Tuesday 18 June 2013

Spiritual Warfare


This week’s lectures were definitely an eye-opener and a reality check. I have come to realise more and more that Satan loves to deceives us through making think that he does not exist. My brothers and sisters, Satan exists! The word warfare means the process of military struggle between two nations or groups of nations. The warfare is spiritual and is unseen. Ephesians 6:12 GNT declares that “we are not fighting against human beings but against the wicked spiritual forces in the heavenly world, the rulers, authorities, and cosmic powers of this dark age”

Spiritual Warfare begins when the enemy (Satan) perceives that someone is trying to seek God’s purpose or to protect the well-being of God’s people!

When you give your life to Christ you become a child of the Lord of Lords and King of Kings (John 1:12). You are no longer an orphan neither do you live in darkness because God has brought you into His kingdom, His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). Being a child of God means you not only inherit God’s blessings but His enemies too. The Lord’s foremost enemy is Satan and his purpose is to destroy the work of God (John 8:44) BUT Jesus came to “destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8).

Who’s The Devil?

The devil is Satan who is also known as Lucifer (Isaiah 14:12). He was an angel who became prideful and wanted to become like God. As a result He was cast out of heaven and some angels went with him. Isaiah 14:13-14 WEB says “You said in your heart, “I will ascend into heaven! I will exalt my throne above the stars of God! I will sit on the mountain of assembly, in the far north! I will ascend above the heights of the clouds! I will make myself like the Most High!”

Satan is a fallen angel and is a created being. He does not have the same authority and power as God. I repeat He is in no way equal to God, the creator. While Satan is superior in intellect and strength to mankind, he is inferior to God in every way. He is the god of this age who has blinded those who do not believe (2 Corinthians 4:4). He is the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who works in the sons of disobedience (Ephesians 2:2). As believers we have the power of the indwelling resurrected Christ because greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4).

The Result of the Fall of Man

Satan is the ruler of this world (John 12:31). When Adam and Eve disobey God in the Garden of Eden, Satan was given authority over the earth (Luke 4:6).  In Genesis 3:14 God said to the serpent who was Satan, “because you have done this, you are cursed above all livestock, and above every animal of the field. On your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life.” Mankind came from dust and the enemy was given dominion. Authority was transferred from mankind to the enemy. However it doesn’t end there because God then said to Satan in verse 15 that He “will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will bruise your head, and you will bruise his heel”. When Jesus was crucified Satan bruised his heel, but when Jesus resurrected He crushed Satan’s head. All authority was given back to Jesus (Matthew 28:18) and we share in that authority when we become a child of God.

The Character of the Enemy

He is the father of all liars, everything that comes out of his mouth is lies (John 8:44).

He is cunning (Genesis 3:1)

He is proud (Isaiah 14:13, 16; Ezekiel 28:2, 4, 5, 17)

He was created with superior wisdom (Ezekiel 28:2, 3,12)

He is evil (Ezekiel 28:15)

He is deceptive in appearance (Genesis 3:1; Ezekiel 28:14; 2 Corinthians 11:14)

His ambition is to like God (Luke 4:6-8;  2 Thessalonians 2:3,4)

The Work of the Enemy

He accuses and slanders believers (Revelation 12:10), he wants us to experience guilt and condemnation but the word says that if we confess our sins God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Remember there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).

Satan tempts believers to lie, steal etc (Acts 5:3) He is the tempter not God. He tempted Adam in the Garden of Eden and he also tempted Jesus in the wilderness (Luke 4:3). It’s important to remember that although he tempts us, we have the power and authority to overcome temptation. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says that even when we are tempted, God will give us the strength to endure it, and will provide us with a way out.

We must “be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour”. 1 Peter 5:8 NKJV. Satan looks for people to attack, he wants to destroy your faith and relationship with God and others.

He opposes the work of God (John 8:44, 1 Timothy 3:7; 2 Corinthians 2:11; 2 Timothy 2:26)

His purpose is to steal, kill and destroy but Jesus has come that we may have life and have it in abundance (John 10:10).

He urges people to renounce and disobey God (Genesis 3:1-5).

He entices us towards sexual sin (1 Corinthians 7:5).

He places obstacles in our path (1 Thessalonians 2:18).

He persecutes (Revelation 2:10).

He hinders the Gospel (Matthew 13:19, Matthew 16:23)

He performs miracles to deceive people (Revelation 16:14)

He seeks to promote confusion and division in the church (Matthew 13:38-39).

More Strategies of the Enemy

So as we can see the opposition of enemies and spiritual warfare are inevitable when people are doing the work of God. Satan’s tactics as seen in the book of Nehemiah include;
Ridicule
Slander
Opposition from within and without
Oppression
Unrighteousness
Discouragement
Demoralization
Distraction
Physical Threat

Nehemiah combated these tactics with;
Continual prayer
Single-mindedness
Wisdom
Righteous Living

Nehemiah’s counterstrategies helped him persevere and finish his task and God’s people in every age must employ these same weapons.

The Armor of God

Believers have been given the whole armor of God “to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11). The word wiles means devious or cunning stratagems employed in manipulating or persuading someone to do what one wants. Each piece of the armor is to be “put on” to help believers overcome the temptations and attacks of the Evil One.

