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| Home > Various Christian Topics > An Introduction to Spiritual Warfare: Part Two | Email this article |
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An Introduction to Spiritual Warfare
Part One
Part Two
Are Christians at Risk?
If the devil can control and influence people's minds and actions to some degree, then are Christians at risk? The answer is "yes," Christians can be influenced and attacked by the devil and his demons:
Can Christians Be "Possessed" by Demons?
Becoming a Christian removes the penalty of your past sins, but it does not necessarily remove the effects of your past sins. For example, if your body was damaged in some way by drugs or alcohol before you became a Christian, you probably weren't instantly healed the moment you got saved. You might still have some of the effects of your past sins to deal with. In a similar way, if you have taken part in occult practices or other demonic activities then you may have opened yourself up to the possibility of being afflicted by demonic spirits. Christian counselors with decades of experience in dealing with demonic afflictions report that when the Holy Spirit enters a person's heart at the moment of salvation, this does not necessarily cause any demons to stop afflicting the person. By sinning we give demons "legal rights" over areas of our lives, and some of these demons may still be around even after the Holy Spirit comes to dwell inside us. Consider for example that the devil "accuses [us] before our God day and night" (Revelation 12:10), which means that God allows the presence of the devil in His Throneroom (see also Job 1:6 and 2:1 where the devil presented himself before the Lord). In other words, God allowed an evil spirit into His presence, and therefore we can't dogmatically say that the Holy Spirit will never allow any demons near Him in or around a Christian. Also, if we say that the Holy Spirit absolutely cannot or will not dwell in the presence of evil then we are forgetting that He dwells within the heart of our sinful, evil, corrupt, fallen flesh. This idea that Christians can be afflicted by demons may be difficult for many people to accept, so let me simply refer you to the spiritual warfare section of your local Christian bookstore for further study. An excellent resource is The Handbook for Spiritual Warfare by Dr. Ed Murphy (see chapters 53 to 56, for example). Those who are afflicted by demons are usually not aware that their problems are spiritual in nature. This means that you or I might be suffering from demonic affliction or oppression without even knowing it. We might be suffering from physical infirmities, emotional problems, problems with recurring sin in our life, problems dealing with things such as anger, lust, pornography, homosexuality, and so on, all of which can have a demonic origin. For example, there was a woman in Luke 13:10-16 who was bent over for 18 years and could not straighten up (which we might diagnose as a form of scoliosis today), and Jesus said that her physical infirmity was caused by an afflicting spirit. When Jesus cast the evil spirit out, her physical infirmity immediately disappeared and she was able to stand up straight. Scripture also speaks of lying spirits (1 Kings 22:23), a spirit of dizziness (Isaiah 19:14), a spirit of prostitution (Hosea 5:4), a deaf and mute spirit (Mark 9:25), a spirit of fear (Romans 8:15), a spirit of stupor (Romans 11:8), a spirit of timidity (2 Timothy 1:7), a spirit of falsehood (1 John 4:6), and so on. These are possible examples of afflicting spirits, and there are many other ways in which evil spirits can afflict people. Please understand that I am not speaking of demon possession, I am talking about demonic affliction. Demons do not "possess" anything, especially human beings, because possession means ownership and they do not own anything or anyone. The English word "possessed" is not the best translation from the original Greek, but unfortunately this is the term that has been used in many versions of the Bible. A better word is "demonized," which covers the range from mild afflictions to partial control of the person by evil spirits. The above passages (in the previous section) show that Christians can be demonized. Again, I am not talking about "demon-possession," I am talking about demonization which can range from mild to severe. There is a self-deliverance procedure in my article called How to Cast Afflicting Spirits Out of Your Life which may help you rid yourself of demonic afflictions (physical or mental) that may be hindering your walk with Christ. I and many others can personally attest that this type of self-deliverance procedure has allowed us to gain victory over areas of sin or physical affliction in our lives which we could not otherwise get victory over. All Christians Are Involved in Spiritual Warfare
Now that we have seen that the devil can and does try to attack us and influence our minds, our thoughts, our beliefs, and our actions, can you see that we are all involved in spiritual warfare, every one of us, whether we like it or not, whether we even realize it or not? Imagine a soldier on a battlefield who can't see or hear any enemies and therefore he doesn't believe that there is an enemy out there, so he wanders around without his weapons, not carrying out his assigned duties, completely defenseless and vulnerable, stumbling into the enemy's camp without even being aware of it. The enemy doesn't care if that soldier was ignorant or if he was "just playing around." That soldier won't last long, yet that is precisely the way that many of us live. We don't know that there is a war being fought in the spiritual plane, we don't understand that there is an enemy of pure evil out there and that we are God's soldiers in this spiritual battle. We don't understand that God has an assigned place for each and every Christian or that we have all been given spiritual gifts and spiritual weapons (defensive and offensive) for waging the battle in the heavenlies while we are here on earth. Our Spiritual Armor
