Many spiritual forces of darkness occupy the unseen realms of our life, actively seeking to cause us harm. And it’s foolish to deny this reality of spiritual warfare. At the same time, this is not to blame everything bad in our lives on these forces. Our stewardship, or lack thereof, is also an important factor that should not be so quickly dismissed. Prayer and discernment are needed to determine when a particular struggle might be warfare and when it might be an issue of stewardship.
On the one hand, the reality of a fallen world is that many things are not as they should be. Sickness, disease, natural disasters, and the like are all part of the brokenness that came with the Fall. As such, sometimes a cold is just a cold, and not the direct cause of spiritual warfare. And the same might be true of various mental health or relational struggles.
However, as Scripture also makes clear, we cannot deny the reality of spiritual forces bringing harm to our physical, mental, or relational wellbeing. This might be a direct attack, or perhaps through the form of deception, discouragement, or fear. This might be an individual issue, or a stronghold within a family that passes down from one generation to the next. In any case, like Job, there are moments that become clear that our suffering is not the direct consequence of our sins.
All the same, all too often we’re tempted to blame things on spiritual warfare that’s really a matter of poor stewardship on our part. For instance, we’re more prone to get sick when we don’t take care of our bodies. And our mental health and relationships will likewise suffer accordingly.
Of course, a case can be made that warfare makes stewardship more difficult. But, however true, these difficulties still don’t negate our responsibility to care for what God has entrusted to us.
Discernment helps us to know when to actively resist evil, when to cultivate our stewardship, and when perhaps to do both.
In the end, prayerfully consider the possibility of spiritual warfare as you face various struggles, without neglecting the importance of your own stewardship along the way.
