Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition

War is something that Christians don't really like to talk about. Well, let me rephrase that: war is something that most Christians don't like to talk about. Now, as I bring up the term of war, you're probably thinkin' about Iraq, bullets, and bazookas, and you probably don't want to talk about it. I dunno, I feel like every time war is brought up, everyone treats it like the moldy cheese in the back of their fridge (they know it's there, but don't want to touch it, and would rather just not think about it.)

But that's not what I want to talk to you about today. I'll keep that one in the file drawer for when we'll talk about God's Providence.

But, I digress. (Always wanted to use that word. Yessss.) What I want to address today is not a physical war, but a spiritual one. Now calm down, take a deep breath, and have no worries. This won't be as creepy as you might be thinking.

There are typically a few kinds of responses that occur  when discussing spiritual warfare with someone. They might blow it off (thinking you're crazy), they might not realize the seriousness involved, or they might get childishly excited about it. I am asking you, the reader, to take an objective, serious look at the information presented.

Now the reason I bring up spiritual warfare is the same reason as the Bible's: it exists and will continue to rage against us whether we're fighting or not. And to ignore the effects of the work of Satan, I borrow from the words of C.S. Lewis: "If you haven't met Satan recently, you are probably going his way!" So let us not ignore the works of Satan, but let us look to the words of Scriptures which claim that "we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." (Eph. 6:12)

If you've had any history in the church, you might've heard something along these lines: the three enemies that we deal with in our Christian walk are the world, the flesh, and Satan. The subject of spiritual warfare generally fits into the latter - the enemy of Satan. When speaking of these things, it must be realized that we are discussing very direct, intense, and powerful works of Satan and his demons.

We are discussing a world that cannot be seen with earthly eyes. And being such, many tend to be very afraid on account of the fact that they don't know what they're dealing with. Let me also add in that today's media, television, and movies have glamorized and mis-represented the spiritual world through horror movies, stories of witchcraft, tales of hobgoblins and wizards and the like. They've made it either into a fairy tale or into a horror story. (As a friend of mine once said, "Watching a horror movie is like listening to Satan give a sermon!")

So let us look past the hype and myth and peer into the truth of Scripture.

When Jesus sent out the seventy-two disciples in Luke 10, He said, "I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves." Let's just say that Jesus wasn't talking about literal wolves, if you catch my drift. First off, as those who believe in Christ and pursue Him, we've basically got a target on our backs. Satan will get to us in any and every way possible.

Listen to me: Satan HATES you! He wants you BURNING IN HELL for all of ETERNITY! And he will do WHATEVER it takes to make sure that HAPPENS!

This is not a game we're playing. And to ignore his power (which is far greater than ours) is to be a fool and a coward. Satan's been around a long time, and he basically knows every trick in the book to make sure that you're doing what he wants you to do. He can come and affect your decisions and thoughts through the movies we watch, people we hang out with, activities we do, places we go, and much more. That is why we are always to be on guard against his work! That's why Jesus told the disciples what they were coming up against!

I believe a common misconception about spiritual warfare is that Satan's works are blatant and obvious - like listening to Satanist music or playing a Ouija board. Granted, he usually works in those ways too, but often, he is way more sneaky and devious. If he can get us to think that those are the only places where he manifests himself, then he's got you fooled about the other 95% of his work.

So what are we to do? If Satan and his demons are everywhere, if they are millions of times more powerful than we are, and if they will expend anything for our eternal death, what hope do we have?

We have hope in the holy, perfect, and infinitely powerful name of Jesus Christ.

In Mark 16:17, Jesus has been resurrected and is giving His final words to His disciples. He says that an ability that is granted to the believer is the power of casting out demons in His name. James 4:7 says to "resist the devil, and he will flee from you." And even though we are weak, the Scriptures say that Christ has "given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you." (Luke 10:19) Also, when Jesus was tempted in the wilderness by Satan, He drove him away by throwing the Bible at him! (verbally, that is)

I think one of the key ideas is that Satan has already been defeated. Let me clarify with an example. All throughout the history of man there has existed the history of war. Many wars have been fought in which, after the war ends, the side that has lost still fights. It may take months after an "end-of-war" treaty for troops to finally stop fighting. It is the same way with Satan. John 16:11 says that "the ruler of this world is judged." His work is finished, and he knows it. And yet, he still fights as if he's got some ground.

He doesn't. When in the battle with Satan, always remind him that Christ has defeated him at the cross. That usually sends him scampering.

This is an exhaustive topic and I have done my best to cover a lot of main points and issues within it, but I urge you, as a reader and a warrior, to make sure you know what the Scriptures have to say about the spiritual side of war.

It is with this final thought I leave you. Please check out this video. For me, it is a battle cry against the works of Satan.

Destroy - Worth Dying For

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