Discern + Engage

Know Your Enemy, focuses on the big picture. Study Scripture and you realize spiritual warfare goes beyond engaging demonic personalities-the battle has cosmic, cultural, Church, and personal fronts. The parameters of spiritual warfare are as wide as the conflict of kingdoms: Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints of light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Spiritual warfare includes confronting world forces that oppose Christ and his gospel, contending for the faith against heretical teachers, as well as our battle against indwelling sin. This unseen contest is woven into every aspect of the Christian life. War is not everything, but war is a part of everything. A believer is always a soldier of the cross. We must always stand on guard. Our weapons must always be honed and ready. If we widen our perspective to survey the cosmic arena of spiritual warfare, our awareness of the greater conflict of kingdoms can propel us to take a united stand against the enemy. Our battle is army against army. Our objective is to revive the church and renew the culture. When we unite to defend and engage the church and world, we quickly recover the purpose and power of prayer.

In part two of this book: Critical Fronts to Take a Stand, it equips us to discern and withstand the world forces that tempt and torment believers everywhere. Woe the world for temptations to sin. We will spend time studying the apocalyptic dimensions of our conflict. This eschatological (end times) dimension of spiritual warfare is often-and catastrophically- neglected. Christians need to discern the present times in relation to the Lord's imminent return to prepare for each new phase of the enemy's strategy. Where there is no prophetic vision, the people perish. The apostles teach that the last days will be accompanied by the intensification of Satan's activity: the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short. The return of the Lord corresponds to the increasing activity of Satan and his armies. The note of urgency inspires every believer. Lift your heads, because your redemption draws nigh.

In the last part of this book: Engage for Conquest, we study the front line of spiritual battle. Wherever the gospel is faithfully proclaimed is the frontline of spiritual warfare. When the apostles enter a new field, they preach to the city. As they evangelize, Paul tells us that they are making Christ known to unseen hosts. Public evangelism destroys strongholds, upsets, uproots and overturns the existing order. Missionary work, specifically evangelism, always brings persecution by the world. Premeditated attacks against the church and the gospel are Satanic in origin. Believers living under persecuting powers are in a constant battle against the hosts of wickedness. Where there are laws forbidding public worship, believers endure interrogation, imprisonment and other forms of abuse and violence. This is concrete evidence of an alliance of seen and unseen powers. We will argue that the onslaught of evil against Christians is just as real in the West, though less overtly coercive or violent. Economic opportunity and prosperity blind us to unseen realities. We confuse the free market with spiritual freedom. Throughout this book, and each chapter, we will focus on the importance of prayer as the all-purpose instrument of our warfare and chief weapon in our arsenal defending or advancing against the enemy. Having prayed, we will have done that which is essential. As Calvin wrote, "The principal work of the Spirit is faith, the principal exercise of faith is Prayer." Whomever has prayed well has fought well.