“There
are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the
devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and
to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are
equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the
same delight.”
- C.S. Lewis, The
Screwtape Letters
The Devil is real. Spiritual warfare is also very
real. While we do not and cannot
blame the Devil for every calamity we face, he is very much at work.
In my Award-Winning book Crushing The Devil: Your Guide
to Spiritual Warfare and Victory in Christ, I
make the following statement, “There is a furious, fierce, and ferocious battle
raging in the realm of the spirit between the forces of God and the forces of
evil. Warfare happens every day, all the time. Whether you believe it or not,
you are in a battlefield. You are in warfare. The moment you become a
Christian, the devil’s grip over your life is broken, you cease to be his
child, and you become a threat to him. He begins to see you as his enemy and
seeks to either win you back or destroy you. You are therefore immediately
thrust onto the front line of this brutal battle whether you appreciate it or
not, whether you like it or not, and whether you know it or not.”
The
Bible makes it very clear in Ephesians 6 that we are not fighting against human
beings, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world,
against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked
spirits in the heavenly realms. In other words, your neighbour isn’t the enemy.
Nor is the enemy your spouse or your boss at work! You’re fighting an enemy who
is a spirit. You are waging war against an enemy who is invisible to the naked
eye. To stand a chance, you must rely totally, utterly, and completely on God, because
He is spirit. He can see the end of a thing from its beginning. Our weapons are
mighty through God, and we are nothing without Him. In reality, the battle is
His; you are merely a battle-axe, a sword, or an arrow in His awesome and
powerful hands!
The weapons we fight
with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power
to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets
itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to
make it obedient to Christ.
2 Corinthians 10:4–5 (NIV)
On the cross of Calvary, Jesus obtained victory
over sin, sickness, and death. He triumphed over the Enemy through His death
and resurrection. This gives us a distinct advantage because it enables us to
fight from victory
and not for victory!
As
long as you depend on the Lord Jesus and use His weapons, the devil cannot
overpower you because the outcome of the battle had long been predetermined,
and your victory as a believer long guaranteed! So, you engage the devil, not
in the fear of defeat, but to enforce Jesus’s victory, and to make known to the
enemy the manifold wisdom of God!
What’s
your understanding of spiritual warfare? Let’s have some feedback!
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Pedro Okoro is a Professional Blogger, Copywriter, Coach, List Grow Strategist and Pastor. He is the founder and CEO of Astute Copy Blogging. He is also an Award-winning and bestselling Author. He is married with two delightful daughters.
I didn't understand spiritual warfare when I was first baptized. The first lady of the church I was baptized into said you're smiling now but you won't be smiling for long. It hurt me that she said that but now I understand that my life as a believer is not a game and the souls of the lost are precious. I always like things to be explained to me but I had to learn for myself what spiritual warfare is and whose strength and power I need to keep treading victoriously. Great post brother. Know that your post are not in vain. B/C God's spirit is in you, these posts sometimes cut like a two-edge sword but it's ok bc it's for edification purposes. God bless.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your encouragement. Spiritual warfare has been given a bad name I and doing my best to unpack it in bite-size posts on this Blog. My Book 'Crushing The Devil' is a guide on the subject. God bless and keep you!
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