The Two Extremes

There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight. C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters.

Before we dive headlong into the topic and the battle of spiritual warfare, it is important to avoid the two extremes that befall many Christians when it comes to spiritual warfare. The first extreme is to naively assume that spiritual warfare is not real, like a child hiding under a blanket assuming the world does not exist because they cannot see it. If you have lived your Christian life with a blind eye towards the supernatural and spiritual warfare, that doesn’t mean it ceases to exist. It simply means that the enemy can attack you unabated and undefended. The aim of this book is to remove that extreme.

The other extreme is to become obsessed with demons and christen yourself a modern- day demon hunter. The reason Paul tells Christians to ‘stand’ in Ephesians 6 is because we don’t have to go looking for a fight. The fight has already come looking for us. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, then you have already achieved a victory the enemy would like nothing more than to deprive you of. I know believers that have became fascinated with the supernatural to the point where they venture into some questionably theological areas. Don't do it, quickly coming back to the solid foundation of Scripture.

With either extreme, the enemy wins. Either you naively assume spiritual warfare doesn’t exist or you obsess with it to unhealthy levels. Just fight with the weapons God gives you.

ON THE COUCH WITH GOD

1. If you were honest, would you say you blindly live as if spiritual warfare doesn’t exist? When something happens, do you ever look for a spiritual cause or only natural causes?

2. How do people obsess with the supernatural? Have you ever become overly fascinated with the supernatural? How does the world (through books, movies, magic etc.) stoke our fascination of the supernatural?

NEXT STEP

Move off of either extreme to the center. If you never see the supernatural, begin (to try) to sense the spiritual warfare in your family, at your work, in your church. If you obsess with the supernatural, cut out whatever source is feeding your fascination and run back to the safety of Scripture.