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Author
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Topic: What Does The Bible Say About Spiritual Warfare?
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Abednego
Advanced Member
Member # 8189
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posted
Thanks for the excellent post Carol. Satan is the master deceiver of the brethren, and we need to rely upon the whole armor of God daily.
Blessing my friend ... Abednego
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2 Timothy 2:15, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth"
Posts: 28 | From: Southwestern New York | Registered: Jun 2010
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barrykind
Advanced Member
Member # 35
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posted
i will be reading this for a while...Thanks lots of good info here ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[cool_shades]](graemlins/cool_shades.gif)
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The HEART of the issue is truly the issue of the HEART!
John 3:3;Mark 8:34-38;James 1:27
Posts: 3529 | From: Orange, Texas | Registered: Jun 2002
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Carol Swenson
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Member # 6929
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posted
What Does The Bible Say About Spiritual Warfare?
There are two primary errors when it comes to spiritual warfare—over-emphasis and under-emphasis. Some blame every sin, every conflict, and every problem on demons that need to be cast out. Others completely ignore the spiritual realm and the fact that the Bible tells us our battle is against spiritual powers. The key to successful spiritual warfare is finding the biblical balance. Jesus sometimes cast demons out of people and sometimes healed people with no mention of the demonic. The apostle Paul instructs Christians to wage war against the sin in themselves (Romans 6) and to wage war against the evil one (Ephesians 6:10-18).
Ephesians 6:10-12 declares, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 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 this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” This text teaches some crucial truths: we can only be strong in the Lord’s power, it is God’s armor that protects us, and our battle is against spiritual forces of evil in the world.
A powerful example of someone strong in the Lord’s power is Michael, the archangel, in Jude 9. Michael, likely the most powerful of all of God’s angels, did not rebuke Satan in his own power, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” Revelation 12:7-8 records that in the end times Michael will defeat Satan. Still, when it came to his conflict with Satan, Michael rebuked Satan in God’s name and authority, not his own. It is only through our relationship with Jesus Christ that Christians have any authority over Satan and his demons. It is only in His Name that our rebuke has any power.
Ephesians 6:13-18 gives a description of the spiritual armor God gives us. We are to stand firm with the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit, and by praying in the Spirit. What do these pieces of spiritual armor represent in spiritual warfare? We are to speak the truth against Satan’s lies. We are to rest in the fact that we are declared righteous because of Christ’s sacrifice for us. We are to proclaim the gospel no matter how much resistance we receive. We are not to waver in our faith, no matter how strongly we are attacked. Our ultimate defense is the assurance we have of our salvation, an assurance that no spiritual force can take away. Our offensive weapon is the Word of God, not our own opinions and feelings. We are to follow Jesus’ example in recognizing that some spiritual victories are only possible through prayer.
Jesus is our ultimate example for spiritual warfare. Observe how Jesus handled direct attacks from Satan when He was tempted by him in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11). Each temptation was answered the same way—with the words “It is written.” Jesus knew the Word of the living God is the most powerful weapon against the temptations of the devil. If Jesus Himself used the Word to counter the devil, do we dare to use anything less?
The ultimate example of how not to engage in spiritual warfare is the seven sons of Sceva. “Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, ‘In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.’ Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. One day the evil spirit answered them, ‘Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?’ Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding” (Acts 19:13-16). The seven sons of Sceva were using Jesus’ name. That is not enough. The seven sons of Sceva did not have a relationship with Jesus; therefore, their words were void of any power or authority. The seven sons of Sceva were relying on a methodology. They were not relying on Jesus as their Lord and Savior, and they were not employing the Word of God in their spiritual warfare. As a result, they received a humiliating beating. May we learn from their bad example and conduct spiritual warfare as the Bible instructs.
In summary, what are the keys to success in spiritual warfare? First, we rely on God’s power, not our own. Second, we rebuke in Jesus’ Name, not our own. Third, we protect ourselves with the full armor of God. Fourth, we wage warfare with the sword of the Spirit—the Word of God.
http://www.gotquestions.org/spiritual-warfare.html
Here are just some of the arrows that the devil may unleash at you :
• Fear—“You have good reason to be afraid right now and always.”
• Doubt—“You can’t trust God or trust that God will work in this situation for your good.”
• Lust—“You need to have your needs met, and this is a fine way to get your needs met.”
• Loneliness—“You are alone, you will always be alone, and you, therefore, will always be miserable.”
• Jealousy—“You aren’t being shown the devotion you deserve, and at the same time, somebody else is getting the devotion that should be yours.”
• Rejection—“You are worthy to be rejected and cast aside.”
• Guilt—“You should feel guilty about that sin—shame, shame, shame on you.”
• Greed or covetousness—“You should have that. You deserve it. You need it.”
• Unforgiveness—“You can never forgive that sin, and even if you could, why would you?”
• Anger—“You’ve been hurt and you have a right to be angry.”
• Discouragement—“You’ll never have what you desire or be who you desire to be in this life. Don’t even get your hopes up.”
• Pride—“You’re above all that; you shouldn’t have to stoop to accommodate the weakness or poverty of another person.”
Any thought or impulse that entices a person to fall victim to the “lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” is a fiery dart! (See 1 John 2:16)
(Charles Stanley - When The Enemy Strikes )
Posts: 6787 | From: Colorado | Registered: Dec 2007
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