The War WithinExemplo

Is There A War?

As far as I can remember being in the church there has always been lots of talk about spiritual warfare, about the enemy attacking the church and believers, about fighting the good fight of faith and the violent taking it by force. 

Do these statements sound familiar to you? I can’t say I always understood these statements. To be honest, when I heard them the picture that would come to mind would always be a superhero movie: good against evil, and evil would somehow have the upper hand just until the end. Finally, the hero would defeat the enemy. I know, my imagination is wild, but it was the only way I understood spiritual warfare until I started pastoring and had to study the subject on my own. 

The first question I asked myself was, “Is there a war?” and as I moved in the direction to answer this question, I found the spectrum of warfare very broad, yet two significant extreme thoughts exist:

1. Everything happening wrong or chaotic in the believer’s life is due to the devil.

2. Spiritual warfare is made up by fanatics.

The first extreme thought places all blame on the devil, removing the need for individuals to take responsibility for their actions (which could affect change for the good). The second extreme thought downplays the influence of evil altogether and leaves individuals to lean on their ability to fix their problems without the help of God. 

After searching out the scriptures, I have been convinced the answer to the question, “Is there a war?” is “YES!”  It is an “Emphatic yes.” 

The Apostle Paul, Peter, James, and John all made references to the war and the enemy we are up against. John records Jesus, saying, “...In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 NIV)

Paul says, “For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh." (2 Corinthians 10:3 NIV) He goes on to say we are not using mere human weapons.  He also encouraged young Timothy to, “Fight the good fight of the faith.” (1 Timothy 6:12 NIV)

Peter encourages us to, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8 NIV)

James advises us to, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7 NIV)

The scriptures above tell us we have an enemy who is out to steal, kill, and destroy. But there is also encouragement for us. We will overcome, and we will have the victory if we learn about the war, our enemy, where the battle is being fought. We can rest in the truth that Jesus already overcame. With Him, we don’t fight for victory but from a position of victory. 

I guess my imagination wasn’t overactive after all. Evil will try to come against us, but in the end we win! My prayer is that at the end of this plan you would have clarity about the war and the enemy we fight against. 

Is there a war? The answer is yes.

“Spiritual warfare is very real. There is a furious, fierce, and ferocious battle raging in the realm of the spirit between the forces of God and the forces of evil. Warfare happens every day, all the time. Whether you believe it or not, you are in a battlefield. You are in warfare.” – Pedro Okoro