Spiritual Warfare

Spiritual Warfare- This term has come to mean more and more as the years pass. For most people working in the 'Christianized' parts of the world, these words are relocated to a very small box. Even growing up in a family that read many missionary stories, and learning from parents that had an holy appreciation for the subject, I have to admit I did not understand the extent to which spiritual warfare happens in our world.

I am not saying that we do not have our share of spiritual wickedness or warfare in the states, but in the United States everything is neatly labeled, classified, and swiped under the rug of modern society. Here in Africa, everything is raw. Just like our foods, or spiritual conflicts, have not been refined, repackaged, and made into bit sized, palatable pieces.

One of the thing that I have come to love about Africa is it natural, robust flavor. But, with this undiluted ascept comes the more intense forms of spiritual warfare. This is what the missionary comes to face. He needs to accept it as God presents it in the Bible.

God allows these conflicts to strengthen the brother, increase our faith, and allowed Christ to be glorified. But, if we do not take these times of conflict seriously, or on the other hand, make them larger than the power of God, then the war will be lost, and opportunities squandered.

The occasion of this writing has arisen from a few reminders that we have been given about the need for prayer and spiritual power in the work here.

As we arrived at the Bible study on Sunday, we where meet with the oppressive sounds that where coming from another meeting in our school building. The people at the other meeting had been saving money for a speaker system, and had purchased it this last week. (If the reader has the mental picture of a small radio and cd player in mind when he reads these words, he is greatly mistaken. Rather he should picture speakers that would be suited for a rock concert of 45,000 people, and these speakers being used for a small room with about 10 people). The affects were instantaneous. The sounds begin to reverberate off the ears, the hearts begins to palpitate, and the pulse quickens. The soul cries out in frustration, and warfare beginnings. I have been amazed with the reactions of the flesh at these times. The spirit of the whole compound in filled with the oppressive undulating music and noise.


In our six years since we have arrived in Africa we have learned to deal with these conflicts. The Christian has to pray, (many times asking God to allow the electricity to be cut, so the noise will stop), asking God to work despite the difficulty. I have learned that when a missionary enters a service with this kind of conflict raging, and he is weak spiritually, it is close to impossible to see any work for the Lord done.

So, we had to try to sing in the spirit over the noise, and preach very loud to be heard over the music. We are blessed that the people have not started to use this new system for their times of speaking in tongues. For a missionary in Africa, that knows the Lord, the times that people here 'speak in tongues', can be very oppressive. Tongues speaking sounds like a hum of a large bee hive, which is the mixed up sounds of mumbling, screaming, and groaning. Many times the hum is intermingled with loud roars of the most beastly nature. Many times when I have passed groups of tongues speakers, I have felt the hair on my flesh stand up. The spiritual presents is quite oppressive.

This is all stated for this reason. The missionary must face many spiritual conflicts, and prayer and faith are the only things that will lead to victory.


The other reminder that we received this week was from one our our new converts Dora. Dora was raised traditionally, and after coming to Christ, her family told her that her son would die from disease, because they had forsaken the gods. Dora's son's name is Amos, and he is about 7 years of age. She has be praying for him, and it seems as if the family has been pray to their gods against her son also.

In the last month every weekend Dora son has become seriously ill. He has been vomenting, having fevers and suffering from sicknesses. At first my wife and I supposed that he was suffer from the cold rainy season, as so many other children seem to do in June through August. But after our meeting with Dora, this last week, we believe it might be more. We do not seek to give satan more than he is do, but I know that the family is seeking every spiritual means possible to destroy Dora's testimony with her family. If he where to get sick and die, or if he stays sick and keeps Dora from church, then they win a great victory.

These battle for the faith, hearts, and minds of African people cannot be won with education and information. They must be won with prayer and His working in clear ways in each person's situation. So, please pray for Dora, and her son. Pray that God touches his body, and shows to everyone involved His love, and might! Also pray for the Sunday Bible that God will give liberty inspite of the oppresive attacks.

(Note- all the pictures in this blog are taken from a Baptist photographer's website- each is from Ghana- if the reader likes the photos, they can be purchased from his site at http://gallery.williamhaun.com/main.php)