TWO TRAGEDIES
Last week I read a tragic story of two family pets (pit
bulls) that turned on the children (a 2 year old and a 5 month old) and killed
them. The mother frantically tried to protect her children but was mauled in
process. She survived the horrific attack but will likely be scarred for life,
suffering bite marks all over her body. It is unknown what precipitated the
attack. The dogs were euthanized after the attack.
I can’t even begin to imagine the grief and emotions
flooding the hearts of this couple. As I shared the story with my wife, I said
it almost seems demonic. Please don’t misunderstand me here. In no way am I
making any kind of assessment about the spiritual state of that family. All I
mean is that such a horrible attack on these two children and their mother
seems like something Satan and the demonic realm would delight in and instigate.
And then I read other stories like the slaughter of 37
people, 23 of which were children, by a madman with a knife at a childcare
center in Thailand. After the attack, the assailant fled the scene to his home
and killed his wife, his child, and ultimately himself. Does this not seem like
something Satan would delight in and instigate? This man is responsible for his actions, but
you have to wonder if demonic influences weren’t active in some way.
A BATTLE IS RAGING
I have recently been pondering the reality of the spiritual
war currently raging about us. Whether it’s the heinous events mentioned above
or the lies promulgated today regarding sex, God, gender, the church, babies in the womb,
etc., you have to at least wonder if there’s something more going on behind the
scene in the spiritual realm. In the West, we don’t typically think about the
spiritual realm and demonic forces constantly deceiving, oppressing, and
attacking humanity. Even in the church, we rarely talk about this reality; yet,
we see it throughout scripture. Jesus and the apostles dealt with the
reality of Satan and demons. Jesus and his disciples rebuked demons, and the apostles
warned us in their letters about the devil and his plans against us.
Jesus called the devil a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44).
Peter refers to him as a roaring lion seeking someone to devour (I Peter 5:8). In
Genesis (3:1) we see him as a serpent and in the Revelation (12:9) he’s the
great dragon. Paul notes that the devil appears as an angel of light (2
Corinthians 11:14). Satan himself claimed command over the kingdoms of the world when he tempted Jesus and promised him all the kingdoms of this
world if Jesus would worship him (Luke 4:5-7). Paul affirmed this claim, referring to Satan as, “the god of this world,” in 2 Corinthians 4:4.
IGNORANCE IS NOT BLISS BUT DANGEROUS
Going through each day and ignoring the spiritual
war around us is foolish and unbiblical. The apostle John lays out the
harsh reality of the devil's influence when he writes “the whole world lies in the power of the evil
one (I John 5:19).” We can not effectively walk with Jesus and be a light
in the darkness if we fail to recognize an actual spiritual enemy actively
working against us. We shouldn’t focus on Satan, but we must not ignore him
either. Ignoring him makes you vulnerable to attack. If you are walking in the
woods and a mountain lion approaches, ignoring the lion is not the right
decision. If you think “I’ll just keep on walking by like nothing is there,”
you'll likely regret it.
We need to see our world through the lens of I John 5:19 “the
whole world lies in the power of the evil one.” Satan is living and active
in this world, blinding and deceiving billions. I’m so quick to get angry at
people and forget satan’s role in the foolish ideologies and actions of humanity.
When I see some of the things going on in this world, I forget that there is a
real devil and an untold number of demons actively seeking to deceive, steal,
kill and destroy. Many people have unwittingly allowed demonic forces to have
significant sway in their lives. Others have willingly given the devil control
in their lives. There is a real devil, real demons, and real deception and
devastation as a result. If we focus only what our five senses perceive, we are
missing a large portion of reality. As soldiers of Christ, we must not ignore the
spiritual war raging in our world.
STAND FIRM
Since ignoring the spiritual battle is not a productive option,
what should we do as followers of Jesus? God’s word instructs us to stand firm.
Interestingly, that’s similar to the advice given if you encounter a mountain
lion. The National Park Service gives the following advice if you encounter a
mountain lion. The NPS advises that you “Stay calm. Hold your ground or
back away slowly. Face the lion and stand upright.” The only thing we should
change in dealing with our spiritual enemy is to not “back away slowly” but
actively resist him. Peter wrote, “Resist him, firm in your
faith.” James wrote, “Resist the devil, and he will flee
from you.” And Paul instructs us in Ephesians 6 to “Put on the whole
armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the
devil.”
