DIVINE MEMORABILIA  



Sing your Battle Cry


By Catiana Nak Kheiyn



Spiritual warfare is a very real yet invisible conflict that goes on around us every moment of every day. Demons are not responsible for every bad thing that happens (let's take a little responsibility for our own spiritual clumsiness), but there is definitely a fight taking place for our attention, love, and effectiveness for God. The enemy will do whatever it takes to draw our fascinations away from our Heavenly Father and toward the shininess the world offers—or anything other than God for that matter.

The apostle Paul says in Ephesians 6:10-12, "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

He goes on to explain this "armor of God" with which we can protect ourselves from the enemy (Ephesians 6:13-18). These poetic metaphors are all beautiful and sound divine, but how do we actually put them on? Obviously, there is no Armory of God store we can visit to fill up our carts and equip ourselves for a fight. No, this battle is not one we can witness with the naked eye. An intangible fight calls for intangible armor. Still, how do we get ourselves armed?

Certainly many wise theologians have pondered Paul's list in Ephesians 6 and given their own 10-step methods to attain the armor of God. Or the five things you must do to be prepared for spiritual battles. Or the bestseller that gives you a description of all the ways the demons can get you. I'm not the author of any of those books, and I am not about to say that fighting against the powers of darkness is at all as easy as 1-2-3. But I also don't believe God's armor is so difficult to attain nor is the battle all that complicated.

Spiritual warfare happens primarily in our minds; as Satan whispers his lies, we are faced with the decision to either listen or ignore. The battle is fought when we choose not to listen to his lies, but rather to God's truth. If we listen, then Satan wins, and we take that lie into our lives. That battle is lost. Simple as that.

While there are many ways we can arm ourselves for this fight, I'm going to focus on one practical method that has so much power, it can stop a war dead in its tracks. It's a method I both enjoy and happily employ as much as possible: worship.

Worship can be one of our most powerful weapons against spiritual warfare. In 2 Chronicles 20, there is a story about Jehoshaphat, a king of Judah. He was facing an invasion and asked God for direction on the situation. You know what God told him to do to fight these enemies? Nothing. He said they would not have to fight (v. 17). So how did Jehoshaphat respond? He put not soldiers but worship singers on the front line!
"Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, 'Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.' After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying:

'Give thanks to the Lord,
for his love endures forever.'

As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated."
—2 Chronicles 20:20-22
Did you get that? Their songs of worship destroyed the attacking armies while God fought the battle! If the worship of God can bring down physical enemies, why not use worship against our spiritual enemies?

I have an internet radio station that has a lot of Nicole Nordeman, Chris Rice, and other Christian artists programmed into it. It's a great playlist for the mornings when I am home alone, when I'm making dinner, or any time my mind might otherwise wander. Even if I'm not listening to every word, the music is oddly soothing and calming. Just hearing snatches of phrases that remind me about God, His character, and how He works in our lives helps keep Him at the forefront of my thoughts.

I'm not saying that these particular artists are necessarily approved by the official Lord's Army or will help guarantee success in any spiritual battle. Perhaps Skillet or Disciple are more your thing anyway. Whatever the case, as long as God's truth is being spoken, there will be power in those words. By surrounding yourself with God's light and truth (whether in music or written Scripture) and letting it soak into your soul, your mind will be charged with the power of God's protection. With all that spiritual armor swirling around you, you'll become a hard target to hit, and Satan will have a much tougher time whispering in your ears.



Photo Credits: Gareth Harper; Some rights reserved



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Published 8-21-13