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Today on the church blog, here’s a personal experience from my own life about spiritual warfare!

As I’ve preached on before, for the summer of 2009 I worked with a mission organization in Qwa Qwa, South Africa. This experience really opened my eyes to things like the power of prayer, importance of missions, and spiritual warfare.

We stayed on a game preserve in a rural area and traveled to local towns and cities from there. It was absolutely gorgeous scenery. Here are a few photos of our “home base.”

As you can see, South Africa is such a beautiful country.

One issue I quickly noticed, however, was an occasional sense of feeling isolated. We were quite far from town, so this had an interesting psychological effect on us at times. This was only compounded by what we saw while working out in the towns and cities. We might see extreme poverty one morning, then have an odd encounter with a traditional sangoma (or medicine man) in the afternoon, and then in the evening be miles away from others in total darkness and isolation.

I remember suddenly waking up some nights (this was very odd because we were always exhausted from busy workdays). One time in particular, I remember feeling a disturbing, eerie sense of darkness in the middle of the night. I felt like someone (or something) was inside our cabin, but nothing was visible. I quickly heard a slamming sound, too, and saw that one of our windows had flung open and was rattling against the wall. This was real spooky, considering we locked these windows shut before bed. My heart began to beat faster and the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. I had no idea what was going on.

But during this frightening experience that felt exactly like a horror movie, I quickly resolved to pray and recite scripture. Silently praying the name Jesus over and over brought about an indescribable sense of comfort to me. It also gave me a sense of authority, too, where the presence of evil stood absolutely no chance. I felt as though I were slowly gaining the “upper-hand” and restoring peace to this unseen and quiet conflict. Eventually, I fell back asleep with a confident sense of peace after this bad presence had totally disappeared.

I’ve also had a couple friends experience this kind of thing, too. One was traveling alone and saw what he believed to be a small demon in his hotel room. Again, saying the name Jesus gave him courage, strength, and comfort. Another friend of mine worked in Zambia as a missionary for a time, and would hear the sound of radio static at night. And again, saying the name Jesus Christ resolved the terrifying encounter.

I share my own story and these others to emphasize that we don’t ever have to worry or fear spiritual warfare. With the strength of God, nothing will ever overcome you. Darkness will never triumph over the light of Jesus Christ. This week, remember the words of Paul in Ephesians 6. May these verses guide you to stand firmly for Jesus:

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

Slavery might sound like an issue from past history. But the issues we grappled with in Ephesians yesterday are still important to address one day for another reason: There are more slaves right now (40-70 million) than have ever existed in the past.

This statistic might sound shocking to most people. But consider the following real-life scenarios:

• Forced Labor: A young child in India is placed into a shady adoption agency. The staff then sell him to a sweatshop owner who forces him to make clothing without pay.
• Sex Trafficking: A woman from Guatemala travels to Los Angeles under the pretense that she will receive a housekeeping job at a hotel. Upon arrival, she is captured and forced into prostitution.
• Child Sex Trafficking: A runaway teenage girl hitchhikes across the country to New York City. A pimp seduces her and forces her to hand over all profits in a child prostitution ring.
• Debt Bondage: A young man from Ethiopia travels to the United States with a valid visa and travel documents. A friendly stranger offers him a job as a waiter in a restaurant, but steals all his travel papers. The stranger then threatens to turn the young man over to authorities and track down his family, unless he agrees to work for a low wage.

As you might guess, these issues don’t just happen in foreign countries or big metropolitan cities. They also plague states like Arkansas, too. Every couple of weeks, you might read or see news about human trafficking. From police discovering that traffickers use social media apps, to former judges in neighboring states pleading guilty to running sex trafficking rings, this is an extremely troubling and common problem.

So what can we do about this problem as Christians?

Jesus is clear in the gospels that he came to proclaim release to the captives. God’s kingdom is all about liberating people. And as disciples, we have the opportunity to make a difference in how we live.

