spirit and healing in africa - University of the Free State

of benevolent spiritual forces in order to reach that destination or to ward off the evil forces (cf.
Mwaura 2004:109).
5.3.2 Spiritual warfare
The deeply rooted belief in a spiritual realm that is directly involved in the physical realm
provides the frame of how illness, salvation and evil are referred to. Malevolent spirits
continuously obstruct the existence of human life, and these obstructions are reflected in tangible
circumstances like illness, unemployment, barrenness, obsession and loss of property. Opposed
to these malevolent spirits are good spirits who shield human life. Jesus Christ and the Holy
Spirit have entered the battle in order to save mankind, by offering healing and wholeness of the
human being who lacks the power to defend him- or herself against so much evil. If mankind
wants to stand strong amidst illness, suffering and evil, he or she needs to appeal to the power of
the good spiritual forces.
The keyword in the spiritual warfare concept is victory. Within the Christian tradition the
spiritual battle is seen from the perspective of victory over evil spirits: God, in Jesus Christ,
robbed the devil and death of their ultimate power. The benevolent spiritual force triumphed over
destruction, and the victory is a fact in the believer’s understanding. The ransom for the victory
was the suffering and the blood of Christ, which acts as a shield of protection to the believer: the
power of the blood has resulted in victory for the believer, and as such it has become the frame
of reference for Christians. Amos Young (2005:63) highlights that not only the blood of Christ,
but also the power of the Spirit is central in the AIC understanding of spiritual warfare; he
emphasizes that the “work of the Spirit as life giver includes opposition to the destroyer (…) and
deliverance from the destroyer (through the exorcism of the demonic and the expulsion of the
offenders)”.
Despite the belief that the divine victory is fact, the existence of the devil is also something very
tangible in the believer’s everyday life. Because the impact of evil is so widespread, and because
it takes many different forms, every manifestation of mishap or of the undermining of abundant
life is associated directly with the power of the devil. Evil’s ultimate power may be dismantled,
but it still has a great impact within the visible realm of men’s daily life. This explains why
Ephesians 6:12 is at the heart of church life in Southern Africa. In fact, this text provides the
foundation of the spiritual warfare concept, because it articulates precisely the daily struggles
and spiritual experiences of African believers: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood,
but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against
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