For we wanted to come to you (I, Paul, in fact tried again and again) but Satan thwarted us. -1 Thessalonians 2:18
I hear ministers talk about coming under spiritual attack, and how the enemy is so defeated that all they have to do is flick their little finger, and the devil has to just run away and flee!
That’s interesting, because I don’t see ANYTHING like that in the scripture. Where did our doctrines about spiritual warfare and the “authority of the believer” come from? Many of them are NOT found in the Bible.
Even though Paul was an apostle he did not easily escape the opposition of the devil. These things were real and he was not able to make them go away with just a flick of his finger!
Paul says that he wanted to come to the Thessalonian Church but Satan thwarted him time after time and prevented him from coming! Other translations use the words “hindered”, “obstructed”, “blocked”. The point being that there was strong opposition that prevented Paul from doing the thing that he wanted to do.
This is not to say that the enemy is stronger than the power of God in us.
The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. -1 John 4:4
But it does tell us that we should not engage in fanciful thinking when it comes to spiritual realities. Dealing with the enemy of our souls is not as simple as merely flicking our finger.
I think we also need to consider this verse from 1st John in context. Although what I quoted stands true on it’s own, it is not the verse in context.
In context, this verse is referring to false prophets who carry the spirit of antichrist. John is telling us that we overcome their deception by the Spirit of Truth who is in us.
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world… You, little children, are from God and have overcome them, because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. They are of the world. That is why they speak from the world’s perspective, and the world listens to them. -1 John 4:1, 4-5
John is actual addressing false teaching and false prophets in the church and not primarily speaking of the authority of the believer!
We could wish that spritual warfare is as simple as simply flicking our little finger to get rid of the devil, but the Apostle Paul actually tells us that spiritual warfare has more to do with “wrestling” than it does with sitting back in our easy chair, and flicking our finger, and telling the devil to depart.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. -Ephesians 6:12
Wrestling involves a struggle, something that’s brought out in other translations of this verse.
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers…
The charismatic notion that we can just speak a word, rebuke the devil, and the whole thing is over with is not found in Scripture!
While I’m at it, let’s also dispel the false notion that the Christian Life is supposed to be easy. It’s often suggested in the charismatic movement that prayer should be a matter of “declaring”, and that to keep praying demonstrates a lack of faith. This notion is absolutely false!
Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, so that you may stand mature and fully assured in the full will of God. -Colossians 4:12
True prayer often requires wrestling! In fact, real faith may be demonstrated by the fact that we continue to pray in the midst of struggle, and don’t give up, because we believe that God hears our prayers and wants us to offer our petitions before Him.
I’m certainly grateful for the times that God miraculously intervenes in an instant, but the normal course of the Christian Life requires wrestling!