BATTLE READY

THE REALITY OF WAR
Sunday, January 12th Sermon Recap

In case you missed it, the focus for MLBC in 2025 is engaging in spiritual battle. In this blog, we will recap some of the sermon from this past Sunday and dive a little deeper into what it means to fight your spiritual battles.

In full transparency, my mind goes immediately to dramatized scenes of intense battle on an other-worldly plane of existence when I hear "spiritual warfare", largely in part to TV shows and movies (and maybe my own crazy imagination), but that's not really what we're talking about here.

This sermon was impactful for me because it challenged my preconceived ideas of what spiritual battle really is. It's not about "demon slaying", it's not about being the hero and it's not about battling other people. Engaging in spiritual battle starts with the realization that, as believers, we are fighting a war every day whether we realize it or not.

Scott gave us this definition of spiritual warfare: "Powers seeking to disrupt our expression of the love of God, His holiness, goodness and love for others." We see evidence of this battle in Ephesians 6. I'd challenge you to read this chapter and ask, "how am I seeing this battle played out in my life?" 

Recognizing that spiritual warfare is real, we must also recognize that the battlefield of war is not one we necessarily see with our own eyes. Like Ephesians 6 tells us, this battle is not a physical one. In several places, Scripture points out this truth through various stories and events that unfold. Here are a few examples:

• Heaven’s Court (Job 1:6-7)
• Elisha and his servant (2 Kings 6:15-17)
• Daniel Praying (Daniel 10:12-13)
• Dispute over Moses’ body (Jude 9)
• The Assyrian army killed by an angel (2 Kings 19:35)
• The Transfiguration (Matthew 17)
• The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19)
• Maniac of Gadera (Mark 5)

What are your thoughts on this spiritual realm? Scott made a good point Sunday that many of us have become too sophisticated or educated to entertain this idea, even if it's a subconscious decision. I think that the spiritual world has become synonymous with Asgard or Neverland - places of make believe, fantasy fiction. However, if you are a follower of Christ and you believe God's Word to be true, then you must grapple with the idea that in your everyday life, there are spiritual powers at work: either for you or against you. These powers can influence your thoughts, attitude, external circumstances, and even other people's perception of you.

If this is something that makes you uncomfortable, or maybe just raises questions in your mind, I would challenge you to read the verses listed above and then spend some time asking yourself "what do I believe about the spiritual world?"

As we seek to engage in spiritual battle this year, it's important that we wrestle with these ideas and concepts. It's difficult to stand against the attacks of the enemy if we don't know where they come from or what they look like!  

"Know thy enemy..." is a quote we hear a lot in books and movies. It comes from the Art of War, an ancient Chinese military treatise. It may seem simple, but in any conflict, it is critical to understand who the enemy is. Before you can develop battle plans, you must first understand your enemy. Too often, I believe Christians lose sight of the fact that there is an enemy that seeks to destroy us every, single day - and no, the enemy is not our fellow man.

Check out these verses to see some of what the Bible has to say about your enemy:

• James 4:7-8
• 1 Peter 5:8
• Zechariah 3:1-4

Do you live your life as though a lion is stalking you? This seems extreme, but I do believe we should live with the understanding that we have an enemy who would love to see us fall. We know from Genesis that the enemy loves to deceive and twist God's truth, which should magnify the importance of knowing God's Word and being vigilant to ensure we are not veering off course from how God has instructed us to live. 

As I mentioned in the intro, the takeaway from this message is not that you need to become a "demon hunter". We aren't charging hell and going on the attack - our orders from Scripture are defensive, not offensive. We are to stand against the attack of the enemy.

The devil and his army, secular society and even your own sinful nature are all going to draw you away from God every chance they get. If you are not protecting yourself by putting on the armor of God and standing against the tide of the world, you will be washed away. Nowhere in these verses are we told to lean on our own strength or take up arms and fight against evil. We are told to rely on God's strength, put on His armor and stand fast.

Are you standing against the attacks of the enemy?

What does standing look like? 

