Spiritual warfare: Preparing for Battle
Please note this post is from 2020
Over the past several months, I have been experiencing intense spiritual warfare. I’m talking late night crying, nightmares, intense feelings of sadness, emptiness, anxiety and loneliness. Simultaneously, I have also been experiencing feelings of peace, joy, faith, happiness, love and stillness. I have been experiencing a plethora of emotions - both good and bad, at high levels of intensity. There hasn’t been much of an in between. Not much of a balance. It’s either good or bad. Happy or sad. Filled or empty.
Now - I know this sounds depressing - but trust me it’s not. And for me to say that means I have come a really long way in my spiritual journey. I have reached a new level of maturity that I am really thankful for.
I wish I could tell you that I am no longer experiencing spiritual warfare or that I am finally out of the fire - refined and gold. But that’s simply not true. I am still in the middle of the war, currently feeling a lot of pressure at the moment. Spiritual pressure. I believe this is because I am about to birth something huge.
Let me backtrack a little bit. As believers, we will always be in spiritual warfare. Sorry if I bursted your happy little christian bubble filled with flowers, rainbows and upbeat gospel - but it’s true. We have an enemy, a very active one at that - who is literally seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). Seeking in this context means to search for, desire, require, demand. This takes a lot of effort. Now I don’t know about you, but I’m not putting this much effort into something unless I know that it is worth it.
Satan knows the plans God has for us - that’s why he goes so hard. He may not know of it in detail because he doesn’t have the blueprint - but he knows enough to put in a great amount of effort to try and stop God’s plans. How we operate in this war really makes all the difference.
We will have moments where we feel defeated and want to give up, but by God’s power and strength we keep going. This is why prayer, fasting, worship and community are so important. All of these are weapons of our warfare! They allow us to tap into God’s power and continue fighting.
We do not fight like the world fights because we are not fighting a physical war (Ephesians 6:12). We don’t show up to the battlefield with guns and knives. We show up with something much more powerful - the word of God.
“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword…”
Hebrews 4:12
It is our responsibility and honor to dress ourselves spiritually everyday. Ephesians 6 goes into detail, advising us on what to do to obtain victory. We must put on:
The belt of Truth
The breastplate of Righteousness
Shield of Faith
Helmet of Salvation
Sword of the Spirit (the Word of God)
I understand this is easier said than done. We are living in a physical realm and being human beings makes this fight harder. But I want to encourage you to keep going and provide some tips to add to your perspective the next time you find yourself caught in the fire.
You can’t solve a spiritual problem using an earthly method
As I said before, we are fighting a physical war. People and things are not the problem! Stop attacking your brothers and sisters in Christ - your family, your church members, and yes - even your non-christian boss. They are not the enemy, even if the enemy is using them to get to you. The real enemy is Satan. Let’s stop attacking each other and attack him!
Stop letting him have power over you and start using the power and authority that has been given to you through Jesus. Start declaring and decreeing the promises that God has over your life out loud. Start talking back to fear. Start binding and loosening things here on earth so they can be bounded and loosened in heaven. Stop begging for God to help you and hop in your spiritual bag sis. Get on your bully, get gangsta and go to war! You were made for this.
Worship. Pray. Fast - repeat
As I have said before Worship. Pray. Fast.
Worship. Pray. Fast.
Worship. Pray. Fast.
Worship. Pray. Fast!!!
I can’t stress this enough. We think the end to our pain and turmoil during trials is more money, more sex, more weed, more liquor, more church (yes, even church can be abused). But all of these things mean nothing if the war is still intense, we’re still in it and we’re still in a victim mindset.
Worship with your heart not just your lips and hands. Worship by letting your life be a reflection of the savior. Love others; be there for others. You never want to become so spiritual that you don’t meet the practical needs of others.
Worship by seeking God’s will. And I mean really seeking - asking God what He wants instead of constantly praying for what you want. Cling to God like never before and repent. Ask Him to search your heart and create a clean heart and a pure spirit within you.
Count it all joy
Lastly - count it all joy. Don’t just count it all joy because it’s going to get better - count it all joy because the testing and the trials are a good thing! I know even as a believer it is hard to see the good in the bad when you’re in the thick of it. But that is why we have to constantly feed our spiritual man, die to our flesh and constantly seek to see things from God’s perspective instead of our own.
James 1:2-3 says -
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance” (NIV).
I have strived my whole life to actually live this verse out and I can finally say I have reached a breakthrough.
My tires just got popped? I’m gonna praise God.
My man who I think is my man but is not really my man not paying me any attention? I’m gonna praise God.
People talking down on my name? I’m gonna praise God!!!
I have gotten to the point where I know my purposes as a believer and one of them is to count. it. all. joy. Not just one thing. Not just two things. Count it all joy. Period!
In conclusion, I’d like to say don’t be discouraged if you are at a place right now where you are down and out, tired (physically and spiritually), you feel alone and you just feel like this christian life ain’t for you. But just remember, God created you - He knows exactly what you’re going through, He said He would never leave you or forsake you and He is not just interested in giving you everything you want. He is interested in giving you the best and making you better, for your good and His glory.
Keep fighting, you’re almost there. ❤️
#Stayblessedyall ! ✨