What is the unseen war we are waging?
WHY IS THERE WAR?
There is a definite war going on in the spiritual realm and the children of the Lord are largely unaware and ignorant of it. Satan, the enemy of God, is busy with his work of destruction and the children of the Lord do not stand up in opposition to it. There is one sure way for Satan to continue unhindered and that is for believers to do nothing about it. This is not the time for the soldiers of the kingdom of God to retreat, but to go on the offensive. Satan’s strongholds must be destroyed and his attacks must be resisted. The war is ongoing and there are already many wounded and dead on the battlefield. When we became a follower of Jesus Christ, we were clothed with Christ, we inevitably became involved in this war. (Soldier for Christ)
DEFINITION OF A WAR
Any situation where there is strong conflict between 2 parties, which is addressed with some form of violence. The goal is mutual harm, destruction, control, takeover of land and possessions. When a country declares war, the citizens of that country “by default” declare war together.
BETWEEN WHICH PARTIES ARE WE INVOLVED IN?
The battle is between God and Satan – i.e. in the spiritual “realm”, therefore also between Satan’s realm and God’s kingdom. Therefore also between you and me, God’s children, and Satan and his fallen angels (demonic realm). It is a battle with spiritual weapons, a battle to the end.
THE ORIGIN OF THE WAR – REBELLION
Satan rebelled against God, Adam and Eve rebelled against God. Satan was the foremost of all angels. (Ezek 28:14)
He rebelled against God’s authority, and wanted to take it over for himself. (Isaiah 14:12-15) He convinced 1/3 of the angels to rebel with him. (Revelation 12:4 - 9) The Lord did not tolerate his rebellion, and cast him and his 1/3 of the angels out of heaven. (Rev 12:9, Luk 10:18)
Since then, Satan has hated God, and therefore, His creation, and most of all, the crown of His creation – man. Satan cannot attack God and attacks God’s children. By listening to Satan’s lies, Adam and Eve gave him control over the entire earth and mankind. (Genesis 3:4-20, Romans 5:12-14, 1 John 1:19)
Revelation 12:17 (NIV)
“And the dragon (Satan) was wroth with the woman (church) and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ (Christians).”
THE SCOPE OF OUR WAR
Level 1: Collective – community, city, province, country, world.
• The entire unsaved world already belongs to Satan (1 John 5:19) and represents the ground that Satan wants to defend at all costs.
• The born-again children of God, represent God, and are the target of Satan’s wrath (Rev 12:17).
Level 2: Individual level.
• My life as an individual Christian is also a “mini-battleground” where the same battle is raging. (Eph 6:10-17, Eph 4:27)
• It is about ground in my life – either given to God, or conceded, or ceded to the devil.
LAND AND THE FIGHT FOR IT
A war is about ground.
The devil’s ground:
• Every unsaved person. (The entire unsaved world)
• The aspects of a believer’s life that are still under demonic control (ground conceded on a soul level and not yet regained)
The Lord’s ground.
• Every born again person.
The spiritual war is therefore about one thing: PEOPLE (souls)
THE DEVIL’S STRATEGY
The devil’s strategy is to gain and retain ground (John 10:10 – “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.”)
• Preservation of souls already in his possession by preventing rebirth (2 Cor 4:3,4 “But even our gospel is hidden (behind a veil), it is hidden (only) to those who are perishing; among them the god of this world (Satan) has blinded the minds of the unbelieving to prevent them from seeing the illuminating light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”
• Doing as much damage as possible to God’s creation.
• Disrupting as much as possible God’s order in communities, families, etc.
• Doing as much damage as possible to God’s children (“War on the Saints”).
• Making believers unhappy by stealing the fruit of the Spirit.
• Making believers ineffective as soul winners.
• Making believers poor advertisements for Christianity.
• Deceiving and confusing believers and leading them astray.
• To expand ground for him (the devil’s work) in every believer (John 14:30 “I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world (Satan) is coming. He has no hold over me”
• Lies / deception
• Temptation to sin.
He is invisible and relies on the fact that we will forget he is behind all the plans against us.
2 Corinthians 4:18
"While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal."
