Expert: Tom Smith - 9/20/2006

Question
Tom:

I recently wrote:

I'm beginning to understand a little of Prayer/Spiritual Warfare, but
when I came accross your expertise, I thought I'd email you to see what
you could educate me on this subject.  Something, I'd like to
understand more about.
Sincerely,
Kent Littlejohn

Your reply:

Because Sorry, I started to answer this a few times, but it is such a
wide topic that I quickly end up writing something more akin to a book
than an answer.
There has been a book written on the topic from a scriptural
perspectiove and I would highly recommend it:
http://www.believersingrace.com/store/books.php
If you have a more specific question on an area of Spiritual warfare,
I'd be happy to address it, but the question that you asked just is far
too wide for a simply answer.

Sorry!
Tom


Here is my more specific question.  About a year ago a friend of mine, had a black eye.  I inquired about it, and the reply came back, something that I had never heard before.  They replied that they had been praying to recieve the pain another individual had been going through, in effort to ease the 3rd persons pain.  Seems like a totally unselfish prayer, but something I never heard anything like it before.  Seems like God said to cast all your cares, or issues upon him.  Why would this person, pray to have the pain/suffering cast upon themselves, and wake up with a black eye?  Seems odd?  Maybe this is a witness to me, perhaps how selfish my prayers have been?  I don't know.  But it seems odd.  ---Does this fit the bill for spiritual warfare?

Sincerely
Kent


Answer
This illustrates one of the problems with what is called the "spiritual warfare" movement today. What they do appears to be good, and they claim experiential evidence, but it does not align with scripture. Just because sonmething works, and appears to be a good work does mean that it is of God. For example, see what Jesus said in Matthew 7:

Matt 7:21-23
21 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' 23 "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'
NKJV

Note that Jesus does not deny that they did what they claim, but He says that they practiced lawlessness and that He never knew them. Strong words.

If we examine scripture, you will not find a single example of anything such as what you have described in scripture. Now, to be fair, just because something is not found in scripture does not mean taht it cannot happen, but what we do find in scripture is how God works. When a person has an injury or pain when God healed it, he healed it. He did not transfer pain and suffering to others. You are correct, we are to cast our cares upon Him and allow Him to look after things.

Isa 53:5
5 But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
NKJV

Where you will find things such as you describe is in occultic practices and in the teachings of witchcraft. The occult is the basis for much if not the overwhelming majority of the practices in what is called "spiritual warfare" in much of the church today comes from.

To answer your question, no this practice is not in concert with scripture. This does not mean that your friend is not a Christian, so please do not mis-understand me on that point, but following practices such as this which come out of the occult or from "experience" rather than following what God's word says is dangerous. I would strongly recommend that they get a copy of the book that I recommended in my previous response, "Making Warfare in the Heavenlies" by Bill Randles (available from http://www.believersingrace.com/store/books.php).

So much of what is taught in the "spiritual warfare" movement today sounds good, but simply does not align with what God's word says, so it is important that we take the time to check out what we are being told.

I hope that this helps.

Tom
http://discern.ca