Sometimes the concept of spiritual warfare is so much for us to handle—we just don’t know what to do with it. So we don’t even think about it. Or we imagine that it doesn’t pertain to us. Or that we are somehow immune to it
We over-spiritualize it.
What do I mean by that? I mean that we don’t realize all the ways that spiritual warfare manifests itself around us…daily.
It’s kind of like germs. We know they exist; in fact they’re probably on most everything we touch. But we just choose not to think about it. Because if we did, we would live in a constant state of paranoia; and who wants that?
But the effects of germs are inescapable. Whether we choose to think about it or not, we still catch sicknesses. We still have to wash our hands before we eat. There are very physical/tangible manifestations of these things that we can’t see and don’t like to think about.
Truth is, this is very similar to spiritual warfare. We don’t like to talk or think about it too often—but the effects of it are ALL around us.
That fight you got into with your family: were tempers high, or was something more going on? The anxiety you felt over your friendships—was something more going on? Your desire to go to the next level physically with your boyfriend or girlfriend—was something more going on?
The list goes on. It is all around us. And as long as we ignore spiritual warfare instead of recognizing it for what it is—we are sunk.
Questions:
1. Have you ever had a moment of temptation or sin where you paused and considered that perhaps spiritual warfare was happening?
2. What did you do in that moment? How did you respond?
3. What Scriptures would you turn to if someone you knew didn’t buy into the idea of spiritual warfare?
