6 Steps to Discern When It’s Spiritual Warfare, and When It’s Just Life
WELCOME to Issue #214 of The Seedhead from Alex and Hannah at Dandelion Resourcing - a weekly confidence booster to help you step into naturally supernatural discipleship and mission!
Life can throw unexpected challenges our way.
Children fall ill, deals fall through, and tires fall flat.
As Christians we’re supposed to ponder, is that just happenstance (what some refer to as ‘Murphy’s Law’), or is that spiritual warfare?
Murphy’s Law suggests that ‘anything that can go wrong will go wrong’. But when we face conflicts, like those arguments that flare up driving to church service, are they simply everyday annoyances, or could they be signs of spiritual warfare - or perhaps a mix of both?
While some people see a demon lurking around every corner, this can often be an overreaction. It risks manipulating others, justifying poor behavior, or even becoming a fear tactic to maintain control. Other times it simply comes across as a bit bonkers!
Do we inadvertently give satan more credit than he is due? Can’t some issues simply be attributed to wear and tear, poor habits, or just not mastering the art of parallel parking?
The Bible says we will all go through challenging times. For instance, Jesus in John 16:33, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
However, it’s equally important to recognize that spiritual realities can play a significant role in our lives. Spiritual warfare is indeed real, and we are in the midst of an ongoing battle. Ephesians 6 provides insight into how the devil and the spiritual forces of evil work and how we are to fight.
So, how can we discern what’s really happening in the situations we face? Understanding the balance between everyday struggles and potential spiritual battles is very necessary in navigating life’s complexities.
This is where using the spiritual gift of discernment is critical. Don’t forget: you can ask God to give you His supernatural discernment at any time! That’s the sort of prayer He LOVES to answer!
To discern the cause:
Pray
Start by asking God to reveal what’s happening. Sometimes the Lord will show you quite quickly, and at other times it will be much more of a delayed answer or a process. If you’re not sure what He is saying, continue with the last instructions He gave you until you receive a new one.
Look for patterns
Notice if negative events keep recurring, like multiple car accidents (beyond just poor driving), a similar illness affecting members of the same family, or the start of a headache every time you sit down to read the Bible and pray. These patterns can indicate possible enemy involvement.
Discernment
You may have this gift and ‘know’ that something is spiritual in nature. Or things might just seem ‘off’ or feel sinister. Do you have a ‘weird icky’ feeling? When this happened to a friend of ours she commented, “It occurred to me in my spirit that this was spiritual warfare”. Trust those instincts and bring them to Jesus.
Talk to others
See if someone else with the gift of discernment senses anything unusual. Ask for their perspective on whether you might be over- or under-spiritualizing the situation, and be open to their feedback.
Analyze your thoughts
The thoughts satan brings are marked by destruction, shame, and offense. We end up defeated, polluted, or in a negative place. Jesus never brings those things to us. Judge by the fruit!
Ask
Is this incident simply a result of living in a fallen world?
Next Steps
Bring to mind a recent challenge you have faced. Apply the six steps outlined above.
If you sense spiritual warfare at play, ask the Lord what you are to do. Bear in mind that sometimes all He wants you to do is hold your ground and/or turn to Him in worship.
LEARN MORE ABOUT SPIRITUAL WARFARE…
If this taster on proactive spiritual warfare intrigues you, then you’ll really benefit from our upcoming Seeding Session - A Field Guide to Spiritual Warfare!
We will be sharing proven, biblically grounded, and repeatable strategies for engaging in effective spiritual warfare. We’ll also give you a clear understanding of the nature of the battle, and how you can appropriately engage.
There will also be time for your questions, and to figure out how to apply what you learn locally.
As always, everyone who signs up will receive a full recording of the session, which you can share freely in your local church context.
The training will be on Tuesday October 15 at 12pm EST/ 9am PST, and costs $49, including for the recording.
Here’s the direct link to sign up, and here’s our page on Seeding Sessions.
We have an enemy - but we have a far greater and more powerful God. We should not be ignorant or fearful of this realm, because we need to know how to fight and take ground for King Jesus.
With love,
Alex + Hannah
ALEX AND HANNAH ABSALOM
P.S. If you’ve any questions on spiritual warfare, bring them to the Seeding Session on October 15 (or email them in advance!)
