Spiritual Warfare: The Sequel

If you haven’t read the original article, “Spiritual Warfare,” or the related article, “What Were You Thinking,” I recommend reading those before this one. Soon after writing “Spiritual Warfare,” I was led by God to consider Paul’s situation that he reported in 2 Corinthians 12. Paul says, “So that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan, in order that it would torment me.” He says he asked God to remove the “thorn” three times, but eventually God said, “My grace is sufficient for you, because the power is perfected in weakness.” Then Paul makes this curious statement: “Therefore rather I will boast most gladly in my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may reside in me. Therefore I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in calamities, in persecutions and difficulties for the sake of Christ, for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.”

I realize now that my situation closely resembles Paul’s. Paul’s thorn was permitted by God “so that [he] would not exalt [himself.]” As I prayed about the similarities between Paul’s situation and my own, I began to think I was raising the “shield of faith” Paul recommended to the Ephesians by my own strength. In fact, the shield is called the shield of faith because it exists as evidence of our faith in God not by some conjuring of our own. I think I was trying to mentally raise a shield instead of resting in my faith that God would shield me. That subtle difference in attitude reminds me of the error committed by many so-called charismatic believers who seem to be proud of their power over demonic forces. They sound like the 72 who came back from their super-powered mission whom Jesus mildly rebuked saying that they should revel in their salvation rather than their power over evil.

I wrote previously, “I struggle; I raise my shield against Satan’s fiery darts. I’m waiting impatiently for the maturity that will allow me to consider my situation ‘all joy.’” That “I raise my shield” highlights the first half of what I have been learning from my situation. The other part is equally important. It is in my comment that I was impatiently waiting for the joy that my suffering was supposed to bring. I also quoted Paul’s line to the Philippians that God “graciously” allows us to suffer on behalf of Christ. That means that if I resist or complain overmuch about the suffering God has allowed in my battle against evil, I am resisting the grace of God. Oh!

Just the other day, someone suggested that I consider Paul’s instructions in Romans eight. “For if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live….  The Spirit himself confirms to our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer together with him so that we may also be glorified together with him.” We suffer with Him, Paul asserts, so that we may also be glorified with Him. Strange as it may sound, this seems to be teaching that our suffering on Christ’s behalf brings glory to God.

There is a related idea hidden in Paul’s comment that we will live [spiritually] if by the Spirit we put to death the deeds of the body. Paul uses “body” here as a synonym for “flesh” which he used in the first part of the sentence. The flesh he is speaking of is the part of the inner man he lamented in the previous chapter; it is the part of every believer that must be continually put to death because in Galatians it is in opposition to the Spirit; it is the “old man” of Colossians that must be put off so the new man may be renewed, recreated in the image of the One who created him.

As if all that wasn’t enough to spur me on, there is also this from Romans eight: “For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba! Father!” In my previous post, I shared my poem about what I came to call “The Dreads.” I was waking up almost every night with an irrational fear of getting up and getting on with life. It was often centered on school, but many times it was as mundane as whether I forgot to turn out the lights in the garden; did I remember to pay a bill; would our trusty old car start or fail us. Irrational. I see now that this was also based on my perception of my ability to perform as I was expected to. The truth is that if God is my Abba, I can rely on Him to see me through whatever may befall me. No fear.

It seems fair to ask at this point where Satanic attacks come from. I believe the Scripture reveals many different sources, although our Sovereign God is ultimately responsible whether through direct action on His part or through the actions of others allowed by His grace (as Paul said.) We know His direct action is supported by Scripture. Numerous words of the Old Testament prophets declare that God brought “evil,” known also as calamity and disaster on His people. Read Micah 2:5 as one example: “Behold, I am devising against this family, an evil demise from which you cannot remove your necks.”  His judgment of wayward Israel is both direct and indirect. There is no reason to think this cannot still happen to His renewed Israel, the church.

As examples of mediated attacks, think of Job’s situation or that of Paul and his thorn. Paul also mentions several instances of attacks coming from within the church. Even Jesus suffered this kind of trouble from his disciples; remember He said, “Get behind me, Satan,” speaking to Peter. Without doubt, God uses secular governments to deliver His judgments. The prophets consistently report God’s intention to use other nations to punish Israel. Consider the evil perpetrated by the Supreme Court approving abortion or the redefinition of marriage. The Jewish Sanhedrin did one of the most dastardly evils in all history when they condemned their Savior to death.

