"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
Have you ever had a change of thinking, a
paradigm shift, or a wake-up call? Lorie
Hartshorn, author of "Finding Freedom" and Director of Better Today Consulting recently visited the Crossroads centre to
talk about the reality of Spiritual Warfare in the home and how circumstances
in her family led her on a "quest of learning".
Using the visual aid of a home, Lorie
paints a vivid picture of how we can be Christians, filled with the Holy Spirit,
yet still be struggling with the influence of enemies within our lives.
According to scripture, we have three enemies that can have influence in our lives:
Our first enemy is the broken world we live in. Some circumstances we face in life happen to us because of this broken world.
Our second enemy is our flesh. James 1:14 says "But each person is tempted when they
are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed". There is a struggle and
battle within our flesh, and at times the struggle results from our own sinful
nature.
Our third enemy that can have influence in
our lives is the devil himself. In this world we are living in, we are at war.
1 Peter 5:8 warns us to "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil
prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour".
But how much influence can the demonic
really have on a Christian?
We must first understand that as a
believer, Jesus owns your home. When
you say yes to Jesus, you are covered in the blood of Jesus. That's how God
sees you and how the enemy sees you as well. The
furnace in your home symbolizes the Holy Spirit and His power within us.
The flame is lit upon our salvation and is our power source as a believer.
Ephesians 4:30 says "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption". What exactly does this mean? Scripture tells us in Ephesians 4:27 "Do not give the devil a foothold". Do not give the devil an opportunity. If we crack open the door to our home and we give the devil opportunity, as a believer, he could have influence on us. Jesus still owns our home, but cracking open your front door allows ulterior influences to sneak in. Be alert, be of sober mind.
Don't
give him a place, a territory, an opportunity; give him no occasion for acting.
Don't crack open the door.
The example of influence given in scripture
is anger. Anger alone can open your door
to what the enemy wants to do in your life. Bitterness, rage, there is a
long list of things that can give the enemy a foothold (see Ephesians 4).
Again, we need to keep in mind that Jesus
still owns the home and the Holy Spirit is still within us. You can't kick God
out of the house He chooses, He will never leave us, however when we say yes to
the enemy, we quench the Spirit's power in our life.
Satan and God can and always have been in
the same place.
We need to get rid of the mentality that
Satan just bounces off this invisible shield we have surrounding us because we
are Christians. Another cause for stumbling is being told "Don't give the enemy
too much attention", yet this mentality can lead to a lack of alertness in our
lives. We are told to be alert and be of sober mind (1 Peter 5:8) and Ephesians
6 tells us to put on the full armor of
God so we can demolish the enemy's schemes against us.
How Can Christians Respond to Demonic Influence?
