Editorial: Spiritual Warfare and the Frontiers

“F inally, be strong in the Lord and

in the strength of his might. Put
on the whole armor of God, that you
thinking regarding our view of reality,
through the so called “scientific
thought” that would see our world as a
deny that we have lost the war?
And what about world missions? It
would be safe to deduce that if the battle
may be able to stand against the wiles of closed, self- contained natural system rages fierce for even the“normal
the devil.” (Eph. 6:10,11) This well which would postulate Satan’s Christian,” how much more in the arena
known Scripture indicates that the nonexistence, along with other of world missions as we seek to
apostle Paul had first hand knowledge of supernatural beings, and somehow penetrate areas and peoples held in
the exigencies of spiritual warfare for reduce our problems and the battles we bondage for centuries by “the prince of
the church. He pointedly reminds his face to a natural plane of reality. the power of the air.” World missions,
readers of “the prince of the power of It must be stated clearly, that this is and in a special sense frontier missions,
the air, of the spirit that is now working not Paul’s view nor is it in anyway in must know as none other, and as never
in the sons of disobedience” (Eph. 2:2). line with his theology, nor consistent before, that we are at war, that it is a
He exhorts them “not to give place to with biblical theology generally. Paul conflict with “principalities and powers”
the devil” (Eph. 4:27), and urges the would want to correct many of us in our of evil supernatural world-ruling spirit
whole church that “the manifold wisdom “modern times” and show us that we do beings that must be taken seriously by
of God might now be made known “not contend with flesh and blood,” that all engaged in world missions. This
through the church to the rulers and the our conflict is not in the natural—with systemic evil needs to be disarmed in the
authorities in the heavenly places,” all of people and forces in the visible realm of authority and power of our Lord Jesus
this was in accord with “the eternal things—but rather is with spiritual Christ accomplished by the full armored
purpose which he carried out in Christ beings in the supernatural and invisible soldiers of the cross who know how to
Jesus our Lord.” (Eph. 3:10,11) Best of plane of reality. Paul understands this wield the sword of the Spirit.
all Christians must know that the Lord spiritual reality and the battle fought
“disarmed the principalities and powers there. What many of us do not see— The Theme of This Issue
and made a public example of them, perhaps because we cannot see— Paul Because of the great import of this
triumphing over them...” in the cross. clearly sees. It is none other than the subject and its significance for world
(Col. 2:15). startling fact that we as Christians missions we are dedicating this entire
These and other passages of Scripture individually, as well as the Body of issue to spiritual warfare. Virtually every
clearly indicate that spiritual warfare is Christ corporately, are in a war, doing article is focused on this theme. In this
not only a fact of life but that it is a very light we could ask ourselves the
battle against the principalities (rulers),
serious matter which we as Christians question why so many peoples are still
against the powers (authorities), against
need to heed lest we fail to stand. For unreached even in this late hour? Could
the world rulers of darkness, against the
this reason Paul mandates believers to it be because we today, and those who
spiritual hosts of evil and wickedness in
have gone before, have misunderstood
“take up the whole armor of God, that the heavenlies. (Eph. 6:12)
the spiritual nature of our mission and
we may be able to withstand in the evil
supernatural conflict of the task? Have
day, and, having done all, to stand.” A Fierce Ensuing Battle Western missionaries been influences
(Eph. 6:13) We could safely conclude that we in for secularism among many peoples of
the West stand in need of a major shift the world as some Christian
The Schemes of the Devil of perspective regarding ultimate world anthropologists claim ? Whatever our
One of Satan’s deadliest tactics and life view issues. We along with answer, the truth is that we today,
according to E.K. Simpson’s Paul, in accord with the whole biblical undoubtedly as never before, will be
commentary is by “shamming dead,” as record, need to see the invisible involved in warfare with rulers and
he says by “eliminating the frontier-lines non-empirical reality of our existence powers and authorities of wickedness
of truth and falsehood under colour of and the relentless battle in which all of that must be conquered in order to finish
broadmindedness, and in securing the us as God’s people are in fact involved, the task of world evangelization and
ascendancy of ‘scientific thought’ or whether we like it or not. Also the plant the church of Christ among every
rather its counterfeit, that has paved the warning stands: That unless we do unreached people on the face of the
way for his most signal inroads of experience a radical supernatural earth.
unbelief on the pale of true religion in “paradigm shift” of a deep proportion,
modern times.” (Commentary of the we are in for serious trouble. What Focus and Direction
Epistle to the Ephesians, [Link], trouble? Great portions of the church The direction of this issue is set by a
1957:145) stand to loose the war! How? Because it fresh look at the letter of Paul to the
