Having grown up in a missions-minded family in America, I had heard about the witchcraft, black magic, sorcery, and curses in Africa, as missionaries had come to our church and shared their life stories. Like most kids hearing those accounts, I was captivated.
Several years ago I was asked to teach a class on spiritual warfare . . . to pastors . . . in Africa! Until then, little had I understood how incredibly REAL spiritual warfare is in Africa TODAY!
As I prepared to teach that class to African pastors, I quickly began to realize that spiritual warfare in America and spiritual warfare in Africa are definitely two different things. Yes, we’re all aware that the devil attacks believers in various ways: sometimes very subtly, sometimes as a roaring lion (I Peter 5:8).
So I met with former missionaries to Africa and with Christian nationals who had grown up in Africa. I asked each of them to help me understand the extent of how powerful the spiritual warfare is in today’s Africa.
I was amazed at their responses. Their consensus was this: “Spiritual warfare is the single most important factor that affects individuals, families, and even the Church in Africa today.” They told me that nearly every family is impacted in some way by “the wiles of the devil.” No, most of us in America don’t see Satan’s influence in the dramatic ways that the people of Africa are experiencing them, so we tend to underestimate that impact. Yet in Africa the people know, without a doubt, that their adversary is very active and very powerful.
But the message that the Church of Africa is boldly proclaiming is this: “Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world” (I John 4:4). And God is truly winning that great battle in countless lives as men, women, children . . . and yes, even witchdoctors . . . are placing their faith in Christ and, through God’s Spirit, are overcoming Satan’s power.
Jim Falkenberg
Special Asst. to the President
Posted on
Tue, May 31, 2011
by Jim Falkenberg