Spiritual Warfare Increases

Date: 8 Feb 2010 Comments: 0

I was having a discussion with my wife the other day and she was positively glowing after having a long discussion with some of the ladies at church during meal preparation times. This is something that my sweet wife has missed immensely since we moved to the new church. She did not have a group of people to share her life challenges and spiritual challenges with since we moved as she normally got this from the people that watched the creepers with her at Northwest Baptist. I am excited because it is a spiritual helper that is desperately needed. What surprised me the most is that she said another member of the church was chatting with her, he’s been a lay leader for many years, and he warned her that this time of life is going to be a rocky road. The reason? Because of my position.

You see, the Devil has this interest in those who serve the church, he would do ANYTHING to get ahold of a minister or their wife and corrupt them. Hence why so many horror stories come out of the church of ministers who do illicit sexual acts and who commit suicide, etc. Because I am being called to stand up and carry God’s children through life, the spiritual warfare is mounting. I did not connect all the pieces on this until she mentioned it in the car and it dawned on me that he has been stepping up the attacks already. I can’t count the number of times in the past few weeks that I have been hearing that whispering voice that tries to disconnect me from God’s will.

In studying Systematic Theology in my seminary this term, I have constantly heard that whisper saying ‘you can’t believe this, can you?’ Or “see… you knew that this God you speak of is too mysterious to exist.” The attacks have further increased when it comes to the plans that I have going. In the same day I have my full time job, a part time minster position, a special needs daughter, and am trying to sell my house to get a larger house to accomodate more kids or more visitors. Furthermore, I am in Systematic Theology I which is one of the most intellecutally challenging classes I have ever been in. I have felt numerous times that I should simply give up and go back to life as usual. I feel like I am being overwhelmed with the amazing weight of the challenges I face in a day. In fact, I am sure that many other people who have been where I am would have given up. I also know that even a brief 3 or 4 years ago I would have given up when I felt the pressure. Suffice to say, the warfare is coming at least half force if not more.

But the one thing that I remind myself is that I serve a BIG God. He is a God who created an entire existence in only 6 days. He is a God who has brought people back from the dead, healed those who were sick and dying, and who has shined an amazing light on people just like me who lived in the darkness until He called them out of it. He controls time, he controls life, he controls death. If God is small enough to be understood, he is NOT big enough to be worshipped. So I keep my spirit as strong as I can and I stare the Devil’s challenges in the face because I know that no matter how gruesome this gets or how much I feel pressured to give in, God is bigger than all of that. He promised me many years ago when I first started reading the Scriptures to understand Him that He had a purpose for me bigger than my mind can imagine. He told me that I have no idea how amazing the things are that He plans to do with me. He has already increased my abilities sevenfold in everything from understanding scripture and sharing it to being far more of a home handyman than I ever thought possible as we try to sell our home. Things like this remind me that in my weakness, He is strength.

I do ask that if you read this and you follow God, please pray for me that I can continue to be as strong as I am if not stronger. God Bless!

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