It doesn’t take much to look out at the world and see that evil exists. From small lies to war-torn countries, there is a plethora of evidence to showcase how broken our world is. As Christians, we know that these manifestations of evil do not only exist in what we can see but are prevalent in our spiritual reality, where the devil works against us. In Equipped: The Armor of God for Everyday Struggles, author Christopher M. Kennedy explains this:
The devil’s schemes are not surprising mysteries. God’s Word clearly states that we are not unaware of the evil one’s ploys (2 Corinthians 2:11). But the distraction and noise of life—as well as our own fallen nature—lull us into forgetfulness. (Equipped, p. vi)
We forget that the devil is at work causing chaos throughout our fallen world. We forget that there is a spiritual reality to the problems we face. And we forget that we already have the antidote to the devil’s tactics: Jesus. One of my favorite books on spiritual warfare as it relates to our daily lives as everyday Christians is Afraid: Demon Possession and Spiritual Warfare in America by Robert H. Bennett. Throughout the book, Bennett points to the Sacraments and liturgical practices as places where Jesus’ power clearly reigns over the devil.
In the presence of Jesus, Satan is forced to flee. (Afraid, p. 13)
Bennett also reminds us that even those who remember the truth and know the comfort it brings still “need to hear, touch, and taste them daily as they battle their own sin, the world, and the devil” (Afraid, p. 14).
Our faith doesn’t require us to do anything to “earn” protection from Jesus Christ. Our faith points us toward what God has already won. Below are a few ways you can bring liturgical practices into your home to remind you of the victory over sin, death, and the devil Jesus has bought for you.
The Home Altar
Jesus is God’s Word Incarnate. A home altar is a physical reminder to read God’s Word and pray together as a household. You don’t have to clean out a closet or construct an elaborate setup to create a home altar. A home altar is a dedicated place for prayer with clear visual or other sensory cues. For one family, this might look like a side table with a mounted crucifix, candles, incense, and Treasury of Daily Prayer. For another, it might be a basket that is brought out and set up with an age-appropriate devotional book, a white table runner, baptismal candles, and a cross. I believe God has gifted me with the ability to help “shape spaces.” I like being intentional about the environment I present to different groups based on how I want people to feel welcomed and encouraged to participate. The home altar allows me to practice this skill, changing the space throughout the seasons of the Church Year and as our family grows.
Private Confession
When sin and shame plague our hearts, Satan uses it to keep us downtrodden and make us feel unworthy of God’s grace. While corporate Confession and Absolution during worship provides needed forgiveness, sometimes private confession with your pastor can ground you even more in the reminder that Jesus paid the price for us.
As Bennett states in Afraid,
For Lutherans, the purpose of confession is to hear absolution. … The Lutheran Rite of Confession and Absolution empties the devil’s arsenal of tricks by taking all of the requirements of Absolution away from the person hearing the Words of Absolution and placing them into the hands of the Savior. (Afraid, pp. 26–27)
And private confession can help alleviate any remaining doubt that your sins are forgiven. A lot of people are nervous to do private confession because of its personal and vulnerable nature. In my opinion, Satan uses that to his advantage. So, I truly commend anyone who pushes through that discomfort and gets the peace that surpasses all understanding. Your pastor would be thrilled to hear you are interested in this practice.
House Blessings
The first time I heard about a house blessing was while reading Afraid, but it would be years before my family actually participated in the practice. Many years later, in the months before my husband and I brought home our first baby, I experienced pregnancy insomnia and sleep paralysis. I was hesitant to believe it was anything actually spiritually related. We were on our vicarage at a healthy congregation, we were in frequent worship and study of God’s Word, and things were going well for us overall. I truly thought it was just pregnancy. After giving birth, things got worse rapidly. I’ve written before about my experience with postpartum depression, and I want to be clear that I am not saying that depression equals a demonic experience. But the quickness and intensity of my experience led me to ask my husband if we could do a house blessing with our pastor.
A house blessing is not a magic spell. “By extension, the house blessing has nothing to do with spiritual words or rites but with the presence of Jesus, who connects Himself by the power of the Holy Spirit to His Word” (Afraid, p. 116). God’s Word spoken and prayed over our home had power. When a house blessing was combined with me getting the medical help I needed, things started to change for the better.
You do not need to be in an active spiritual battlefront to benefit from a house blessing. This liturgical practice can be done for any reason and can serve as a way to build your home on Jesus, our solid rock. You could even use a house blessing to invite your church family to your home and practice hospitality!
Quotations from Equipped: The Armor of God for Everyday Struggles are © 2021 Christopher M. Kennedy. Published by Concordia Publishing House. All rights reserved.
Quotations from Afraid: Demon Possession and Spiritual Warfare in America are © 2016 Robert H. Bennett. Published by Concordia Publishing House. All rights reserved.
Strengthen your family to remember Christ’s promises with October’s Everyday Faith Calendar.
