Spiritual warfare is one of the subjects that seems to be not only least understood but abused by some of us as believers.
It seems with some of these Bible subjects, people have the tendency to go to extremes and get off base and away from the Bible.
Unfortunately, this often does great harm to the individual as well as the Body of Christ. I remember watching a video on social media of women who were supposedly engaging in a spiritual warfare, punching the “devil” using their fists at a prayer meeting.
It was very sad to see the high level of sincerity in these ladies “fighting the devil and kicking him”.
The scripture instructs us to deal with the unseen, invisible forces that have been marshaled against us. Ephesians 6:12 states that “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”. Setting people free from Satan’s power is a primary concern of Jesus Christ, and it should be a concern of ours as well.
In Mark 16:17, the Bible states that “And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 1 John 3:8 “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.
Acts 10:38 states -“how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.
Spiritual warfare has much more to it than just dealing with the devil. There are actually three different aspects to spiritual warfare: (1) Taking control of our minds (2) Crucifying the flesh (3) Dealing with the enemy The truth is, the devil’s attacks against our lives would not work if our flesh did not cooperate.
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Colossians 3:5 “Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry”.
Living the crucified life is a critical part of spiritual warfare. Rick Renner says: “A person can scream at the devil all day long, but if that person has willfully permitted some area of his mind to go unchecked and unguarded - if he is aware of sin but has not been willing to deal with it – he has opened the door for an attack on himself.
In that case, all his prayers against the devil will be to no avail because his real enemy is not the devil.
Rather it is his own carnal mind and flesh which must be submitted to the control of the Holy Spirit in order to eradicate these attacks.
“If people only focus on the devil as they pursue the subject of spiritual warfare and fail to consider other equally as important areas, their emphasis on spiritual warfare can and will be very damaging to them.”
We must always remember that the real battle with Satan was won at the Cross and the resurrection by Jesus Christ. This same victorious Christ who single handedly defeated the devil lives in us in the person of the Holy Spirit.
Apostle John states in 1 John 4:4 the “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world”.
Colossians 2:11-15 “In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.
Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it”. Greek translation: He completely stripped principalities and powers and left them utterly naked with nothing left at their disposal to retaliate. Jesus boldly, confidently, and loudly exposed and displayed this now defunct foe to Heaven’s hosts.
We must approach spiritual warfare from a place of already obtained victory (by Jesus) instead of trying to get the victory.
As we approach the subject of spiritual warfare, we must guard against superstitious, homemade remedies about it. We must base our understanding on the sound teachings of the Bible not false teachings, Example – teachings that the best ways to deal with demonic forces in the heavenlies or the prince of the power of the air, we must climb to the highest floors of skyscrapers or rent an airplane so we can get where they are. If this is necessary and how it is done, then Jesus never got the victory over the devil or used any authority because none of those things existed in His day.
Jesus was able to fully carry out His earthly ministry and fulfill God’s will. Ignorance of God’s Word always leaves the Christian and the Body of Christ vulnerable. Hosea 4:6a NKJV My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…
Sometimes we emphasise spiritual warfare and think that spiritual warfare is especially necessary now because things are so much darker now than they ever have been. The challenges that we face spiritually today are really no different than or greater than those of preceding generations of believers.
If you study the pagan culture of the Greeks and Romans of the early Church day, they were by far worse than the historians could tell us.
It is clear, Satan was out to destroy the early church as much as he is out to destroy the modern-day church. Rather than be destroyed, the early church arose in the power of the Spirit to meet the challenge – just as we will arise in our own day to meet any challenge the enemy would bring before us!
The same armor of God that Paul wrote about in Ephesians 6 worked for the early Church just as it will work for us.
Satan tried to destroy the church at its inception – and it is certain that he will try to attack and victimise the Church as we approach the coming of the Lord.
But just as the early church arose in the power of the Spirit to meet the challenge, so will we!
First John 5:4 “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith. The reality is the harder the devil hit the early Church the more it thrived, grew and multiplied. The same will happen today! No evil force has ever prevailed over the power of God or the people of God, and never will.
The words “war” and “warfare” are only used five times in all of the New Testament. Not once were they used in the Gospels during Jesus ministry.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in 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”.
First Timothy 1:18 “This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare.” In this verse, Paul is telling Timothy to remain loyal the call of God and fight the fight of faith. The devil is not mentioned here either.
It is clear that the New Testament usage of the words “war” and “warfare” primarily has to do with conquering the flesh and taking charge of our minds.
Yes, the devil may attack the mind, and he may attempt to energise the flesh to work against us.
However, if we will keep our minds and our flesh under the control of the Holy Spirit, most of the spiritual warfare we encounter in life will have already been settled.
Most believers who have fallen in recent times would not have fallen if they had not given the devil some kind of foothold in their mind.
