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Everyone gives off a spiritual “aroma,” whether they know it or not.

When Jesus “trod this sod,” He attracted a lot of attention, especially among evil spirits. They could, in a way, “smell” Him coming and knew they had more than met their match.

Demons had no problem dominating ordinary humans, but they didn’t stand a chance when it came to Jesus, because of the Holy Spirit within Him.

Now, 2,000 years later, the lowliest Spirit-filled Christian has the same effect that Jesus had on the forces of evil.

The Apostle Paul put it this way in 2 Corinthians 2:14-16, “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us reveals the fragrance of the knowledge of Him in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing: to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life.”

Bible commentator Bill MacDonald wrote, “To the saved, Christians are the aroma of life leading to life, but to the perishing, the aroma of death leading to death ... bringing life to those who believe, but the ‘deathly smell of doom’ to those who refuse to believe.”

But Christians need to be aware they are doing hand-to-hand spiritual combat and pay attention to their spiritual environment.

When I was a new (and naïve) Christian, I once attempted to share my fledgling faith with a diminutive, 80-something neighbor friend who always seemed pleasant, proper and impeccably dressed. He was a retired accountant who wouldn’t harm a fly. Or so I thought.

At dinner at my house one night, I rather glibly launched into sharing my faith with this new “friend” of mine. I was in for a lesson in spiritual warfare.

The instant the word “Jesus” came up, that nice, polite, little man seemed to morph into a threatening and powerful spiritual presence (not physically but spiritually). He summarily shut down our conversation, momentarily silencing my voice in the process.

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I don’t remember much about the rest of the evening except that our little “social” gathering was forthwith terminated.

Since then, I have become more discerning about when to share deep spiritual truths and with whom, mindful that as spiritual beings we are entering serious situations that require intense prayer and the leading of the Holy Spirit.

In Matthew 7:6, Jesus wisely advised, “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.”

Of course, my elderly friend was not the “dog” per se, but the evil spirit influencing him was the one threatening to tear me to pieces.

A few pointers from a seasoned veteran:

Always let the Holy Spirit direct you as to when, where and how to confront spiritual forces.

As written in 2 Corinthians 3:17-18; 4:6-7, “For God, who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’ is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen containers, so that the extraordinary greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves ...”

John the Baptist had some good advice for us all in John 3:30-31, noting that “He must increase, but I must decrease. He who comes from above (Jesus) is above all; the one who is only from the earth is of the earth and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.”

This isn’t about making you and me larger in ourselves. It’s about making us smaller and making HIM larger within us. Doing spiritual battle in your own strength is like carrying a knife into a gunfight. If you are a born again Christian, you have the strength of the Almighty within you. Wait upon Him.

Finally, fraternizing with the enemy by becoming entangled in sin, or being inordinately absorbed by the cares of this world invites defeat. In 2 Timothy 2:3-5, Paul cautioned, “No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him.”

There is a way to transform your simplest, most mundane daily chores into extraordinary spiritual adventures. Consider: We are the only feet Christ possesses to carry His Gospel to the lost; we are His voices to proclaim the Good News of salvation; and we are the only arms He has to embrace the hurting.

By marching in step with the Spirit of Christ, we, too, will bear the fragrance of Jesus wherever we go.

— D.C. Collier is a Bible teacher, discipleship mentor and writer focused on Christian apologetics. A mechanical engineer and internet entrepreneur, he is the author of My Origin, My Destiny, a book focused on Christianity’s basic “value proposition.” Click here for more information, or contact him at [email protected] . Click here for previous columns. The opinions expressed are his own.

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