Gird Your Waist With Truth (Ephesians 6:14)
The waist or abdomen area was generally thought to be the seat of emotions. The word gird means to secure and prepare and strengthen oneself for future actions. To gird this area with truth is to commit your emotions to believe the truth. As believers we must hold a commitment to truth regardless of the repercussions (John 8:32,36)

Put On The Breastplate of Righteousness (Ephesians 6:14)
The breast is generally thought of as the place of the soul. The heart must be kept pure and righteous because sin gives a foothold to the enemy. Confession and forgiveness on the basis of the blood of Christ cleanse the heart (1 John 1:9)

Shod Your Feet with the Preparation of the Gospel of Peace (Ephesians 6:15)
Proper shoes enable the feet to go from place to place. The believer is to be about their Father’s business, which is to spread the gospel of peace and reconciliation. An undaunted sense of this mission keeps the believer heading in the right direction (Matthew 28:19-20)

Take the Shield of Faith (Ephesians 6:16)
The Wicked One is “the accuser of our brethren” (Revelation 12:10) and will send his fiery darts to instill doubt, fear and guilt. Faith acts as an invisible shield that deflects such false accusations (Hebrews 11:6)

Take The Helmet of Salvation (Ephesians 6:17)
A helmet protects the head, this is, the brain and thoughts. Assurance of salvation is a mighty defense against doubt and insecurity and the kinds of works bred by them (1 John 5:11-13).

Take the Sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17)
The Word of God, the only offensive weapon in this armor, was used by the Lord Jesus against Satan (Luke 4:1-13). The living Word is powerful, effective and instructive (Hebrews 4:12; 2 Timothy 3:16-17)

Pray Always (Ephesians 6:18)
Pray opens the channels between us and God. In the midst of battle, we as believers must keep in constant communication with our Leader for directions and encouragement. Our prayers for one another mare important and effectual (James 5:16).

Warfare

It is important to remember that spiritual warfare is never flesh and blood. When we go through things we must take our anger and frustrations to God and go and speak with Him.  In the church we shoot each other instead of edifying each other. We need to understand the warfare we are in and keep encouraging one another.  Our enemy is the devil and he is very good at creating division, condemnation and also trying to take the freedom that God has already given us.

2 Corinthians 10:4 says “for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God for pulling down strongholds, 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”. God is the one that will pull down the strongholds and that have been holding us down. The warfare happens in the mind, our thoughts. The mind is so powerful and no one can see it but God. Sometimes our mind will even deceive us.

Warfare is a lifestyle that’s why it is important that we speak life and not death. There is power in our words and Proverbs 18:21 declares that life and death lies in power of our tongues. It is also important that we pay close attention to what we listen to and watch. Warfare is moral purity at all times, purity of our heart and mind.

Spiritual Warfare Is A Process

Warfare is a process, you will experience one thing this week and another thing next week. We will continue to go through trial and tribulations until we die but remember God has a purpose. God wants to deal with the condition of our heart so that we can become righteous and holy. Job 23:10 says that when God has put us to the test, we will come forth like gold.  He puts us in situations that we can’t escape because He believes that we can get through it. James 1:2-4 says that you should “count it all joy, my brothers, when you fall into various temptations, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. Let endurance have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing”.
Freedom comes when we apply the truth of God into our lives.  It is also important to remember that God looks at our hearts, He wants our hearts to be pure and set apart for His glory. . Our hearts need to be hungry for more of Him. We can’t be satisfied with what we have already learnt about God. As believers we need to walk in victory otherwise the enemy will try his best to make us fall. The way we think affects the way we see ourselves (Proverbs 23:7).

As believers we have authority over the enemy in Jesus’ name. Jesus has given you all authority. “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and noting shall by any means hurt you” Luke 10:19 NKJV

Angels of God

As a child of God, God assigns angels to each one of His children; they protect and fight for us. An example of this is found in Daniel 6:22 when God sent His angels to protect Daniel and shut the mouths of lions. Psalm 91:14 declares that God will put His angels in charge of us to protect us in all our ways. Angels are God's servants-spirits sent to care and minister to people who will inherit salvation (Hebrews 1:14).

Examples of Spiritual Warfare

When you feel spiritually heavy, that is warfare going on! Another example of warfare is unforgiveness. Forgiveness sets us free. God wants us to face it our issues and work with Him. Once we forgive, we cut off any ties and take back the power that the person may have had over us.  If God has set us free, why should we allow someone else to have power over us? It doesn’t make sense does it? Other examples include:

Divorce
Adultery
Drug and alcohol addictions/abuse
Lack of prosperity
Promiscuity   
Fornication
Lust
Abortion
Unbelief
Pride
Suffering
Fear
Strongholds in the mind
Associating with the wrong circle of friends
Sexual/Physical/Verbal abuse

Discerning spirits are essential for warfare; this is being able to detect and discern whether something is from God or from the enemy. One of the key things needed during warfare is prayer and fasting. As God sets us free from bondage and difficult situations He will put us in situations to help those who need to be free.

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