Are You Ready?

I’m sure when I mention the word “battlefield,” we all instantly have images in our head. Images that for many of us have been shaped by the movies we watch and the video games we play. We imagine gun fire, explosions, and the screams of the injured. Depending on which battles you imagine, you may see dense jungles, vast open countryside or heavily bombed cities. We all at least have some idea of what a battle is, what it looks like and what it feels like. However, while we allow Hollywood to continuously pull us back into war both historical and imaginative, we consistently choose to ignore the battle that is taking place all around us; a spiritual war that is the epitome of good vs. evil.

As I mention spiritual warfare, I’m sure some eyes rolled and I’m sure some others have even stopped reading. For those that are still with me, let me assure you that their really is a war taking place. It is talked about in the Bible and I have experienced it myself. My favorite passage that speaks of this unseen battle is in Daniel:

 

“Then he continued, ‘Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia.” (Daniel 10: 12 & 13)

 

This passage is the angel Gabriel speaking to Daniel. Gabriel was sent to deliver a message to Daniel, but he was held in battle by the prince of the Persian kingdom, a demon, for 21 days. Then Michael, another angel, came to help Gabriel win the battle and deliver his message. I love this story. It is a great reminder that God and His angels are always fighting for me even though I don’t always see it.

We also see instances of demonic possession in the Bible (Matthew 9:32-33; 17:18; Mark 5:1-20; 7:26-30; Luke 4:33-36; Acts 16:16-18), further proof that evil spirits are active and will attack humans.

I am not mentioning this in an effort to scare anyone, but simply to state that we have to be aware of the threat. We need to be prepared. We need to be ready. As believers we are under attack. While we can’t be possessed, we most certainly can be tormented by demons. We, through Jesus Christ, have the power to cast out demons, but we have to be aware of their presence to do this. We can’t possibly fight in this battle without first acknowledging that the battle is real.

So, how do we ready ourselves for spiritual attacks? Well, how do soldiers ready themselves for battle? They train, they plan, and wear special gear and use special weapons designed for the fight at hand. This is what we should be doing. We train by relying on God in hard times. As we learn to focus on God we are able to endure life’s struggles through faith that God is in control. We plan by speaking to God in prayer and scripture, asking him to reveal His plans for us. So, what about our gear and weapons? Ephesians chapter 6:10-17 not only warns us of a battle against evil spirits, but it also tells about the armor of God:

 

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not 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.

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

 

This spiritual armor and weaponry is necessary to accomplish victory in this battle. So, how do we put it on?

First, you have to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. After all, you can’t have righteousness or salvation without that. Beyond that, it takes scripture, prayer, and fellowship to arm yourself with the full armor of God. I feel that I must point out that the putting on of the armor can’t be a one and done type thing. It has to be put on daily just like your actual clothes. So, the better your relationship with God, the better you are protected from Satan’s attacks.

Make no mistake, as you live your life for God, Satan will most certainly attack. He will come at you in different ways and different forms, but he will come. He will try to convince you that you are broken beyond repair, unlovable, unlikeable, a failure, ugly, and a disappointment. Sometimes these lies will seem like they have to be true, because it is all you can see or hear. Ignore the screamed lies of Satan! Instead focus on that still small voice reminding you of how loved you truly are. That voice tells you that you are a child of God, forgiven, redeemed, restored, made in His image, and bought at the highest price, without the slightest thought of buyer’s remorse.

I mentioned earlier that I have experienced and seen this battle. My wife, when she first started her life with God experienced terrible nightmares. At first I was confused and unsure of what to do. As the dreams continued and she began telling me about them; telling me that an evil figure was in our room insulting her, telling her I didn’t love her, accusing her of being a bad mother and threatening her, I suddenly knew what was going on. I started to pray over her when she had the “nightmares” and as I called on God she was able to sleep peacefully. When she was reading the Bible everyday and spending time with God the nightmares wouldn’t come. However, when she would relax and begin to remove that armor the demon would come back to torment her.

