SW Real Opposition II

Walter Wink wrestles with what the reality of opposing spiritual forces means for our prayer lives. “If the powers can thwart God so effectively, can we even speak of divine providence in the world? If our prayers are answered so sporadically, or with such great delays, can we really trust in God? Can God really be relied on? .... We have to face these questions because our capacity to pray depends on some kind of working idea of God’s providential care for us" (p. 70). I would add that our capacity to pursue the Kingdom of God, both at and through our work, depends on facing these questions as well.

Someone could balk at these questions and cite Colossians 2:15: “He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.” They might argue that the spiritual powers are defeated and are no longer able to oppose God, and that the story from Daniel took place before Christ’s victory. In this view we are to operate with faith in the reality that the victory is won and boldly establish the Kingdom of God by the power of the Spirit.

While this may sound spiritual, and appeals to what we want to accomplish, it really is akin to the prosperity gospel, believing that we can have all health and wealth with enough faith. Applied to faith and work integration, this view believes that we can enjoy great success in establishing the Kingdom of God in our workplaces with faith. But, the only way to operate as if this is true is with a great deal of denial about our experiences in this world, ignoring the already/not yet reality of the Kingdom of God in the present age. Colossians 2:15 sounds like the victory over the powers is here, but Paul writes in 1 Corinthians as if the victory is not yet and in the future, “Then comes the end, when he delivers the Kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.” (1 Cor 15:24-25) The end Paul is talking about is in the future.

Understanding the tension of an already/not yet Kingdom of God that we find presented in the NT is essential to our efforts to serve this Kingdom in our work. Wink explores how this tension can affect our prayer lives. Why doesn't the opposition of spiritual powers cause us to lose heart and stop praying? Wink writes, “The sobering news that the powers can thwart God is more than matched by the knowledge that our intercessions will ultimately prevail. Whether we have to wait twenty-one days or twenty-one years or twenty-one centuries changes nothing for faith" (p. 70). He maintains that the early church was able to persevere in prayer because it believed in the ultimate fulfillment of the Kingdom and was committed to its pursuit despite setbacks and obstacles from opposing spiritual forces. The idea of the Kingdom had captured their hearts, and their prayers were an expression of their longing for its arrival.

So, according to Wink, it is the promise of fulfillment in the coming age that provides the hope that keeps us praying. While we are not winning yet, praying for the Kingdom of God can never be a lost cause because we have faith in the ultimate victory. It makes a big difference when we understand that our unanswered prayers are not a “no," but a “not yet.”

However, while this framework sustains a life of prayer, applying it to professional work introduces a more pragmatic challenge: the cost of failure. Simply put, not-yet-answered prayers do not cost us as much as failed work efforts. Wink says that having to wait 21 days or 21 years changes nothing for faith that is expressed in prayer. But those delays can change a great deal for faith expressed in work efforts.

As an extreme example, a group may faithfully and enthusiastically pray for North Korea without seeing any evidence of their prayers having an impact. That may be discouraging, but it has only cost them the time and energy spent in prayer, and they probably feel good about their efforts. However, if a group attempted to start a business to operate within North Korea as a potential platform to be ambassadors for the Kingdom of God, it could be quite costly if that business ultimately failed. In this scenario, significantly more time, energy and financial resources appear wasted. Work efforts rely more on timely outcomes than intercessory prayer.

The “sobering news that powers can thwart God” takes on a heavier weight in the workplace, where frustration isn't just a spiritual trial, but a tangible loss of time, capital, and mission. How does this reality not cause us to lose heart and dampen our pursuit of Kingdom of God outcomes through our work? I will address that in the next post.