Spiritual Warfare
Until recently, I felt like spiritual warfare was a way of over-spiritualizing experiences in life and the World. It felt like people would claim spiritual warfare for a flat tire or the things that occurred to make someone late for bible study. It felt hooky to me, but I knew there was truth to this idea of the enemy, at work against what God was trying to accomplish in my life.
Written by Naomi Brubaker
Until recently, I felt like spiritual warfare was a way of over-spiritualizing experiences in life and the World. It felt like people would claim spiritual warfare for a flat tire or the things that occurred to make someone late for bible study. It felt hooky to me, but I knew there was truth to this idea of the enemy, at work against what God was trying to accomplish in my life.
Early on in my time on church staff, some interpersonal conflicts began to impede the ministry work. There was an unresolved tension and no real reason for these conflicts. A wise friend/coworker gently guided me through the idea that the enemy was working in these places. That his goal was to derail our ministry efforts and the harder we worked for the good of God, the harder the enemy would attack. Until you feel these attacks first hand, it can feel like over-spiritualization of experiences of people giving power to the enemy for coincidences and inconveniences.
Having the knowledge and tools to fight this spiritual battle is critical to all believers. We are fighting a battle against an enemy, the bible makes that very clear. Ephesians 6:11-12 states: “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 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.”
I should not be surprised when experiencing these attacks or seeing others experiencing spiritual attacks. I believe worship is one of our battle weapons in the fight against the enemy. I find the words of worship music can drown out the lies of the enemy or send him running. There is a song that I love that I feel sums up the protection God has for us, the weapons we have and what we are fighting. The song by Upperroom “Surrounded” starts out by saying clearly that God has prepared us a table in the presence of our enemies, praise and thanksgiving are my weapons. It repeats over and over “When it looks like I’m surrounded, I’m surrounded by You.” The entire song feels like a defense to the attack of the enemy and it’s true, we are not alone in these battles, we are surrounded by the Spirit of God.
In learning more about what the enemy is trying to do in my life, directly in opposition to what God is trying to do, I felt ill equipped. Knowing the more I pursued God’s love for me and my family, the more the enemy would be aware of my weak spots and try to enter. My marriage, my kids, the ministry work I was doing, my friendships and more are all at risk for an opening to be seen by the enemy and to have him step in. It only takes a little space for the enemy to get into our minds. The hard part is then removing him from these spaces and places in our life. I am by no means an expert or even remotely equipped on this topic, but have come face to face with the enemy in my life.
Most recently, I remember a few months ago 2 very dark days filled with calculated spiritual attacks. My kids were impacted, husband, dog, my own well being and the enemy even terrorized my dreams. These two days were draining and difficult. I felt like my world was in a delicate balance and one more thing added to the day would send it into complete implosion. At the end of these exhausting days of what truly felt like a battle, I knew without a doubt that God ruled supreme over all. He is on his throne and in control.
We could see in the days leading up to this spiritual battle that tension was building. We began to put on the armor of God and prepare. We have a dedicated prayer team that we email out regular prayer requests to and we immediately sent an emergency prayer email giving the details of what was going on. Immediately people all over the US and world began praying for us. We guarded our hearts with truth and went into these challenges with immense peace, very little fear and a lot of unknown. How would our lives look different if we called on a group of believers more often to intentionally pray over our needs, our battles and our need for strength in these times. What would a challenging day, doctors appointments or IEP meeting feel like if all over the nation we were calling on each other to offer critical prayers on our behalf? I have to believe it would make a huge difference on the orientation of our hearts and potentially the forces at play in our lives.
Not every day necessitates this full on warfare, but every day has opportunities for the enemy to take hold of pieces of our life. Keeping close to the tools that will reorient our focus will guard against any effort of spiritual attack. Some ideas I have to combat ongoing, insidious attacks are playing and worship songs, praying out loud, establishing healthy, regular rhythms with God to remain in step with His will for my life and memorizing scripture. Being in a practice of pruning away the things in my own life that take away from God’s glory is also important. Once the enemy is in, it is difficult to get him out.
I know that the enemy will use any possible place to threaten the work of God in my life. Nothing is safe from him, unless under the protection of Christ. There is another worship song that my daughter and I love that we often turn on loud by Elevation Worship, “See a Victory” . The chorus goes, “Cause my God will never fail. No, My God will never fail. I’m gonna see a victory, I'm gonna see a victory…” It goes on repeating this truth, that we WILL see a victory because God never fails. His power is perfect and stronger than any demon or Satan. Be aware of the enemy’s schemes and be ready to support those who are impacted by his evil plans. I know my family will come under attack again and hope the body of believers will circle around us in offering a protective blanket of prayer. We will remain firm in the truth that God wins, always.
Written by Naomi Brubaker
Naomi is a mom of 3 girls ages 7, 5, and 2. Her oldest daughter is diagnosed with ADHD and a visual processing disorder. Her family lives in Richmond Virginia where Naomi leads the special needs ministry at their church. Her background in special education and ability to understand parents from her experiences with her daughter give her a unique perspective in her role at the church. Naomi loves to run, sew and take walks with her husband with any free time she has.
You Are Not Alone – Join a Group that “Gets It!”
A friend looked at me and said, “Your whole faith foundation is shaking, as if you have no firm ground to stand on, isn’t it?” Written by Sarah McGuire
A friend looked at me and said, “Your whole faith foundation is shaking, as if you have no firm ground to stand on, isn’t it?” She’s the only one who knew and I hadn’t told her. I was so fearful others would find out I was questioning God and the very building blocks of my faith in Him. I was so ashamed I had these questions and doubts. My relationship with God had been my entire life. It had shaped my education, life goals, and daily rhythms. And now, I didn’t know what was true anymore.
Oh, I knew the book answers. I had graduated top of my class with a B.A. in Bible/Theology and another with a M.A. in Biblical Counseling. I went to a good Bible-teaching church, but it wasn’t meeting me where I was at. It didn’t get to the practical daily life questions that had become my struggle in the two years since my son with additional needs had been born and my world had flipped upside down. I felt so alone. Alone with my questions. Big, deep, scary God-questions. Doubts. Fears. Struggles. Life circumstances with no apparent answers. No way out.
My friend promised to pray for me, no judgement, just loving concern. That’s the best response she could have given. My questions were so deep that quick, simple answers were not going to solve them. It’s been over ten years since that conversation. I spent many of those years wrestling with God. I’ve found the answers to my faith questions and my relationship with God is stronger and truer than it was before.
As my husband, Jonathan, and I have talked with other parents of kids with disabilities or special needs, we’ve learned that I was definitely not alone with my questions and struggles. Questions and struggles not only in relation to God, but also in relation to how to navigate this life as a parent with a child who has additional needs. But, who do we go to with our questions? Who do we go to for support on days when life is overwhelming and often others just don’t “get it”?
Hope Anew is launching an online community for parents of kids with disabilities or special needs. A laugh together, cry together, pray together community.
Some features of the community include:
Forums/Chat room
Subgroups for more specific areas of interest (residential care, adoption, etc)
Quarterly master classes
Soul Care events with sharing and prayer
Answers to questions that can’t be googled
Monthly themes related to parenting kids with additional needs
And more…
Come join us in the Hope Anew Online Community, where together we are building the most encouraging, real, hope-filled way for parents of children (of all ages) impacted by disabilities or special needs to engage with a group that “gets it!”
For more information go to www.HopeAnew.com. You can also find us on Facebook and can glean from others who have walked this path on the Hope Anew Disability Podcast.
Written by Sarah McGuire
