Why You Can’t Fight Alone: Community as a Weapon in Spiritual Warfare

Spiritual warfare was never meant to be fought alone. In this episode, Pastor Nic explains why Christian community is essential in spiritual warfare and how isolation makes believers vulnerable to discouragement, temptation, and spiritual drift. Drawing from 1 Peter 5:8 and Ecclesiastes 4:12, this conversation highlights the power of biblical community, small groups, and shared faith in standing firm against the enemy. A timely reminder that victory in spiritual warfare is personal—but it’s never private.

www.nic-williams.com

Transcript

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Well, good morning podcast family. Welcome back to the podcast. Before I get started, let me just say what an incredible weekend it was at South Shore where I'm the lead pastor. We had. 22 got baptized this weekend. We have over 1400 on our weekend services, over 200 in our recovery services. We had 16 people except Christ this weekend. Just an amazing opportunity to celebrate what God is doing. Now in the podcast, over the last couple of episodes, we've been talking about spiritual warfare, but not in a sensational or dramatic way. We've been talking about the real battles most believers face. In episode one, we talked about subtle erosion, how distraction, isolation and shame quietly wear us down. Episode two. We talked about the internal battlefield, how the enemy often targets our thoughts before our behavior. Today, I want to talk about something that ties all of this together because no matter how alert you are, no matter how grounded you are in truth, no matter how strong your personal faith is, you were never listen, you were never meant to fight alone the enemy. Isolates before he devours. That's not just observation, that's strategy. And scripture makes it clear that the community is not a bonus feature of the Christian life. It's a God designed defense. Let's go back. To where this whole series started, one Peter five, eight. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy, the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. We quote that verse a lot, but we often stop short of imagining the scene. Peter doesn't describe a lion charging into a group. He describes a predator prowling, watching, waiting, looking for vulnerability. See, lions don't attack the strongest animal on the herd. They don't attack the most alert. They attack the ones that are separated. The injured one, the distracted one, the isolated one. See, isolation isn't just unhealthy, it's unsafe. And that's why community is such a threat to the enemy because community exposes lies. Community notices drift. Community brings strength where weakness hides. One of the subtle lies many Christians believe is that community is optional. It's helpful, but not necessary. It's nice, but not essential, but scripture never treats it that way. Solomon writes this in Ecclesiastes, though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. That's not poetry, just at weddings. That's wisdom for survival. See, community isn't about dependency. It's about reinforcement. It's not about weakness, it's about design. From the beginning, God said it is not good for man to be alone. And that wasn't just about marriage. It was about humanity. God never intended spiritual strength to be a solo achievement. And, and here's the tension. Most believers agree with community in theory, but resisted in practice. Why? Let me name a few reasons. Just honestly. Number one, fear of vulnerability. Community requires being known and being known feels risky. What if I share too much? What if I'm judged? What if people see the real struggle? What if people share my struggle with other people? And all of a sudden we talk ourselves out because of the fear of vulnerability. Number two, past church hurt. Some people aren't avoiding community. They're protecting themselves. They've trusted before they, they were disappointed, they were wounded, they've jumped into that small group, they've shared their story, and something didn't turn out right and so now distance feels safer than Hope. Number three. Independence, disguise the strength We live in a culture that celebrates self-sufficiency. Handle it yourself. Don't burden anyone Push through. But scripture doesn't call that strength. Independence feels strong until the battle gets heavy. See, the enemy loves convincing believers that asking for help is weakness because isolation keeps the fight quiet. Let's talk practically about why community matters so much when it comes to spiritual warfare. See, community brings perspective when you're stuck in your own head, lies sound louder. Community helps you see what you can't see yourself. Someone else can say, that's not who you are. That's not how God sees you. That's not the whole story. Community brings accountability without condemnation. Healthy community doesn't shame you. It supports you. It doesn't minimize sin, but it doesn't weaponize it either. It says you are not alone and you don't have to pretend. Community interrupts isolation. Early drift doesn't happen overnight. Community notices patterns before they become problems. I was at a conference this weekend and the speaker was talking about the unintentional drift that happens as a leader. And then Sunday afternoon, I take my family out on the boat and it is windy. If you were in Sarasota this weekend, you know the wind was strong, the weather was getting colder, and we're out on the boat and I'm trying to anchor, and the anchor won't grab the. The sand because of how windy it is, because of how strong the current is. There's so much going against me. But later we finally got settled in and the drift began to happen slower. We didn't notice it anymore until one moment. You look up and you see, wait a minute, the land looks a little different. Where I'm at, I, I feel like we've shifted slightly. In the beginning it was easy to see because we were moving like crazy. I want you to understand drift happens slowly. It doesn't happen overnight. And community can notice the patterns in your life before they become problems. See, community doesn't just restore, it prevents let, let me share something I've seen consistently in ministry. The most sustained spiritual growth I've witnessed hasn't happened in large gatherings alone. It happens in circles, in small groups and honest conversations and rooms where people are known. Not impressed. I've watched people break free from long held shame. I've watched people rebuild marriages and rediscover joy. I, I've watched people grow spiritually in seasons. They never thought they would, and almost without exception, it happens in community. Not because community fixed everything, but because it created space for God to work. This is why I am so passionate about small groups. We talk about it all the time at our church. I know this podcast is listened to around the world. So whatever community you're in, make sure you are in a group. Our groups are kicking off. We're end of January right now, so our groups are kicking off over the next two to three weeks. And our groups in particular are doing a study on spiritual warfare based on the book I wrote and the small group curriculum that pastor. Corey Maddox wrote to get this in the hearts of people. So we're not fighting this battle alone. Not because it's a program, not because it's tied to a book, but because it creates intentional space for connection and truth. See, this curriculum isn't about having all the answers. It's about having honest conversations. It's not about experts, it's about people walking together. See, victory is personal, but it's never private. So if you're tired, if you've been carrying things quietly, if you've been strong for everyone else, this isn't a sign that you failed. It may be a sign you weren't meant to do this. Alone. So here's my invitation. No pressure, just honesty. If you're a part of South Shore, I wanna encourage you to join a group when they launch, not because you're weak, not because something is wrong, but because community is one of God's primary tools for strength. If you're not local, my encouragement is still the same. Find people be known, fight together, because spiritual warfare is real, but so is God's design for support Now. If you want to join us on our journey through spiritual warfare, through the curriculum we're using, and you're not a part of South Shore, you can go to south shore church.com. There's a link on there for groups. And at the bottom of that link, you'll see all our videos that we've filmed about spiritual warfare throughout this series for Don't Be Devoured. You'll see the sermon series that I just finished preaching. You can order the workbook if you would like. And so jump in. And be on this journey with us. So let, lemme close with this truth. You don't have to be fearless to stand firm. You don't have to be perfect to be protected. You don't have to be strong all the time. You just have to stay connected. The safest place in the battle is not alone. It's together. Hey, thanks for walking through this series with me. Stay alert, stay anchored, and don't fight alone.