I remember the first time I heard the term “Spiritual Warfare.” I had visions of extremists, nuts, snake handlers and… well you get the picture. Even as the years of my spiritual walk passed I still considered Spiritual Warfare the work of specialists, kind of the Seal Teams of Christianity. I thought that “Soldiers of Christ” was a term to be applied to a small group of super Christians and not the the body in general.
As has so often been the case in my life, I was wrong. Let me suggest this. Pick a gospel. Let’s say Luke. I pick Luke because he was a physician, a man of science. You would think he would not get too caught up in the spirit realm.
Let’s see:
Chapter 1: He talks about Zacharias being filled with the Holy SPIRIT.
Christ’s birth being announced by an ANGEL.
Elizabeth being filled with the Holy SPIRIT.
Zacharias prophesizing in the SPIRIT.
Moving to Chapter 2:
ANGELS appear and announce the birth of the savior.
The HOLY SPIRIT fulfills a promise to Simeon.
Chapter 3:
John Baptizes Jesus and the HOLY SPIRIT descends on him in bodily form like a DOVE.
Chapter 4:
Starts with SATAN personally appearing to and tempting Jesus.
Jesus casts out an unclean SPIRIT.
Well, you get the point. There is constant activity in the spirit realm. Just because we are unaware of it and don’t see it, says more about our lack of perception than it does about whether such things exist. Remember a few years ago when This Present Darkness, a Christian novel by Frank E. Peretti made such a big splash. It portrayed the spiritual realm and its impact on the natural. Pick up a copy and read or re-read it. It will reinforce the truth of the very real truth that Spiritual Warfare is real. It’s not a sideline. The defeat of Satan was the purpose of Christ’s coming. A purpose that will be ultimately fulfilled with His second coming.
Satan has been far too successful in his hiding-in-plain-sight strategy. We need to pray for an increase in our discernment. Lord, let us see things as they really are. We need to quick focusing on our brothers as the perceived problem. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:12.
It’s time we realize all that’s going on and GET IN THE GAME. Tomorrow we look at Getting in the Game.
Be blessed.
NIck
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