DRAW UP THE BATTLE PLANS

Today’s Focus: In order to win the inner battle for your creativity, you must identify your enemy and his strategy.

I know very little about being a soldier, outside of a few friends and family members who have served in the armed forces, and watching movies like Saving Private Ryan.

That said, I believe all God-fearing creatives (or creators) are constantly fighting a certain type of war.

Scripture is very clear that there are spiritual forces that oppose God. We, as His creative children, are enlisted in the fight against those forces daily, both internally and externally.

Before man was even made, God had a war to fight in the heavens, and while He successfully repelled Satan’s rebellion, the battle was far from over (Revelation 12:7-9, NIV).

The battlefield moved from the heavens to the earth, and now we are the foot soldiers.

Now, I must make it clear at the outset of this study that I’m not intending to spell out God’s eventual victory over Satan in the end times, nor am I calling for some kind of holy culture war for artisans to champion.

The battlefield I’m referring to is the one you face every time you pick up a pencil, sit in front of a computer, or take your place with your instrument.

It’s the place where doubt, fear, and darkness attempt to snuff out the light of creative inspiration that God has birthed inside of you.

But you can’t win a fight that you don’t know you’re fighting.

Before any war, the generals sit down and identify all the factors that must be dealt with in the battle. Picture a war room with a massive map in the center, covered in symbols, targets, and figurines symbolizing the forces on the battlefield.

Just like in a physical battle, you must identify key elements in your daily creative life that will determine the outcome of the conflict.

• The prize to be won
• The opposing forces
• The weapons of warfare

The prize?

An abundant, Spirit-led creative lifestyle in which God is bringing more truth, order, beauty, and love into the world through your creative gift.

The opposing forces? They are what Paul called “rulers”, “powers”, and “spiritual forces of wickedness” (Ephesians 6:12, NASB20). In 2 Corinthians 10:5, he digs in deeper, calling this opposition “every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God” (NASB95).

What are the weapons deployed against you? The enemy will shoot flaming darts at you using fear, doubt, delay, denial, and discouragement. These weapons may not physically harm you, but if they hit you, they can instantly halt your progress.

But you, too, have weapons and defense systems, and yours are spiritually designed to defeat your enemy. They include prayer, faith, the Word of God (Ephesians 6:16-18 NKJV), and - as you’ll see later - the love of God expressed through Jesus’ sacrifice (Romans 8:37, NKJV).

The last thing the enemy wants is a bunch of highly motivated, skilled, and confident Christians promoting God’s truth, creative freedom, and Kingdom authority.

So you have a prize to win. You have a force that seeks to stop you.

But most importantly, you have your Heavenly Father, who has already made sure that this battle is stacked in your favor.

Next, let’s uncover the weapons the enemy is using against us, so we can successfully fight back and win the war.

APPLICATION FOR TODAY

Take a moment and think about the landscape of your current situation. What obstacles are you facing? What goals have you set for yourself, and why are they worth pursuing? Ask God to reveal the value of your target, and to make you more aware and ready for the opposition that is sure to arise.