Spiritual conflicts most often occur when we advance into new territory that is inhabited by evil spirits. Much like Joshua’s promise land experience or Nehemiah’s rebuilding of the walls, the enemy defends his territory when we are pushing forward into the new land. Most Christians are completely unaware that these are real spirit wars and retreat at the first sign of conflict because they fail to recognize the true source of the battle.

It is important to understand that evil spirits attack by giving you thoughts (flaming arrows) that are compelling.  In other words, they make you feel like you want to do them, even though they are the opposite of your history and nature. Then those same spirits accuse you for having these thoughts and feelings. If you believe these accusations, you lose confidence in yourself and God’s ability to keep you, and you begin to wind down into depression, anxiety, and self hatred.

The war is finally won when you recognize that these thoughts are not your own and you resist them. But Paul said, “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12).  In other words, because these thoughts are manifestations of evil spirits and not just bad ideas, when you decide to resist them it becomes a struggle, an intense battle for land in the spirit realm. Most people retreat or digress to try and find peace or solace instead of press in and defeat the enemy and obtain their inheritance.

A few things that are important to remember in these times is that these evil spirits have no power over you (even though it feels like they do).  You have power over them. Secondly, these battles come in waves and they will not last forever. And lastly, you probably did nothing wrong to cause this battle. As a matter of fact, you are most likely experiencing this battle because you are doing something right.

Kris Vallotton

PS. Joshua 1:6 “Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.

The Lord told me a month or so ago, that He is going to give us an apostolic eschatology. If we are praying that it would be on earth as it is in heaven, and if we are supposed to make disciples of all nations, then it stands to reason that we need a new approach to the end times. (What we believe about the end has everything to do with how we behave in the middle.) The Lord said that, “the spirit of fatalism and the spirit of martyrdom were holding back the apostolic age.”

Fatalism refuses to acknowledge positive advancement on the earth and looks for the world to erode instead of evolve. Scriptures like, “There shall be no end to the increase of His government or of peace,” are forced into a time zone that don’t inspire hope for the current generations. Fatalism changes our message from the Kingdom is at hand to the end of the world is near. The church is notorious for using fear to motivate people to come into the Kingdom. We actually build partnership with terrorist spirits and believe we can drive people to God. But there is no fear in love. The Kingdom of God doesn’t do punishment. So it is very difficult to keep people in the Kingdom who have been driven there by a fatalist eschatology.

Martyrdom embraces death in a sadist sort of way and values the cross above the joy set before us. Jesus ENDURED the cross, He didn’t enjoy it! When it was His time to die He even prayed that, “if it was possible, take this cup from me”…

There is much more to say but you can feel the Spirit giving us an apostolic mindset so we begin to anticipate the kingdoms of this world becoming the Kingdom of our God.

Much Grace,

Kris Vallotton