Notice the descriptions of weapons and armor that Paul uses. We are told to put on the full armor of God, which includes the belt (or girdle) of Truth, the breastplate of Righteousness, the shoes (or sandals) of Peace, the shield of Faith, and the helmet of Salvation. These are descriptions of the defensive armor worn by first-century Roman soldiers, but they are given spiritual application by Paul. They are intended to protect every vulnerable area, and just like Roman soldiers we are told to wear this armor daily. The two offensive weapons that we have are the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (this is the weapon Jesus used in Luke 4:1-13 (above) to defeat the devil in the wilderness) and praying in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. The apostle Paul points out that we do not wage war as the world does, but rather our weapons have divine power to demolish the strongholds of the enemy. Notice the commands we are given (these are not mere suggestions!) and notice the wording which indicates that all Christians are soldiers in this spiritual war: "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes." (Ephesians 6:10-11) Every Christian Has a Role Assigned by God
Jesus said, "on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it" (Matthew 16:18). The Greek words which are translated as "will not overcome it" literally mean "will not prove stronger." In other words, the gates of hell will not prove stronger than the Church, the body of Christ. When we share the Gospel with someone and that person trusts in Jesus for his salvation, we have literally snatched him out of the gates of hell, out of the enemy's hands. No matter where we are or what our situations may be, God considers each one of us to be in the ministry in some manner. He has assigned each one of us roles to perform in His service, and He has given us spiritual gifts to equip us for our own individual ministries. Sadly, most of us are too wrapped up in our busy lives to even notice. When we focus too much on the physical (looks, money, comforts, possessions, "things") we leave ourselves wide open to spiritual attack (which is often very subtle and insidious) and we fail to live out God's purposes for our lives. The Body of Christ
It is important for us to understand that every Christian is a member of the body of Christ, and that we all have vital roles to perform for doing His work on earth and fighting the spiritual battle that is being waged in the heavenlies. A human body has eyes, ears, arms, legs, etc., but in the body of Christ it is Christians themselves who fulfill the necessary functions based on where God wants us to be, what He wants us to do, and what spiritual gifts He has equipped us with: "Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit. There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines." (1 Corinthians 12:1-11) Are You Giving the Devil a "Foothold" in Your Life? (Ephesians 4:27)
Scripture tells us that we must examine ourselves and test our beliefs to make sure that they are solidly grounded in the Truth. We must be careful that we do not give the devil a foothold in our lives or become swayed by false teachings: "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you--unless, of course, you fail the test?" (2 Corinthians 13:5) What Are You Feeding Yourself Spiritually?
In light of these strong warnings, have you ever examined yourself (and your environment) and honestly and prayerfully tested your beliefs against Scripture? What are you feeding yourself spiritually through activities that you're involved in, through books, magazines, TV shows, movies, radio, etc., and what types of beliefs have you begun to embrace because of the things you are exposed to? What organizations are you involved with, such as "lodges," "orders," "leagues," "societies," "masons," etc., and are you aware of the spiritual philosophies that they teach as you go deeper into the organization? Do you know for sure that your church is not teaching false doctrines, have you ever asked for their statement of beliefs and compared it with the Bible? Remember David Koresh and that Waco raid a few years ago or Jim Jones and the poisoned Kool-Aid murder/suicide in Guyana awhile back? People have a tendency to follow leaders who have lots of charisma instead of following what their Bibles say. Do you try to "take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5)? As a Christian, have you ever gone to a palm reader, a fortune teller, a seance, a "trance channeler," played with an Ouija board, followed your horoscope, purchased "healing" crystals, gotten involved with hypnosis, "visualization," transcendental or other forms of meditation, yoga, martial arts, or other activities associated with "Eastern" philosophies? Do you believe in reincarnation, karma, fate, evolution, out-of-body experiences, psychics, the prophecies of Nostradamus, UFOs, "near-death experiences," past life experiences, good luck charms, voodoo, superstitions, etc.? Do you own statues or jewelry or other objects which depict pagan gods or goddesses or have occult symbols on them (such as an Egyptian "ankh," which looks like a cross with a circle on top)? I am not necessarily saying that all of these beliefs and practices are equally sinful or evil, but some of them such as trance channeling, mediums, seances, voodoo, etc., are quite obviously sinful and evil in nature because they are denounced in Scripture (Deuteronomy 18:10-12). Going to a palm reader or a fortune teller, playing with an Ouija board, and so on, may seem harmless enough, but we have already seen that there are sinister unseen forces of evil at work in the spiritual realm. The devil and his demons are masters of cunning, subtle deceptions which draw the unwary deeper and deeper into his territory as they make a "small" compromise here, believe another "little" lie there, and so on. Soldiers in wartime do not make little "harmless" excursions into enemy-occupied territory on a lark, and neither should we be dabbling in areas which are not of God, because at that point we are voluntarily entering into the devil's domain. Notice that reincarnation, "karma," past life experiences, and similar beliefs are also refuted in Scripture ("Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment" - Hebrews 9:27), but what about such things as yoga, martial arts, meditation, visualization, "healing" crystals, and so on? Don't they potentially have some positive exercise and health benefits? If you are involved in some of these things, it would be wise to ask yourself, "What spiritual philosophies am I being fed as I do these things?" For