When the Spirit is evident, or poured out, we can expect spiritual warfare just around the corner. We see this when after Jesus was baptized by John, the Spirit descended on him like a dove, and then the Spirit actually drove him into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. It is known that when the Spirit is poured out on God’s people, the enemy will come in to try to thwart God’s work through tempting God’s people.
We must be ready for this, as reticent as we will be, and understandably so. The enemy will try to get at us from many angles, perhaps more than one at a time. God in his wisdom not only lets this happen to a point, but uses it for our good as we trust him. But our part is to learn to recognize the wily schemes of the devil, and then simply resist the enemy and their work.
We resist the devil’s schemes by being strong in the Lord and in his mighty power, even as we remain weak in ourselves. And by putting on the full armor of God: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. And along with that we pray all kinds of prayers for God’s people, and particularly for God’s servants.
In the powerful Welsh revival of the early twentieth century the Spirit was poured out in a marvelous way. With that came the devil’s work. Discernment is needed, and sometimes lacking. Suffice it to say that while the effects of the revival continued for some time, and well beyond the borders of Wales, the special outpouring had evidently seen its day. And there was certainly an offensive against it. So that the Lord’s people needed to resist and stand firm in the grace and truth of Jesus and the gospel.
This is the kind of truth I wish were not so, but it is, and we do well to listen and learn so as to stand well in a defensive posture, resisting the enemy. With the promise that as we do so, the enemy will flee. Of course we do so as those who belong to Christ, and are living as his devoted servants.
I want to study further, and better understand God’s word on this. The one thing for me to remember for now: be strong in the Lord, even in my weakness, and take up the armor and weapon given in Christ, in order to stand firm against the wiles of the devil. Together we are to do this, for the Lord and the gospel, and for the world.
Ted M. Gossard
