Spiritual warfare #1

January 31 2023

 

Christians are drawn to myth. When we enter the realm of the spiritual, physical beings are stuck trying to understand something beyond their ability to understand. For truth, we need to turn to the pages of the Bible rather than trusting our myths. One myth is that the enemy of our soul, the devil, cannot touch us.

 

If you carefully read the Bible, another picture emerges. It is accurate to believe that Satan is on a leash and can only do what God allows. It is also accurate to understand that our lives are under fire from this adversary. Unless we accept unbiblical mythology, we are not unaware (ignorant) of Satan's schemes and devices. The Bible tells us, "so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs." [2 Corinthians 2:11 ESV]

 

Before we can understand Satan’s tactics, we must realize that we are in serious jeopardy. Underestimating his abilities and resources is a recipe for misery. On the other hand, we do not have to live in fear. I will cover several of our resources at the end of our series. Let’s take an honest look at the risk we face.

 

Peter warns, "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." [1 Peter 5:8 ESV] Why would Peter issue this warning? Because this is a reality. There are generally two circumstances under which a lion will roar when it comes to a meal. First, the lion will roar as it attacks to disorient the prey. Second, the lion will roar after the kill to alert competitors to stay away. When we sense danger, as we should, the attack has already begun or has just finished successfully.

 

Paul advised, "In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;" [Ephesians 6:16 ESV] Paul is describing the various pieces of armor available to the believer when fighting spiritually. He notes the evil one, our enemy, is attacking with "flaming darts." Paul would only give this advice if he believed, as directed by the Holy Spirit, that Satan (the evil one) was on the attack. 

 

In battle, the lion is in close quarters. This melee tactic involves confusion and brute strength. Flaming darts are an image of the Roman plumbata. This was essentially a short spear and a short-range weapon. While the front lines were engaged in a melee, those behind the lines could make use of these to clear out those that would reinforce those engaged in battle.

 

Satanic attacks can be direct, brutal, close-quarter melees, or they can be sneaky attacks that seem to come out of nowhere while we are engaged with something else. Next time we will look at how Satan can attack a church and its work.