Your family, your friends, your employer, whether they are believers or not, may be used to buffet you for God’s gracious purposes. So, I am committed to return to the battlefield; my King has requested my service for His glory. As for the joy, I am reminded of the explanation given for my Savior’s willingness to enter the greatest battle of all human history on the hill of Calvary. The Hebrew writer says that we should “Fix our eyes on Jesus, the originator and perfecter of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” My joy is that I have the privilege of serving Him, and I will one day join Him in the throne room. That’s good enough for me.

Related Posts: What Were You Thinking; Spiritual Warfare; Driven to the Cross; Forget Not His Benefits

Spiritual Warfare

 

This post is mostly autobiographical, but I hope something in it helps someone face the realities of the battle every believer is in. I have often written (See below) that everything from Genesis to Revelation and beyond centers on a cosmic conflict between the forces of good and evil. I am not referring to the pagan mysticism of yin and yang; those are lies intended to obscure the truth made popular by the Star Wars franchise and other media hypes. What I am referring to is the plain truth of Scripture which describes the battle as an historical record with commentaries by prophets and preachers – one of the most significant being Jesus Himself.

The Apostle Paul couldn’t have been more clear than his warning to the Ephesians. “Our struggle is not against blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. When the seventy-two disciples were sent out to preach the gospel, they returned astounded at their ability to do battle against evil forces. Jesus’ response was to proclaim, “I saw Satan falling like lightning from heaven.” He may well have been referring to an actual historical event in His recall. He was no doubt present when Satan tried to wrest power from God Himself, only to be cast down to the earth. He cautions His followers with this: “Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are inscribed in heaven.” Indeed!

I interpret that to mean that power over evil spirits is helpful for those afflicted, but it is paramount to remember that the power is only there because you are a member of Christ’s family – God’s anointed, chosen few – “the elect” as Paul calls us. When people begin to revel in their power over the enemy, they often go astray. I know people who became deeply involved in the so-called charismatic movement years ago. They shared teachings and experiences with me that expounded the wonders of deliverance ministries and demon exorcism. I was fascinated but cautious. My upbringing did not include such wonders. I studied. I concluded that they were not wrong, but that they had focused on the minors instead of the majors. As Jesus said, remember where the power comes from rather than on what it can accomplish.

When I graduated from university with a degree in teaching, I often learned that more than one hundred applicants sought the position I was applying for. Through one of my father’s contacts, I was offered a teaching position in a Bible college. The president of the college offered me a part-time position with the suggestion that I take courses while teaching. I did. That was definitely a Godly coincidence. I fell into Bible study like a starving man into a five-course dinner. I discovered that teaching positions were available in Christian schools, and I found one when I finished my course of study.

This is where it gets interesting. My first position was in a school that was so severely fundamental that I could not abide them nor they me. Next, I moved to a school with a more broad sense of what the church of Christ should look like, and I fit in rather well. Although I think I flourished there, the administrator/pastor who hired me was released due to internecine conflicts. Because I was his protégé, I was not welcome to stay. In my next three situations, I had similar issues. I was either too conservative or too liberal for their tastes. Eventually, I became frustrated with the petty issues that consumed our time, and I left teaching for a sabbatical. My seminary advisor at the time tried to comfort me by saying that he knew the conditions of the schools where I had struggled, and he assured me that the problem was theirs, not mine.

My expected two-year sabbatical ended up being twelve years long. After that, I came back to teaching in a secular, for-profit college for a few years, and then I retired. After ten years, I took a job substituting in a Christian school in the city where we were spending our winters as RV travelers. My reasons were strictly mercenary: I wanted some extra money. When they saw my resume, they immediately asked if I would consider teaching full-time. Initially, I said no. The full story of what happened is in “What Were You Thinking.” Suffice it to say, after four requests, my wife and I concluded that I was supposed to take the position. We assumed that the reason we were in place was to do something for God at that school.

