“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.” (1 Peter 5:8-9*, the bold font is ours)
“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil, for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:11-12*, the bold font is ours)
Many of us do not like to talk about the spiritual warfare in which we all participate as Christ’s children. The reasons vary—whether it's because we're afraid of the devil and demonic forces and fatalistically believe that if we mention them, we provoke them, or because we're not sure how much a spiritual enemy exists and whether it's some kind of allegory or biblical metaphor. This does not change the fact that in the Bible, both in the Old and New Testament, there is talk of a spiritual adversary who is a real person, just as God is real. If we believe in the God of the Bible, we must also accept that Satan exists and is highly active, albeit in an invisible world.
How does the awareness of this fact change the way we live and interact with people?
Prepared for Battle
First and foremost, it gives us the right perspective. We must realize that we are in a constant state of spiritual warfare. How does a person live on the front line or in a country that is in civil war? They live alertly. This is key to being prepared in moments of attack or assault. Living soberly and carefully, knowing we have an adversary lurking like a predator to harm and destroy, does not mean living in fear and constantly focusing on evil. Much like locking the front door when you leave or taking an umbrella when you know it might rain, so is our spiritual preparation. We know that we cannot protect ourselves or anyone else alone, because "unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain." (Psalm 127:1b*) However, we also know, as seen in the letters of Peter and Paul, that we must be ready for battle, clad in armor, showing the part we must do—to clothe ourselves in the protection given by God.
Advancing in the Right Direction
The first step is to be prepared and protected from unforeseen attacks, but it does not stop there. We do not just hide and defend against the enemy's attacks but also take actions of advancement.
“Therefore, be ready by girding your waist with truth, putting on the breastplate of righteousness, and shodding your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. Take also the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Ephesians 6:14-17*, the bold font is ours)
Of all the armor, there is only one part that is primarily for attack, and that is the sword of the Spirit. What we advance in spiritual battles with is the God-inspired truth from the Scriptures, which we read, accept, believe, pray with, and confess. An example of this is Jesus Christ Himself, who responds to every temptation from Satan in the wilderness with “It is written”: “Jesus said to him, ‘Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.” (Matthew 4:10-11*)
Challenge for the Week: God's Word says we do not fight against people but against spiritual hosts of wickedness. It is very important to remember this when we find ourselves in conflicts with others—strangers, acquaintances, loved ones. If we have the right perspective, we would not take things so personally because we know that all God’s children go through similar battles and sufferings. We wouldn't argue, become angry, or even hate people, no matter what they do to us, because we know someone else is behind their actions. We challenge you to remember this during the week when you feel unpleasant, offended, or aggressive behavior from someone towards you.
*The biblical quotations are according to the text of Bible, new translation from the original languages © Bulgarian Bible Society 2013.
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