Definition of
spiritual warfare (from Voelkel, Jack, Spiritual Warfare in Mission, Downers Grove:IVP, 2012):
“Spiritual warfare in
its simplest form is our partnership with God as he advances his kingdom… Satan
and his forces often counter-attack, seeking to thwart us and our inroads with
every scheme, wile or fiery dart they can muster.”
But NB, spiritual
warfare is not a dualistic battle between equals, as Satan is a created being, not equal and opposite with God. Rather, we are empowered by God to co-labour with him as he advances the kingdom in a
world deceived and enslaved by Satan.
Forms
spiritual warfare might take on the mission field:
1. Personal
struggles: depression, discouragement, tiredness, loneliness, even
disillusionment with mission, doubt re calling or faith, spiritual dryness,
anxiety
2. Interpersonal
struggles: discord, irritation with fellow-missionaries, marital problems
3. Work-related
struggles: lack of fruit, obstacles in work
4. Overtly
demonic events/power struggles – demonic possession etc
How
to be Prepared:
1. Key is intimacy with God. NB !!!!! “Jesus did not do miracles, live a holy life and overcome
the enemy because he was God. He did so because he depended on the Father and
the power of his Spirit for everything he did and said (John 4:24; 5:19,20,30;
6:38; 6:57). So can we."
2. Ephesians 6:10-20
10 Finally, be
strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor
of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers,
against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the
spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, take up
the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and
having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore, having girded
your loins with truth, and having
put on the breastplate of righteousness,
15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 in addition to all, taking up
the shield of faith with which you
will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one. 17 And
take the helmet of salvation, and
the sword of the Spirit, which is the word
of God. 18 With all prayer and
petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the
alert with all perseverance and
petition for all the saints, 19 and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be
given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery
of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming
it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
Back to me writing this evening in my bed, pretty tired after my day.
Looking back on my time in Uganda, I feel as though I met with a lot of opposition as described above. I am just not sure if I ever consciously gave it this name, - did I? - spiritual warfare, and if I actually prayed my way through Ephesians 6, as I should have on a daily basis. As I told my students this morning, when you even start to think about going on missions, you provoke the enemy, let alone when you are actually there, doing the work, living the life. There are so many potential pitfalls on the mission field, and they have human and natural and climatic and geographic and social and political causes. Mostly, Satan does not cause the problems we deal with every day. Sometimes, he does. Either way, he tries to use them to wind us up, wear us out, discourage us, turn us off.
I am just saying to myself and to everyone involved in God's mission in the world wherever that might be, but especially if you have taken the huge step of moving countries and moving out of your comfort zone to work for God's kingdom, that you are definitely involved in spiritual warfare, and that every weapon available will be turned against you, but, you have Jesus and the Spirit and the Word of God and prayer and worship and fellowship and all the armour listed in Ephesians 6 - so: be prepared, and use all your resources, and see it for what it is, an all-important, daily battle.
Amen, Rosie. I spoke on this in chapel last week too (well, it was part of a larger talk on leadership and integrity). When I asked the students if they put on the armor of God... crickets. Perhaps I didn't use the right words?
ReplyDeleteAs usual, you're spot on. Keep preaching!