I have been miserable since day one. At first, I had trouble learning four new computer programs that were necessary to do my job. Three weeks in, I was getting comfortable with the computer, but I was still miserable. Then I began to suffer from physical maladies. I missed more days off work in four weeks that I had missed in twenty years of classroom teaching. My response was to ask God what was going on. As the result of much prayer by myself, my wife, our friends, the school staff, and the parents it has become clear that this is a satanic attack. As I continued in prayer, I realized that my problems reach all the way back to when I began my ministry at Christian schools.

In the 90-91 school year, I began to suffer from a neuro/muscular affliction that was never diagnosed. After seeing an ENT and a neurologist, I was sent to a university study hospital for tests. They concluded that I had been attacked by some sort of nerve virus (never identified) that disabled the muscles controlled by my right cranial nerve. Those included my right vocal cord. I didn’t lose my voice entirely, but speaking became difficult with only partial use of one cord. A full day of classes resulted in very sore muscles in my throat. That, along with my frustrations with Christian school administration, caused me to take the sabbatical.

Because my voice is still not 100%, I initially declined the latest offer of full-time teaching. I relented because I believe God can empower me to do whatever He wants me to do. That’s when the latest attacks began. I have had sinus problems, digestive problems, emotional problems, recurring speaking difficulties, and serious doubts about the wisdom of taking another teaching position. Some of you may have seen my poem, written in the midst of this entitled, “He Comes to Me in the Night.” (See below) I am not a happy camper!

Paul gave the Philippians some strange advice: “[Don’t let] yourselves be intimidated in anything by your opponents, which is a sign of destruction to them, but of your salvation, and this from God, because to you has been graciously granted on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer on behalf of him.” This is the not first time I have marveled at how being “allowed” to suffer is a good thing for believers. I would prefer that God’s grace would deliver me from suffering. But I am reminded that Paul asked God to remove the thorn in his flesh – a condition that he attributes directly to Satan. God’s answer was that He allowed the buffeting of His servant as a means to keep him humble. Anyone who knows me will see the likely parallel there.

Commenting on Paul’s recommendation to take up the shield of faith, John MacArthur says: “As a believer, the shield that protects you is your faith in God. If you never question His character, power, or Word, you’ll never fall victim to Satan’s attacks. That doesn’t mean he won’t besiege you; but when he does, his assaults will be ineffective.” Hmm? That sounds like a contradiction. “You’ll never fall victim… but [Satan will] besiege you.” That same paradox caused James to say, “Consider it all joy, my brothers, whenever you encounter various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing.”

I’ve probably said a hundred times that God is more concerned with our character than our comfort. I have also heard it said that our faith seldom grows when we are at ease; it takes pressure to make a diamond. So, I struggle; I raise my shield against Satan’s fiery darts. I’m waiting impatiently for the maturity that will allow me to consider my situation “all joy.” The enemy wants Christian education to fail. Our pastor at the school told the students that they were fortunate to be starting their lives as believers at a young age; they have a lifetime to serve Christ. Satan sees that too; he sees an army of well-equipped soldiers coming against him. I pray they will all raise their shields and wield their swords in a wave of victory for the Kingdom. In the meantime, I battle against the spiritual wickedness in the heavenlies.

Related Posts: War is Hell; Understanding Salvation; It’s Not All About You

He comes to me in the night,

That ancient enemy of my soul.

He whispers in my sleepy ear

That I’m not up to the fight.

 

I tell my heart not to fear

When I wake in the valley of shadow

I remind myself of God’s promise

Always to be near.

 

In the dark of night, it is good to know

That God has promised to bless me.

 And when I rise with morning light

He’s with me wherever I go

The Evolution of God

Teaching creation to my fourth graders has reminded me how thin the thread is that connects us to the truth of creation by God. Adam is the closest we have to an eyewitness, even if it was immediately after the fact. We know he told his children because there is a line of his descendants who remembered their Creator. Abel did, though he didn’t live long enough to pass it on. I suspect Enoch did or he would not have been taken directly into God’s presence without having to experience death. We don’t know exactly where to put Job on the Bible timeline – either pre- or post-flood, but there is no doubt he heard who was responsible for the Creation.

Then we come to Noah. It is interesting to me that if you believe the Bible genealogy (I do), Noah’s father and grandfather would have been contemporary with Adam’s final years on earth. (See chart below.) That might explain why Noah was so very willing to put everything in the ark that God told him to build. He knew what God could do. Not many generations after the ark landed and people began to spread across the land, they decided to make their own way to god rather than listen to their Maker. At the Tower of Babel, God separated the people into different nations and chose one for Himself. Abram must have been one of the few who still believed in the Creator, or he wouldn’t have been willing to give up everything he knew and go to a land that God would show him. There God promised he would become the father of a great nation – God’s chosen nation, Israel.

