the kingdom of God in individuals, families, territories and nations. We’re in battle, but a winnable one of course through the finished works of Christ.
3. Troubles Of This Fallen World- John 16:33
The world is no longer what it was intended, sin corrupted it. We await it’s perfect restoration only at the second coming of Christ. In the meantime, we shall keep fighting it’s troubles, tribulations, disappointment, persecutions, unanswered prayers, inexplicable events, and many others that this fallen world will throw at us. The devil and demons are not always responsible for our ordeals; aside our bad choices, this fallen world has enough trouble for us too. It is not designed to be a comfortable space, at least not in its current form.
4. Our Flesh – Gal.5:16-17
We’re not spared of this daily fights with our old selves. The appetites and desires of the flesh are always something to battle with. Lose guard , and you’re down. They draw us into temptations and sin eventually (James 1:14). These internal battles (to please self) are even more crucial because they influence the outcomes of the other battles.
Knowing the source and scope of your real spiritual warfare is part of being strategic in gaining victory in them. Let us stay alert, adorn ourselves with the full armor of God, and actively engage prayer always. We’re more than conquerors.
written by: Pastor Gideon Gyasi-Obodai
Campus Pastor, APOSA-UCC
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