The Real Deal About Spiritual Warfare

Ahhhhhhh...... I know I have not written in like 4 weeks and I feel so terrible! I've had so many thoughts but the bad thing about me is that I do not write down my ideas. (Gotta get better with that) But this summer honestly has been very hard for me. I've been pushed to the edge contemplating many different things and dealing with a lot of spiritual warfare. This has been a busy summer for me, probably the busiest one I've ever had. Between work, ministry, my move and beginning grad school, I have not had ample time with the Lord and when that happens, most of the other areas of my life are negatively affected. I would always hear leaders and just people around me say how important it is to spend time with the Lord EVERYDAY, but I never took that into consideration until I began to experience 4 of the toughest weeks I've had in awhile. 

I work as a Special Events Coordinator at my church so that involves that planning and execution of many if not all of the events that take place at my church. This position requires many long hours and lots of planning in order for the event to be successful. The last 3 months have been the busiest because many of our events have been happening around the same time requiring many weeks of long hours. At first, I was managing pretty well but as I spent less and less time with the Lord, I began to see how I literally cannot survive without spending time with Him everyday. I cannot survive spiritually, physically, emotionally nothing. I cannot keep my room clean without Him lol By me not spending time with the Lord like I should, the enemy was able to creep into my life and cause spiritual warfare.

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.-Ephesians 6:12. Spiritual warfare is when you battle with spiritual forces inside of your mind. Think of an actual war and the fighting that takes place. This is what happens to a person experiencing spiritual warfare but it takes place inside of the mind.  So for example, this summer I had thoughts of quitting school, quitting the ministry I am involved in, quitting friends and just giving up on many different things in my life. Now because I know this is not what I really wanted to do, I realized it was spiritual warfare. I realized it was an attack because the enemy does not want Christians to be involved in ministry because it allows for growth to happen and it also allows the Gospel to reach more people. I also realized it was an attack from the enemy because God has been growing me in the area of being social and making new friends and the devil does not want that. He doesn't want for us to change our ways and grow in Christ. He wants us to stay stagnant. Not only did I experience extreme amounts of spiritual warfare, but many of my friends did as well. There was a huge attack against the young adult ministry at my church causing many of us to feel worthless and struggle with depression.

 Instead of increasing my time with the Lord while under spiritual attacks, I would often just go to sleep and that does nothing. I realized I have to ACTIVELY fight spiritual attacks by diving in and drenching myself in the Word of God. For the word of  God  is quick, powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.- Hebrews 4:12. I realized that spiritual warfare is a part of the Christian walk and I will enter in and out of it my whole life BUT I have to FIGHT the enemy and let him know he has no power over my thoughts, my life, NOWHERE! And this is for everyone. We have the victory as Christians!

This summer was very rough for me but it grew me in ways I never thought it would. It showed me that spiritual warfare is real and that I have to be on guard at all times. Now, I'm not saying to be fearful or scared because that is not of God BUT I need to recognize when I am under spiritual attack and increase my time in the Lord, decrease distractions and fight against attacks from the enemy. I hope this helps anyone who has ever experienced spiritual warfare to know that you will be ok and you do have the power to defeat the enemy and you already have the victory!