Photo credit: Shewanda Riley

This week, we conclude our look at Spiritual PTSD – Purpose, Strength, Trust, and Discernment by exploring how they work together to strengthen us after we experience spiritual warfare.  Just like those who have experienced the trauma of a real-life battle, one of the most important steps after a spiritual warfare battle is to focus not on what we’ve just experienced but rather on what is to come.  The challenge with this is that often the PTSD sufferer is reminded at unplanned times of the trauma which makes it hard to remain hopeful and future focused.    Sometimes, it can be a word, a person or a similar scenario that reminds us of the experience or worse, has us relive the worst of the trauma.    Rather than focus on the lingering effects of the trauma, we should try to develop the coping skills that will help us manage the unpredictable emotional triggers.When it comes to spiritual warfare, it is important to develop the coping skills necessary to move forward and not get stuck in the emotional aftermath of spiritual warfare:  regret, bitterness, confusion, or anger.   Managing our spiritual warfare PTSD effectively can have some positive results: 

  • Purpose – We are reminded of God’s purpose.     Jeremiah 29:11 says “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. God’s purpose is made clearer after the battle.  Why?  When we’ve had a life threatening or altering experience, we are better able to prioritize and not focus on the things (and people) that don’t matter anymore.

    Strength – We are renewed by God’s strength.  2 Corinthians 12:9explains that God’s grace is sufficient for us because His “strength is made perfect in weakness.” The weakness that is the result of warfare can be debilitating but we can rely on God more during times that we feel spiritually, emotionally, and physically weakest. Trust – We are restored by trusting in God.  Proverbs 3:5, 6 reminds us to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.”  Relying on God’s wisdom and trusting in God is key to remaining in His will and staying focused on his purpose for our lives. Discernment – We are protected by discernment.   1 John 4:1 says that we should “Test the spirit by the spirit.   By using our spiritual discernment, we can then avoid getting into uncomfortable and inappropriate situations.    Discernment can also help us find the best way out when we find ourselves in those situations.

Spiritual warfare is designed to keep believers distracted by the intensity of the battle and not on the fact that we’ve won through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Knowing how to manage spiritual warfare PTSD (Purpose, Strength, Trust, and Discernment) will ultimately give us hope and a renewed trust in God’s unconditional love.