Armed and dangerous

Part of my lecture this morning was on "spiritual warfare". I think it is easy to forget that we are involved in a fight, a fight for our own minds. I am cutting and pasting just a little bit of my lecture here:

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. 

Calm in the Storm

Cedrico Fernandez 

What happened to Jonah in the Bible story is well-known... told to go to the enemy city Ninevah, ran in the opposite direction, jumped in a boat, storm blew up, got thrown overboard, got swallowed by a huge fish, prayed, was vomited up on the shore, preached to Ninevah, they repented, he got cross, his shade tree wilted, story ends. All very curious.

But through this weird, wild story, there is so much to learn from Jonah. He is very human and just like us, although crazy supernatural things happen to him. His actions and reactions at each point are so understandable. But, I only just noticed something about Jonah's prayer from inside the fish, in chapter two.

In his prayer he describes how he was sinking down, into the depths and the darkness, the seaweed was wrapping around his head, he was dying, but then, God heard his cries and saved him. Now he is thanking God, offering him praise and promising sacrifices, and testifying that "Salvation comes from God." He is overwhelmed by God's grace, and says, "Those who chase after worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs."

But, duh, he is still inside the fish. His situation has changed, he is no longer sucking in seawater and sinking to the bottom of the ocean, but he is now stuck inside a fish's stomach, being digested, slowly but surely.

When praying this joyful-sounding prayer, did he understand that the fish was God's way of saving him, and that the fish was going to carry him to dry land? I doubt it. I think rather that Jonah had just come to realise that God is sovereign, the giver of all things, the giver of boats and storms, companions, fish, tasks to be done, and above all, the giver of grace. And that this powerful God has done incredible things for him, and that this is so amazing, as he is just a disobedient failing human being. And that we can wonder at God and praise him for his goodness and grace, even from the heart of a storm, from deep under the sea, from the stinking slimy inside of a fish, from the slough of despond.

I would love to be at the point Jonah reached, of being able to rejoice in having a relationship with the God of grace, even when storms and winding seaweed abound. To have peace and calm and happiness, in the storm. 

I feel that by now, after living the Christian life for some forty years, I should be that joyful peaceful calm person, but...um... All I can say is, I hope I am getting there. The transition we are going through has felt like a storm, and now that the wind and waves are abating, I hope that having seen God giving us everything, leading us and keeping us safe and provided for, I am better equipped to meet a future one. I hope and pray.

William Turner 1842