Spiritual Warfare

I had a conversation the other day with a very good friend about spiritual warfare. You see, God is doing some amazing things in our circle, our church, and our community. But where there is Spiritual growth, there's also spiritual warfare. It got me to thinking... what is spiritual warfare? What does it look like? How do we battle it?

I looked it up, and while there's not an official Webster definition for spiritual warfare, there are several commentaries on it. The general belief is that spiritual warfare is the battle of good versus evil, a conflict between us in this realm and satan and his enemies in the spirit realm, or goodness versus darkness and wickedness. To me, it's the ongoing assault on us... one that happens day after day, whether we know it or not. It's the enemy, doing whatever he possibly can, to distract us from our goal... That goal? To love God with all our hearts, our minds, our souls... everything, all for our Savior. The second part of that is to love our neighbor... literally your next door neighbor, the teen mom down the road, the bum on the corner, the man who raped you or murdered your wife. Even that man or woman that you hate... the one who hurt you so deeply you don't know that you could ever forgive again. Even them... But we will come back to that.

What does spiritual warfare look like? Well, I think it looks different for different people, but the attempts are always the same. What does it look like for me? Financial strife, illness, guilt, and a general feeling of failure.. even when I know what I am doing is the path God has laid before me. Sometimes that guilt or failure comes in the guise of a friend or acquaintance saying something, but most of the time it is in my own head. Did she really say that? Or did he mean something else? Am I failing? Do I measure up? Does God really love me? Am I making all this up? 

You see, the enemy likes to twist things around to benefit him...  to make us second guess ourselves and our Savior. You see this from the very beginning in the Bible...  Doubt.   Look at Genesis 3:1 with me:

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God actually say, 'You shall not eat of any tree in the garden'?"

See... Sneaky. Doubt. And we all know how that turned out. Bad stuff happened. Eve failed to see what was going on, as did Adam, and God punished them. Let's look at another time when satan tries to throw up doubt.

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.  And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.  And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.”  But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple  and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and “‘On their hands they will bear you up,  lest you strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.  And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.”  Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’” Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.

That passage can be found in Matthew 4, verses 1-11. Jesus had a very different response for satan. He knew what satan was trying to do, and countered it with the Word. He also knew He had our Father's love and that He is indeed the Son of God. He is the Word. I know it isn't that "easy" for you and me, but so does He. That's why He sent His Son, because He knows us and loves us. He knew there was no way we could do it without His help. See that last line? The devil left him and angels came and were ministering to him. The battle with satan was so hard, angels MINISTERED to Jesus! The enemy is a tough one, who knows the Word but tries to twist it to his own devices. Add to that the fact that we are natural born sinners who live in a sinful world, where God is left out of most equations, and you get a big ol mess of  a battle.

So what does spiritual warfare look like for you? Do you know what it is when it happens?  Let's go back to the Word to see what it says:

Ephesians 6:12 says,  "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."

 2 Corinthians 10: 3-4 says,  ^"For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh.  For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.

2 Timothy 3:12 says,  "Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,"

Spiritual warfare is a very real, very dangerous thing. If we take it too lightly, we could stumble in our faith, and turn away from God. Hmmm... that's not exactly what I mean. If we dismiss satan and spiritual warfare, he wins. If we consider every single thing that happens and become so focused on it that we forget God, he wins. And that right there is one of his main goals. If he can prevent us from seeking Papa and direct our thoughts away from Him, he wins. If he can get us to war amongst ourselves and distract us from God, he wins. That's why God tells us repeatedly that our battle is not against flesh and blood, but spiritual forces set out to destroy our relationship with Papa. 

There's good news though:

We don't have to fight alone.

The war has already been won, but satan doesn't realize it:

I love John 16:33:: Jesus says, "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."

1 Peter 4:12-13 says, "Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed."

  

Joshua 1:9 says, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” 

and one more, from 1 Peter 5:8-10, "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.  Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you."

Can I just say that again? We don't have to fight alone!! Not only that, but Papa loves us so much, He gave us the Bible to help us in our daily battles. There are so many wonderful verses about how much He loves us, and how to prevent the enemy from getting a finger-hold on us. One of my favorites comes from Ephesians, chapter 6....

