I’m late again, but with a good excuse: I’ve been wrestling. Yep, if you’re going to dare to write about spiritual warfare, you better be prepared to be engaged.

I’ve been thinking about this blog post for quite some time, but the longer I work on it the more I realize the complexity of spiritual warfare. I ended the last blog post with the assertion that denying your natural (flesh-based) inclinations in order to obey and follow the Lord must first be fought on the inside, and it can be a very real struggle. Actually, it is spiritual warfare…

It’s true that it’s necessary to handle spiritual conflict on a personal level, but we must always keep the bigger picture in view. Otherwise, we can make it all about “me” – which can lead to self-pity, misunderstanding, and even questioning God’s good plan. (Where I too often find myself…) But it will also cause me to miss the reason behind the warfare: Jesus came and died for our sins so that we could be reconciled to God and united with other believers in a way that is described as a Body.  In that Body, the Church, we encourage and build one another up, and together we seek to show a correct representation of Christ to the world. The description of the armor makes it clear that this is going to be a fight of a different nature.

Because believers have the Word of God and the presence of the Holy Spirit, we should never be confused about good and evil, but that doesn’t mean we are impervious to spiritual conflict. When it comes, we are called to take a stand against deception and act according to truth. But understand, we do our part in concert with millions of Christ’s followers. Demonic forces are methodically moving to keep people deceived and distant from the One True God, separated from other believers, and in confusion about who the enemy really is.

The very name, devil, means one who falsely accuses and divides people without cause. It’s more than a name, it’s among the most effective methods he uses. Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but we have a dilemma: most of the conflict we experience seems to come through human beings. And part of the frustration we face is due to the very nature of spiritual warfare: it doesn’t come with an announcement that the devil is in the house. Forces of evil most often are operating behind the scenes – they like the darkness – but we see the effects of it played out on the human plain. And if you aren’t prepared, when it hits your emotions and thought process, the sound of inner battle may erupt into an outward attack.

How on earth do you fight the battle without devouring the people who seem to be drawing you into it? How do you cry out for justice without becoming vengeful against the evil-doer humans?  

The Body of Christ is facing a very real battle in the USA right now, and regardless of what it looks like, it is a conflict between good and evil. It’s tempting to become dismayed, angry, and even bitter, but it’s the time to be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. It’s time to take up the armor and fight like a believer by standing tall for truth, behaving righteously, looking for opportunities to advance the Gospel, filling your mind with the hope of salvation, and trusting God implicitly! The Word is our marching orders – and don’t forget to pray! God is just and He is at work, and He is not done yet.

Psalm 37:7-13 is a great reminder:

Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for Him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes. Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper— it only leads to harm. For the wicked will be destroyed, but those who trust in the LORD will possess the land. Soon the wicked will disappear. Though you look for them, they will be gone. The lowly will possess the land and will live in peace and prosperity. The wicked plot against the godly; they snarl at them in defiance. But the Lord just laughs, for He sees their day of judgment coming.

Take note, the Bible does not deny the existence of evil people. And it makes no bones about the ugly behavior of the wicked. But they will have to deal with God sooner or later, which is far worse than anything I can do! But here’s the rub; God loves those people. He wants them to be saved, and He gives them time to turn from their sins and seek His salvation.

Okay, as I said, I’ve been wrestling, and maybe this is why. I don’t want to be patient with people who are frustrating me. I don’t want to pray for my enemies. I don’t want to have compassion for those deceived deceivers. I don’t want to sacrifice myself when it is the other person who is wrong. I don’t want to fight against an invisible enemy when the most obvious suspect is right behind the television screen….

Phew! But when I hang on to that attitude, I’m saying that I don’t want to live the life that God called me to. After having agreed in theory that God is always right and I need to trust Him enough to obey, I guess I don’t want have to prove I mean it. But if I won’t take up the armor and walk out what I say I believe; and if the millions of other Christians around the world do the same; guess who scores? Yep, the devil.

The reason for the battle? Because flesh and blood will always attempt to rebel against its Creator. Humans will naturally attempt to save our own skin rather than sacrifice self-interest. We must be prompted in our spirit to allow what is right and best to overcome what is temporal and short-sighted. Having been brought from death to life (Ephesians 2:1) I, myself, must fight to shake of the corpse of sin that wants to stay connected to my will and demand its rights. And if I understand that, I humbly realize my necessity of a Savior, just like the lost.  And it makes me love Christ more, and increases my desire to let Him live and love through me.

I could foolishly lock grace outside the door of my miserly existence, and that is why we must battle like believers, personally, and for the Church of Jesus Christ – those who are already included and those still to come. If people refuse to acknowledge God’s existence and authority, if they rebel against what He says is right, they are battling HIM. And it is a battle they will ultimately lose. But as long as there is life, and God’s mercy reaches out, there is hope that a person who is a deceiver today may be a believer tomorrow.