Spiritual warfare

Spiritual warfare is not an everyday term for many; therefore, it is open to misunderstanding. This term sounds archaic and quaint to some; to others it conjures up images from science fiction. Practical folks are likely to say that a term loaded with so much confusion and ancient baggage has little value.

The discomfiture associated with this term should no longer be a deterrent. We may regard the theological disarray associated with the concept of spiritual warfare as a necessary challenge to our best efforts. Spiritual leaders must demythologize the term, for it is central to what we do.

Rationale

Perhaps we are too sophisticated now to need or even consider the idea of spiritual warfare. Or, perhaps it is simply no longer helpful in an era when, at least in first world countries, our spiritual metaphors come from science, health, and business. As spiritual leaders, are we limited to the concepts of other disciplines, or do we have a unique perspective to offer? And if we have a singular perspective, is it helpful? Is spiritual warfare in instructive metaphor? I ask you to bring your own best theological thinking to this subject, for I am not writing an apologetic here, but rather a reminder.

Spiritual warfare bears enormous implications as a metaphor and perspective on pastoral ministry and the mission of the church. If we take it seriously, this transforms our present emphasis on comfort and marketing to one of urgency, deadly danger, and high-stakes strategy. It is important to think carefully and prayerfully as we consider the spiritual warfare theme and recognize that it can no longer be dismissed as a relic of times gone by.

What is the justification for considering the concept of spiritual warfare? The answer emerges from contemporary realities. Given the increasing prevalence of violence, abuse, greed, lust, and apathy, the spiritual warfare theme seems appropriate. Given the reality that the world we assumed would grow better and better, is being terrorized through fomenting ill-will and vengeance, with no reliable relief in sight, the spiritual warfare theme seems appropriate. And given that all the scientific and technological discoveries that promise so much good are often subverted to destructive purposes, the spiritual warfare theme seems appropriate.

Of course, spiritual warfare is not the only metaphor the Bible uses to describe the struggle between good and evil. There are the agricultural model (good fruit, bad fruit); light and darkness as spiritual opposites; illness and health as spiritual consequences; competition as good and evil compete, and the two kingdoms of Christ and Satan. Each of these provides insights for understanding our spiritual-mystical conditions.

Yet, the dynamic concept of spiritual warfare yields a continuous reminder that there is a universal struggle between good and evil, which necessarily involves the earth and human beings. The conflict takes place around us and within us. We can choose our allegiance, but we do not determine the universal outcome. The victory of God is ensured, but important battles continue to be fought. And, most significant for our present involvement, good and evil and their contending take new and contemporary forms, just as military weaponry and strategy continue to change. So our contemporary involvement in this warfare takes place in families and institutions, and within us as we make daily choices.

Contemporary spiritual warfare

When we accept the spiritual warfare concept as a way of understanding the mission of the church, its interpersonal interactions, and our personal spiritual experiences, we must translate this concept into contemporary experience. As we do this, we must not limit ourselves to ancient superstitions or even to the realities of the "spirit world." In many situations today it is more useful to understand evil in its con temporary incarnations. For just as Jesus incarnated God, and we as disciples try to incarnate righteousness, so unrepentant sinners and institutions incarnate evil and sin.

Institutional evil in our day is typically incarnated (embodied, revealed) as racism, sexism, economic injustice, and such. Individual evil tends to be incarnated in persons who engage in and condone abuse, violence, greed, tyranny, and so forth. It is disheartening to see the enormous incarnations and influences of evil in our world, our communities, and within ourselves. It seems these battles should have been won by now. Human awareness and social morality should have freed us from the tyranny of evil, and we should have matured mentally and spiritually to a state of higher righteousness than we observe in others and ourselves. So the warfare continues---ready or not. And when we cease our vigilance or become tolerant of evil, it wins the battles again.

We dare not ignore the spiritual warfare perspective. When we ignore the spiritual dynamics of evil we also tend to ignore the power of God, which is our best resource for fighting evil. Then we are mystified as evil prevails over our best human tactics.

An example of spiritual warfare in the church

An example of how faithful believers encounter and defeat evil in our churches may be instructive. The generic example is the military tactic we call terrorism, which is now a tactic of choice among both the oppressed and the evil persons who do the oppressing. As we know, when victims and survivors of injustice and abuse decide to fight for justice, they can choose violent or nonviolent means. Both the secular courts and Christian morality tend to judge violent responses as illegal or sinful, perhaps even evil. (Note: Sin here refers to occasional or inadvertent violations of God's purposes, while evil refers to the spiritual kingdom that opposes God and with which unrepentant persons ally themselves.) There are, however, groups and individuals who use terrorism in mistaken or intentional defiance of law, morality, and civility, not only to redress perceived wrongs but to intimidate for self-aggrandizement.

In the church, terrorists may be called "clergy killers." Clergy killers are people who intentionally target pastors for serious injury or destruction. We must distinguish them from "normal" persons who disagree with the pastor, inadvertently injure her or him, have an "attitude" problem, or oppose some pastoral project or issue. Clergy killers are destructive to both the pastor and the congregation. They tend to be determined and deceitful. Spiritual leaders become symbols and scapegoats for the internal pain and confusion they feel. They foment from unusual, reactive, and pernicious motivations. They are subtle and artful in the application of their tactics. Because of this they are often supported or go unnoticed for what they are in fact. In the context of our discussion they are evil and should be recognized as such, so that we can deal with them more effectively. Clergy killers mimic their infamous counterparts outside the church. Just as the dramatic increase and boldness of terrorists worldwide have caught governments, armies, and individuals unprepared to cope with them effectively, so clergy killers in organized religion have caught spiritual leaders and parishioners off-guard.

