Spiritual Warfare in Counseling
The Reality of the Spiritual Realm
I recently read a statement by Dr. Jim Wilder, founder of LifeModelWorks, that there exists a “scholars' trap”. This is where academics, professionals, or scientists may feel compelled to write only about what they can prove. In many ways, our ‘sciences’ may attempt to explain all kinds of phenomena; however, some things may just need to be believed to be true.
C.S. Lewis, in The Screwtape Letters, illustrates how demons may have a plan to lead us to disbelieve in their existence. The Screwtape Letters is a satire, where a senior devil, Screwtape, writes letters to his nephew, Wormwood, in order to tempt and corrupt a British Man, “the Patient”, ultimately away from God. The book takes the view from the devil’s perspective, painting a picture of spiritual warfare. In one section, Screwtape writes:
Our policy for the moment is to conceal ourselves. Of course, this has not always been so. We are really faced with a cruel dilemma. When humans disbelieve in our existence, we lose all the pleasing results of direct terrorism, and we make no magicians. On the other hand, when they believe in us, we cannot make them materialists and skeptics. At least, not yet. I have great hopes that we shall learn in due time how to emotionalize and mythologize their science to such an extent that what is, in effect, a belief in us (though not under that name) will creep in while the human mind remains closed to belief in the Enemy. …If once we can produce our perfect work – the Materialist Magician, the man, not using, but veritably worshipping, what he vaguely calls ‘Forces’ while denying the existence of ‘spirits’ – then the end of the war will be in sight. (p. 31)
I, too, have been caught in this “scholars’ trap” – looking to empirically validate claims, to the extent of masking important dynamics to Christians for fear of loss of credibility. Spiritual warfare ultimately intersects with the natural realm; therefore, scientific inquiry remains a valid approach to understanding this intersection. However, we must hold the tension between the unknown and the known in our relationship with Jesus.
Screwtape essentially claims that if we deny the existence of demons, ultimately, the spiritual war has been won on their end. Furthermore, perhaps their influence has been subtly promulgated and woven into our society, so that we may be unaware of its presence in our daily lives. Some examples from the Screwtape Letters include:
The “pressures of the ordinary” – These are the trials of life that distract us from God, which can include magnifying the importance of materialism or worldly concerns to overshadow faith.
Doubt and Confusion – Seeds of doubt can be sown regarding religious beliefs and morality, promoting intellectual skepticism and diminishing commitment to faith.
Disrupting relationships and promoting conflict – Bitterness, anger, and division can weaken spiritual support systems and distract from the love and community that are essential to spiritual growth.
It is in the subtlety of their influence that may be more harmful than what most may characterize as overt influences, as found in movies and TV shows. As the Scriptures state, spiritual things require spiritual discernment and are not solely based on natural intellect, requiring spiritual insight by the Holy Spirit:
The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned (1 Cor. 2:14).
If you are a Christian, seeking counseling, soul care, and spiritual dynamics may be important to you in your healing process.