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God,  that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.  In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;  and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,  praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,  and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel,  for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.  

1 Timothy 6:12 says, "Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses."

James 4:7-8a says, "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you."

So put on your armor, friends, and fight the good fight. Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. For HE IS MIGHTY!! Our god is bigger and stronger and more awesome than any piddly thing the enemy can throw at us. He cannot harm us. Anything he throws at us is just a light, momentary affliction that cannot compare to the glory of eternity with Our Father! And if you are under attack, pray!!! Pray that He will deliver you from temptation, that He will keep it far away. Ask your prayer warrior friends to don their armor and join you in prayer. Ask them to pray that it be revealed to you whether your ordeal is spiritual warfare or sin. Seek Him first, always, always, always...  And if you need a reminder of how awesome our God is, read Psalm 18. It's awesome! (I started to post it here, but it is long, and sometimes we just need to open our Bibles.)  For that matter, just pray and then read your Bible! I cannot express to you how many wonderful verses there are about His love, strength, and mercy. Rest in the promises that Papa has given us. Draw near to Him, and He will draw near to you. Know that He is strong, mighty and loves you very very much. Believe in His mighty-ness, and trust Him. And through it all, love... like He loves you.

 

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. - See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Spiritual-Warfare,-As-Conflict#sthash.OhHxnR5t.dpuf

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. - See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Spiritual-Warfare,-As-Conflict#sthash.OhHxnR5t.dpuf

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. - See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Spiritual-Warfare,-As-Conflict#sthash.OhHxnR5t.dpuf

Forever Friends

Papa has been showing me lately how many wonderful people He has brought into my life. I am surrounded by broken, loving followers of Jesus who daily lift me up and love me even in the midst of my mess. They lovingly guide me through difficult times, and rejoice with me in beautiful times. They are the ones to speak Truth into my life. They are the ones I lean on when things are going downhill.

You know those days... All hell breaks loose and you just don't know what to do. There are so many different paths you could go down, and it seems like Papa isn't speaking to you clearly. The wrong step could lead down a very nasty path, but nothing is making sense to you. What do you do? Do you lean on your own understanding, or do you turn to your "counsel"?

I am so blessed to have a counsel  of women who epitomize these scriptures:

Proverbs 27:17 " Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another."

Proverbs 27:9 "The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense."

When I need help, they are there. When my world is collapsing, they are there. When I am sick, they are there. When it seems I'm all alone on this planet, they are there. They pray for me, sit with me, grieve with me, laugh with me. They are my friends, and I cannot imagine life without them.

But you know.... There's Someone who is a better friend than all of them. When I need help, He is there. When my world is collapsing, He is there. When I am sick, He is there. When it seems I'm all alone on this planet, He is there. When I am broken, He.. Is.. There. He never leaves me, even when I am running in the opposite direction from which He is directing me. He never stops loving me. He never leaves me. He is always, always, always, always there.

You see, He loves us so much, He laid down His life for us. He died. On a cross, in a horrible, awful, unimaginable way. He did that for us, because He loves us. Read this scripture, and think about how much He loves you:

John 15:13–15 says, "There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn't confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me."

Not master and slave... friends. He wants to be our best friend, but too many times we let the world and the people of this world get in the way. We block out His whispers, and seek the counsel of the world. We hide from His plans because we are oh so certain ours are so much better. We look for satisfaction in all the wrong places....

1 Corinthians 15:33 says, "Do not be deceived: Evil company corrupts good habits."

So I ask you.... Do you live your life as a follower of the One True King? Or do you scoff at any thought of Papa loving you? Do you obey Him? Do you have a good counsel of heartfelt friends? Or are you so caught up in life, you don't have time for Him or the counsel of friends He's sent you? Look around, and then pray about what you see. Ask His forgiveness, and start building that relationship with Him. He wants us to be friends, and I think He brings us friends to show us what it should look like. Loving, uplifting, praying, broken friends who are always there, just like He is...... Forever Friends.



P.S. If you aren't blessed by a good counsel of loving Sistas, start praying for that counsel to come along side you. We can't live this life alone.. We need Him and the people He's given us! Let Him bless you with the people He has picked out for you. Let Him show you how much He loves us!