• Treating others with kindness, whether they deserve it or not. 
• Having joy in troubling times. 
• Giving generously instead of hoarding. 
• Trusting God’s goodness even when life doesn’t make sense. 
• Refusing to waver when loved ones hurt us.

Above are a few examples Scott gave on Sunday. Which of these resonate with you? Likely, some of these will be easier for you than others. Pause and reflect on this for a moment and ask yourself, "what does standing look like in my life?" Where are you resisting the influence of society, the enemy or temptation.

If we are engaged in battle, we should feel some resistance...

When is the last time something happened in your life and you thought to yourself, "this is a spiritual attack from the enemy!" I feel like there's 2 extremes here - some of us may claim that everything bad that happens is because of the devil, and others may consider everything that happens to just be natural consequences or happenstance. I'm not saying that either viewpoint is always incorrect, but I do believe that we should have a solid understanding of what a spiritual attack may look like and know that we should expect these attacks to come. Again, if you're on the battlefield, expect a fight.

Here are some examples of spiritual attack that we discussed Sunday:

• Physical fatigue
• Discouragement and Depression
• Anxiety
• Spiritual Dryness
• Stressful Situations
• Doubting God’s Goodness
• Old Emotional Wounds Resurfacing
• Shame, Guilt & Condemnation
• Strife & Arguments in Relationships
• Abusing Something to Numb Pain
• Lack of Provision
• Thoughts of Revenge

Which of these have you experienced lately? Maybe you are experiencing some of these right now... Did you consider that these things in your life could be a symptom of a spiritual attack from the enemy? If not, I challenge you to stop right now and spend some time in prayer. Ask for wisdom and open eyes to see these things for what they really are, and reference Ephesians 6 for instructions on protecting yourself from further attacks. 

So, where do we start? Hopefully, you are aware of the reality of spiritual battle, you are ready to engage in this battle, and you recognize that your job is armor up and hold fast. If that's the case, here are some steps to get you moving in the right direction this week:

1. Evaluate your own awareness
   • If any of the previous points were new for you, or maybe you just haven't put much thought into them, spend some time thinking on that this week. Where do you see spiritual warfare in your life? In the church? Spend some time in prayer and take some notes - and don't be surprised when spiritual battles become more apparent over time as you become more aware! 
2. Look for Weak Spots
   • We all have strengths and weaknesses. Identify your weak spots and then be aware that the enemy knows these weak spots too. Read over the list above "recognizing spiritual attack" - maybe you've experienced something on this list a lot recently. If so, maybe that's a weak spot of yours! Pray that God would open your eyes to see your own blind spots and give you strength to resist even when it's hard. 
3. Feel Resistance
   • Look for resistance if your life. Where are you standing firm against the influence of the enemy? Two things on this - in the areas you are feeling resistance, dial in and hold fast. Don't give in to the current that's pulling you away from The Lord! Secondly, if you don't seem to find any resistance in your life, that likely means you're along for the ride.
4. Begin with Prayer
   • Soon, we will spend a lot of time focusing on the power and the importance of prayer. If prayer is not already a part of your daily life, start now. Don't overthink it - just start having conversations with God. If you already have a healthy prayer life, begin praying specifically that God would open your heart and mind to the reality of spiritual warfare, and for the strength and wisdom to engage in it more fully. 

Lastly, Scott challenged us all to pray this prayer this week. If you haven't already, I'd challenge you to pray this right now:

"God, show me today where my battle is and remind me of who it is against."

Thanks for reading, and I hope to see you this Sunday! One final word of encouragement - as we move into spiritual warfare this year and seek God's guidance as to how we can more fully engage in battle, I'd ask you to proceed with an open mind. Many of us have preconceived ideas of the spiritual world, angels, demons, the Holy Spirit and how God chooses to move in the church today.

Some of your ideas may be challenged this year. Some of us will be uncomfortable as God moves us to where we need to be, and that's okay.

I'm excited to see what God does through this study, and I'm glad you are on this path with us!