Abraham’s sons, Isaac and Jacob, both had their encounters with God, encounters that apparently bolstered their belief in the God of their fathers. When God rescued Jacob’s descendants from 400 years of slavery, Moses had enough faith to believe the voice in the burning bush was indeed the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Although Israel struggled with unbelief for years, the word of the prophets confirmed again and again that it was the God who created the earth Who demanded their obedience. The Psalmists offer numerous reminders that their God was the God who named the stars. Israel’s second most important purpose (after that of bringing the Messiah to the world) was to incubate the truth that God created the heavens and the earth.

Biblical and extra-biblical history prove that humans everywhere came up with a creation story. On every continent and all the islands in between, people make up tales to explain their existence. Some of them are eerily similar to the biblical record, lending credence to the idea that it is one of the oldest. I believe that when God separated the nations at Babel, He put them in the hands of fallen angels who were in league with Satan. The Old Testament is rife with accounts of cosmic battles depicted as conflicts among “the nations.”

When Ezekiel prophesied about Egypt’s destruction, there is clear reference to Pharoah’s gods. The prophet is told to warn Pharoah that his fate will be like that of Assyria, Elam, Meshech, Tubal, Edom, and the Sidonians. The language in that chapter is clearly speaking of cosmic powers and not just human rulers. The angel who came to Daniel reported having been delayed by “the Prince of Persia,” a definite reference to a spiritual battle rather than a physical one. All ancient cultures believed in a supernatural power that held sway over their lives. We enlightened moderns have lost that awareness regrettably.

Why is the enemy so intent on directing people away from the truth about creation and God’s involvement with it? The answer should be obvious. Without a creator God, man is left to go his own way, to make his own rules. Without a sense of obligation to the one true God, people are susceptible to the lure of the demi-gods I believe are among those whom God cast out of heaven with their leader, Satan. What else could explain the mindless adherence to the fully discredited “theory” of evolution. Darwin himself admitted that if a single living cell was more complex than he imagined (he had no high-powered microscopes), his whole theory of origins would be proven false. And it has – in more ways than I can count. (See “Think About It”)

Not only has microbiology disproved the “theory” of evolution, but astrophysics has too. We now know enough to be certain that none of the theories of the origin of the universe can be scientifically supported. The popular “Big Bang” theory has a Big Flaw that few are willing to face. Even if you dare to imagine a massive particle that exploded, becoming all that we know as the universe, no one can explain where the massive particle came from. The Big Bang is not a theory of origins; it is a sidestep to avoid the truth: the universe came into existence at the word of the Creator God of the Bible. Honest scientists everywhere are leaning toward this truth with their suppositions of intelligent design. They haven’t found the God who created everything, but they have admitted finding His fingerprints.

I titled this “The Evolution of God” because human concepts of God have evolved. Ask most atheists or agnostics what they think of God, and they will come up with their own definition of who God is. The problem with that is their definition is faulty. Their “god” is not to be believed. The God of the Bible is the only one who can be believed – can be trusted. The enemy has to discredit creation because it is the basis for the Bible record of the fall and redemption. The last thing Satan wants is for anyone to discover redemption at the Cross where he was defeated.

Here’s what God said through Ezekiel about man’s evolutionary thinking: “As I live, says the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why will you die, O house of Israel?” That’s how I know Satan is behind the evolution of God; he knows it tempers his defeat. He wants to take as many with him as he can. Don’t let him fool you.

Related Posts: The Patience of God; I Don’t Believe in God; Think About It; It’s Not All About You

Spare the Rod; Spoil the Child

We live in a generation that proves the truth of the ancient proverb. The evidence of spoiled children (and adults) is all around us. I am a first-generation product of the Greatest Generation, as the Depression/WWII generation was named. We Boomers, so-called because there was a boom in reproductive activity, were the first generation to experience the boom in material prosperity and increased financial opportunity generated by the massive build-up for WWII. After the war, soldiers, sailors, and airmen came home to a country bursting with possibility.

