Understanding Spiritual Warfare in Christianity
The concept of spiritual warfare in Christianity is highlighted through various Bible verses and quotes. It emphasizes the presence of the devil and the importance of resisting temptation, humbling oneself before God, and putting on the armor of God to combat evil forces. The significance of the church's role in this spiritual battle is also emphasized, with references to the power of Jesus in defeating the works of the devil.
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Matthew 4:1-11 NIV Jesus Tested in the Wilderness Jesus Tested in the Wilderness
James 1:13-15 NLT 13When tempted, no one should say, God is tempting me. For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;14but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.15Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. James 4:7-8 NLT
The Devil is not a peripheral concept that can easily be discarded without doing violence to the essence of Christianity. He stands at the center of the New Testament teaching that the Kingdom of God is at war with, and is now at last defeating, the kingdom of the devil. Jeffrey Burton Russell, The Devil: Perceptions of Evil From Antiquity to Primitive Christianity
The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil s work. 1 John 3:8b NIV
Ephesians 6:10-12 NIV 10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.11Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil s schemes.12For 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.
One is hard-pressed to find any culture, prior to or contemporary with our own, that does not assume something like this [spiritual warfare] perspective. From a cross-cultural perspective, the insight that the cosmos is teeming with spiritual beings whose behavior can and does benefit or harm us is simply common sense. It is Westerners who are the oddballs for thinking that the only free agents who influence other people and things are humans.
The church of Jesus Christ is the church militant. We are engaged in spiritual conflict and need to be equipped for this task. To be sure, the conflict is like no other form of battle and the weapons quite different from any other weapons. We must re-imagine our notions of warfare It would be a pity if embarrassment at the military language or misplaced political correctness were to deprive us of the challenge. Nigel Goring Wright, A Theology of the Dark Side: Putting the Power of Evil in Its Place
In the face of doubts and disenchantment we need a vision of spiritual resistance and struggle that energizes our faith in the face of pain and suffering. To save our faith we must embrace spiritual warfare. Richard Beck, professor of psychology at Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas
You can resist evil and build resilient faith by practicing the following: Resistance Builds Resilience
You can resist evil and build resilient faith by practicing the following: 1. Religious Rhythms & Routines Resistance Builds Resilience
What is religion? Religion is a socio-cultural system of designated beliefs, values, behaviors, and practices that provide meaning, purpose, and direction to a person s life and to the world around them. A functional definition of religion for Christians: Practices of prayer, Scripture, sacrament, liturgy, etc. handed down to us so that we would be properly formed in worship. religio to bind to something
He was raised by pious parents Educated in Torah and the Jewish faith at the synagogue in Nazareth Took pilgrimages to Jerusalem for various feasts (i.e. followed the Jewish religious calendar) Worshipped at the Temple in Jerusalem every Passover Faithfully observed the Sabbath and attended the local synagogue Recited the Hebrew Shema (Deut. 6:4), probably daily Other religious practices (e.g. he fasted, tithed, prayed 2-3x a day, wore prayer shawl & tassels, etc.) The The Life Religious Religious Life of Jesus of Jesus
You can resist evil and build resilient faith by practicing the following: 1. Religious Rhythms & Routines 2. Saying No! to Temptation Resistance Builds Resilience
1 Peter 5:8-10 NIV 8Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. 10And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
You can resist evil and build resilient faith by practicing the following: 1. Religious Rhythms & Routines 2. Saying No! to Temptation 3. Using Prayer as a Spiritual Weapon Resistance Builds Resilience
How Jesus Prayed A Closer Look Prayed early in the morning and late in the evening Prayed spontaneous prayers of supplication to the Father Used the Psalms (Jewish Prayer/Song Book) to pray written prayers Prayed in private and in public Prayed in resistance to evil
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord s people. Paul, Ephesians 6:18 NIV
