DON’T CALL EVERYTHING SPIRITUAL WARFARE
Ephesians 6: 12-13 “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. For this reason, take up the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand your ground on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand.”
We will all face hardship in this life. Even as believers, we will face hardships—sometimes even because of our faith! Jesus promised this, and the Church has always experienced this reality. Not every hardship in life is spiritual warfare. As they say, “don’t look for a demon under every rock.” Hardship is often just a normal reality of life. Sometimes we bring hardship on ourselves through our own sin or failure. Sometimes God may be disciplining or testing us. These being said, we should also recognize that sometimes there’s a spiritual reality behind what we are facing.
How do you recognize spiritual warfare? Here is what it often looks like:
- Spiritual warfare most often happens right before or after God uses us for powerful ministry impact, or right before or after God moves in our own spiritual lives in a significant way.
- Spiritual warfare often comes in an attempt to steal our happiness in God and His work in our lives.
Don’t call everything spiritual warfare, but recognize that sometimes there might be a spiritual battle behind what you are going through.
Blessings