A pastor asked the congregation to share their thoughts on spiritual warfare. A young woman’s response stood out: “I don’t worry about spiritual warfare. I don’t seek out trouble with the devil, so I don’t expect him to bother me.” The congregation laughed, but the pastor used the moment to provide some explanations.
Friend, spiritual warfare is real, but more real is our victory (1 John 5:4). Some people woke up to this reality too late, and they became victims in life. The Bible is clear about the subject of spiritual warfare. The earth is a battlefield, and the devil is an avowed enemy of the saints (Revelation 12:10-12).
The same God who fights your battles also teaches your hands to war (Psalm 144:1). David understood this, and he led a victorious life despite the battles that surrounded him. It is better to prepare for war than to wish it away. It is better to be trained to fight than to assume it won’t come (1 Corinthians 9:26).
The Christian is a soldier, and the church is an army (2 Timothy 2:1-4). The program of God for every human is to transform them from sinner to saint, from saint to soldier, and from soldier to saviour. This is your destiny as a child of God (Obadiah 1:21). You need to complete this cycle in your Christian development.
It is saints that live as civilians, instead of soldiers that make mockery of Christianity (Psalm 82:5-7). Just as a civilian in a battlefield would only endanger himself, a Christian who lives as a civilian on earth risks the danger of attacks. We are soldiers, not civilians. We must be battle-ready (Psalm 78:9).
Take your walk with God seriously, understand your new creation status, and gain mastery in the word and prayer (Ephesians 6:10-18). This is part of what we come to do in church. Like Abraham’s house, the church is a training ground where men and women are constantly trained and mobilized for warfare (Genesis 14:14). Prepare for war.
Demola Awoyele
Lead Pastor,
Destiny Impact Church
Akure, Nigeria