Have you been to a Spiritual Warfare and Spiritual Mapping workshop or seminar?
What are your thoughts on these topics?
Here are mine:
I recently attended a Spiritual Warfare workshop, the presenters included Spiritual Mapping as a key ingredient in Spiritual Warfare. The presenters seem to be nice people and committed Christians; and I have nothing against their character.
I believe Spiritual Warfare is essential but we need to be balanced about it. I understand that all human problems are demonic in nature because of the temptations that Adam and Eve fell into and because of the temptations that we fall into. I also believe that we sin because we wanted to and we choose to; therefore we have multiple results of sin (problems, depression, anger, lust, corruption, etc.) - the fallen human nature. These encourage multiple other sins and their results. And if Christ did not rescue us we are to be pitied forever. So my balance is yes demons do attack and attract (tempt) us; but human responsibility also should not be ignored in Spiritual Warfare (like simply, deeply and genuinely loving God and our neighbours would solve most problems, sinful habits and sinful tendencies).
About Spiritual Mapping: I think it is not Biblical even though the people who propose it do use a lot of Bible Verses to defend it.
At the workshop that I attended the presenters seem to be teaching that many Christians suffer because they have not done proper Spiritual Warfare but they (the presenters) are successful because they do active Spiritual Warfare through Spiritual Mapping.
What annoyed me was the fact that one of them used 1 Peter 5:9 to prove that we can resist the devil etc. (which I believe) but failed to mention about verse 10 that seem to speak about our suffering for a while (which is natural and expected for Christians - in all of history and in all geographical areas).
Another annoying teaching was the teaching on many cups (cup of love, cup of humility, cup of faith, etc.) They focused particularly on the cup of faith. It seems that God revealed to the presenter that there is a cup of faith. In this cup of faith our faith is collected whenever we have faith or exercise our faith. The cup will eventually fill up and when it overflows that is when miracles will be manifested in the physical realm. This, to me, seems to be going against the teaching of Jesus about faith that is as small as a mustard seed that can move mountains.
During the workshop I prayed that the Holy Spirit help me understand these matters. I felt the Holy Spirit say, "I agree that not all of it is accurate. What if some of it, even the Spiritual Mapping part, is led by Me? Would you reject the whole teaching just because of the inaccurate parts." Or something like that. So I took everything in with a grain of salt.
What do you think of these topics?
I might be wrong. I hope I did not misrepresented the presenters. But I am looking for Biblically sound teaching on these matters. Yes, I am willing to learn and change my mind.
What are your thoughts on these topics?
Here are mine:
I recently attended a Spiritual Warfare workshop, the presenters included Spiritual Mapping as a key ingredient in Spiritual Warfare. The presenters seem to be nice people and committed Christians; and I have nothing against their character.
I believe Spiritual Warfare is essential but we need to be balanced about it. I understand that all human problems are demonic in nature because of the temptations that Adam and Eve fell into and because of the temptations that we fall into. I also believe that we sin because we wanted to and we choose to; therefore we have multiple results of sin (problems, depression, anger, lust, corruption, etc.) - the fallen human nature. These encourage multiple other sins and their results. And if Christ did not rescue us we are to be pitied forever. So my balance is yes demons do attack and attract (tempt) us; but human responsibility also should not be ignored in Spiritual Warfare (like simply, deeply and genuinely loving God and our neighbours would solve most problems, sinful habits and sinful tendencies).
About Spiritual Mapping: I think it is not Biblical even though the people who propose it do use a lot of Bible Verses to defend it.
At the workshop that I attended the presenters seem to be teaching that many Christians suffer because they have not done proper Spiritual Warfare but they (the presenters) are successful because they do active Spiritual Warfare through Spiritual Mapping.
What annoyed me was the fact that one of them used 1 Peter 5:9 to prove that we can resist the devil etc. (which I believe) but failed to mention about verse 10 that seem to speak about our suffering for a while (which is natural and expected for Christians - in all of history and in all geographical areas).
Another annoying teaching was the teaching on many cups (cup of love, cup of humility, cup of faith, etc.) They focused particularly on the cup of faith. It seems that God revealed to the presenter that there is a cup of faith. In this cup of faith our faith is collected whenever we have faith or exercise our faith. The cup will eventually fill up and when it overflows that is when miracles will be manifested in the physical realm. This, to me, seems to be going against the teaching of Jesus about faith that is as small as a mustard seed that can move mountains.
During the workshop I prayed that the Holy Spirit help me understand these matters. I felt the Holy Spirit say, "I agree that not all of it is accurate. What if some of it, even the Spiritual Mapping part, is led by Me? Would you reject the whole teaching just because of the inaccurate parts." Or something like that. So I took everything in with a grain of salt.
What do you think of these topics?
I might be wrong. I hope I did not misrepresented the presenters. But I am looking for Biblically sound teaching on these matters. Yes, I am willing to learn and change my mind.