Dr Paul Allen

By Jonathon Aigner The war against the once-beloved “Onward, Christian Soldiers” is decades old. When the United Methodist Church was revising its hymnal in the mid-80s, it made the mistake of trying to drop this hymn from what would soon become the current United Methodist Hymnal. Good Methodists and Methodists are good people. They started a war of their own, essentially inundating the hymnal committee with correspondence which, according to Carlton Young, made it “impossible for the committee to go on with its work.” Suitable for those lovely Methodist saints. Other denominations have long since dropped it like a hot potato. “Onward” hasn’t been in a mainline Presbyterian hymnal for 50 years. Other traditions still have it in their hymnals, like the Episcopal church, but I would guess that few Episcopal churches would use it lest they make those among them with little Scripture knowledge uncomfortable. On the one hand, I understand how militaristic language can be complex. It can be

 “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (Eph. 6:12) What comes to mind when you think of spiritual warfare? Perhaps images of Linda Blair’s contorted face or spinning head from the movie The Exorcist. Those who are more biblically minded might think of Jesus’ casting out a legion of demons, sending them into a herd of pigs to plunge over a cliff. Or maybe you can find no other explanation for some experience of dark oppression, so you start to consider something demonic. But The Exorcist was fiction, and Jesus’ casting out demons was something that happened back in a unique period of time. Your experience of evil oppression could just as easily be your overactive imagination. BASIC TO CHRISTIAN DISCIPLESHIP AND MISSION Why bother with spiritual warfare? The reason is twofold. One, it is evident throughout the Bible

Though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. (2 Corinthians 10:3–4) So, ministry is war. Fighting for faith in my heart is war. Fighting for the souls of men is war. All aspects of the Christian life are war. If I were to ask you, “What’s the most crucial text on warfare?” you would all say what? Ephesians 6. Let’s read a little bit of it. We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. (Ephesians 6:12–13) Then comes the list of the armor. Life is war. The enemy is awesome, and you can’t see him. Universal Spiritual Conflict Most people do not believe this. How are you ever go

As Christians, we have a dangerous adversary. We face something far scarier than getting stuffed in a locker. Our enemy wants to devour our faith and drag us to hell. So, when the apostle Paul instructs the Ephesian church about spiritual warfare, he begins by exhorting them not to go into the battle in their own strength. He reminds them of their Elder Brother. He says, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil” (Ephesians 6:10–11). Marching into War Jesus is on a mission to rescue captive souls from a strong enemy (Mark 3:23; Luke 19:10). Through his crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus delivered a mortal wound to our formidable foe (Colossians 2:15; 1 John 3:8). He now calls sinners to flee from Satan’s captivity and align with his everlasting kingdom (Acts 17:30). He commissions his church to join him in taking the gospel to the ends of the earth (Matthew 28:18–20).

We are at war, but we cannot fight in the spirit realm with our natural ability, nor with our education, our money, or our natural resources. We can only fight spirit with spirit, “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds” (2 Cor. 10:4, NKJV ). Demonic spirits with different ranks and assignments exist in the spiritual realm, and they respond to atmospheres. All spirits seek expression of their will into time and space, but they cannot accomplish this without someone providing them the opportunity. If a demonic spirit manifests, it is because somebody allowed it and created an atmosphere for that spirit to operate. When the disciples asked Jesus why they were unable to cast the evil spirit out of the child, Jesus said, “This kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting” (Matt. 17:21, NKJV). “This kind” would indicate that there are spirits with different ranks. Without going into an expository work on demonology, le

Martin Luther, author of the text of Christ lag in Todes Banden, and who, with Johann Walter, also wrote the melody (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) “Be strong in the Lord , and in the strength of His might . … For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” ( Eph. 6:10, 12). Spiritual warfare can be intense, but God’s grace enables you to prevail against Satan ’s attacks. Through the ages, Satan has accused, besieged, and battered believers in an effort to prevent them from living to the glory of God. He attempts to snatch the gospel message from a person’s heart even before salvation occurs ( Matt. 13:19). He bombards believers with false doctrine, trying to confuse and distract them from sound Biblical truth (Eph. 4:14). Martin Luther reported that his conflict with Satan became so intense that at one point it was as if he cou

I recently watched as a young mother acted quickly and decisively to end a squabble among two preschool boys. She acted righteously and quite effectively, and then she turned to her two charges and set down the law: "It is never right to fight." Sorry, Mom, I understand what you were trying to do, but that moral instruction will not serve those boys well as they grow into maturity. Their challenge will be to learn when it is right to fight, and how, as the Bible commands, to fight the good fight of faith. What about the church? Is it ever right for Christians and churches to engage in controversy? Of course, the answer is yes—there are times when believers are divided over serious and consequential questions, and controversy is an inevitable result. The only way to avoid all controversy would be to consider nothing we believe important enough to defend and no truth too costly to compromise. We know that Christ cares deeply about the peace of His church. In His prayer for

