WAR!!

Do you believe in spiritual warfare?

Do you even know what spiritual warfare is?

Let me ask this: do you believe in the devil and in demons?  That's probably the bigger question.  Lot's of Christians don't really believe in hell, don't like to think about Satan and his followers, cause it's uncomfortable.  I'm really not here to talk about hell, though.  That can be another day.  But you can't deny that they're at least related topics: the existence of hell and the work of demons.

See, Satan doesn't want you to believe in God.  He doesn't want you to rely on God when things are tough.  He doesn't want us to consider what God wants when we make choices.  So, he sends his demons to influence us, to feed our fears, to help us create excuses, and to generally encourage selfishness in any way possible.  That is spiritual warfare.  It is the fact that evil forces are constantly trying to distract us, to deter us, and to discourage us.

          Side note: if you've never really thought about this idea before, or
          you'd like to explore it some more, then I would suggest reading 
          the Screwtape Letters, by C.S. Lewis.  It's an excellent book on just 
          this subject.

Paul says in Ephesians 6:12,
          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.

Paul fully understood where real trouble comes from.  Not all problems that we face are issues of spiritual warfare.  But, believe me, some if not most of them are.

The good news is that God is more powerful than anything that Satan could send at us!  Praise God!  So, the answer to spiritual warfare should be easy (though not always easy to do for us flawed creatures) ...

Draw closer to God.  Ask for His help and guidance.  Spend time in His Word. 

I find that the closer I get to God, the more I know about Him and His love, the more spiritual warfare I find going on.  And you should expect it, too.  But be encouraged by the fact that we are on the winning side, and place your trust fully in your Lord, and Savior.