Spiritual warfare. These are words that most Christians have heard at least once in their lives, but what exactly is it? How do we know if we are just fighting or facing a spiritual battle? These are all questions I have been asking myself lately and in this article I will aim to answer them all.
What is spiritual warfare? Spiritual warfare is the act of combat against Satan he tries to keep us from God’s calling. The enemy comes to kill, steal, and destroy, so as we pursue Christ, he seeks to achieve all of these things. Although spiritual warfare is difficult to face, God uses it to bring us even closer to Him.
Do you feel that you or someone you love is experiencing a spiritual are exposed to combat? Read this post to learn how to fight it and emerge victorious.
What is spiritual warfare?
When most Christians encounter trials and tribulations, they are quick to call it spiritual warfare. I have done this in my own life, but that would only be a spiritual attack. The emphasis in spiritual warfare is on the word war because we are called upon to fight back when the enemy attacks us.
When someone tells me they have received a spiritual war warfare is imminent, my mind automatically wanders to extremes. I’m starting to think, ‘Wow, this person is probably going to be attacked by demons and everything in their life must be falling apart. I think that’s the first place most of us go when we think of a spiritual attack from the enemy.
These attacks aren’t always that extreme, but they’re still incredibly difficult to deal with.
Spiritual warfare can appear as thoughts of depression, self-doubt, loss of a family member, lying in your head, or anything that could potentially prevent you from pursuing your calling.
We see several examples of spiritual attacks in the book of Job.
A messenger came to Job and said: “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, and the Sabaeans attacked and made off with them. They strike the servants with the sword, and I am the only one who escaped to tell you!”
Job 1:14-15
This is just one of the many reports about the spiritual attacks to which Job was subjected. The attacks continued and got worse in his story, but then in Job 1:20 we see how Job reacts to all the devastation that has happened.
At this Job got up and tore his arms robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said, “Naked I came out of my mother’s womb, and naked I will go. The LORD gave, the LORD took away; Blessed be the name of the LORD.”
Job 1:20-21
Reading the first line we start to think, “Man, Job is losing his composure and totally has a Brittany Spears moment,” but then we see the reason for his perceived insanity. He falls down in worship. He does not yell at God in anger, run away, or even throw a tantrum. Job worships and glorifies the name of the Lord.
This is what took Job from spiritual attack to spiritual warfare. He fought back against the enemy by praising the Lord and not allowing Satan to defeat him.
7 Signs of Spiritual Warfare
Previously I listed some examples of spiritual attacks, but it is important to be aware of any species you may encounter. The first step in fighting spiritual warfare is to realize you’re in it, and this list will help you do that.
- Suddenly, yourself and constantly face loss/problems: Everything seemed fine yesterday, but then suddenly it feels like your world is falling apart. One bad thing happens after another. You feel out of control and not sure why you are going through this, but God is with you.
- Sudden illness or health problems: Being sick and unhealthy is not something God wants for us, but it’s something the enemy can use to defeat us. You may develop a minor cold just before sharing the gospel, or even be diagnosed with something bigger like cancer.
- Facing Increased Temptation to Sin: We have opportunities to sin every day , but there are times when our temptation to sin increases even more. Thoughts randomly begin to fill our minds with desires not pleasing to God. Then we begin to be filled with fear that we will return to our own ways, but that is a lie. This is a mighty attack by the enemy.
- Feelings of fear, hopelessness, and mental health issues: Our own minds are sometimes the most powerful weapon Satan can use against us. We begin to feel fear, have thoughts of hopelessness, wrestle with wanting to be off this planet and just feel like our minds are exploding with toxic, endless thoughts.This can definitely be a spiritual attack and we must seek God first when facing this battle.
- Sleep Deprivation: Sleep is something our minds and bodies need fully be functional and perfectly healthy. The lack of sleep can result in our inability to stay alert and ready to attack. This is something we can face as a spiritual attack because we suddenly go from 8 hours to 2 hours. Sometimes you can even start suffering from insomnia or have extreme nightmares when you are sleeping. Although this can happen on occasion, if it becomes a pattern, be aware and pray to God.
- Losing Motivation: Motivation is a quality that God gives us blessed and is what helps us to pursue his calling for us. Without them we begin to stagnate. Sometimes we want to push through the lack of motivation, but even that can get tiring. When this occurs, it is a sign that you may be in the middle of a fight.
- Doubt in God: Doubting in God is a trait that we develop as a result of the fall Eve bit from the forbidden fruit. We begin to lose sight of who He is and His attributes and doubt Him. This can cause us to dizzy and struggle in our faith, but God still wants to help us even when we doubt Him.
Though what you have before you is incredible is difficult, know that your Heavenly Father is with you every step of the way, and by His power you will emerge from this battle even stronger.
