Do You Believe in Demons?
I’m not asking that question about your theology. I’m quite sure that most of you reading this who take the Bible seriously would answer a quick yes. I’m asking about how your theology practically works itself out into your living. Twice in the course of the past week, I’ve had church-planting mentors impress upon me and the rest of our team the importance of taking seriously the reality of the spiritual stakes in what we’re about to undertake. As planters, we will be pushing the gospel forward into places where it hasn’t been and into lives that haven’t believed it. That will put us on the front lines of the battle, spiritually speaking, and it will draw the attention and retribution of the enemy. Both our mentors recounted personal stories of suffering and opposition that they and their families encountered along their planting journeys that ranged from sobering to downright creepy.
To say the conversations were much-needed for us all, and for me especially, would be an understatement. Sure, I know that there are demons, that there is a spiritual reality that goes beyond what we see every day. I’ve got my theology pretty well in order, thank you very much. The problem, I realized, is that I just didn’t believe much of it. On a real, practical, gritty level, I didn’t believe these things I said I believed. There are a couple reasons for this. For one, in a way I think seminary intellectual-ed it out of me, largely. After all, when you’re spending time ruminating on the details of old-earth creationism or the intricacies of eschatological systems, the notion of real angels and demons just seems so infantile, so childish. The even bigger reason, I think, is that I really don’t want to be one of the crazy charlatans on TV running around bashing people on the foreheads to get the demons out and hopefully procure a nice donation to fund their private jets. I want to be as far away from that guy as I can get, and so, as is human nature, in the reactionary process I’ve ended up running too far in the opposite direction. Whatever the reasoning, though, the end result was a giant heap of unbelief I’d weakly attempted to intellectually justify.
Christianity, however, isn’t an intellectual exercise. This isn’t a game. The same Jesus who I trust rose from the dead and procured my salvation tended to take demons fairly seriously. The same Holy Spirit who I praise for convicting my heart of sin inspired Peter to describe Satan as a very real person “roaming around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” What God convicted me about most deeply this week is that when I disbelieve the reality of the spiritual realm, whether mentally or practically, I am really disbelieving him, since his word speaks plainly about not only the reality of this realm, but the absolute necessity of preparing ourselves to survive what we’ll find there. As my friend Dan encouraged us last night to be on our guard – while maintaining a healthy and wise discernment – my heart was shaken to the core with the seriousness of the mission God is sending us on. However, it was made even more resolute in the knowledge that our faith is in a very real God who has made very real promises about the very real power that we have received to overcome darkness through Jesus Christ. It’s refocused me as a husband, father and pastor. It’s the best wake-up call I could have had, and I’d ask you to consider if it’s one that perhaps, just perhaps, you might need too.