Though the military-warfare analogy is uncomfortable for many and seems to violate legitimate crusades for peace, it can be instructive for helping us understand the wake-up call international terrorism is giving to governments, and the spiritual terrorists we are calling clergy killers are giving the church. Both are saying something is wrong, and that the struggle between good and evil is the context. Ignoring or underestimating the warfare simply hands victory to the enemy.

Examples in the media

Not all spiritual warfare is dramatic, traumatic abuse and violence. Much of it now is subtle, such as is seen in ideological contests, economic power struggles, and manipulative advertising. However, the stakes are high and long-term consequences may be deadly.

Media communication is another example. The enemy is not easy to identify. In fact, sometimes the enemy and victim are we who use and consume media indiscriminately. When we look at media it doesn't look like an army, and it doesn't seem to be trying to harm us. But some of the values promoted through TV, radio, the "Net", and print media can literally shape our lives for good or ill, whether we are aware of this or not.

Since the development of written and spoken language about 3,500 year ago, humankind has been learning the skills of communicating ideas, needs, and feelings. Much human behavior is a result of such ideation, and behavior is a consequence we must all live with. Therefore, mind manipulation or control is a hot contest for those who would influence behavior. Human ideation is composed of beliefs and perceived consequences of behavior, and we can choose which will govern our behavior. Each of us devise our lifestyles by choosing one or the other, or both.

Media are a phenomenon of our communication and information age. What we experience in the media doesn't just happen. Behind the scenes there is always purpose good, nefarious, and relatively neutral. It is obvious, then, that media control is a likely setting for spiritual warfare who will control media, and thereby human behavior. But for what purpose? Values are a byproduct of such control. Will our values be formulated by beliefs or consequences? This is a significant and complicated battlefield of spiritual warfare.

We should remember that the media and their communications may be good, bad, or a mixture. We have all enjoyed their benefits. Now we must learn to help manage this complicated and enormously influential gift of public communication, for there are high stakes and eternal consequences in such management. That is why it can be called spiritual warfare.

The church and our nation need their best input for this awesome task of managing media in a democracy. As with other democratic institutions, each citizen and parishioner shares the responsibility to hold media accountable, and to help them be their best. It follows, of course, that sincere and disciplined believers monitor other social institutions as well. Spiritual leaders have a complicated responsibility to help lead the way in sorting out good from evil when it is not obvious which is which. Democracy needs us to do this without violating basic rights.

Parameters of spiritual warfare

By now we are recognizing that the spiritual warfare perspective raises questions important for the wise consideration of such a profound phenomenon. I encourage readers to think with me lest we become self-serving. I believe God's Holy Spirit is leading us into extraordinary insights and changes for a new era of understanding spirituality, much like the changes recorded in the book of Acts, or in the Reformation. This means we must be willing to think new thoughts. That requires our disciplined faithfulness to the God who said, "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts" (Isa. 55:9). In spiritual warfare terms we are fighting new battles, with new weapons and strategies, while the enemy does the same.

Personal and social questions about spiritual warfare arise as we wonder why we have to suffer the consequences of God and Satan in conflict, or why our world is so contaminated with pain and struggle, or why my heart and mind, my family, my church can become such raging battlefields. Who is really the enemy, and what really is right and wrong, or are these outmoded terms? What is a realistic yet necessary role for clergy in contemporary spiritual warfare?

For answers, we will keep coming back to the mysteries of God, creation, and human history. We will recognize the harsh realities of warfare---casualties, collateral damage, and human vulnerabilities. And our faith will be anchored in the understanding that when we ally ourselves with God, we share God's victory (Rom. 8:31). Even in war, however, there are periods of peace, and times for love and enjoyment of life. Yet, constant vigilance is the price for such shalom.

The whole idea of warfare in the realm of the Spirit is mysterious. For several generations, since psychology and science became our adjunct "bibles," sin and evil came to be regarded as nothing more than mental illness and personality disorders, or normal human failures. All are to be remedied, of course, by psychotherapy, medication, or scientific research the same mistake theology made and makes when it purports to define spiritual mysteries exactly. Curiously enough, it is psychiatrists who are pointing us back to traditional concepts such as sin, evil, salvation, healing, hope, and caring: Victor Frankl, Paul Tournier, Eric Fromm, Karl Menninger, Gerald May, Scott Peck, Herbert Benson, Larry Dossey, Dale Matthews, and others. While we are sometimes hesitant to discuss sin-evil-spiritual-warfare healing, they do so with confidence. There's a message in that for all of us.

The authors just listed speak about spirituality in insightful ways. The following books have been helpful to me in exploring the spiritual warfare motif specifically, and may prove useful to you as well.

Naming the Powers. Walter Wink (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1984).

Unmasking the Powers, Walter Wink (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1986).

Engaging the Powers, Walter Wink (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1992).

Good & Evil, Edward Parley (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1990).

Power Encounters, David Powlison (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1995).

The People of the lie, M. Scott Peck (New York: Simon & Schuster, Inc., 1983).

The Death of Satan, Andrew Delbanco (New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1995).

A History of God, Karen Armstrong (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1993).

There seems to be more excitement in the church about exploring spiritual issues again, for our whole society is expressing deep spiritual yearnings. God and evil are central factors, so is spiritual warfare. Spiritual leaders of the ultra-conservative persuasion have owned the spiritual warfare discussion for years. Perhaps it is time for all of us to share responsibility for exploring this useful metaphor, and putting it in its realistic place with the other Bible metaphors.