Engaging in Spiritual Warfare
Engaging in Spiritual Warfare
(2 Corinthians 10:1-6) Now I, Paul, myself am pleading with you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—who in presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you. 2 But I beg you that when I am present I may not be bold with that confidence by which I intend to be bold against some, who think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.
Spiritual Warfare is not Carnal or (of the flesh) It is Spiritual and can only be fought using Spiritual weapons that God has equipped us with.
As Believers in Christ Jesus and sons of the Living God, we have Authority in the Name of Jesus to cast down imaginations, to bring down anything that tries to exalt itself against the knowledge and Wisdom of God.
That is why God says in Ephesians 5: 6 that we must humble ourselves under the Mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt us in due time.
Also James 4:7 says therefore submit to God, resist the Devil and he will flee from you.
Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” (Jude 1:9)
Only when we are submitted fully to God can we stand against the schemes and wiles of the Devil. Satan is a spiritual being and to combat his attacks we must engage in Spiritual warfare. This means we must walk in and be empowered by the Spirit of God.
Ephesians 6:12 says this …. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
In Malachi 4:3 God tells us … You shall trample the wicked, for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet.
(Luke 10:19) Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
(Isaiah 54:17) says - No weapon formed against us shall prosper
There are 3 Key points to Spiritual warfare ….
1) Know who you are in Christ Jesus.
“We are Anointed”
- (2 Corinthians 1:21) - Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God,
“We are Blessed”
- Ephesians 1:3 says God has blessed us with EVERY spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus
“We are More than Conquerors”
- (Romans 8:37) - Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
“We are The Righteousness of God”
- (2 Corinthians 5:20) - For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
“We are Heirs of the Kingdom”
- (Galatians 3:29) - And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
“We are A Royal Priesthood”
- (1 peter 2:9) - But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people
We have complete Authority in Jesus Name, He has given us the Keys to the Kingdom, whatever we bind on earth will be bound in heaven, whatever we loose on earth will be loosed in heaven;
2) Know your Enemy & his ways
(2 peter 5:8) - Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
(John 10:10) - the devil comes to kill, steal and destroy, but Christ came that we might have life and have it more abundantly
(2 Corinthians 11:14) For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.
(2 Corinthians 2:11) - lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.
Ways the Devil will surely attack ….
Strongholds - If he can keep you in bondage and sin, then he can keep you from walking in complete Victory in your Life.
Doubt - doubt is the opposite of Faith, without faith we cannot please God. If he can cause us to doubt then we believe him not God.
Lies & Deception - Satan is the Father of Lies & in him there is no truth, Lies and Deception are his way of trying to confuse us,
Pride - this is actually what got Lucifer thrown from heaven, Pride comes before destruction, Pride will cause you to exalt yourself. God resists the Proud!
Temptation - just as he tempted Christ, he will tempt you also, but God will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear, He will make a way of escape.
Fear - Fear is the opposite of Peace, if Satan can cause us to walk in fear then we cannot walk in the Peace of God. Fear paralyzes causing us to draw back
Subtlety - Satan uses subtlety more times than not, slowly and subtlety he will try and promote and push his agenda into your life.
3) Know your weapons for warfare
Armor of God (Ephesians 6:13-18) - Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints
It is so important that we see that we must arm ourselves with the WHOLE armor of God, not just parts of it. Any parts of the armor left out will result in a unbalanced defense and will leave us exposed to the enemy regarding whatever area we fail to equip ourselves.
The armor of God in completion will fully protect you from the Enemy and all of his attacks, completely rendering his attempts useless
“Stand” - Stand your ground, even when your weary and cant seem to take another step, Just stand.
“Truth” - Notice your waist is the center of your body, truth will keep you centered, focused and in line with Gods plan
“Righteousness” - righteousness comes from within where the Spirit of God dwells, the Breastplate of Righteousness it will guard your heart
“peace” - walking in the gospel of peace will cause you to be in full submission to Christ every step you take.
“Faith” - Faith will deflect all arrows of accusations, condemnation. Held out front you walk on with faith leading the way
“Salvation” -our salvation keeps our minds clear to be able to react and to focus on the prize that is set before us.
“Word of God” - For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Heb 4:12
“Prayer” - continual prayer will keep us spiritually strong and alert. Praying in the Spirit will build us up on our most Holy faith.
“Perseverance” - perseverance is the key to outlasting our enemy, not growing weary but standing in the power of God.
The battle is the Lords and He has already given us the Victory.
We must fight as a people that KNOW that we have already Won.
