Spiritual Battles. They are real. All you have to do is look at Ephesians 6:12, which states "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities,
against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world,
against spiritual wickedness in high places." That, right there, is proof that we will have spiritual battles in this world. However, I will be the first to tell you I believe they are misunderstand by most people and even by people who seem to be strong in Christ. I do believe in people going through times of spiritual battles, but I also believe that sometimes people label things as battles when they are not. As if it's some kind of excuse or some reason to point at the person to say they need to get closer to God, because by golly the sickness they are going through has to be a spiritual battle. I am so tired of hearing people tell me "Oh you must be going through a spiritual battle" when I tell them I am sick or hear of people saying that is what someone else is going through whenever they encounter something harsh. It can be illness, loss of a job, loss of a loved one, financial struggles etc. There will always be those people who are so quick to judge and so quick to say that Satan must be attacking the person. Hearing people say those things makes me think of my great grandmother who believed God let people get sick to punish them for some wrongdoing or sin in their life. The idea is just wrong and sickening. Of course God can use sickness to judge someone, but it is not always the reason someone gets sick. Many pure and upright Christians get sick everyday and through no fault of their own. I also do believe those things may come as a result of Satan attacking them, because they are so on fire for the Lord. However, I do not believe anyone has the right to so quickly accuse someone of going through a spiritual battle without looking into the matter more deeply and with much prayer.
May I just suggest something? Every sickness, every death, every heartbreak is NOT the result of a spiritual battle. It is always the result of us living in a fallen world. People get sick and lose their job and others may think Satan is trying to attack them. However, God could have allowed the circumstances in their life for another reason. God may have a different course for their life than the one they are on and the only way it can be accomplished is if they go through some of those harsh things in life. I have been very sick before and it makes me mad when people try to use the whole "Oh, Satan was really attacking you" line. If Satan had been attacking me, don't you think I would know it? My love for the Lord never changed during the time I was sick, I never felt further apart from God. In fact, I drew closer to Him through my time of hardship. Sure, I was frustrated with being sick and I asked for healing. Who wouldn't? However, the thought never crossed my mind that I must be going through a spiritual battle even after much time in prayer and in the Word about the matter. I live in a fallen world and I just got sick. It was a combination of things and I had to change some things in my life such as my diet etc. I don't know why I got sick at the time I did, but I do know I have drawn closer to the Lord through it. Maybe part of it was a spiritual battle, but certainly not the whole thing.
I know that Christians will encounter spiritual battles in life, but it is not up to someone else to tell you what is a spiritual battle and what isn't. The Holy Spirit will guide you in those matters and reveal to you when you are going through such battles. He will also give you the discernment to just realize you are simply going through it, because you live in a fallen world. Don't be so quick to listen to others, but always bathe every matter in prayer and by spending much time in God's Word. He will reveal the truth to you.
