An Insightful Quote on Spiritual Warfare

Here’s an incisive insight by the late Leanna Payne:

“Often the enemy will take advantage of opposition that arises within the most intimate circles–our close relatives or friends in the body of Christ–to stir up the most heartrending kind of spiritual warfare. This especially occurs when a groundbreaking ministry is at stake. There will always be slander and lies in such demonized warfare. I have yet to see a case like this where a root of sin of envy was not exposed and reckoned with as well. Oddly enough, that dreaded vice is rarely recognized for what it is today.

I have experienced this kind of opposition especially when I first began teaching on the healing of relationships through forgiveness of sin. The most bizarre and irrational opposition, lies, and slander came from certain quarters. The situations were rife with demonic spirits, which also surprised me. I went flat on my face before God.

Spiritual battle brings all manner of confusion, so I had a lot of ‘thinking through’ to do with God. I had to forgive and keep forgiving the same people, interceding again and again for them … The nature of the warfare would most surely have disheartened me had I not learned to pray for my beloved enemies–those closest to me who opposed the work God has called me to do.”