Romans 8:31) says If God is For us, who can be against us.
(2 Corinthians 10:1-6) Now I, Paul, myself am pleading with you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—who in presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you. 2 But I beg you that when I am present I may not be bold with that confidence by which I intend to be bold against some, who think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.
Spiritual Warfare is not Carnal or (of the flesh) It is Spiritual and can only be fought using Spiritual weapons that God has equipped us with.
As Believers in Christ Jesus and sons of the Living God, we have Authority in the Name of Jesus to cast down imaginations, to bring down anything that tries to exalt itself against the knowledge and Wisdom of God.
That is why God says in Ephesians 5: 6 that we must humble ourselves under the Mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt us in due time.
Also James 4:7 says therefore submit to God, resist the Devil and he will flee from you.
Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” (Jude 1:9)
Only when we are submitted fully to God can we stand against the schemes and wiles of the Devil. Satan is a spiritual being and to combat his attacks we must engage in Spiritual warfare. This means we must walk in and be empowered by the Spirit of God.
Ephesians 6:12 says this …. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
In Malachi 4:3 God tells us … You shall trample the wicked, for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet.
(Luke 10:19) Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
(Isaiah 54:17) says - No weapon formed against us shall prosper
There are 3 Key points to Spiritual warfare ….
1) Know who you are in Christ Jesus.
“We are Anointed”
- (2 Corinthians 1:21) - Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God,
“We are Blessed”
- Ephesians 1:3 says God has blessed us with EVERY spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus
“We are More than Conquerors”
- (Romans 8:37) - Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
“We are The Righteousness of God”
- (2 Corinthians 5:20) - For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
“We are Heirs of the Kingdom”
- (Galatians 3:29) - And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
“We are A Royal Priesthood”
- (1 peter 2:9) - But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people
We have complete Authority in Jesus Name, He has given us the Keys to the Kingdom, whatever we bind on earth will be bound in heaven, whatever we loose on earth will be loosed in heaven;
2) Know your Enemy & his ways
(2 peter 5:8) - Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
(John 10:10) - the devil comes to kill, steal and destroy, but Christ came that we might have life and have it more abundantly
(2 Corinthians 11:14) For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.
(2 Corinthians 2:11) - lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.
Ways the Devil will surely attack ….
Strongholds - If he can keep you in bondage and sin, then he can keep you from walking in complete Victory in your Life.
Doubt - doubt is the opposite of Faith, without faith we cannot please God. If he can cause us to doubt then we believe him not God.
Lies & Deception - Satan is the Father of Lies & in him there is no truth, Lies and Deception are his way of trying to confuse us,
Pride - this is actually what got Lucifer thrown from heaven, Pride comes before destruction, Pride will cause you to exalt yourself. God resists the Proud!
Temptation - just as he tempted Christ, he will tempt you also, but God will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear, He will make a way of escape.
Fear - Fear is the opposite of Peace, if Satan can cause us to walk in fear then we cannot walk in the Peace of God. Fear paralyzes causing us to draw back
Subtlety - Satan uses subtlety more times than not, slowly and subtlety he will try and promote and push his agenda into your life.
3) Know your weapons for warfare
Armor of God (Ephesians 6:13-18) - Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints
It is so important that we see that we must arm ourselves with the WHOLE armor of God, not just parts of it. Any parts of the armor left out will result in a unbalanced defense and will leave us exposed to the enemy regarding whatever area we fail to equip ourselves.
The armor of God in completion will fully protect you from the Enemy and all of his attacks, completely rendering his attempts useless
“Stand” - Stand your ground, even when your weary and cant seem to take another step, Just stand.
“Truth” - Notice your waist is the center of your body, truth will keep you centered, focused and in line with Gods plan
“Righteousness” - righteousness comes from within where the Spirit of God dwells, the Breastplate of Righteousness it will guard your heart
“peace” - walking in the gospel of peace will cause you to be in full submission to Christ every step you take.
“Faith” - Faith will deflect all arrows of accusations, condemnation. Held out front you walk on with faith leading the way
“Salvation” -our salvation keeps our minds clear to be able to react and to focus on the prize that is set before us.
“Word of God” - For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Heb 4:12
“Prayer” - continual prayer will keep us spiritually strong and alert. Praying in the Spirit will build us up on our most Holy faith.
“Perseverance” - perseverance is the key to outlasting our enemy, not growing weary but standing in the power of God.
The battle is the Lords and He has already given us the Victory.
We must fight as a people that KNOW that we have already Won.
Romans 8:31) says If God is For us, who can be against us.
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