describes the Western church as no longer the trendsetter for the worldwide Christian church. The largest Christian communities are in Africa and Latin America, not in the United States. Livermore presents a snapshot about core beliefs in what is now known as the Majority World church.For example, the majority world church believes that we live in a dynamic, spiritual universe. They are quite aware that the world is inhabited by a host of spiritual forces that influence human life in numerous ways. This belief leads majority world Christians not into despair but into a heightened awareness of the need for vigilance against an active, dangerous spirit world. The spirits are seen as literal, personal, and organized forces of evil. They contend with these supernatural forces every day, whereas Americans rarely give a thought to these forces.
The text highlights an area of potential difference between my beliefs about the supernatural and those of perhaps the Baptist church, other denominations, or the native people inhabiting the Nome area. A question came to mind when reading this book. Do majority world Christians lack faith to overcome the supernatural forces and live their daily lives in the relative peace Americans experience? Or do Americans lack faith that supernatural powers exist and live their daily lives more subject to them because of a lack of vigilance?
“Whenever the evil spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, ‘You are the Son of God’” (Mark 3:11).
The questions you raise reflect a tough issue, Leslie. The Bible makes it plain that demonic forces are real. But it's not just Western psychology and pharmacology that have undermined the credibility of spiritual warfare; the churches that practice it the most ardently have also helped to undermine it through misapplication.
ReplyDeleteWhat I mean is this: When Jesus cast out a demon, he got unmistakable results. Can we say the same? Not from what I've seen. I've witnessed a lot of drama regarding spiritual authority, and I've partaken in my share of it, but I've seen very little practical, lasting results. I've concluded that, for all the books and teachings that confidently expound on the subject, we have very little understanding of it and many misconceptions about it. Something vital is missing.
Do I believe in spiritual warfare? Yes. I just don't believe in much of what has passed for it. I think that part of the devil's strategy is to delude and distract us with empty practices that keep us from recognizing the true nature of the battle and how it is fought. In the areas of God's kingdom where we're truly investing our lives--as did Jesus, as did Peter, as did Paul--it is there that I suspect we'll find that we have authority.