example, most martial arts studios require students to bow to a shrine or to an emblem on a flag or to the master (the teacher), or to do something similar. Often there are statements that the students must repeat over and over which are intended to instill a certain set of character traits in the students (gentleness, humility, and so on). Make it a point to become fully aware of any spiritual philosophies that you or your family are being exposed to, and listen to the Holy Spirit within you to discern whether you have peace concerning these things. Sometimes Christians are swayed by seemingly Biblical concepts such as "going to the light when you die and being enveloped in total Love" (as those who have had "near-death experiences" often describe) or by the prophecies of Nostradamus or other psychics. But once again, these things must be interpreted in light of Scripture. There is a book called Embraced by the Light by a woman named Betty Eadie in which she describes her near-death experience, and many people have found comfort in her descriptions of "Jesus" and of the "utter explosion of love" she felt while she was in "heaven." But is this the Jesus of the Bible? Many of the things she says about her version of Jesus and heaven are totally out of character with the real Jesus and heaven described in God's written Word, and there are several books and magazine articles which refute Betty Eadie's book in light of Scripture (such as Deceived by the Light by Doug Groothuis). But what about the prophecies of Nostradamus? It turns out that he was a sixteenth-century seer who was schooled in spells and incantations and other "magic arts," and he used numerology and occultic (i.e. satanic) forms of divination to come up with his prophecies. People say that his prophecies are amazingly accurate, but we need to have some discernment here. His methods came from occultish, satanic practices, and for this reason alone he should be dismissed by Christians. Consider also that the apostle Paul encountered "a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future." (Acts 16:16). Notice that this girl was predicting the future, and notice that it was because of an evil spirit. Therefore, the fact that Nostradamus' predictions seem to be accurate in some cases and the fact that he is known to have been schooled in the occult should make us realize where his prophecies really came from. His alleged accuracy should not influence us to believe him in any way or to be impressed by him or to feed our spirits with his non-Biblical predictions. If you own any artwork that has occult symbols or pictures of pagan gods or goddesses on them, be aware that these may be more dangerous than you realize. Idols are associated with demons in Scripture, and the Israelites in the Old Testament were told over and over to smash and completely destroy all sacred images and idols from other cultures. Notice carefully what God's attitude is toward any artwork or objects associated with pagan beliefs: "They made him jealous with their foreign gods and angered him with their detestable idols. They sacrificed to demons, which are not God-- gods they had not known, gods that recently appeared, gods your fathers did not fear." (Deuteronomy 32:16-17)It is clear what God's attitude is towards anything associated with pagan (i.e. non-Christian) religious beliefs and practices. Stay Focused on Jesus
The point of this discussion is to get you to take a look at the beliefs and practices that may have subtly crept into your life. These things may have seemed harmless or even healthy at the time, but they may have a dark spiritual side when examined in light of God's Word. Think about the music you or your children listen to, the TV shows and movies you watch, the games you play or allow your children to play (there are many, many occultic or demon-oriented video games, card games, board games, etc., on the market), the way you celebrate Halloween, and so on. How are these things de-sensitizing your spirit towards immoral sexual activity, violence, crude language, the occult, New Age philosophies, and so on? We must always set our minds on things above, not on earthly things (Colossians 3:2) and fix our eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2) and take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). We must be careful not to be taken captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ (Colossians 2:8). Always remember that our focus is to be on Jesus and not on the enemy. As Christians we are all victorious through Christ our Savior, but we must take hold of that victory each and every day by putting on the full armor of God and submitting completely to God's will. Stay focused on Jesus, your Savior, your Redeemer, your Lord, your King. Let Him be the object of your attention, your love, your praise, your adoration, and your worship. References for further reading
There is a self-deliverance procedure in my article called How to Cast Afflicting Spirits Out of Your Life which may help you rid yourself of demonic afflictions (physical or mental) that may be hindering your walk with Christ. I and many others can personally attest that this type of self-deliverance procedure has allowed us to gain victory over areas of sin or physical affliction in our lives which we could not otherwise get victory over. There are also a number of good books on spiritual warfare, including:
Now that you are aware of the spiritual battle which is taking place all around us and you understand that God has given you particular spiritual gifts to be used in His service, please get involved! Don't just be a "spectator Christian" or a "pew potato" who is useless for carrying out God's purposes in saving lives here on earth. God does not want you sitting on the sidelines living life for your own pleasures and pursuits! Make yourself available to the Holy Spirit day by day, moment by moment, so that He can work through you in the role that you are meant to perform in the body of Christ, and always "keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord" (Romans 12:11). I invite you to read my article entitled Scriptural Ways to Grow in Spiritual Maturity to learn more about spiritual maturity and being a victorious disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Part One
Part Two
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