"I think it's a case of spiritual warfare," I remember saying to him. Years ago, I was discussing a difficult pastoral situation occurring in our youth group with one of the leaders of that ministry. As we continued to talk, the leader said to me, "I find it interesting that you look at this as spiritual warfare...I wouldn't have thought of that." And I remember answering him, "I tend to look at everything from the viewpoint of spiritual warfare!" Because I think I do. And I think that's really the only way to look at things.
HOW THE WAR STARTED We read in Revelation 12:7, that before the world was created, war broke out in heaven, and the Devil and his minions were cast down to earth. Jesus revealed that he watched Satan fall like lightning from heaven (cf. Luke 10:18). It seems that one-third of the angels followed the dragon, the Devil, into rebellion and were cast out along with him. WARFARE ON EARTH The war continued to be fought on earth as the devil tempted the first human beings, and they fell into disobedience against God - the original sin. Satan persists in his activity to this very day, attempting to separate men and women from God at any cost. We know that Jesus himself was tempted as we are; yet he did not sin (cf. Heb. 4:15). Jesus definitively conquered Satan by his Cross and Resurrection, but the battle keeps on raging as we all are called upon to fight with the weapons the Lord provides. THE GOAL AND STRATEGY OF THE ENEMY The Devil's goal is to make war against God, and to win as many souls as he can, tempting us to rebel by breaking God's commandments. The occult, in particular, is the Devil's realm. These are just a few examples of occult activity: horoscopes—consulting psychics, mediums, fortune tellers, palm readers; tarot cards; and Ouija boards. Never get involved in the occult, even if you consider it "just for fun." Even if you don't take it seriously, the Devil does. Many Christians would include yoga in this list; many also, I'm sure, would strenuously disagree. I don't consider myself expert enough to argue the point at length. When asked, however, I always answer that I am personally convinced that yoga should be avoided as well. Based on what I have read and heard from those I highly respect, it's just not worth the risk!
Sexual sin is another favorite opening of the enemy. Any use of sex outside of a valid marriage between one man and one woman is against God's law and God's will. This would include, of course, homosexual activity and pornography.
Jesus described Satan as "a murderer" and "a liar and the father of lies" (cf. John 8:44). Jesus also called him "a thief" who "comes only to steal and kill and destroy" (cf. John 10:10). The devil wars against life and the truth. A good example of this would be abortion and the deceptive language and distorted thinking concerning the deliberate taking of innocent, defenseless human life. It is not difficult to discern who is behind it all!
It is the devil who tempts men and women to kill, lie, and steal. Giving in to temptation and falling into sin opens the door to his influence. HOW TO FIGHT AND WAGE WAR There is so much more to spiritual warfare than can be covered in this limited space. As I close, however, I would invite you to consider these words of counsel: 1. Never allow yourself to forget that we are at war - not with flesh and blood but with evil spirits. Please read prayerfully over Ephesians 6:10-20 - the armor of God!
2. Have a fighting attitude! St. Paul tells us to "fight the good fight of faith" (1 Tim. 6:12). He tells us to "bear hardship like a good soldier" (2 Tim. 2:3).
3. Pray for wisdom and discernment to figure out what the devil is up to. May we be able to say with St. Paul, "We are not ignorant of his designs" (2 Cor. 2:11). Recognizing how and where the devil is at work around us is a major part of spiritual warfare.
4. The devil is a deceiver. St. Paul tells us, "Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light" (2 Cor. 11:14). Let us not be too easily taken in, especially by "spiritual phenomena." Discern all things!
ONE DIMENSIONAL OR THREE DIMENSIONAL Did you ever watch a 3D movie? I did as a kid—it scared me to death! (I closed my eyes when the rollercoaster took off into the audience!) I was reminded of this when I heard a doctor talk about an MRI. He said that the three-dimensional picture could tell him so much more than just a one-dimensional X-Ray. Looking at things with the viewpoint of spiritual warfare however is a lot like having 3D vision. You get a much more complete picture. And unlike the 3D movies in the 1950s, we had better not close our eyes!