Spiritual Warfare: The Starting Point
James 4:7 (NIVUK)
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
‘There is no grosser or greater misrepresentation of the Christian message than that which depicts it as offering a life of ease with no battle and struggle at all… sooner or later every believer discovers that the Christian life is a battleground, not a playground.’ Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones*
I remember when we lived abroad, I once attended a church ladies’ group where we were asked our thoughts on the enemy and spiritual battles. One lady stated that any mention of the devil in the Bible was purely figurative and that she did not believe that the enemy was real.
There are different theological perspectives on the matter of spiritual warfare; however, I think it is safe to say that as Christians, we are in a spiritual battle, whether we realise it or not. Spiritually struggling can present itself in myriad ways: discouragement, no longer wanting to engage with God, feelings of condemnation etc. Not every setback we face is necessarily the work of the enemy or spiritual in nature; however, spiritual oppression is real, and the Bible details our strategy for fighting back. Acknowledging that we are in a spiritual battle is our starting point.
Many of us as Christians will face spiritual battles throughout the course of our lives. I know first-hand that there have been many times where life has become overwhelmingly difficult: I felt isolated, the things of God held no appeal, and it was tempting to withdraw and to seek out entertainment rather than face challenges head on and pray.
Thankfully, we are not alone! We don’t have to struggle and strive in our own strength through the difficulties that come our way. God is with us in the fight! This year, Tim Hughes spoke at Wildfires about consecrating ourselves to God: allowing Christ to transform us from the inside out, Christ’s righteousness making us righteous and his holiness making us holy. That is the first step in the battle: presenting our ordinary selves before a majestic and holy God who cleanses us through the blood of Jesus Christ. When we start to understand our identity in Christ, we are ready for battle.
Prayer — Lord, thank you that the battle is yours, we are not alone and that the ultimate victory has been achieved through Christ. Help us to live life from a position of victory and not defeat.