You will never understand prayer until you understand that life is war. John Piper
A little warning… after reading this, you might think I’m crazy.
Spiritual Warfare.
A perhaps Christianese, cliche term, that we “non-Pentecostals” use for fighting against fleshly desires or knowing that in some distant cosmic battle, God wins and Satan loses. Once people start talking about angels and demons in our daily life, they begin to sound like a looney toon. The World Race has a way of shaking our paradigms and preconceived notions about God and theology, and for someone with a Bachelor of Science in Bible, that is SCARY. I’m supposed to have all the answers, right? Wrong.
God is so much bigger than I could imagine. And spiritual warfare is way more real than I am currently comfortable with.
In Ecuador, we lived in a village in the mountains known world-wide for its Shamanism and witchcraft. There was an entire week that I didn’t sleep because I was so aware of the devil’s schemes and I allowed it to rule my life through fear. It. Creeped. Me. Out. We were literally the first missionaries ever in that village, and somebody sure wasn’t happy about it.
Now, in Albania, we are again literally some of the first missionaries to ever set foot in the country. This country is void of the Word of God and the presence of His people. It is ruled by dark forces and principalities (oh my word, I seriously sound like a nutcase right now, stick with me.)
This place is dark.
Our two teams that live here in Vlore have definitely felt the effects of this. Everyone has, at one point or another, been in a funk, felt depressed for no reason, felt physical heaviness, cried, been angry, let lies seep in to their thoughts and not believe truth about themselves, had awful nightmares, gone nights without sleep, felt extreme darkness and heaviness with certain people or places, had more things than usual go wrong back home, etc. After about a week, it really began to get old. We have the power of the Lord, so demonic forces can only go so far, but it was like they took hold of our joy and our passion in order to destroy our ministry. (For you Harry Potter fans, think Dementors.)
We had no idea what was going on, because we couldn’t get out of our “funks.” An opportunity arose for us to go to Italy for two days for super cheap, and we obviously jumped at the chance. After a ferry ride across the Adriatic, we seriously felt a weight lifted off our shoulders and we were able to think, process, and pray. We had our share of pizza, gelato, castles, and cathedrals as well, but we were able to evaluate what was happening back in Albania. (I’ll post pictures of our little adventure soon.)
We as a team have made a commitment to begin each day in prayer, before many of us get out of our beds. At 9am every day, our team prays through the armor of God, asks God to bless the day, prays for our eyes to be opened to the war that is being waged around us, and give us strength to fight.
He’s opened our eyes and hearts to angels, guys, angels. He is here protecting us. Once you experience this, you no longer feel like a nutcase. (Okay, maybe a little, haha, but it’s kinda cool too.) Angels are real. Demons are real. There really is a war going on that is not of flesh and blood. And we, as followers of Jesus Christ, are equipped to fight that battle.
Ephesians 6:10-20 talks about the armor of God. The belt of truth, the shield of faith, all that good stuff. One thing our team has learned is that the Sword of the Spirit (which is the Word of God, the Bible), is the only offensive weapon mentioned in that “armor.” Therefore, we have committed to spending extra time in the Word, praying through the Word, and declaring the promises that we have been given in it over Vlore and Albania. ie…
*Our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against rulers and principalities.
*Nothing, angels or demons, darkness and principalities, can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord.
etc.
Lyrics from A Mighty Fortress is our God have also been made real in our lives.
A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;
Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.
Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing;
Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing:
Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth, His Name, from age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.
And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us:
The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.
That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him Who with us sideth:
Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;
The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still,
His kingdom is forever.
Satan is going down. That’s all there is to it. And not just in some distant, cosmic, battle. He will not win this month. He will not be able to stop God’s work in Albania. God has given me authority and power as His daughter, and I declare that Satan and his demons have absolutely no place here. They are to be gone in the Name of Jesus, the Name that is above every other Name, and through the saving work of His blood. Jesus is here, Jesus is real, and there’s a battle going on in our world right now.
A CALL TO OUR PRAYER WARRIORS:
Pray for our team:
Linsey
Amanda
Natalie
Samantha
Karaline
Jessica
and me.
Pray for our other team here:
Jamos
Emily
Jeff
Amanda
Olivia
Allison
and Lindsey.
HERE IS OUR PRAYER:
We will never understand prayer until we understand that life is WAR. -John Piper
1 Peter 5:8-11 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
Stephanie,
I love these two words “but” & “God”. “But” the “God” of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
Psa 46:10-11 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
Stephanie,
You and your team members have taken on the country of Albania for the glory of the Lord and He will prevail in total POWER!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Heb. 4:12-16
The prayers of His saints lifting each other to Him for daily strength and protection can only result in His will being performed to His utter pleasure. Rev. 4:11
Your words are so true, never sounding ‘crazy’ or otherwise.
The forces of evil are real but our LORD IS CREATOR AND TRIUMPHANT!!!!!!!!!!! Col. 1:16-17 Rev. 20:10
God gives us the wisdom, strength, and finesse to face the dailiness of life and all that entails. IISam. 22:31-34
Many thanks for your heartfelt transmission about real life in Albania. May the Lord be lifted high!!!!!!!!!!!
Steph,
I have been in those places. Even in the US we have ‘those serious battles’. In poorer contries you catch those ‘little glimpses of God’, but one of Satan’s HUGE tools is affluence and ‘things’, education, all those things that cause us to be ‘self sufficient’…one of Satan’s big lies…we don’t NEED Christ in our lives. Years ago when I lived up North, they built a Playboy Club, the local Christian community prayed against it, but they got in (though the prayers worked in the long run as it closed!!), and when ever I had to ride to or through Vernon ou could feel the darkness and oppression. It was sad to see that even ‘Christian’ entertainers performed there, and Satan duped an aquaintance to become a ‘Bunny’ so she could witness for Christ there, though she admitted later, very little witness actually occurred. It’s hard and my prayers are with you, that funk, depression, whatever you call it is real and folks do not call it what it really is which is an ATTACK FROM OUR ENEMY!!! We need it prayed out and recognized for what it is. You are in a battle and we WILL stand in the gap for you!
Love AND prayers, Susan
Steph,
I guess you could call this a post script to my previous comment….remember:
J
CHRIST WINS E
JESUSISLORD!!
U
S
I
S
L
O
R
D Satan loses!Love, SueMac
Stephanie, I am humbled by your strength in our Lord, to serve Him and trust Him where He has placed you and the race teams. I now have all of your names written down and will keep you all in my prayers. Omnipotent is faithful and will never leave you or forsake you. To Him be all the glory!
Love, Peg
Stephanie,
Thanks for this update and a intimate look at what your experiencing and what you need.
Know that I will be fervently praying for you and your teammates as you continue to do God’s work in this dark place. I also Praise God for your trip out of the country which allowed your eyes to be open to what was happening; therby giving you the wisdom you need to continue.
Scott Smith’s prayer was right on….
So very Amen we pray, in Jesus’ exalted and triumphant name.
Love in His Service,
Traci