Spiritual Warfare Research Paper

Introduction

The purpose of this paper is to examine the role that spiritual warfare plays in the cross-cultural proclamation of the gospel. There is a spiritual battle for the hearts and souls of humans. More than 40 percent of the world holds to some sort of animism, or the belief in personal spiritual beings and impersonal spiritual forces that have power over human affairs. The Bible speaks about the reality of a conflict we face as believers, and we call that conflict spiritual warfare. Spiritual warfare in its simplest form is our partnership with God as he advances his kingdom behind enemy lines. Since the fall of man, God has been on a mission to undo its effects through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. God desires to rescue

One secular materialists deny the reality of the supernatural world and reduce reality to the natural world which can best be studied by science. For the ones that hold to this worldview, there is no spiritual warfare because there are no gods, angels, or demons. There are only natural wars between humans, communities, and nations. Another view of spiritual warfare emerging out of Cartesian dualism is that God, angels, and demons are involved in a cosmic battle in the heavens, but the everyday events on earth are best explained and controlled by science and technology Western missionaries influenced by this dualism affirm the cosmic battle between good and evil, but deny the realities of witchcraft, spirit possession, evil eye, and magic in the cultures where they

Tribal people, see the earth and sky as full of beings gods, earthly divinities, ancestors, ghosts, evil shades, humans, animals, and nature spirits that relate, deceive, bully, and battle one another for power and personal gain. These beings are neither totally good nor totally evil. Spiritual warfare in animistic societies is seen as an ongoing battle between different alliances of beings. The battle is not between good and evil, but between us and others. Some Christians interpret spiritual warfare using the traditional tribal worldview with its emphasis on territory and power encounter. Satan is viewed as having authority over the earth which he delegates to his demonic hierarchy. The belief in spirits who rule territories and control people implies that these people are hapless victims of the cosmic battles of the gods and that once they are delivered they will be ready to convert to