Dr. David R. Mains has spent a lifetime reading and thinking about revival. Each week for the 52 weeks of 2007 let him lead you in a study that includes a short but potent article, action steps, and related Bible passages for further reflection. This free service is provided for all pastors who share his passion.

REVIVAL CORNER
WEEK #11 (Mar 9-15, 2008)

Prepare for Battle

    What would a movie with a title like The Battle of the Superpowers be about?  It might be a movie with a sports theme, a war flick or a science-fiction thriller about an invasion from outer space.  Although improbable, it could even be a documentary about revival in the church!

  It would be naïve to think that revival falls outside the context of intense spiritual warfare.  When a church begins to awaken spiritually, Satan counterattacks, and a battle rages.  As exciting as revival is, it is not heaven; the enemy is still engaged in battle against us.  More churches split during periods of revival than at any other time.  That’s because these are hardly occasions during which Satan rolls over and plays dead.  A revived church needs to be wise about spiritual warfare and to expect enemy counterattacks.  Intense spiritual warfare is the eighth characteristic of a church experiencing revival.

    This can be very difficult for the believers in the church because, just as actual battlefields are extremely confusing places, spiritual battlefields are as well.  Charles Spurgeon, the great London preacher, prayed for revival in these words:  “God, send us a season of glorious disorder.”  Disorder is a good description for what times of revival can be like in a church.  (But Spurgeon’s use of the adjective glorious is important to remember as well!)

    When Jesus lived on earth, Satan didn’t leave him alone.  And when Jesus visits a church in revival, the devil still does all he can to destroy what Jesus is doing.  Paul writes in Ephesians 6 that we are to put on the full armor of God so we can take our stand against the devil’s schemes.  We aren’t fighting against flesh and blood but against the powers of this dark world and the spiritual forces of evil.

    Satan attacks immature church people whose defenses are down.  He works on new Christians who aren’t well-grounded in their spiritual walk.  He feeds on backslidden believers who are easy pray to his many suggestions.  Often the outcome is a division in the church between those who want to follow the Lord at all costs and those who are uncomfortable with that kind of dedication.  Not infrequently, people with money or power will attempt to block what the Lord is doing.  Then those whose lives have been profoundly touched by the Spirit often feel forced to leave a church and form a new congregation.

    In 2 Kings 6, the king of Aram sent a strong force with horses and chariots to surround the city where God’s prophet, Elisha, lived.  This put terror in the heart of Elisha’s servant.  So, Elisha prayed that the Lord would reveal to his naïve helper what was actually happening, thus calming his fears.  Verse 17 reads, “Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”  Revival is a time when we need to pray that the eyes of many of God’s less experienced servants will be opened so they can see clearly what is taking place in the spiritual realm.

    One of the special challenges for leaders during times of revival is that they can experience burnout because they are unable to keep up with the pace of what is happening.  What is unfolding is so unusual that they want to take full advantage of every day, and sometimes this frenetic pace interferes with their relationship with the Lord.  Looking to Jesus as our example, we need to recall that when he walked this earth he gave little attention to Satan’s thoughts.  He knew the devil to be a liar.  Jesus responded quickly with the words of Scripture and gave no ground to him whatsoever.  Jesus’ greatest desire was to know his Father’s will each day, and to find this out he spent much time in prayer.  This is the pattern we must follow if we are to know the victories our Leader knew – as the battle of the superpowers continues.

ACTION STEPS

• IF your local church began to experience revival and the enemy staged a major counterattack, how adept would your congregation be at spiritual warfare?  Use the following list from Ephesians 6:10-20 to make your evaluation.

    Truth – Are we people of integrity, or do we sometimes skirt the truth and allow the enemy unnecessary inroads?
    Righteousness – What is our attitude towards sin?
   Gospel of Peace – Are we ready for whatever we have to face because of who we are in Jesus Christ?
   Faith – Do we believe God will honor his promises, and do we act accordingly?
    Salvation – How many in our church testify to an ongoing relationship with Jesus?
 Scripture – Where does God’s Word rank in comparison to newspapers, television, books and the like?
    Prayer – Is prayer a way of life with us, or an emergency measure?
Give your church a score between one and ten (ten being excellent) on each of the items above.  What does this brief inventory reveal about how prepared your congregation is to engage in spiritual warfare?

• PLAYING “the devil’s advocate: can strengthen your position by forcing you to think from another perspective.  Just for a brief moment, imagine yourself working on behalf of Satan.  Your job is to destroy a newly planted church that is starting to thrive.  What are three time-honored tactics to which you would probably resort?

• WHAT visual symbols come to mind when you think about spiritual warfare?  Given a short time to brainstorm, a group of Christians could quickly come up with a long list of suggestions – a crest, a helmet, a flag, a map or an arm patch.  Choose a symbol you feel is appropriate to place in strategic positions at which spiritual battles are regularly fought.  What about next to the television, on the car radio, by the phone or in the room where church business is conducted?  All of us need reminders of the enemy’s desire to do us harm.  In some cases the presence of a simple visual reminder will do the job:  a picture or verse on a “post-it” note stuck on the top of your checkbook or a figurine of a soldier placed on your desk, as a reminder to be vigilant.

• DO you identify with the servant of the prophet Elisha in 2 Kings 6:8-17?  Is it hard for you to see how God is working on your behalf today?  What about the matter of protection?  Too often believers attribute the work of an angel to sheer chance.  Maybe God has helped behind the scenes in the financial area.  Have you thanked him, or have you been unable to see the connection between what happened and how God answered a prayer or foresaw a need?  Look back at your life over the past year.  List possible ways God battled on your behalf.  Thank him for his involvement in those areas.  Conclude your prayer by asking for eyes that can see what God is doing so you will be able to interpret events more like Elisha than like his servant. 

FOR FURTHER STUDY

……….Luke 4:1-13

………………..Nehemiah 4:6

…………………………...1 Peter 5:8-11

…………………………………....Daniel 10:4-19

………………………………………….....I Thessalonians 2:17--3:5