Spiritual warfare often takes place in the realm of ideas, concepts, and thoughts. So how do pastors and Christians in general meet this battle with confidence? Here are three ways in which to engage these expressions of spiritual warfare.
The new century has brought many changes. For Christian leaders the most significant are not new technologies or worship styles. They are the shifts in how people think. Moral absolutes no longer exist, and societal structures that have served us for centuries are being eroded. We view the legislative agenda of government with incredulity and question our politicians’ decisions relative to issues of social and fiscal policy. Commentators from all sides of the political spectrum question whether our representatives are in tune with the needs of their electorate. It is possible to feel at times that there is a growing agenda that is not friendly to Christian life and belief.
These changes represent a new kind of spiritual warfare: a battle of ideas, concepts, and thoughts. There is no visible enemy to curse, no sulphur-breathing demon to cast out, and no manifestation of evil spirits to bring down. These ideas, concepts, and thoughts have invaded our educational system and drive our social sciences. Some call this secular humanism, but it is more complex than that. It is a postcolonial, postsuperpower, and postmodern-worldview driven by the popular media. It imposes itself on all aspects of our lives — our churches, youth groups, and colleges.
New expressions of pluralism provide evidence of this spiritual warfare. It is not uncommon to find a hybridized religious worldview in many who attend our churches. The paradox of embracing a Christian spirituality and a secular morality at the same time does not seem a challenge to them. Classrooms, media, and coffee-shop discussions — rather than worship, preaching, and Bible teaching — increasingly forge views on marriage, sexuality, debt loads, loyalty, or how to manage the environment. The consequence is a mishmash of ideas and values that often results in good people struggling to make sense of their lives.
Pastoral ministry is at the forefront of this battle. Dysfunctional living is epidemic. Social pressure and increasing regulation by legislative authorities make it difficult to confront issues as forthrightly as our theology suggests we should. This pressure forces us to walk cautiously while dealing with the many issues people face, lest we create opportunity for some form of litigation against us. Pastors have sued churches for dismissing them on moral grounds based on what someone does in his or her private life that has nothing to do with employment. No wonder we sometimes feel as though there is a menacing dark cloud on the horizon threatening to bring a storm on us that will swamp dearly held convictions and threaten our faith.
This battle is an ancient one. Although the expressions of this warfare have changed, the primary force behind them is evil. Paul, the apostle, speaks about hollow and deceptive philosophy taking people captive (Colossians 2:8). He reminds us that our battle is against arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God (2 Corinthians 10:5). People most often cite this passage in terms of spiritual warfare.
In my view, we can sometimes be in danger of misusing the New Testament in our defense of a certain view of both the theology and praxis of spiritual warfare. Let me explain.
Central to Paul’s argument in 2 Corinthians 10:3–6 is the issue of loyalty in the church at Corinth. Certain “super-apostles” were disseminating alternate ideas and conflicting theological perspectives (2 Corinthians 11:5). These were often accompanied by personal attacks on Paul, the founding apostle of the church. As a result, the church lost some confidence in Paul and opened themselves to a myriad of concepts and ideas that were creating spiritual uncertainties and internal warfare. Paul’s admonition was to take captive every thought and to make it obedient to Christ. He also made clear that they should tear down strongholds by God’s power. While we can never exclude the activity of demonic forces, a contextual exposition of this passage reinforces the position that spiritual warfare often takes place in the realm of ideas, thoughts, and concepts.
Allow me to suggest some of the arenas in which this battle is taking place around us.... Read more
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