I have never seen (nor do I wish to see) an exorcism. What
I have seen, and perhaps you have seen them as well, are cinematic portrayals
of exorcisms in movies and on TV. Linda Blair’s stunning scene from The Exorcist (1973) remains one of the
most dramatic and terrifying scenes of spiritual warfare in cinematic history.
While I know little about whether the movie portrayed such an event accurately,
I am certain that such combat in our daily lives is always up-close, personal,
and dangerous. There truly is no such thing as safe, long-distance spiritual
warfare.
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| Photo by Matthias Kabel |
The same could be said of combat as experienced by
Roman legionnaires of the first century. Heavily armored and wielding large
protective shields, Roman soldiers required a weapon which could be easily
wielded in one hand. While spears and javelins were certainly used by the
Romans in conjunction with their large shields, Paul mentions only one weapon
in his references to the Whole Armor of God: the Sword of the Spirit. The sword
wielded by the typical Roman soldier of the era would have been the gladius, a short sword with a blade
approximately two feet in length. The length and weight of the gladius complemented the use of the scutum, the large shield commonly in use
during the first century.
Many commentators have found it curious that a weapon should
be included as belonging to a set of armor. In our modern culture, the two seem
to belong to different categories. Armor is typically thought of as being any worn
item which is primarily defensive in nature, while something which is used to
attack the enemy would be categorized as a weapon. However, the Latin root word
arma literally means “tools
or implements of war” and technically applies to both modern categories of armor and weapons. Similarly, the Greek
word Paul actually uses, panoplia, also
refers to armor and weapons collectively. Thus, it is not incorrect to include
the Sword of the Spirit as part of a set of armor.
A short sword such as the gladius is designed specifically to be easily maneuvered in
close-quarters combat. Both Paul and his original readers would have known
this. They would also have appreciated the resulting implication that spiritual
warfare is a deeply personal thing. One cannot engage in spiritual warfare from
a distance. There are no snipers among prayer warriors, only infantrymen.
I have observed far too many instances of Christians
who practice a form of what they call spiritual warfare which consists
primarily of pointing out the faults and sins of others, particularly of those
outside the church. I cannot stress this point enough: that is not spiritual warfare. It’s nothing more
than a judgmental attitude, and as such, is a sin itself.
So then,
what is spiritual warfare?
Intercessory prayer is certainly a form of spiritual
warfare. When you ask God to intervene and protect or heal yourself or another
person, you are engaging in spiritual combat. You have a personal stake in the
outcome of the situation, be it physical or spiritual. That stake is obvious
when the prayer is for yourself, but it may seem less apparent when you pray
for somebody else.
When you lift up another person in prayer, you become
spiritually involved in their situation. Whether you realize it or not, you are
placing yourself between that person and whatever outside forces are working
against them. If you pray for an addict, you are taking up arms against the
spirit of addiction. If you pray for someone with cancer, you become entangled
with their fight against that monster. Perhaps most daunting situation is when
you are trying to reach a lost person with the word of God. The enemy does not
give up his hostages easily. The more intense and heartfelt your prayer, the
more deeply entrenched you become in spiritual warfare.
What about
general prayers for the nation or certain groups of people like police
officers, firefighters, teachers, etc?
Again, the depth of your prayer indicates your level
of engagement with the enemy. Many such prayers, while perhaps heartfelt and sincere,
are unavoidably vague and generic. It is extremely difficult for most people to
invest as deeply in such a broad prayer as compared to prayer for an
individual, a close friend, a family member, or oneself.
It is also important to remember that most spiritual
warfare is not something into which you actively choose to enter. Notice Paul’s
wording in the following passage…
Put on the
whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the
devil.
~Ephesians 6:11
(ESV)
While it is certainly possible to choose to enter
spiritual combat through prayer, Paul’s words here strongly imply that the
Whole Armor of God is intended to protect us from outside attacks. Even when we
pray for someone else, we cannot fight their battles for them. Likewise, no
matter how vast and effective your own personal support network may be, it is
up to you to stand or fall.
Your greatest weapon in this fight is the Sword of the
Spirit, which is the Word of God. For the moment, let’s focus on the Bible -
the written word of God. How do we put on this sword?
We must believe it to be true, that it might
strengthen us (just like the Belt of Truth).
We must keep it clean and free from sin (like the
Breastplate of Righteousness).
We must sharpen it by studying it (like the Boots of
Preparation).
We must use it constantly (in all circumstances, like
the Shield of Faith).
We must allow it to influence our thoughts, opinions,
and actions (through the Helmet of Salvation).
You may notice, once again, the considerable overlap
between the Sword of the Spirit and the rest of the Whole Armor of God. This is
not an accident. The Bible is our textbook. It is our unchanging source of
information about God, the universe, and everything. The Bible exists so that
we may learn about God and His ways.
Now these
things happened to them as an example, but
they were written down for our instruction…
~ 1
Corinthians 10:11 (ESV)
It takes practice to learn to swing a sword
effectively. Likewise, wielding the Word of God is something that takes a
lifetime to master, but don’t hesitate to use whatever gifts you have to verbalize
and spread the Word of God today!
Preach it.
Teach it.
Pray with it.
Sing about it.
Write about it.
Most of all, live
by it.
You don’t have to perform a dramatic exorcism to be
involved in spiritual warfare. Truly, some of our most difficult struggles come
disguised as mundane and repetitive circumstances which the enemy uses to wear
us down over time. Pick up your Bible daily and read it. Encourage others to do
the same. Speak words of hope and joy. Spread the good news! In so doing, you put on the Sword of the Spirit and win
the battle by standing yet another day.
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