There are spiritual dynamics that work behind the scenes related to our psychological wellbeing, personal relationships, struggles, and even political events.  The Bible calls this spiritual warfare.  It’s important that we don’t get overly  focused on the  surface level of problems and challenges.  For effective living and emotional peace, we want to remember where the real battle  occurs.  It’s not really with people (although people may challenge us).  Are you familiar with this verse from the Bible?

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood,

but against the rulers, against the powers,

against the world forces of this darkness,

against the spiritual [forces] of wickedness

in the heavenly [places].

Ephesians 6:12

A Personal Example of Spiritual Warfare

Let me give you an example  from pickleball.  When I first started playing, I kept getting hit in the face.  Once in a while, that can happen to anyone!  We wear protective eye gear for such situations.  But it was happening to me so frequently, even from players outside my court, that I realized this must be a form of spiritual harassment coming through people.

Once I realized what happening, I made sure that I prayed  specifically for my physical protection on the way to the court.  This focused prayer stopped the problem that was occurring when I played.

This is an example where God enlightened me to understand why I kept getting hit in the face and what to do about it.  We can live in confidence, even in the midst of spiritual warfare, because God empowers and guides us in our personal concerns.  Our attention to His word and the promptings of His Spirit give us discernment to understand a problem, develop a strategy to address the situation, and have the wisdom to know how to implement the strategy.

Without living in fear, we want to have wisdom as we address the various levels and dimensions of problems.  The Bible is full of instruction about how to address the spiritual struggles of life.

Spiritual Methods for Spiritual Warfare

In order to understand the need for spiritual weapons, we can look at the word “struggle” from Ephesians 6:12 (printed above).    Bible Hub explains the definition of struggle  (#3823 from the Strong’s Concordance of the Bible).  This word in the Greek means a wrestling match.  Each wrestler attempts to throw and defeat the other wrestler.  This is a close, sustained struggle that requires endurance and discipline to defeat the opponent.  In the spiritual arena, our opponent opposes God Himself and everything good that God wants to do for us  (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).

One of the ways that we protect ourselves spiritually is to know the word of God and spend time with the Lord each day.  When we know the word of God and are sensitive to His Spirit, we can ask Him to show us things.  In Ephesians 1:17, the Apostle Paul prays that “the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of  glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him .”  His insight through the Bible helps us develop a strategy for how to focus our prayers and energy in the challenges of life.

Spiritual Power for Spiritual Warfare

Our ability to discern truth and live with power and confidence is based on a vital connection with the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit explains the word of God and  spiritual dynamics to us (1 Corinthians 2:10-16).  A lifestyle of abiding in the Lord and studying His word allows the Holy Spirit to reveal to us:

• how to use the word of God to address our concerns in the natural world,
• how to protect ourselves and our loved ones,
• what strategy God has for coping with our concern, and
• how to implement this strategy for ourselves and our loved ones.

To win in the wrestling match that we encounter each day, there are simple ways that we can build spiritual power into our daily lives (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).  One of the most important things you can do is to establish a daily time of reading your Bible.  A consistent time in God’s word, even just a few minutes each day, requires a level of personal discipline that few people have developed.

There are emotional, financial, and physical struggles that we encounter in our lives.  Many of those challenges require natural, practical action to solve.  However, cultivating our spiritual life by learning God’s word is the most crucial skill that we can develop to positively master the struggles and heartaches of  life.

Resources

If this topic interests you, you might want to look at my other resources on spiritual growth.  In particular, the book entitled “Sheep Hear His Voice” is a beginner’s guide to learning how to receive from the Lord.  I also have that same book in an audio format.  The audiobook’s title is “How to Hear the Voice of God: 30 Devotional Passages to Help You Tune into the Bible.”  I also have other blog posts on how to develop your spiritual discernment.