A Gamer’s Guide to Spiritual Warfare (Even If You’re Not a Gamer)

 

Disclaimer: Please bear with the opening two paragraphs of this blog. You can judge me for it if you like. But I will get to the point and I hope you will be blessed and encouraged.

 

I am not much of a gamer. I would occasionally go through a season of playing football or basketball on the PS. But I would not really call myself a gamer. I prefer board games. But, about two years ago my son introduced me to a game he was playing that he thought I would like. I thought I would give it a go as a means to maybe spend more time with him and enter a part of his world. To my surprise, he was right! I really enjoyed the game. For those who might care, its an open world survival game on the computer. What that basically means is that you have a character, and you explore an open world. You fight off wild animals and enemies that are out to kill you. You forage for food and you collect materials to build a base and armour and weapons with. As you progress through the levels of the game the enemies obviously get harder to fight. But the food gets better and the weapons and armour do as well. That’s the basic premise of the game.

 

I found that as I moved from level 1 to level 2, I was roaming around the forests very nervously. You never know what might kill you. There are trolls and bears and all sorts of other things. The weapons I had were barely enough to protect. But over time I moved on and reached level 4. I had new weapons and armour. Now, wandering through the level 2 area seemed a stroll in the park. I was fearless and could roam about and forage courageously, unlike earlier. Anyway, enough about Valheim, and let me get to my point!!!

 

Before I became a Christian, I had weapons to fight off sin and temptation. I had my own will power, which is not much to brag about. It was a will power that was fuelled by guilt. I did not want to be caught out. I feared the consequences of being caught more than I actually hated the sin that was tempting me. My will power was also fuelled by shame. I was a preacher’s kid and I did not want to bring shame to my family or to myself. I did not want to fit the stereotype of a pastor’s kid gone rogue. It was not a love for my parents (I did deeply love them) that made me not want to bring shame to the house. It was more my ego. I did not want to be the one who did it. This will power fuelled by guilt and shame helped me win some battles, and maybe stay away from some of the more easily caught out sins. But for the most part I kept losing the battles against sin and temptation in my mind and heart and, if I am honest, quite often even in my words and actions.

 

But then, in 1996 Christ took a hold of my heart. I came to faith and suddenly, unknowingly I was in a new level. All of a sudden, the weapons I had were upgraded. There was a love for God and for people that replaced my love for myself. The question I asked now was not “how can I do this to myself?”. Rather, it was “how can I do this to the God who loved me and died for me?” and soon after, the next question followed “how can I do this to and bring disrepute to His bride – the church of God?”. Shame and guilt were replaced by love. Love was a new weapon in my arsenal to combat sin.

 

Another weapon that got replaced was my silly will power. I realised very quickly that it was a rather weak and pathetic weapon. I was given a new one, a powerful one. The word of God – truth. I did not have to look temptation in the face and say “No, because I don’t want to I will not.”. Now, I could look temptation in the face and say “But the word of God says…” It was powerful. It was a life not built on me and my ability. It was a life built on God’s truths. My will power fluctuates. Some days it helped me and some days it was my own worst enemy. But God’s truth is eternal, unchanging and always powerful.

 

The last weapon I found I was given, was grace. Grace as a weapon? That sounds absurd. But that understanding of God’s grace teaches me that it already knows my sins of tomorrow and has paid for them all. That grace has understood my imperfect heart and mind and has yet chosen to begin a work in me that will surely be completed by the day of Christ. Oh that amazing grace. As Titus says in Titus 2:11- 12 “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age…” The grace of God that appeared in Christ, and brought salvation to my life, is also the same grace that teaches me to say no to ungodliness and to live a self-controlled upright life.

I realised back then in 1996, being adopted through Christ levelled me up in the game of life like never before. It’s not that life’s battles with sin have now become a stroll in the park. No! The devil has only ramped up his attacks on me because he hates that I belong to Christ. I am fully aware of that. But I do not live in fear of sin. I know it has been forgiven. I can now walk a life of love. One that forgets its own self because it has been already been loved eternally. Now I can be consumed by a love for God and others. I can now live by faith in the truths of God. His truth has become my sword against the attacks of the devil. And lastly, I can live and glory in His grace. A grace that saved me, a grace that cleans me and teaches me. And a grace that will one day allow me to see Him in all His wonderful glory.

My dear friend, if you do not know Christ and are still battling sin and temptation with those level one weapons – level up. Come to Him and acknowledge your sin and repent of it. Being His and in Him frees you and empowers you for this life like nothing and no one else can or will.

And if you are someone who knows Christ but are still fighting with those level one weapons… why? My dear friend put on the armour of God, fight with the weapons He has graciously given you. Stand firm against the attacks of the devil. And let us do so, all for the expansion of His kingdom and for the sake of His glory.

Amen.