Revival and Spiritual Warfare -- By: Robert H. Lescelius

Journal: Reformation and Revival
Volume: RAR 04:1 (Winter 1995)
Article: Revival and Spiritual Warfare
Author: Robert H. Lescelius


Revival and Spiritual Warfare

Robert H. Lescelius

Without a recognition of the spiritual warfare between God and Satan history will be “as confusing as a football game in which half the players are invisible.”1 This conflict is magnified when it comes to the matter of revival. In revival God advances his program by effusions of power. It is only to be expected that Satan will seek to prevent such outpourings. When they do come, the enemy is to be expected to resist them with his power to prevent this advancement, and when he cannot thwart the advancement, he seeks to discredit and distort the movement as much as possible.

The book of Acts records an activity of Satan with each new advance of the Gospel (Acts 5, 13, 16, 19; 1 Thess. 2:18). Satan can also be seen behind the persecution of the apostolic church by political structures of the day (Acts 4, 5, 7, 12, 16, 22–28). His work as an angel of light to resist the truth by counterfeiting it is also clearly revealed in the New Testament (2 Cor. 11:13–15; 1 Tim. 4:1–3; 2 Tim. 3:8–13; 1 John 2:18–19; 4:1–4; 2 Peter 2:1–2).

In subsequent history every movement of spiritual renewal has been met with satanic opposition. Satan has worked in opposition to revival in three ways: by seeking to (1) persecute it, (2) pervert it, (3) prevent it.

Satan’s Direct Attack by Persecution

This is done by outward and inward means. First,

1. By Direct Attack

The early church faced the direct attack of Satan through the powers of government. In the post-apostolic years the church went through ten great persecutions at the hands of pagan Rome. The period from Constantine to the Reformation, which witnessed the existence of a church-state union, saw this sacral system persecuting any renewal movements that arose, suppressing and subduing them. With the Reformation came the age of revivals, but, sad to say, many times revival movements wer...

You must have a subscription and be logged in to read the entire article.
Click here to subscribe
visitor : : uid: ()