There is a danger that the ministry of the church becomes so practical and formulaic that we forget we are engaged in a cosmic spiritual battle. There is a danger that we live in near denial regarding this full on battle that is raging around us.

I know there have been times in certain wings of the church where personal responsibility was exchanged in favour of a ‘the devil made me do it’ approach and I’m glad that we have grown in our understanding of the complications of the human soul. After all, we have plenty of battles within our own hearts and minds without needing any external enemies right? But we do have external enemies and they are not in a state of ceasefire – far from it.

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Ephesians 6:12

Ever since the declaration of God to the serpent following the disobedience of Adam & Eve, satan has made it his purpose to stop the fulfilment of Gods words.

And I will put enmity, between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel
Genesis 3:15

The declaration by God that one of Eve’s offspring would crush satan’s head was a word which satan needed to stop being fulfilled – and as a baby was born in Bethlehem, surrounded by much unusual angelic activity, satan’s warning bells must have been sounding very loud. First he seeks to play on the insecurities of the ruling king Herod, who in response seeks to wipe out all the young boys, and later he tries to tempt Jesus in the wilderness. Both attempts fail but then he finds willing accomplices in both the religious establishment and in the greed of one of Jesus own followers. The resulting death of Jesus on a cross must have been the subject of a significant celebration among satan and his fallen angels (demons) – that was until the lifeless body began to inhale and exhale with the power of resurrection life. Satans attempt to thwart Gods plan became the very vehicle which delivered it as Jesus ‘made a public spectacle of the devil, triumphing over him by the cross’.

The death and resurrection was an irreversible victory for Jesus, but the devil now roams around like a roaring lion seeking those who he may devour. He’s very active and at work and because he can’t get to the victorious Jesus, he is going for His nearest and dearest – the church.

Of course in the long term it won’t work. Jesus has already declared:

‘I will build my church and the gates of hell will not stand against it’

Matthew 16:18

But the church needs to lift its eyes above the earthly, common sense, tried and tested methodology of ‘doing church’ and realise its heavenly authority. Make no mistake – we have been given a powerful place of authority. For example, a person sitting and operating the checkouts in a supermarket will not have the same authority as the CEO sitting around the board table of that same supermarket. As Followers of Jesus, we have been ‘seated in heavenly places with Christ Jesus’ – we have authority to carry out His will and resist the sabotaging strategy of the enemy.

Such battles are usually won in prayer – but sadly, church prayer meetings are often the lowest attended of all. We’ll turn up for food, turn up to sing, turn up to rehearse but announce a prayer meeting and the majority find something better to do.

We’re in a spiritual battle! We have been given spiritual authority! We have been empowered with all encompassing spiritual armour! We have been assured that we are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus! Many Jesus lovers just ‘wrestle not’ – they have lost their courage and settled for a life of ease and comfort, but all the time a war wages around us and we’re called to wrestle with it in the heavenly realm.

For the believer, there is no truce or place of neutrality – we’re on the front line and we’re either going to overcome or be overcome. Here are some principles on overcoming:

1. Have a guarded heart

   ‘Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.’ Proverbs 4:23

   The heart is like the parliament of our lives – it is where decisions are made and decrees are established. If you give the enemy influence in your heart then you will struggle to oppose him in other areas. Thankfully grace is available whenever we fail but it takes repentance – that doesn’t just mean sorry – it means ‘turning around’. Invite the Holy Spirit to search your heart and lead you towards repentance and freedom. Renounce any past foothold you have given the enemy ‘Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you’ James 4:7. and declare the freedom of God ‘So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed’ John 8:36
   

2. Be a humble servant

   ‘if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.’ 2 Chronicles 7:14

   We all face a battle with pride – we all desire to get satisfaction from our own achievements – but as CS Lewis famously said ‘humility isn’t thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less’. Humility calls for us to sit before the throne of the King of Glory and orientate our lives to serve His desires not our own.

3. Wear your spiritual armour

   ‘Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes’ Ephesians 6:10-11

   God has provided spiritual armour which will protect us against every scheme off the enemy but we must put it on and we do so by embracing the definition of each component part. For example:

   • Belt of TRUTH – let truth be a hallmark of your life

   • Breastplate of RIGHTEOUSNESS – Jesus is your righteousness and allow Him to live His life through you

   • Shoes of the GOSPEL – share the good news of the gospel wherever you go

   Add to these the helmet of salvation, the shield of faith and the word of God which is a weapon that puts the enemy in his place and cuts through darkness so powerfully. Let the word of God dwell in you richly – as Joshua exhorted his people ‘do not let it depart from our mouths but meditate on it day and night’. (Joshua 1:8) and as the writer in Hebrews 4:12 states ‘For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword’.

   Let’s wear our armour and use our sword!

4. Take your seat of authority

   ‘And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus’ Ephesians 2:6

   When we see things from heavens perspective they often look different. As we take our ‘heavenly seat’ with Christ we become more aware of His sovereign power, His eternal resources and His divine authority – this awareness imparts faith into our prayers. We are reminded that ‘The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth’ Psalm 97:5

Let’s remember the nature of the battle we are engaged in and see the victory of the Lord manifest daily through our lives. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces in the unseen realms.