BVOV Magazine 2013 - present

2 2 : B V O V We must be careful to remember that the real battle with Satan was won at the Cross and the Resurrection. This emphasis on spiritual warfare is good in that it causes us to become familiar with our adversary, the devil, and how he operates. Once we understand his mode of operation, we can then foil his attacks against us. This is the very reason Paul told the Corinthians concerning the devil and his mode of operation, "we are not ignorant of [Satan's] devices" (2 Corinthians 2:11). On the other hand, an overemphasis on spiritual warfare has the potential of having a very bad effect on the Church. If spiritual warfare is not taught properly, it can be devastating, for this subject has a unique way of captivating people's attention so completely that they eventually think of nothing but spiritual warfare. This is a favorite trick of the devil to make believers magnify his power to a greater degree than it deserves. If this trick works, these unbalanced, devil-minded believers begin to imagine that the devil is behind everything that occurs, thus becoming paralyzed and incapable of functioning normally in any capacity of life. In this way, the enemy eliminates them from future usefulness in the kingdom of God. Unfortunately, this has been the outcome in the lives of too many people who have focused on the issue of spiritual warfare in years past. Don't misunderstand what I am saying: I am not opposed to spiritual warfare. Spiritual warfare is real! We are commanded in Scripture to deal with the unseen, invisible forces that have been marshaled against us. We are commanded to "cast out devils" (Mark 16:17) and to "pull down the strongholds" of the mind (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). This is a part of our Christian responsibility toward the lost, the oppressed and the demonized. In my own ministry, I have had to deal with demonic manifestations on occasion. For instance, I remember a time years ago when a young teenage Satanist approached me at the end of one of my meetings in a large church. During the meeting, he realized that Satan's powers had taken his mind captive, so he came forward to receive prayer in the prayer line. As I continued through the prayer line, praying for one and then another, I could visibly see from a distance that this particular young man was sending forth spiritual signals of a very strong, evil presence. As I came nearer to him, I sensed that he had been involved in some type of occult activity. When I finally reached the young man, he looked up through eyes that were tightly squeezed together like little slits in the front of his head. I looked into his eyes, and it was as if a demon was looking back at me from behind his face. When I saw this, I knew that this young man was serious about being helped. It had taken a great deal of determination for him to shove aside that manipulating force and forge his way down to the front of the church auditorium. As I laid my hands on the young man that night, his body began to react violently to the power of God. Trembling under the weight of God's power, he crumpled to the floor, landing in a heap next to my feet. Lying there engulfed in the electrifying power of God that was surging up and down his body, the young man quietly moaned, "I'm afraid to leave them [the satanic group in which he was involved]. They said they would kill me if I left the group!" I leaned over to pray for him a second time, and as I did, the horrible demonic influence that had held his mind captive immediately released him and fled from the scene. Oh, yes, I definitely believe in genuine spiritual warfare!

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