Christian Faith and Global Spiritual Warfare

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Christian Faith and Global Spiritual Warfare

Christian faith is a polemical concept. Hence it dominates institutional and semantic space. Its apocalyptic visions and obsession with enemies are polemical examples of “global spiritual warfare.” It explores the centrality of prayer as a political praxis. It also highlights the role of charismatic faith in achieving a global agenda. Here are a few examples of charismatic faith.

In biblical terms, a human being consists of soul and body. The risen Christ came to save souls and raise the body. During his public ministry, Jesus healed the sick. However, his ministry was not limited to physical healing. Only 20 to 11% of the gospel accounts describe Jesus’ exorcisms or physical healings. Despite this, Christians still believe in the power of prayer and faith to achieve a bodily resurrection.

The New Testament also highlights the importance of baptism. On the Day of Pentecost, Peter taught the crowds to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, which leads to receiving the Holy Spirit. The apostle Paul was baptized after he was led by Ananias to Christ by the Spirit. In his baptism, Paul called on the name of Christ. That act of faith is crucial for a Christian’s life.

Wagner and his co-travellers were among the first to promote an evangelical strategy of missionary outreach. The Church Growth movement had previously promoted deep cultural knowledge of unreached peoples as a means of improving missionary effectiveness. In a nutshell, Wagner and co-travellers were evangelists who advocated a new, cosmological understanding of salvation and spirituality. They advocated a “reverse mission” of sorts, promoting the spiritual strength of subaltern southerners.