“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.” ( 1 Timothy 4:1 ) This very cogent warning by the Holy Spirit, spoken “expressly” (or “with special clarity”) for those living in the latter days, predicts an unusual outbreak of seductive demonism—not just in pagan, idol-worshipping, or animistic cultures, but in “Christian” nations, where they can lead many to “depart from the faith” which their forefathers once professed. Christians, therefore, should not be taken by surprise at the vast eruption of witchcraft, New Age mysticism, Eastern occultism, rock-music demonism, drug-induced fantasies, altered states of consciousness, and even overt Satan-worshipping cults that have suddenly proliferated in our supposedly scientific and naturalistic society. Behind it all are the “seducing spirits” and “the rulers of the darkness of this world” ( Ephesians 6:12 ). It should be obvious t

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” ( 1 Peter 5:8 ) Several words are used in Scripture to imply spiritual watchfulness, and each has a slightly different meaning. Only as we compare and combine these words do we get the full force of the Scripture exhortations to watchfulness. One such word is the Greek word agrupneo, translated “watch.” In Mark 13:33 we read, “Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.” The word literally means to be sleepless and comes from two Greek words meaning “to chase” and “sleep.” It implies a purposeful and active state of awareness. More commonly used is gregoreo. It is a stronger word, meaning to arouse oneself and shake off lethargy, implying activity as on the part of one who is fully awake. “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith” ( 1 Corinthians 16:13 ), and “continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving” ( Colossians 4:2 ). “Watch

Reasons why Christians are tragically ignorant of and dangerously ill-prepared for spiritual warfare by Sam Storms (1) Ignorance of the Bible Many simply do not know what or how much is said on the subject, nor are they acquainted with the tactics of the enemy. Consider the ramifications for the Christian life, even its most routine and seemingly mundane affairs, of Paul’s statement in Eph. 6:12, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Consider the man who wrote this, Paul, whose life was a constant battle, so it would seem, against people, flesh and blood: Pharisees, angry mobs, Roman authorities, false apostles in virtually every city, disloyal followers, etc. Yet, according to Paul, his own war, no less than ours, was not ultimately against them but against unseen demonic forces. Ignorance of this fact has contrib

Three Observations about Kingdoms in Conflict (1) As there is a kingdom of God, so, too, is there is a kingdom of Satan. And the two are in conflict.   “If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand?… But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you” (Mt. 12:26, 28; see also Acts 26:18 [“the dominion of Satan”]; Col. 1:13 [“the domain of darkness”]). (2) Few Christians fully realize the extent of Satan’s influence. Nor do they understand their own authority. Two texts in particular make both points clear.   a. 1 John 5:19—“We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.”   Observe the contrast. Whereas the “whole world” is in the evil one, we who are “of God” (v. 19) are in God and in his son, Jesus Christ (v. 20). The point is that everyone is in someone! “John wastes no words and blurs no issues. The uncompromising alternative is stated baldly. Everyone

This war is cosmic in its proportions. It involves God , humans, angels, demons, principalities, powers, nations, and antichrists. Where is the main battle happening?  And do you know where the front of the battle is? Is it the tattoo artist down the road, the Karate business behind your work, the secular university up the road, or is it in your head? Answer: he attacks your thinking! We Destroy Arguments Here is how Paul describes it in 2 Corinthians 10:3–5 (emphasis added): For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments  and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ . What are the satanic strongholds that spiritually imprison people, the strongholds that we seek to destroy? Arguments and opinions. Where is the battle raging? Where our thoughts are. And

A bible from 1859. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Many professing Christians seek change in their lives using methods which are contrary to Scripture. As a result, they don’t experience the change which God seeks to produce in his people. In the very helpful booklet, HELP! Want to Change , which I refer to as a primer on progressive sanctification , pastor and biblical counselor Jim Newheiser mentions six common, but ineffective, methods for lasting personal transformation. Deliverance Ministries: Some claim that the source of every personal problem is demonic and that the solution is to identify and cast out the evil spirit (s). Certain preachers claim to have the special powers and methods to perform these deliverances. They often draw large crowds of people desperate for help. While the Bible does teach that we are engaged in spiritual warfare ( Ephesians 6:11–12 ), it does not teach that all our spiritual problems can be solved by  casting out demons. Mysticism: Many believers