Few can doubt that Satan has made will further erode our faith even to the Romans and how the whole letter,
great inroads in our modern world, degree that the Lord’s warningmay well including its weighty theology, is
including infiltrating our churches and apply in our times. He warned “Will the focused on missions, specifically
playing havoc with our world view. Son of Man find any faith on the earth at frontier missions, of reaching the
This has been accomplished largely by his coming.” (Luke 18:8) If the secular unreached peoples of the world.
means of a slow but persistent shift of world view condition prevails, who can Although Shirrmacher’s presentation is
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FRONTIER MISSIONS, VOL 10:4 OCT. 1993
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Editorial
not specifically focused on spiritual curriculum or training program. This all the other peoples of the earth.
warfare, his article nevertheless sets the article, as well as the article by Van
tone as we begin to look at the Rheenen were originally presented in The Adopt-A-People Consultation
exigencies of spiritual warfare vis-a-vis March of this year to the Evangelical Frank Kaleb Jansen, the director of
the unreached nation-peoples and their Missiological Society, at a Southwest the Adopt-A-People Clearinghouse,
evangelization. Regional Conference in Dallas, Texas. writes the final article giving a report on
Two articles by Murphy and Van Laughlin makes the case for including the Second Adopt-A-People
Rheenen concentrate on the foundational spiritual warfare in a mission curriculum Consultation held this Summer in
concern of the world view issue, since, among other things, in our day Colorado Springs. It is worthy of note
including a comparison of Western and there is a marked increase in demonic that this Conference was a huge success
non-Western world views, and activity. He reminds us of Paul’s and of significant influence, advancing
comparing them with the biblical warning “that in latter times some will the Adopt-A-People concept. Though
Christian one. Truly there is a “world depart from the faith, giving heed to the number of actual participants of this
view clash” of deep proportions. We deceiving spirits and doctrines of conference may seem small, compared
need to make every effort that our world demons.” (II Tim. 4:1) Laughlin to former meetings of the past, in which
view as Christians be aligned with a concludes that for this reason alone we thousands gathered, the truly significant
thorough-going Christian-biblical- should provide curriculum on spiritual feature of this conference was that all the
theistic view of reality. warfare in our theological as well as participants were leaders in the mission
Subsequent articles by John Robb and missiological training programs. industry focused to a large degree on the
Viv Grigg take up the subject of the final frontiers of reaching the remaining
tactics and schemes and organizations Concerted Prayer and Intercession unreached peoples of the world by the
Satan uses to advance and maintain his Last but not least, we will be year 2000. David Dougherty present a
kingdom of darkness here on earth, challenged to pray and intercede for response to Jansen in the form of a
including his tactics in controlling the another people still unreached with the second perspective on this same
urban centers of our world. We need to gospel—the Bihari of India—deceived consultation.
know our enemy and his ploys at every and held in bondage for centuries by the It is with much prayer and confidence
hand engaged “to steal, kill and false religious powers and authorities. that we send out this very special issue
destroy.” (John 10:10) The full color photo (front cover) of this on spiritual warfare. We pray that it may
A major article is written by Howard issue represents two young boys of the find wide dissemination in the Body of
Brant on SIM’s position on spiritual Bihari people who are waiting for the Christ, both at home and internationally.
warfare, power encounter and the liberating gospel. We are indebted to May it help us all to understand the
miraculous as it pertains to missions. Caleb Project for the use of this great nature of the cosmic spiritual war in
SIM realizes that by the very nature of photo. For the data on the prayer profile which we are all engaged as well as to
their task as a mission they will in the article on the Bihari we are provide authentic support and strategy
inevitably enter enemy territory , a indebted to the Adopt-A-People direction to all world mission efforts.
virtual war zone, as Brant sees it, to Clearinghouse in Colorado Springs, May we all remember that although we
engage in combat with the evil one. SIM CO. are at war, perhaps as never before,
realizes this to be of vital importance to As editor I wish to encourage every nevertheless, we are not alone for the
them both individually and corporately. subscriber of the IJFM, and every battle is the Lord’s.
We might add that the same is true for Christian who receives this special
every other missionary and mission issue of the Journal, to pray in an
agency involved in world missions. extraordinary concerted effort for the
Towards the end of this issue we are Bihari people with the view that they Hans M. Weerstra
challenged by Charles Laughlin’s article may be reached in this decade with the October 1993
on the question whether spiritual warfare gospel, it being the very power of God El Paso, Texas
should be included in a mission unto salvation for them as well as for

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FRONTIER MISSIONS