My parents had experienced severe hardship. They weathered the dual storms of the Great Depression and a world at war. They could pinch a penny so hard that Lincoln screamed. I was brought from the hospital to a house my dad built with his own hands. I rode in a second car, a necessity because Dad travelled for his business. There was always food on the table, although there was seldom steak and never caviar. My “soft drink” was mixed from a jar of syrup Mom bought from the Jewel Tea delivery man. Mom made most of the clothes my sisters and I wore, or she bought them from the Sears Roebuck sale catalogues. We had all the basics, but we were never coddled, never spoiled.

My wife and I raised our three children much the same way, although we were able to provide a few things that went beyond bare necessities. I am happy to say that as they grew and raised children of their own, they did not spoil them either. Not so with their peers. The Millennials and all the X, Y, Z gang are characterized by a sense of entitlement. I do not think it is coincidental that this is the first generation who were told that spanking was abuse. This is also the generation who attended public schools where prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance were eliminated and the Bible was banned. Time-tested, biblical methods of discipline went out the window, and lackadaisical attitude toward child rearing flew in.

I have written previously about the dumbing down of students in the public schools in America. I have witnessed such ridiculous notions as “invented spelling,” multiple test retakes, and blue ribbons for simple participation. I have seen the results of such nonsense in college freshmen. They wanted “A’s” for showing up – or even for showing up occasionally. The mistaken idea that a child will be damaged emotionally if success is not manufactured for them has created a generation who feels entitled to success without effort on their part.

This is not just an academic problem. The same distorted reality has begun to appear in the workplace. The demand for a minimum wage sufficient for subsistence exposes the belief that people are entitled to make what they need to live on no matter how menial the job. Minimum wage jobs are supposed to be platforms to learn what work is about and to build character. Then, perhaps promotion from a minimum wage job will lead to a wage sufficient for subsistence. Sadly, the Millennials expect more than what a minimum wage was intended to deliver.

That’s not all I see in the “Entitled Generation.” My part-time work after I retired revealed a class of young people who thought they deserved a paycheck whether they did their job efficiently or not – whether they showed up regularly, on time, or not. Whether the customers were the ones who were entitled to service or not. The entitlement mentality has seeped into our society so deeply that even emotional satisfaction is expected. Millennials expect to feel good at all times. If something is hard, they believe they are being abused. They are spoiled. Period.

The pitiful condition of American morality and the selfishness that characterizes so many people is a direct result of being spoiled. Everybody wants something they don’t deserve. Blacks want reparations. Illegal aliens want financial support. Criminals want immunity from prosecution. Mothers want to be rid of their unborn children. Christians want to sit in churches where they can feel good about themselves. Everybody feels entitled to something. Entitlement leads to disobedience: “You can’t tell me what I can or can’t do!”

It is hard to find biblical support for the entitlement attitude that is endemic in America today. However, it is easy to find biblical methods that would result in a proper attitude. “Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.” (Pr. 22:15 KJV) “Do not withhold discipline from the child; although you strike him with the rod, he will not die.” (Pr. 23:13) “All discipline seems… painful, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness for those who are trained by it.” (He. 12:11) “But whoever misleads one of these little ones who believe in Me, it would be better for him to have a millstone hung about his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.” (Mt.  18:6 MEV)

You may not see how the last quotation applies. My frustration with spoiled students and lazy co-workers and selfish citizens makes me wish some parents could be drowned. I think I have God’s mind on this. Referring to Israel’s disobedience, God spoke through Ezekiel: “With the fire of my wrath I destroyed them; I returned their [disobedient] way upon their head.” Through the prophet Samuel, God told King Saul: “Rebellion is like the sin of divination; arrogance is like iniquity and idolatry.” Throughout the prophecies of coming doom on wayward Israel, Yahweh says that by bringing disaster on His people, He will prove that He is God alone, and He hates disobedience.

Spoiled behavior demonstrates selfishness and pride. That is precisely what got Adam and Eve kicked out of the Garden and sentenced all of us to a life bound to sinful desires. That is what Satan brought upon the human race. Paul recognizes this when he warns: “Our struggle is not against blood and flesh, but… against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” A proper application of the rod will decrease the necessity to wield the sword later on.

Related Posts: The Dumbing of America; Paging Phinehas Eliazar