The Art of Spiritual Warfare Contributions by: Daniel Sheppard Christians are in a constant state of battle. A good soldier prepares himself and under- stands his enemy.
I n The Art of War , the ancient Chinese mil- itary strategist Sun Tzu wrote, “It is a mat- ter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected.” This quote, over 2,500 years old, still reso- nates today. Written in the 5th century BC, The Art of War served as the gold standard of military strategy in the East for over 1,500 years. Its enduring relevance lies in its straightforward style, psychological in - sights and practical military philosophy. Though originally intended for physical warfare, its principles are now applied by entrepreneurs, executives, educators and even sports coaches. But what does a book about warfare have to do with true Christians? While we don’t fight physical battles, we are engaged in spiritual warfare. And this ancient manual contains some interesting parallels that help God’s people understand how to approach warfare today. Satan constantly tests a Christian’s spir - itual armor searching for weaknesses to exploit—attempting to break through and defeat them. It is a matter of spiritual life and death. Ephesians 6 describes God’s spiritual ar- mor: the breastplate of righteousness, a waist girded with truth, feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
These are defenses everyone called of God must employ. Christians are to test them, strengthen them and become very familiar with each component as they grow in their relationship towards God. But armor alone is for protection. How does one fight back and defend them -
selves in this spiritual war? KNOWLEDGE IS POWER Sun Tzu also said:
“If you know the enemy and know your- self, you need not fear the result of a 100 battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained, you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.” This is part of the 18th and final Strategy of Attack proposed in The Art of War . Know - ing yourself and your enemy is key to sur - vival and obtaining victory. While we may know “who” the enemy is, we don’t always recognize “how”he attacks. Do we know the tactics our adversary uses? Do we understand the subtle ways he works? The person who cuts us off in traffic isn’t our enemy. Neither is the stranger who wrongs us and disappears from our lives. These are distractions or even attacks by proxy. Satan wants us to focus on people, not principles. If he can get us to blame and attack others,
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