Walking thru the Valley (A Study on Spiritual Warfare)
“The Lord is my shepherd… even when I walk through the darkest valley…” Ps 23:1, 4 NLT.
We all love when God meets us on the mountain – it’s there we see His goodness so clearly. But have you ever wondered why God leads you to (and through) the valley of the shadow of death? The “valleys” are the low places of life where we are tempted to doubt God’s provision. However, it’s in the valley we experience Him in new ways. Yes, the abundance of the mountain finds its way to us in the valley! As David says, “He sets a table for us in the presence of our enemies” (Ps 23:5)! This table represents abundance, and His abundance is all we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). It’s because of this amazing provision that we don’t have to fear evil (Ps 23:4)!
OK, that all sounds nice, but we have all experienced warfare (the shadow of evil) and been caught off guard. I want to share a few scriptures to expose how the enemy often attacks us. But first I want to say that the feeling of warfare is the feeling that something is overshadowing you. When we are in warfare, we often feel small. The confidence of the mountain has been replaced with uncertainty. Fear, anxiety, condemnation, doubt, and hopelessness are all feelings we find in the valley, and are the direct result of spiritual warfare. For contrast, the voices in the valley feel the opposite of the experience of the Holy Spirit we taste when we receive prophetic ministry. The voice of our Father (prophetic) causes us to feel lifted up, encouraged, powerful, hopeful. The key to victory, when we are in the valley, is to keep our attention fixed on the voice that we heard when we were on the mountain. To hear it again – and to refuse to let go of it.
From the parable of the sower, I want to highlight 3 simple ways that the devil tries to influence our heart. He knows that if he can change the condition of our heart, he can influence our capacity to receive God’s word, which is our only weapon to overcome his schemes.
1. Mark 4:15 - “The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message, only to have Satan come at once and take it away.” This verse shows us that if we don’t quickly identify, cling to, and submit to God’s word, a hardening of our heart occurs that allows the enemy to take away God’s promise. (We are given over to doubt and lose our capacity to have faith.) It is significant to note that the parable itself begins with Jesus saying, “Listen! Look!” and ends with, “Whoever has an ear, let him hear!” Jesus is all about our hearing. Why? Because he knows that His Word is our salvation.
2. Mark 4:16-17 – “Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.” Did you catch that? Pressure comes because of the word… you can receive the word with joy but watch out (!) because tomorrow you will be tested. We are learning to stand firm and not break under pressure. The devil uses spiritual, emotional, and mental pressure to get you to harden your heart and abort the seed of the word of God inside of you before it bears fruit!
3. Mark 4:18-19 - “The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced.” If the enemy can’t steal the word, he will offer other things to distract and choke it out. Are you tempted with false comforts? How clear is God’s word and plan for your life presently? Can you answer the question, “What is God doing in your life” without confusion? If not, there may be lack of clarity due to distractions. Where is your focus? Seek first His kingdom and you will have both clarity and the answer to the desire of your heart!
Now that we are aware of the battle, how can we continually fight and win? I believe God is calling us to learn to abide/ stay in the Word He gives to us. We can only do this if we learn to receive His comfort (2 Cor 1:3-4); and to stay connected to community. These are keys that will give us the strength to continually overcome. Why is comfort so important? Our capacity to receive God’s comfort will be our capacity to reject false comfort and have patience; which translates into the ability to stand firm in the battle (Eph 6:11). But the odds of us falling greatly increase when we remove ourselves from (Spirit-filled/ prophetic) community. The devil knows (better than we do at times) that to isolate us is the first step to taking us out. (Ever watched a nature documentary on how a predator takes down his prey? Step #1: isolate a victim.) In this regard, beware of the weapon of shame that the devil will use to make you feel like you need to hide or “just process your struggles on your own”! True community is connected lives that share each other’s story. It is in this living community that we are reminded of God’s love and His Word -- in a way that brings true comfort to our hearts, and resulting victory in the battle.
In summary, we battle the feelings of warfare with 1) identifying, clinging to, and submitting to the Word given to us by the Lord; 2) abiding in the comfort of the Holy Spirit; 3) engaging diligently in the community God provides, so we can continue to be reminded of God’s Word and receive His comfort!