Spiritual Warfare and Authentic Grace

"Resist the Devil, standing firm in your faith, knowing the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren throughout the world." 1 Peter 5: 9

We have looked at spiritual warfare from many different angles over the past couple of weeks.  These angles have moved from the simple and common to the esoteric and different!  Before we conclude and as we start a new week, I thought it would be helpful to remind us why the concept of spiritual warfare is important.

First, authentic spirituality throughout all of history has recognized the importance of spiritual warfare in the Christian life.  Believers throughout history have realized that the world, the flesh, and the Devil are enemies to living a life of grace.  

The flesh sabotages us from the inside with its insistence on living for and from the self.  This is the opposite of a God-centered life.  It is the root of all our sin because it flows from unbelief, and it is a life of pride.  

The world system is ruled by the evil one, and it plays right into our flesh.  It is a system that seeks to make godliness look strange and awful while making evil and sin look good and natural.  The world seeks to diminish us from living as authentic people of grace.  

Finally, the Devil is real and evil.  His purpose is to destroy the work of God, and to limit the building of God's Kingdom.  His doom is sure, and he is not another God.  He has under his influence all those not in Christ (Eph. 2: 1-3).  He also commands an army of evil spirits that in-power the world system and that seek to destroy the work of God.  His primary weapons are temptation and then accusation.  We should be aware of his schemes so that we can spot them and defeat them through the word of God, the gospel, and prayer.

So, why is understanding spiritual warfare important?  Understanding spiritual warfare drives us to the gospel and into dependence upon God.  On our own and apart from Christ, we are helpless.  Our own willpower and strength does not take us far.  It cannot conquer our flesh, reject the world, or resist Satan's temptations.  Yet, many believers today think that through better disciple and effort, we can conquer all three!  A life of authentic spirituality depends upon God's grace and lives in humility in Christ.  It recognizes our weakness, confesses our sins, and grows in dependence upon Christ.  Be aware that the world, the flesh, and the Devil all drive us away from such authentic living.  Even if the temptation comes in religious garb (perhaps particularly if it does), we should be aware of the schemes of the evil one.

May we learn to stand in grace, and when the day of evil comes, may we stand! (Eph 6:13)