Transcript
It is very clear that ministry is spiritual warfare. One of the ways Peter ends his first letter is by talking to leaders and he tells them to remember that the devil is a roaring lion seeking who he may devour. Spiritual warfare is not that weird thing that we often think it is, you know, demons and deliverance. Spiritual warfare is everyday normal life for a believer. I love the way Paul ends Ephesians 6. He says, "We don't wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers," and so we must arm ourselves for battle.
Peter Is Not Changing the Topic
Now, it's important to understand when he begins that topic, he's not changing the topic from everything he's talked about. He's saying all those practical things I've talked about -- marriage and family and communication and anger and the workplace, they're all spiritual war and so, you better arm yourself for battle.
It's naive to think that you're going to be a productive, godly leadership community and not be under attack. You'll be under attack. Sometimes, that attack is deeply personal and deeply discouraging. Sometimes, it's an attack on you corporately. Sometimes, it's subtle temptations that divert the heart of a leader. Sometimes, it's robbing you of your reputation.
Sometimes, it's horrible gossip, but you will be under attack because the enemy that does not want the work of God to thrive, does not want the church to grow, does not want God's kingdom to spread across this world. And so, we got to strategize for battle. We got to be ready for battle. We got to be people who wear our armor and are looking for the attacks against the good thing that God has called for us to do.
