WORSHIP AND SPIRITUAL WARFARE

Copyright 1997 Timothy D. Barber.  Used by permission.

There is a growing emphasis in these days on doing spiritual warfare through worship. As God pours out more and more of His Spirit upon the Church, and the Church and world are shaken with increasing intensity, this is an area where we are going to have to be wise, because the potential exists for both abuse and ineffectiveness. Much (by no means all) of what is currently being expressed in this area in the Body of Christ falls short of the mark. Mindless militarism and "macho" posturing are not what is needed to come against the enemy effectively. A body builder spends a lot of time flexing his muscles, but it doesnt necessarily mean that he knows how to fight.

Is There a Battle?

Scriptural military terminology and analogies, as well as our own experiences, show that there is indeed a battle going on.

II Cor. 10: 3-4...for we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but they are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds...

I Tim. 1: 18...according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare...

Eph. 6: 10-18 ...put on the full armor of God...

Gods plan for mankind has always been the formation of a pure and spotless Bride, a beautiful companion for Himself, made in His image and sharing His glory. To that end, He, in His infinite wisdom, has allowed evil forces in His universe. They are at work, not because He cannot prevent it from being so, but rather because they are one tool which He chooses to use in the shaping of His overcoming Church. To be overcomers we must have something to overcome. Strength is built by working against resistance. God allows this resistance in our lives that we might be formed into the image of Christ. God knew all along, before man or Satan was created, every pain, every injustice that would result. He knew that the Son (the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world [Rev. 13:8]) would have to die on the Cross to release unto us His resurrection life. He knew that the Church would suffer persecution and death. He saw it all and still knew that the prize was worth the price. The price God paid was not just the suffering of Jesus, but His pain as He sees all the suffering of mankind due to sin and evil. But He knew there was no other way to bring forth the pure, victorious Bride. The enemy is allowed to make war on the saints that they might learn to choose good and not evil. His Bride is being brought to strength and maturity by learning to face the warfare and overcome it. At the proper time, all evil will be gathered up and destroyed, Satan will be cast down, and the overcoming Bride will share eternity with her King.