Taking the Mystery Out of ‘Spiritual Warfare’
by Rick Renner
From time to time, the subject of spiritual warfare becomes a popular, almost faddish focus for the Body of Christ. When this happens, it is taught with such enthusiasm that a newcomer to Christ might assume spiritual warfare is a brand-new revelation, even though it is not. There have even been many moments in history when this subject has become the rage in the charismatic sector of the Body of Christ. Any person who has been in touch with the national pulse of the Church would quickly agree that at times, the Body of Christ experiences what I have come to call a “spiritual-warfare mania.”
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.
22 : BVOV
