23 Jul Three Steps to Winning Your Spiritual War
Last week, we looked at the fact of the invisible world. Just as there are radio, TV, internet and satellite waves in the place where you are right now, so it is possible, even likely, that there are angels and demons where you are right now.
Just as we cannot see the electronic waves, so we cannot see the spirit world. But their invisible-ness does not mean they are not “there.” We just can’t see them.
But many Christians are clueless about spiritual warfare. Because we cannot see spiritual beings, many Christians are tempted to think it is “extreme” to assume that spiritual beings are waging war against them.
This points to three things we must do to win the spiritual war in which each of us finds ourselves.
1. Be Alert! You can’t win a war you don’t know you’re in.
The apostle Peter said, “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8)
There is no advantage to being clueless in the Christian life.
NORAD, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, is a highly sophisticated early warning system for air space around North America. It immediately detects anything that invades our air space, and is designed to give us as much advance notice as possible if any missile, rocket or airplane were to be headed our way.
It is a multi-billion-dollar system that we have put in place because we believe that there are hostile forces that would do us harm if they could.
Christians should do the same, spiritually. We are to be alert to the potential of the enemy attacking us in an attempt to neutralize or defeat us, spiritually.
2. Choose Spiritual Weapons! You must fight a spiritual war with spiritual weapons.
Ephesians 6:12-18 lists defenses against spiritual attack, likening them to pieces of Roman armor that a believer puts on:
- Belt of truth: This means I accept the truth of Scripture and will follow it with integrity.
- Breastplate of righteousness: This means I will not harbor known sin and will strive to be like Christ.
- Shoes of peace: This means I believe God’s promises and count on them to be true for me.
- Shield of faith: This means whenever I feel like doubting or sinning or quitting, I will reject those thoughts and feelings and tell myself the truth.
- Helmet of salvation: This means I rest my hope in the future and live in this world according to the values of the next.
- Sword of the Spirit: This means I will use Scripture to fend off attacks of the enemy and to advance the cause of Christ.
3. Resist! Be spiritually shrewd. Don’t take the enemy’s bait. Don’t charge the enemy’s cape.
Three different passages of Scripture tell us to resist the enemy:
- Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.” Ephesians 6:13
- “‘God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’ Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” James 4:6–8
- “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith.” 1 Peter 5:8–9
Two images have been helpful to me in strengthening my capacity to resist the devil.
Hook: Satan may offer us something that, in and of itself, is not wrong, but the will of God is not giving it to us. If so, there is a hook in it. Like a worm offered to a fish… there is nothing wrong with the worm, but if there is a hook in it, it is dangerous to the fish. So it can be with the enemy’s temptations.
To strengthen your capacity to resist, picture a hook in the thing Satan is tempting you with, and don’t take the bait.
Matador: If there is something Satan knows we can’t resist, just like a skilled matador with a sword and cape, he will come and dangle that thing in front of us at strategic moments. A matador skillfully and strategically dangles a cape in front of the bull, knowing it is an irresistible temptation to the bull to charge it. But, with each charge of the cape, the matador wounds the bull, weakening the bull and wearing him down, until, in his weakened state, the matador delivers a fatal blow. Satan may wear us down as the matador wears down the bull until in our weakened state, he then delivers the fatal blow.
To strengthen your capacity to resist, picture a matador’s sword behind the cape, and don’t charge the cape.
Conclusion
It is as Frederick Buechner wrote: “Reality can be harsh, and you shut your eyes to it at your peril. Because if you do not face up to the enemy in all his dark power, then the enemy will come up from behind some dark day and destroy you while you are facing the other way.”
We are all in a spiritual war, and to be clueless about that fact is not an advantage! We must accept the reality that each of us is in a spiritual war and respond in three ways:
Be alert! You can’t win a war you do don’t know you are in.
Wear your spiritual armor! You must fight a spiritual war with spiritual weapons.
Resist! Be spiritually shrewd. Don’t take the enemy’s bait. Don’t charge the enemy’s cape.
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