Years ago, I read a book called The Bondage Breaker by Neil Anderson. In the book, Neil says of spiritual warfare, “If you’re a Christian, you’re a target. If you’re in ministry, you’re a bull’s eye.” That statement struck me hard and has always stayed with me.
The Bible warns us, too. First Peter 5:8 says, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” Later, verse 9 goes on to say, “Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are.”
So we are encouraged to “stay alert” and “watch out.” We’re also told to “stand firm” and “be strong.” We’re also reminded that Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are fighting this same battle with a very real enemy.
It’s important to keep this perspective as you go throughout your ministry career. You have an enemy – a shrewd, crafty, and tricky, deceitful enemy that will do whatever it takes to frustrate you, discourage you, make you afraid, see you stumble, and fall into sin, and if he were allowed to – he’d kill you. This should sober you up and behoove you to put on your spiritual armor. (Ephesians 6:13-17)
How do you serve, lead, and minister with this reality going on all around you? I’ve blogged before about the supernatural aspect of our faith. We serve a God that was raised from the dead and believe in angels and demons and a real devil. I pray over our house every night before going to sleep. I ask God to let his angels stand guard over our home and protect us from evil.
What about you? How does the reality that you have an enemy affect your life and ministry? Do you think about this at all? Do you intentionally put on your spiritual armor?
