Each week we’ll be writing about different ways that we, as leaders, can effectively
be examples to our students, and we’ll discuss different topics to talk over with our
students. These topics range from relationships to being active in a small group. All of
these topics are nuggets every leader can apply to his or her life. It’s our hope that you’ll
check back to see what next week’s topic is, and that you can apply what we’ve learned
in your own life as a fellow volunteer youth worker.
“I will confirm my covenant with you and your descendants after you, from generation
to generation. This is the everlasting covenant: I will always be your God and the God
of your descendants after you.” Genesis 17:7
Today’s blog topic is: Spiritual warfare and student ministry
Spiritual warfare can sabotage your ministry and you, often times without you even
realizing it’s happening. Satan does not like it when you grow closer to God and trust
God for all of your problems and issues. He hates it that you are bringing students
closer to God and finding eternal Salvation in Jesus Christ. When you are volunteering
your time in youth ministry, you know you are doing God’s will. In fact, you’re in the
center of doing God’s will, but that doesn’t mean you won’t have problems in your life.
Satan will use everything in his power to make you feel useless, like a failure, and
that you’re wasting your time in student ministry. Steven and Matt offer tips to combat
spiritual warfare and how to recognize when it’s happening to you.
Steven: Very recently I feel like I’ve been subject to this topic in a big way. There have
been little things lately that seem to be bringing me down, and normally things like that
wouldn’t bug me. Just last week I ran into a problem that hit me at my core, due to the
fact that it directly affected not only one of my current students, but one that I watched
grow up in our ministry for two years. They got into a little bit of trouble at church, and
the situation wasn’t exactly handled the right way. Ultimately that led them to swear off
coming to church for a while. Even though I know it was a heat of the moment situation,
I still feel like I’ve experienced a huge setback in getting these guys on the right path. It
put me into such a funk that I couldn’t shake it for a couple of days.
When I finally took a step back, I realized that it was spiritual warfare. The small group
of guys that I co-lead is off to an amazing start this year. I feel closer to God than I
ever have before. I’m on a completely different path than I ever intended, and I fully
feel God’s hand in it. All of these have put me on such a spiritual high that it was only a
matter of time until Satan got fed up and started fighting back. Unfortunately in the heat
of the moment, I let him get to me, and if I let something like that happen to me, I know
it happens to youth workers all over. We have to keep this idea in mind: the closer we
are to God, the more Satan wants to fight back. As long as we keep that in mind from
the get-go, we can be prepared for the times when he brings on the fight.
Matt: As strong as I feel in my walk with God, there are times when I feel like I’m
not making a difference. I miss the big picture, I forget that maybe God just has
me “planting a seed” in a student’s mind at this time, and that seed will blossom later
on God’s time table not mine. I have been discouraged a couple of times to the point
of thinking to myself, “I made a mistake, student ministry is not for me”. I’m blessed to
have people in my life to tell me I’m wrong, point out all the successes I’ve had and
remind me that what I’m going through is Satan working mind games in my head. One
night I was so discouraged and felt like everything I had worked on had failed. Steven
recognized what was going on with me, and had text me Bible verses and words of
encouragement. In a matter of seconds, I was saying to myself, “I’m not letting Satan
win this battle. My ministry is too important for that.”
Because of the hurt in my life when I was younger, I think I’m more susceptible to
Satan’s head games. I really need to “auto correct” when that happens to me, and
generally I need someone to point it out to me, although I’m getting better at recognizing
when it’s happening. If you don’t have someone in your life that can help you with this,
find someone, and do it now.
I have to remind myself that if I let Satan take me out of the game, then the soul of a
student is at risk. I’ve opened myself up to let God use me and my talents for student
ministry. I can’t let Satan close me off to that. Once it’s pointed out to me, I start thinking
of the successes I’ve had, the students I’ve worked with who have now become leaders,
the students who were battling addictions, and have won that battle, the students that
have accepted Christ into their lives and now have a past that is forgiven and an afterlife
in heaven. I remember that what I am doing now will affect students for generations to
come.