I would like to be able to say that I only had to pray once and it was done, but that isn’t how it worked. The demon would return seemingly stronger than before. My wife would wake up and still see it in our room, at times pointing to it for me to see, but I couldn’t see it. As she became more assured in her faith, she began telling the demon she was covered by the blood of Jesus and that it couldn’t harm her. It would respond by threatening our children, who were too young to even understand Jesus. It also, on occasions, would tell her that it was going to come after me because I kept praying for her and assuring her of her strength in Jesus Christ. It was a long battle taking place on several nights over a few years. It never came after me, it never went after my kids, who were covered in prayer and as time progressed it came after my wife less and less until it stopped altogether. Even now, I regret that I didn’t make it a point to pray over my wife every night like I did with my kids. I protected my children with prayer but left my wife vulnerable. I failed in that regard, but I didn’t fully understand spiritual warfare. I still don’t think I completely understand it, but my eyes are certainly open.

A few months ago I had a dream. It is very unusual for me to remember my dreams, but this one I could remember very clearly. I was in my car driving to work taking the same roads I always do. Except this time as I looked around there were people standing around in random places. Even in the dream I thought it was strange since I leave for work really early in the morning. However, as I looked at these “people,” it became clear to me that these were actually demons watching me. I could tell they wanted to attack me. They wanted to hurt me, but I wasn’t scared. I was aware of their presence, but I was equally aware of God’s protection. I thought it was strange that I could see them, but I just continued to drive to work confident that I was safe.

I woke up the next morning puzzled by the dream. I had never really had religious dreams before and certainly didn’t have dreams with demons. So I called my Mom. I have called her with many questions before, a spiritual warrior, she in one of my mentors. I told her about my dream explaining that I wasn’t scared, but confused by it. Being my Mom, her first reaction was that God is about to use me for something big and He is warning you of the attacks to come. Well, I’m not sure that is the case, (I say as I write another post for my new blog) but I have no doubt God gave me that dream for a reason.

I have told you about my experience. I have told you what you can do to prepare for the battle. Now, let me tell you the things that we can do that give the enemy an advantage. Playing with an Ouija board, tarot cards or crystal balls are essentially playing with demons. You are simply inviting evil into your life. Speaking with mediums, psychics or any other attempt to speak with the dead is only asking for trouble. If you call to the dead, something may answer, but I guarantee you it is not your loved ones.

Today, horoscopes are considered by many to be harmless fun, but astrology is a pagan religion and has no place in a Christian’s life. Having any demonic or pagan symbols or figures in your house is an open invitation for evil spirits. Some examples of these symbols/figures are: pentagrams, inverted crosses, spell books, Buddha, voodoo dolls, and astrological signs. In war, you wouldn’t allow the enemy to wander freely through your base, would you? Of course not! That is dangerous and puts everyone else at the base in danger as well. Don’t allow Satan’s forces to wander freely through your home.

Sometimes you may be presented with a situation where an item just makes you feel uncomfortable. Sometimes the Holy Spirit will warn us of evil when we don’t understand what is wrong with it. Get rid of it! If it makes you feel uncomfortable, why would you want it in your home anyway? You may find that some things you once considered harmless trinkets are in fact pagan or demonic symbols. No matter what the sentimental value, you have to get rid of these things. Satan has such a stronghold on this world that society has come to accept many of his tools as great decorations. Don’t be fooled. They are harmful to you, your family and the safety of your home. Destroy them and get rid of them.

You are on a battlefield regardless of what you choose to believe. Take the steps to ready yourself for war. Pray over your spouse and children. Pray over your house. Clothe yourself in the armor of God and arm yourself with the sword of the spirit. Stand firm in your faith, confident in the power of God, assured of the authority of Jesus and always prepared to fight. If you are attacked, know that you can cast them out in Jesus’ name. We are soldiers, warriors covered in blood, but it is not our blood or the blood of our enemies that covers us; it is the blood of our Savior, the Perfect Lamb, the Son of God, Jesus Christ!