Spiritual Warfare - It Is Our Battle

SPIRITUAL WARFARE

ILLUSTRATION

Facebook can be an excellent way for family members, especially extended family members, to maintain a daily communication link. People with a warm sharing personality can find a great deal of support and comfort in having a family member, or a friend, who has a sharing personality to talk to. Sometime, when a bunch of people get involved in a topic, it is almost like setting around the patio having a barbeque and talking.

There are times, however, when a posting can be downright humorous or painfully melodramatic. For example, the following was posted on Facebook.

I have been fighting a major battle with demons this week. Satan’s evil hoard has launched a full scale attack, and some of their forward units have actually penetrated the perimeter. I rushed in reserves and successfully drove the demons back outside the perimeter but the fighting has been fierce. Sad truth is, however, I have suffered more causalities from the suppressing fire, which supported the demon ground attack, than from the actual attack itself. Right now, I am very tired and somewhat apprehensive as I await the next attack. I long for the day my savior returns! I just pray that I am in the front line when Jesus’ army kicks demon butt. Perhaps it is wrong to think this way, but I want to ride into battle with Jesus and drench my sword in demon blood.

Now, you got to admit that this was a bit melodramatic, but you cannot deny the individuals truthfulness … we are in a spiritual war.

MELODRAMATIC TRUTH

In the book of Job it is recorded that the LORD asked Satan: “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil.” (Job 1:8) Now, in some ways God was throwing Job in Satan’s face. In essence, God was telling Satan that he is not as powerful as he thinks he is, and Job is proof that Satan cannot influence all of God’s creation. Of course Satan comes right back with an excuse for his failure. Satan whined: “you have always put a wall of protection around him and his home and his property.” (Job 1:8) As a result, poor Job went through hell-on-earth just so God could prove to Satan that Job was indeed a righteous human.

I would like to think that the author of Job set a precedent for waxing a bit on the dramatic side; and thus, our Facebook writer is really not all that weird. In fact, there is another person, of great significance, who writes a bit on the dramatic side: the Apostle Peter. Peter wrote: “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are. In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. All power to him forever! Amen.” (1 Peter 5:8-11) It would seem that Peter wants us to believe that Satan is our enemy and that he is constantly looking for an opportunity to attack us. It would also appear that we have no chance of out running or hiding from the attacks of Satan; and therefore, we must stand and face his attacks by relying on the power of God. Peter tells us that we will suffer from the attacks of Satan but Satan cannot destroy us because God will restore, support, and strengthen us.

Here is another fact: the idea that it is melodramatic to preach about spiritual warfare generally comes from pabulum spewing religious libertine preachers. They deny the work of Satan and teach that bad things never happen to people with the right faith: they are preaching a lie. Yes they are correct in claiming that God will put a protective wall around Christians; but, the strength of that wall is totally dependent on our walk as a Christian. God had placed an impenetrable wall around Job, but then Job was blameless: a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil. Most of us are not in the same league as Job. When Peter wrote his letter he was not addressing it to a bunch of Jobs; Peter was writing to a bunch of Christians just like us. Brothers and Sisters, let’s face it; most of us do not have much of a wall between us and Satan, and I do not care what the feel-good preacher say.