See the Spiritual Behind the Natural



"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Ephesians 6:12)

The first (of ten) steps to successful spiritual warfare is to see the supernatural behind the natural. It’s hard to fight a battle when you can’t see it. At the beginning of the letter to the Ephesians Paul recorded this prayer, “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened” (Ephesians 1:18). When Jesus taught the crowds, many times he would finish a message by saying “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear” (Matthew 11:15).

In your own world concerning your personal battles, you need to know in what areas of your life you’re encountering spiritual warfare. Is it a hidden addiction you don’t think you’ll ever be free from? Is it a struggling marriage? Is it a sense of discouragement and gloom that seem to linger over you like a dark cloud? A key to sensing the spiritual warfare is prayer and honest reflection. If you don’t have discernment, ask God for it. And take time to do an honest assessment of your life. In what areas are you striving to honor God? That could be a target for spiritual attack. In what ways are you making a Kingdom difference in the lives of others? That could be a target for attack.

What are your biggest struggles mentally, emotionally, spiritually? What are negative and destructive thoughts that you have about yourself? What are your secret sins? What distractions are keeping you from spending time with God through His Word and through prayer? Those are all indications of spiritual warfare raging all around you.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

1. Spiritual warfare starts in your mind. What are negative and destructive thoughts you have about yourself that could be lies the enemy is trying to use to defeat you?

2. Known sins and addictions are hooks that the enemy uses to keep you chained to defeat. If you were brutally honest with yourself, what are the known sins and addictions in your life that the enemy is using to keep you defeated?

NEXT STEP

The next step for seeing the supernatural behind the natural is to name your battles, through prayer and discernment, write down the spiritual battles currently raging in your life.


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