“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore, be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” Matthew 10:16

One of the most influential military treatises over the centuries is the famous work The Art of War, written by the Chinese general Sun Tzu in the 3rd century BC. This text, which has guided countless generals in their strategies, advocates winning battles through intelligence rather than brute force and violence. Sun Tzu states:

“Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.” The Art of War – Sun Tzu. He also adds:

“Seek to subdue the enemy with minimal losses.“

In other words, many rush into battle without prior reflection, then improvise strategies to triumph. Conversely, a wise general takes the time to plan and think before engaging in combat. This approach also applies to the realm of spiritual and invisible warfare.

Many defeats and destructions could be avoided by implementing sharper spiritual intelligence. Jesus, for His part, explains to His disciples that they are sent among wolves but must display the wisdom of serpents.

What is spiritual intelligence?

Before seeking to fully understand it, it is essential to define it precisely. Spiritual intelligence refers to the ability to perceive and understand events happening around you through the lens of divine wisdom, adopting God’s mindset and vision.

It is a form of intelligence that transcends the visible realm and simple rational understanding, embracing a deeper spiritual perspective where situations are interpreted in light of God’s principles and invisible realities.

To illustrate this, let’s take the Book of Proverbs, a comprehensive guide of wise strategies to counter our adversary. Those who know this book of wisdom and practice it daily can win victories without even having to fight, as Sun Tzu so well recommends. Here is an example:

“Let the wise hear and increase in learning…” Proverbs 1:5.

The word “hear” here, in the original Hebrew text, is “shama,” which means to pay attention and discern.

“Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise…” Proverbs 13:20.

By practicing divine wisdom and intelligence, you listen attentively to the wise counsel of those around you. Thus, you make better decisions and wiser life choices, allowing you to avoid many traps, bad associations, and imprudent investments that your adversary, the devil, tries to place on your path to harm or even destroy you. The wise person, who masters spiritual intelligence, often does not even need to fight, for the victory has already been secured in advance.

One day, I was in a church, and at the end of the weekend, I gave some advice to the pastor concerning certain people I perceived as malicious, having encountered this type of profile many times before. He dismissed my advice with disdain, telling me I was completely off track and that these people were exemplary and very helpful to his ministry. I left, feeling slightly uneasy and almost doubting my judgment.

Yet, less than a year later, this couple devastated the church, sowed division, and took the majority of the members with them. The ministry never fully recovered. A vicious attack by the adversary on a church, a ministry severely damaged. All of this could have largely been avoided by simply applying the principles of divine intelligence, particularly this passage that says:

“Let the wise hear and increase in learning…” Proverbs 1:5.

God sent one of His servants, who had already encountered this type of individual many times in various churches, to warn this pastor. Had he applied spiritual intelligence and attentively listened to the advice, the battle might never have taken place…

This text is an excerpt from the book The Art of Spiritual Warfare written by Luc Dumont.

We invite you to read the following article, “Beware of Breaches.“