A BATTLE PLAN
As believers in Jesus Christ, we are called to resist the
devil and stand against him. But how do we do that? Peter, James, and Paul, all
provide additional details about how to resist and stand against the devil.
Peter writes, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God.”
James instructs us to “Submit yourselves therefore to God,” immediately
prior to telling us to “resist the devil.” And Paul advises us to “be
strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.”
We must never engage in spiritual battle with our own power
lest we suffer terrible defeat. We engage in this battle with a humility that
recognizes God is our strength and power for the battle. Only with a heart of
humility and trust in God can we effectively wage war against the enemy and his
demons. Proverbs 16:18 informs us that “Pride goes before a fall” and this is
nowhere truer than the arena of spiritual battle.
Once our hearts are prepared for battle, we must stay on
alert for the enemy’s attacks. Peter prefaces his comments regarding the devil
prowling around like a roaring lion with this advice “be sober-minded; be
watchful.” We’re not looking for a demon behind every bush, but we better
be on alert for the enemy’s attacks. Do we even think about the possibility
that Satan could be behind situations in our lives that steal our joy, limits
our witness, perpetuates bitterness, etc.? We must be sober-minded and
watchful.
Next, we must arm ourselves for battle with God’s armor. I’m
not going to add my thoughts to literally thousands of sermons and devotionals
on the spiritual armor of Ephesians 6. You have likely heard or read more than
one exposition on that passage. I will simply note that Paul commands us to
“put on” and “take up” the full armor of God. We must fully rely on God’s
strength and power but that involves embracing the armor God has given: truth,
righteousness, the readiness given by the gospel of peace, salvation, faith,
and His word. Embracing and leaning into God’s work in our lives through Jesus
Christ guards our hearts from fear and doubt in the midst of trials and
tribulations. Immersing yourself in God’s word cuts through the lies and
deception the enemy throws at us to hinder our walk with Jesus and get us off
mission. Jesus used the Word of God to counter the enemy’s lies and
temptations, providing an example for us to follow.
THE POWER OF PRAYER
Paul ends this section on spiritual warfare with the appeal
to prayer. He exhorts us to pray “at all times in the Spirit, with all
prayer and supplication.” Prayer should position us in a posture of
humility which is where our heart needs to be if we are to find victory in
spiritual battle. Approaching Almighty God in prayer should result in humility.
We have no right to be there except for His grace through the shed blood of
Jesus Christ. Prayer should position our heart properly for battle.
Prayer also enlists the power of God. In our petition to God,
we pray as our Lord Jesus taught “lead us not into temptation but deliver us
from evil.” That term can be translated “evil one.” God is the source of
power and strength to deliver us from the evil one. We call upon his power for
victory in this battle.
Prayer can help us stay alert as well. In prayer we confess
and repent of our sins. We can become aware of areas that we susceptible to
Satan's attacks. When we pray “in the Spirit, with all prayer and
supplication,” we move beyond our own needs and see the spiritual needs of this
world. We can become more aware of the enemy’s schemes.
Prayer is also a spiritual weapon. God’s Word is the sword
of the Spirit, but praying is also a direct call for God to intervene when
temptation comes. Jesus told his disciples to “watch and pray that you might
not enter into temptation.” And Jesus himself prayed for Peter in Luke
22:31, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might
sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail.”
When Herod put Peter in prison, the church began to pray and God miraculously
freed Peter (Acts 12:6-19). Prayer is a powerful weapon in the spiritual
battle.
The truth of I John 5:19 may seem depressing: the whole
world lies in the power of the evil one. But remember what John wrote in
4:4 prior to that, “he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world,”
and in 5:4, “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And
this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.” We have the promise
of victory, but we must engage wisely in the battle. It's not ultimately Satan's world. God is still sovereign and He will ultimately win,
but we can be harmed in the battle. If we fail to recognize the battle and engage wisely, we may find our joy
sapped and our witness for Christ ineffective.
QUESTIONS TO PONDER
As we live in the midst spiritual war, we need to ask ourselves
these questions:
Am I recognizing the spiritual battle raging in this world?
Am I actively trusting God’s power for spiritual victory?
Am I staying alert to enemy attacks?
Am I dressing myself for battle?
Am I engaging in battle through prayer?
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but
against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s
darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
Ephesians 6:12
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