Let the Shepherd Lead

• All Problems Are Spiritual Problems
  • We cannot forget that the reason that we have problems at all comes from the spiritual warfare that first occurred in the Garden of Eden.
  • Whether by suffering or enticement, each one of us must war against sinful desires.
    • As James 1:14-15 tells us temptation, leads to desire.
    • Desire conceives and gives birth to sin.
    • And Sin fully grown results in death.
  • In this fallen existence, the world, the flesh, and the devil conspire together to introduce suffering and enticement into our lives.
    • Just as in the book of Job, the world, the flesh, and the devil may conspire but are not sovereign.
    • The devil himself had to ask the permission of God to be allowed to attack Job’s worldly possessions or to afflict Job’s flesh.
    • But make no mistake, the purpose of these enemy forces is to destroy the spiritual life of Job and each of us.
  • This is the reason that Paul tells us in Ephesians 6:11-12 to “put on the whole armor of god, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”
  • Therefore as Dr. Adams says, “Counseling, therefore must be understood and conducted as a spiritual battle.”[1]
    • The counselor is a soldier whose main weapon is the Word of God.
    • The enemy attacks with ferocity in all manner of problems hoping to mire believers in sin and suffering.
    • We must learn and understand how to combat the Enemy’s schemes (2 Corinthians 2:11).
    • Left unchecked any of Satan’s attacks can wreak spiritual havoc (Eph. 4:27; James 4:7).

• Some Problems Frontally Assault Our Soul.
  • The spiritual nature of all problems understood, we must also confess that certain problems serve as a frontal assault against our souls.
  • For instance, consider the situation of the Galatian church.
    • Paul had come through the region of Galatian establishing churches on his first missionary journey (Acts 13-14).
    • He returned to these churches often seeking to strengthen the churches (Acts 14, 15:36-41, 16). Likely he helped them to apply the Scriptures to many of their questions and their circumstances.
    • But Galatians, likely written during the controversy surrounding Gentile believers that led to the Jerusalem council, listen to Paul’s words towards the Galatians in 1:6-10, 3:1-6, 4:8-11, 4:15-20 or 5:7-12.
    • If we take these words at their face value, Paul sees these problems as more serious attacks upon the spiritual life of the Galatians, primarily because they cause these believers to become paralyzed in their faith or chasing after useless pursuits.
    • Taken to the extreme, these problems cause a person’s faith and salvation to be placed in doubt. Certainly, until these problems are resolved, Paul believes that there can be no more spiritual growth in the life of these believers.

• Thus over the next few weeks we will discuss several spiritual problems that can wreak havoc on our spiritual lives.
• They include: Unbelief and Idolatry; Demon Posession; Hopelessness / Doubt / and Guilt; and Guidance .

[1] Adams, The Christian Counselor’s Manual, 117