Word of the Week - Spiritual Warfare
"For God did not give us a spirit of fear or timidity but a spirit of power, love and sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7
Spiritual Warfare – I was reminded once again last week that we have a common enemy of our soul whose goal is to destroy us. His name is satan and he is real and is also known as a thief and a great deceiver. “The thief comes to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” John 10:10 The “Good News” is that those of us who are in Christ are equipped with power and authority to reign victorious over this enemy. To not fall prey to the schemes of this enemy, we must see ourselves as spiritual warriors and use the spiritual weapons that we have been given to battle in the spirit. The following are some key spiritual weapons we have at our disposal.
The Armor of God – Knowing that we are in spiritual battle, God provides spiritual armor and equips us to take a stand when battles come our way, and they certainly will. “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of the dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Ephesians 6:11-18
Belt of Truth – Stand firm with the belt of truth buckled around your waist.” We must stand on “The truth”. Our enemy is a master of lies and will do everything possible to plant lies and deception. We need to seek the truth, speak the truth and advocate the truth in all things. Jesus said, “If you abide in my Word, then you will know the truth and the truth will set your free” John 8:31-32
Breastplate of Righteousness – We must stand on the righteousness that is only found in Christ. He is our righteousness and give us solid ground to stand on no matter the circumstance. “The righteousness is given to us through faith in Jesus Christ, to al who believe.” Romans 3:22 There is power and authority in the name of Jesus and all things have to bow and flee at His name.
Feet shod with the Gospel of peace – We stand on the rock of Christ and what He accomplished through His death and resurrection. This is the Gospel of Christ that gives us peace and confidence in the reality that Christ overcame death on our behalf so we can stand on the rock of the Gospel. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble” Psalm 46:1
Take up the Shield of Faith – We must actively take hold of the shield of faith by remembering what God has done through the Word and in our own lives, and continuing to exercise our faith and trust in the Lord. That is why it is important to be in a community of believers so we can encourage and build each other up in faith through the power of our witness and testimony, especially during times of trials. Faith in Christ is our ultimate defensive weapon from the attacks of the enemy. “Be on guard, stand firm in the faith, live like men, be strong! Let everything that you do be done in love.” 1 Corinthians 16:13
Put on the helmet of salvation – The assurance of eternal salvation through Christ is our impenetrable defense against anything the enemy throws at us. Jesus said, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both the soul and the body in hell”. Matthew 10:28 There is amazing power in our salvation “To live is Christ to die is gain” Philippians 1:21
Take up the sword of the spirit – This is the word of God and it is our main weapon of offense. Jesus modeled for us how to use the Word of God in Matthew 4 when he was tempted by Satan after 40 days in the wilderness. Three times Satan tempted Jesus and on all occasions Jesus overcame by the quoting the word of God. “If you are the son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread. But Jesus told satan, “No! The scriptures say, “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”” Matthew 4:4
Daily Warfare Prayer – Prayer is not only communion with God; it is also confrontation with the enemy. When praying warfare prayers it is important that we pray lots of scripture and pray everything in “the name of Jesus”. Speaking declarations over people and circumstances actually has power in the heavenly realm. Declaring that we have authority as a child of the living God. “The weapons we fight with are not weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:4-5. We must commit ourselves to God and submit to His authority each day because under God’s covering, we have authority. We protect ourselves and families by not opening doors that would allow the enemy to infiltrate our lives or the lives of those around us. We confront the enemy in prayer. We confess our sins and pray for forgiveness. We pray for the spirit of humility. We pray to break generational curses and bondage. We pray for unity in our marriages and families. We pray for healing. This is warring in the spirit and taking ground in the name of Jesus.
As followers of Christ, we have been equipped with the offensive and defensive weapons to overcome the enemy of our soul. Let’s stand as warriors in the spirit so we can live victorious in Christ Jesus. Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Ephesians 6:13 And when we don’t know what to do, Stand on the Rock of Christ!!!!!!
Have a great week.
-Duane