Spiritual Warfare

Young American men were drafted to fight the communists in Vietnam from 1963 to 1974. They were typical lads who had been raised on television and came from a laid-back lifestyle. They were flown to Vietnam after going through basic training and receiving a little bit of specialized training. Shortly after stepping off the plane, they were shocked by the heat, humidity, and the realization that death could come at any time.

They quickly learned to the enemy that was all around them. If they were going to survive, it was necessary to evaluate the local population. The Vietnamese people working at the American bases as janitors, laborers, barbers, and waiters, would smile at them during the day, but at night, they were killing machines that sought to murder the people they served during the day. The American soldiers learned that the enemy was everywhere.

Walking patrol in the jungle was a nightmare. A nearly invisible wire running across a path would trigger an explosion that killed the man walking in front of you. There were booby traps everywhere in the villages. Coming around the bend of a trail in the jungle could lead the platoon into a deadly ambush that killed most of the men. The war in Vietnam was a horrible time that turned most of the men into nervous wrecks. Seven million Americans served in Vietnam. Each man had to serve one year before he was rotated back to the U.S. mainland.

Most people don’t know it but every human being is living in a combat zone. The earth is filled with demons and fallen angels control them from positions high above the surface of the earth. (Eph. 6:10-18) People who have not been born again are citizens in the Kingdom of Satan. They will do the bidding of the demons that possess them and guide their lives. A Christian removed from the kingdom of Satan the moment he is born again. He is sealed by the Holy Spirit, but in the process, becomes a target of Satan, who directs his fallen angels to unleash evil spirits on him.

Sadly, the average Christian pastor believes there is a Devil, but he was told in seminary that demons do not exist. Thus, believers are lulled into believing there are no problems once you are saved. They go through life and run into ambushes set up by evil spirits. They take no protective action because they are ignorant about spiritual warfare.

Christian leaders used to mock Christians who practiced spiritual warfare, claiming they were idiots (buffoons, imbeciles, morons, nitwits, fools) who saw demons behind every bush. It is incredible that Christians will acknowledge the existence of Satan, but fail to take into account evil spirits and demons when the Bible explicitly mentions their oppression of humanity. A large part of Jesus’ ministry was spent casting out demons. If you don’t believe me, read it for yourself in the four gospels.

Just like the American soldiers in Vietnam, it up to you to know your enemy. Logic would dictate that if Satan exists, so do fallen angels and demons. There is no love in the Kingdom of Satan, but there is unity in hating every Christian. There are consequences when you drop your guard. I would say there is a demon lurking behind every bush and he is looking for ways to destroy and put you in an early grave. The soldiers in Vietnam who were vigilant survived and came home. The ones that were careless returned home in body bags. How will you leave life?

From the Desk of John Torell
May 10, 2020