There are countless “what to do” articles online, from Christian-based ones, to even the US Department of State. In addition to praying for the problems of our world, here are a few highlights of things you can do about the problem of human trafficking:

• Educate yourself– Many people are ignorant of how widespread this problem is. Consider doing some personal research about your own “slavery footprint.”
• Be on the lookout– If you notice anything suspicious while at a restaurant, salon, or hotel, then report it to authorities. The national hotline for human trafficking is 1-888-373-7888. Many police departments have also started task forces in order to address human trafficking.
• Stop using pornography– The porn industry is one of the major drivers of sex trafficking. Many of the individuals involved might be coerced into this trade. I’ve preached and written before about this issue. The majority of explicit content on the internet involves abuse. There are also strong links between the porn industry and human trafficking.
• Be aware of what you buy– The problem of human trafficking is only exacerbated by our consumerism and materialism. We want cheap goods and services, and don’t always pay attention to what may happen behind the scenes. We ought to work to ensure everything we consume is done so in an ethical way, from the hamburgers we eat to handbags we buy. Make sure employees and staff you encounter aren’t being abused or mistreated.
• Get involved in local missions– Human trafficking sounds like such a massive problem. It is easy to feel helpless or even apathetic. But one concrete step you can take to fight against this evil is to get involved in various ministries that help people. Homeless shelters help people stay off the street (where they would otherwise be more vulnerable to sex and labor traffickers). Educational programs teach children and youth that they have dignity and worth. Food banks and pantries provide basic nutritional needs and hope, which can mean the world to someone who is considering running away from home. The list goes on and on.

As we saw yesterday, divorce is a very common thing in our world. Self-reported reasons for divorce include the following:

• Infidelity
• Financial problems/disagreements
• Constant arguing
• Unrealistic/unarticulated expectations
• Lack of physical intimacy
• Abuse

Many of these issues really deal with one major issue in all relationships: communication. Regardless of whether you’re married or not, this one thing can truly sour a friendship, strain a marriage, or even lead to ugly bitterness.

You may have heard of this idea in Christian pop-psychology… one helpful idea is something called the five love languages. These different practices and ways to communicate can truly make the difference with any relationship, especially with your husband or wife.

A fellow named Gary Chapman popularized this idea in the 1990s. Some have criticized his work for being too simplistic, but I still think it can be a helpful tool. Chapman argued that human beings basically have five different ways in which we express and receive love. We “speak” these different love languages by how we act. We also receive love based on who we are as a person. One language is not inherently better than the other, but it is important to be aware if you are different from your partner. Here’s how Chapman describes the five languages:

• Words of Affirmation– Compliments and encouragement really speak volumes.
• Physical Touch– Focusing on things like hugging, kissing, or other signs of physical intimacy.
• Receiving Gifts– Presents during holidays or special times show love to a spouse.
• Quality Time– Valuing making time to “hang out” and develop that lifelong friendship.
• Acts of Service– Doing household chores or work can really impact someone.

(As a brief side note: here’s a link to an online quiz about which love languages you might have… check it out!)

Tragically, many marriage troubles stem from lack of communication about what “love language” each person speaks. Here are a couple of hypothetical examples of possible disconnects…

• Susie really likes receiving gifts, but her husband Mark happens to forget to buy flowers on their anniversary. Susie interprets this as Mark not caring about this special occasion.
• If John prizes words of affirmation and encouragement after a tough day, and his wife Brittney is short with him instead of affirming, chances are John will not feel valued whatsoever. (This is particularly a huge issue with things like verbal abuse!)
• Rachel enjoys the quality time with her spouse during a date night of dinner and a movie. But her husband, Peter, always wants to go fishing with friends for every bit of his free time. From Rachel’s perspective, Peter seems to love and appreciate his friends more than her by how he allots his time!
• Nick loves nothing more than cuddling up on the couch after a long day with his wife, Danielle. But if she is busy running around tending to other matters, Nick would feel neglected and unloved.

We all speak different love languages depending on our personalities. For example, I know that my wife really appreciates acts of service. So after a day of work, nothing says “I love you” to her more than coming home to a clean house or a nice meal for dinner. Flowers, chocolates, and compliments might be nice, but I know her primary expression of love is good deeds. From balancing a budget and keeping track of bills, to vacuuming and folding laundry, I know that I can show my wife love by doing these acts of service.

One way to deepen your marriage covenant is to genuinely communicate with one another. Be aware of how you express and receive love. Have those kinds of conversations. Get to know your husband or wife more.

Jesus taught us the core meaning of marriage, of a man leaving his mother and father, and being united with his wife. Being “one” with one another isn’t just a figure of speech for physical intimacy. It also means being one in things like communication, understanding, and purpose.