The Nature of Spiritual Warfare (Part 1)
The subject of spiritual warfare is one of the most misunderstood in Christian circles. What is agreed among majority of us is that physical weapons are not to be used for hurting fellow human beings. “The weapons of our warfare are NOT CARNAL,” so we do not wield guns or knives; we do not, in the bid to spread our faith, employ violent means; we simply profess that God is Love. However, someof our sects, though they strongly discourage the use of physical weapons, are not averse to using ‘spiritual weapons’ to kill and destroy those who (they say) are trying to kill and destroy them;and the most commonly used weapons in their arsenal are the Blood of Jesus and the Holy Ghost fire. Ironically, in Ephesians 6 where ‘the weapons of our warfare’ are listed, no such thingsare included. So, how didour modern ‘spiritual warriors’invent theseweapons, and what exactly do they war against?
The Nature of Spiritual Warfare (Part 2)
In Ephesians Six, SIX weaponsare listedin the Christian’s armory, and‘TRUTH’stands out as first on the list. And since thisdiscussion centers on the Nature of Spiritual Warfare, it might as well be needfulto briefly discuss the nature of TRUTH itself.
“What is TRUTH?”Thiswas the same question thatPontius Pilate asked Jesus when the Latter stood before him at the judgment hall. Jesus had said to Pilate,“To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should BEAR WITNESS UNTO THE TRUTH…” (John 18:37 – 38). (Out of curiosity) Pilate had attempted to probe further. “What is truth?” he said; yet he did not have the importunity to extract the answer, nor did he have the patience to wait for it.
Through the Lens
A lens is a piece of glass or other transparent material with curved edges for concentrating or dispersing light rays. In the physical eye, the lens is a transparent structure behind the iris, the coloured part of the eye. The function of the lens is to bend light rays so that they form a clear image on the retina. The lens is so important that when it is shifted or distorted, even if marginally, it loses its ability to create the right impression about an object in the mind of the viewer. A distorted lens could diminish an object, or enlarge it, or even make it blurry. When it comes to the matter of vision, two things are to be considered; the first is image and the other is perception. Image refers to the actual nature of the object; that is, its size, its colour, its shape and its other physical properties. Perception, on the other hand, refers to the way the viewer interprets these qualities.
Building Faith on a Tripod
In order for the Christian to be successful in the world and still maintain constancy in the service of the Lord, it is important to lay the right foundation. There are many Christians who began as firebrands but are now frigid and dormant as far as the faith is concerned. there are many who were once active in the service of the Lord but are now slaves in the vineyard of Mammon; there are also those who, because of the pressures of daily life, have had to abandon their devotion to God; and there are also many who yearn for the good old days—who remember vividly from whence they have fallen—but find it difficult to retrace their steps and do the first works. Yet we still must endeavour to find out what factors trigger these sharp descents? “Why do people fall from lofty heights of grace and find it hard to rise again?”
A Matter of Absolute Necessity
Throughout the Gospels, different people approached Jesus Christ for different reasons. Some came to Him because they needed miracles for themselves; some others came on behalf of their friends who needed miracles. Some came that they might take heed to His words, but some others came that they might use His words against Him. Some invited Him over to eat; some others followed Him because He gave them food to eat. People come to Jesus as diversely as their needs can be; however, only very few people are recorded to have come to Him privately without needing any personal favours. One of such men was Nicodemus.