Spiritual Warfare

I just woke up from a 3 hour nap, having collapsed into my bed after coming home from an ACLS certification course at school. It wasn't the fact that I had to go into school on a Saturday that made me so tired, but I feel so strongly that my spirit has fought one of my hardest battles this week and I've been left utterly drained.

It's almost funny (notice that I say "almost") how as soon as David Herling gives a message on spiritual warfare and describing the difference between a "golfer Christian" and a "boxing Christian", I've learned first hand how much conditioning my golfer spiritual body needed. But it has also lit a fire deep in me so that I now see not only how formidable my enemy may look, but the incredible power that runs through me as well. I don't think I'll go into detail on how the last couple of days went, but today I had one of the worst feelings I have ever had, and it wasn't even directly related to anything in my life.

There's a Paramedic instructor in my school who heads up the EMT department that shares our building, and we see him all the time. In the past few weeks, we've had a few classes taught by him since we need to be certified for ACLS and PALS and that's his area of expertise. Another apparent area of expertise he possesses is motivational speaking...as in he's worked for Tony Robbins and loves to further his "advice" to whoever will listen. Today, he spent almost the entire time while my group was at his station giving us "life advice", saying things like "there is no reality it's what you make of it", or "if people give you crap just kick them to the curb because they're afraid of you getting out of their box", and claiming he has ways to help us maintain meaningful relationships and marriages. I sat there, feeling like I was trapped in his flowing speech, filled with contradictions and words that simply empower my friends to self-destruct in a more efficient way. I looked around the room, and they were completely entranced with this man. They hung on his every word, and when he finally said he really had to teach us his material, they begged him to keep "teaching them about life."

It came to a point where I just wanted to run out of the room and cry. My spirit felt so heavy and grieved as I watched my friends embrace with open arms these ideals that will only make them believe that their painful ways of living will get them through life, not taking crap from anyone and believing that good and bad are simply what you make of a situation. All I could do was sit and pray silently and desperately, looking at this man who was clearly being used by the enemy to snatch these beloved children He died for right from His hands. I felt like my entire year's worth of praying for the salvation of my friends was being undone before my eyes, and my heart broke.

At lunchtime, I mentioned to him that if he had time, I'd like to talk to him about the things he said to us. He very gladly agreed to talk to me anytime, I'm sure since he thinks that I just want to sit at his feet and drink in his worldly wisdom. We didn't set an exact time, but I need to really pray hard about this. My heart is sore from the day, and I still don't feel completely recuperated even though I feel much better after napping and talking/praying with my mom. I'm worried and scared and I feel alone in my school more than ever, now with this new darkness settling in among my classmates. But I am fully confident that He who is within me is greater than he who is in the world, and I as long as I am there, Satan will know that I won't give up my friends without a fight.

The spiritual realm is so real, guys. And we need to learn early how to come against these things, because false teachers and prophets are going to become more persuasive, more popular, and more deadly. God have mercy, this generation needs You so badly.