Reality of our situation—challenging spiritual warfare

Do you ever feel like you are fighting a battle when you sit down to do your church communications?

If so, that is a realistic view of your situation because you really are fighting for the kingdom of God!

In this devotion/challenge I want to help you focus on God’s Word, the incredible calling you have to share God’s message of salvation, and to strengthen and encourage you.

Most importantly, I want remind us all that we are involved in spiritual warfare as we create communications that will help fully fulfill the Great Commission.

The reality of our situation—challenging spiritual warfare

And our key verse for it is: 

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. (Eph. 6:12-13)
Working for the Lord in church communications is hard.

The bottom-line reality is that we are in a war. And in any war, one of the first things the enemy tries is to knock out the communications equipment of their opponent. You aren't just "doing the bulletin" or some other isolated project. You are the communication center for spiritual warfare for your church. When you got into communications work for your church or ministry you entered one of the most intense areas of spiritual warfare raging today. Satan wants to knock you out.

Troubles with hardware, software, and co-workers are to be expected. Especially people problems should be no surprise because Satan is "the accuser of our brothers" (Rev. 12:10) and one of the easiest ways to cripple you in the battle is to get you fighting with your fellow soldiers. Don't let him win; don't take on his job.

Remember also that you are in a war that has already been won. When Jesus died on the cross, he said, "It is finished!" When he rose from the grave, he conquered sin and death.

Because of Jesus' finished work, our battle resembles the fighting of the resistance fighters in France at the end of  WW2. The allies landed on D-Day and basically, the war was over, but until Paris was liberated, the war wasn't over for the French Resistance. The resistance army still had to fight. If you study the history of the resistance, you find that one of their primary weapons was communications. "Freedom is coming—the war is over—hold on until the victors arrive!" That was their message and ours is the same.

We may be involved in spiritual warfare, but we don't have to fight alone. We can expect help for the battle. Our help never comes ultimately from new equipment, or a more peaceful work situation, or more considerate workers. Our help comes from our Lord and from doing our work according to his Word.

Learn to encourage yourself from the Word of God. If you don't train yourself to look at the battle you are in as spiritual warfare, if you don't draw your strength from Jesus, your job will be much more difficult than it should be.

God did not put you in your work to simply survive. Do your work with joy and passion, with your eyes on heaven and know that though the daily battles might be difficult, the war is over, victory is assured, and your King is coming.

*****
From:

Devotions for Church Communicators by Yvon Prehn

The link above will take you to amazon where you can get a copy of the book in print and Kindle formats.

There is now an online, eBook version retitled, Challenges for Church Communicators, available through the Effective Church Communications Library. CLICK HERE to go to it.