Spiritual Warfare (Another Thing I learned at Seminary)

For some reason coming to seminary and "spiritual warfare" did not go together in my mind - or at least not to the extent I've felt and experienced it. I don't know why, but I think that I felt that there wouldn't be that much turbulence in that area. I was sadly mistaken.

I noticed it the first year at seminary - there were just times when I would feel really beat down, really oppressed, quite frankly. Sometimes it would go away on its own, but more often it would go away when I talked to someone and asked them to pray, or if I would pray myself (though praying about it myself was not as frequent as asking others for prayer).

My second year it increased - dating Magnus and being the student-body president I think had something to do with it. I learned to identify the warfare more specifically the second year - feeling oppressed, feeling like I could not change my feelings, and then (when prayer came in) feeling a "weight" leave. I also had a friend who was actively teaching and encouraging me to learn to wage warfare on my own - not that others are not vital to my growth, but she wanted me to also learn how to stand by myself (Eph. 6:11-18). I learned to speak my prayers, to rebuke the enemy out loud. It felt crazy and a little scary at first, but I was amazed that when I recognized Christ's lordship and power, the Holy Spirit's indwelling, and commanded the presence to leave that it did! The "weight" would go away and the peace of Christ would come and comfort me.

This third year I am still learning of warfare - I am still being attacked and seeking to identify them earlier so they do not lead to sin. I am learning to identify them in Magnus as well (he's seeking to identify when he's attacked, too). We're seeking to repent and walk in the power of the Spirit on a continual basis. This is hard. It is not a constant victory - I feel I have many setbacks and I feel the devil keeps trying to convince me that I'm not being attacked, that he's not real. So I'm learning to see the subtlety of his deception.

I'm just so thankful that in Christ I'm a conqueror, in Christ I have victory, and in Christ I am secure. In Christ Christians have power over all the evil forces - what sweet assurance and security can be found in Christ.