Interactions with God #39
Spiritual Warfare is a really goofy term Christians have been throwing about for years. It is used by many to paint this picture that God is in a cosmic battle with Satan over the dominion of the earth and/or the universe. Though it sounds exciting, from a biblical perspective, it is completely absurd.
What? What about the devil? What about demons? Well, I have already written of battles and encounters I have had with such beings. So, am I contradicting myself? No.
The problem lies with an incorrect view of God. In studying ALL of scripture, anyone and everyone will come away with a basic and accurate picture of God. God is the top of the food chain. There is no God or anything above Him…nothing at all, not even time. There is also nothing beside Him either. He has no equal and no better. He is in control of all things and the only reason the devil gets to wreak havoc is because the Father lets him. Yes, this seems callous and strange and many Christians can’t swallow this thought at all. No, it does not mean God approves of evil, but it does mean that He has a purpose for it. To accept this requires the one thing that is the core of everything regarding God and us…Faith.
Faith, however, is not some arbitrary cosmic force. Yes, unfortunately, this is taught by quite a large number of major Christian teachers. Faith is simply trust. Trust in something. Faith in God, is just that. Faith IN God. Look, it is really not that hard to understand. God created everything, including the devil. God has a plan and we are part of it. God is WAY beyond us and does not feel the need to tell us everything. Because of this, God expects us to trust Him. Our Trust is all that He requires in fact. Of course, if we REALLY trust Him, then our actions in life WILL show it. I.e.: If I believe that smoking will give me lung cancer, I WILL stop, even though the effort to do so is hard and uncomfortable. That is how faith works. Yet, the opposite of faith is not just doubt, no, it is trusting in something else. Like idols, other people and/or ourselves.
While in Houston, I had put my trust in men. Particularly Ray, who fancied himself an end-time prophet. He painted this same errant picture of God as well. This wrong view gives us WAY too much power, when we really don’t have any. God is gracious to us while we are young in Him, and of course knows that we will believe some pretty stupid stuff, but He does want us to eventually “grow up”. If we keep in His word and prayer, this will come naturally. Well, it did for me anyway. Yes, our “interactions with God” do help quite a bit too.
Only a few weeks after the prior “Interaction”, I found myself on my knees, in prayer. It was just a typical prayer, but somewhere in the middle of it, I thought of demons or the devil. I don’t remember the exact thought, but I do remember my response. It was fear. Because, just after I had the thought, I felt a dark presence in the room. “Oh, no!” I thought to myself. “I let a demon in the room!” Yes, I really did think that. I believed, that because I thought of a demon, somehow I called it or conjured it. This would be really scary, if it were even remotely true. Thankfully, it wasn’t.
God spoke to my heart. “Do you really think you are that powerful?”
It is hard to argue with the wisdom of the Spirit of God when it comes. It just makes perfect sense. I didn’t call a demon. There wasn’t anything in the room but God and myself. I had created my own feelings and, foolishly believed them. I trusted in me. But once corrected, my faith again shifted back to Him.
I have said this many times and will say it till I die. We have no power, but for what God wants to do through us. It is not us. It is Him. Prayer is not powerful. No, it is nothing more than talking to God. God is who and what is powerful. When I pray, I ask God to do something. He either does or does not do it. That is the real power of prayer. If I cast out a demon, it is not because I have any innate power in myself. No, it is because God’s power is with me. His Power. Authority means nothing unless it is backed by a greater power. The police are not the police unless the State or City gives them the authority to act. If they get fired, their uniform is irrelevant, so is their weapon. Nothing they do will hold value in the courts. They are powerless, and so are we when we act outside of God’s will. Don’t agree? Consider the 7 sons of Sceva… They had no authority to act. They had no power but their own. They got their butts kicked. Even while using the name of Jesus.
Is there a battle between God and Satan? Yes, but at any point, God could end it with a mere thought. God’s word says, that the day of Satan’s judgment is yet to come, but it is not this day…unfortunately. For now, God is not counting on us to hold the ground. He doesn’t need us to.
He does want us to trust Him, and this is where the true battle is. Our enemy does not want us to do that. So, yes, demons and temptations come just to get us off track. To get us to trust in anything but God. Horoscopes, physical prowess, money, intelligence, earthly knowledge or even Theologians, that is true spiritual warfare. His kingdom expands when we trust Him. Then, like little fires of faith, the Light of the World burns brighter and the darkness moves back. We are never on our own. Our king rides before us. This fight was over when He got off His throne.
I am not powerful, no not at all. But listen up you demons and all the forces of evil, check out who is standing with me… Yes, you can wet yourselves now.