What to Do When You’re Engaged in a Spiritual Battle meet
When we face him in the face of the enemy, we can feel hopeless and like we don’t stand a chance, but our Heavenly Father has given us resources to fight our enemy.
Prayer
Prayer is one of the most powerful tools God has given us. It allows us to seek him out in the midst of the trial and invite him into our struggle with us. Prayer is not only crying out to God in the midst of turmoil, but also listening to what He has to say so that He can guide us.
God calls us to go to him in Scripture in every situation.
This is the confidence we have as we draw near to God: that, if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
1. John 5:14
When we pray to Heavenly Father, He hears us. He doesn’t just hang up his phone, but instead takes time to listen and support us.
Put on your armor
We are commanded in Scripture, the full armor of God to put on not only before exams, but every single day. We can find this in Ephesians 6,
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God to stand against the machinations of the devil.
Ephesians 6:10-11
The armor of God includes: The helmet of redemption, the breastplate of righteousness, the girdle of truth, the field of faith, the Sword of the Spirit and feet protected by the Gospel.
Wearing each of these daily is an act of daily devotion to God, but also ensures you are always alert and ready for battle.
Click here to click Learn more about the armor of God.
Enter into the Word
Although God’s Word is a part of God’s armor, it is even more important to embrace it read when the enemy tries to sneak into our lives. God’s Word is our source of truth when lies creep into our lives and steal our joy.
By reading His Word, even in the worst of situations, we can focus on the things that lie above.
Although the Bible is not a weapon for literally wounding the enemy , it is the finest weapon we have.
The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy argument and every claim that rebels against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
2. Corinthians 10:4-5
God’s word has the power to break the enemy and stop him.
Seek wise counsel
Although God is at every step of the way we still may not be able to fight battles alone or be afraid of everything that happens. That’s a perfectly fine thought, and God calls the church the body of Christ for a reason.
Once we fall, we all do. God wants us to go to other members of His body when we need help.
This can make you vulnerable and bring you even closer to those around you. Before you seek others, you must first seek Him in prayer. This will allow you to surrender to Him while also asking for help from whom you can turn to for advice at this time of year.
Although your first instinct may be to go to your best friend, you may need to find a mentor instead.
Viewpoints on Spiritual Warfare
Although spiritual is something we will all encounter at some point in our walk with God, others have different perspectives on it.
Although I will list each one below and offer my opinions, I encourage you to do your own research by delving into God’s Word.
- We meet more spiritually Warfare because we don’t follow God: Some believe that those who don’t follow God will be punished with a spiritual attack. I don’t think this is correct. Those who are not yet following God may be subject to spiritual attack, but due to the fact that sin is still rampant in our world. The enemy pursues every insight and will try to keep it from knowing our Savior.
- We only encounter spiritual warfare when we pursue God: I’ve heard the same phrase many times times when they face trials. It goes like this: “It just means that God is calling you to do something great and the enemy doesn’t like what you’re doing.” While I may be tired of hearing that line, it’s absolutely true. The times I’ve faced some of the most difficult things have come as I’ve been taking great strides in my calling. Satan wants to keep us from fulfilling our calling because he brings good and only wants evil.
- We can encounter spiritual warfare no matter where we are in our relationship with God: This view is the one I believe is most accurate. You see, bad things don’t just happen to followers of Christ or to those who run away from Him. Instead, they happen to every single person on this planet because of evil. The most important part to remember, however, is that spiritual warfare is the act of fighting the attack. For this reason, it is rare for unbelievers to engage in spiritual warfare, as they do not yet know God and are most likely unaware that they are actually about to be attacked.
Whether your point of view differs from mine or not, we must come to the realization that we must lift others up in the armor of God in order for them to be able to fight their battles.
Why Christians Should Be Aware Ministers Warfare
It’s not a question of if you face spiritual attacks, it’s a question of when. For this reason, learning about spiritual warfare is of paramount importance, for without it we would not know how to wage our battles.
We are called to be on guard against the enemy, and engaging in spiritual warfare allows us to do so properly.
Spiritual warfare can make you question your beliefs, doubt yourself, and even land you in a dark place. The beauty of spiritual warfare, however, is that we have been thrown straight into the fire so that we can be ennobled.
If we stagnate, we can neither grow nor fail. While it feels like the most convenient option, it’s the worse option.
We see in Romans that he made us conquerors so that we might emerge victorious from these battles.
No, in all these things we are more than just conqueror who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither present nor future, nor powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation can separate us from the love of God is in Christ Jesus our Lord .
Romans 8:37-39
God uses spiritual warfare to grow us and mold us even more into His image. Stay strong, my friend, and do not be discouraged, for his will and sovereignty can comfort you. You are a warrior for the kingdom of heaven, so put on your armor and fight your battles.
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