Here's the speech I wish I could give when I show off my swords during CROSS-training:
Spiritual warfare is real.
I know, you think you believe that. I might even believe that you believe that.
But I don't think you understand the reality of it. You hear the words spiritual warfare and you assume it looks like actual warfare. I apologize for some of that. I did bring swords, after all.
But I also brought my knives. Small ones, big ones, dull ones, sharp ones. Sometimes people don't know they're at war until the knife has slipped between ribs and been pulled out again. (Insert tangent on that one episode of Sherlock here.)
You think spiritual warfare is going to be obvious. Demonic possession and storming the gates of hell through prayer and split pea soup projectile vomit. It's something that is always going to be bad and depressing. It's going to be recognizable because the devil will be opposing your ministry, and obviously you'll notice something like that.
And sometimes, yeah. It'll be obvious.
Except for all the times it isn't.
Here's what spiritual warfare looks like.
*It's losing a filling on a holiday weekend when you already have 20 other things to think about but it's a constant presence in your mouth and you don't really have a dentist nor the money to fix this.
*It's being awakened by the sound of something shattering at 6 AM when you have the day off and it's your first chance to sleep in in months.
*It's your support system slowly being stripped away so that when you realize what's happening, you feel like there's no one left to call.
*It's every traffic jam and fender bender and closed street and aggressive driver and late train and confusing sign and flat tire and broken mirror.
It's finding out your friend has cancer and there's nothing you can do.
*It's driving to the wrong restaurant to pick up dinner when your week has been brutal and you just needed something hot and good.
It's a job offer for more money and security than you've ever had in your life but it means walking away from everything you've been working toward.
It's your ministry going really well and sure, it's headed in a more compassionate direction and you haven't shared the Gospel in months, but people are showing up and you don't want to make them uncomfortable by suddenly making it about God, right?
Spiritual warfare is real.
I know, you think you believe that. I might even believe that you believe that.
But I don't think you understand the reality of it. You hear the words spiritual warfare and you assume it looks like actual warfare. I apologize for some of that. I did bring swords, after all.
But I also brought my knives. Small ones, big ones, dull ones, sharp ones. Sometimes people don't know they're at war until the knife has slipped between ribs and been pulled out again. (Insert tangent on that one episode of Sherlock here.)
You think spiritual warfare is going to be obvious. Demonic possession and storming the gates of hell through prayer and split pea soup projectile vomit. It's something that is always going to be bad and depressing. It's going to be recognizable because the devil will be opposing your ministry, and obviously you'll notice something like that.
And sometimes, yeah. It'll be obvious.
Except for all the times it isn't.
Here's what spiritual warfare looks like.
*It's losing a filling on a holiday weekend when you already have 20 other things to think about but it's a constant presence in your mouth and you don't really have a dentist nor the money to fix this.
*It's being awakened by the sound of something shattering at 6 AM when you have the day off and it's your first chance to sleep in in months.
*It's your support system slowly being stripped away so that when you realize what's happening, you feel like there's no one left to call.
*It's every traffic jam and fender bender and closed street and aggressive driver and late train and confusing sign and flat tire and broken mirror.
It's finding out your friend has cancer and there's nothing you can do.
*It's driving to the wrong restaurant to pick up dinner when your week has been brutal and you just needed something hot and good.
It's a job offer for more money and security than you've ever had in your life but it means walking away from everything you've been working toward.
It's your ministry going really well and sure, it's headed in a more compassionate direction and you haven't shared the Gospel in months, but people are showing up and you don't want to make them uncomfortable by suddenly making it about God, right?
It's your kid being targeted by the school bully.
It's your kid being the school bully.
*It's not knowing if you're losing weight because your diet is working or that health problem has returned.
*It's not knowing if you're losing weight because your diet is working or that health problem has returned.
It's smiling at those vaguely flirty texts that were not sent by your significant other.
*It's finding a new book series or TV show that is just really engaging and so you binge it until all those things you were going to do just somehow didn't get done.
*It's finding a new book series or TV show that is just really engaging and so you binge it until all those things you were going to do just somehow didn't get done.
*It's the paralyzing anxiety you feel when you pick up the phone to ask someone to support your ministry.
It's deciding to move in together because you're going to get married eventually and it just makes sense.
*It's your work computer shutting down at random multiple times in the month preceding your trip to Washington to learn about support raising and deleting the progress you've made on preparing for said trip.
*It's your home computer dying at roughly the same time.
*It's your work computer shutting down at random multiple times in the month preceding your trip to Washington to learn about support raising and deleting the progress you've made on preparing for said trip.
*It's your home computer dying at roughly the same time.
It's life.
Spiritual warfare isn't something that is declared by Congress.
It started the moment you accepted Jesus as your Savior. Satan doesn't need to make life uncomfortable for those who are already in his back pocket. But he'll come after Christians with everything he's got. And it won't always be obvious.
It's a war of attrition.
It is death by a thousand paper cuts.
If you aren't living every day in a war mentality, you are losing ground.
CONSTANT VIGILANCE!!!
That's what I want to tell them.
But I'll tell you that everything starred above is how the devil is screwing with my life right now.
CONSTANT VIGILANCE!!!
That's what I want to tell them.
But I'll tell you that everything starred above is how the devil is screwing with my life right now.
