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WARFARE 101 By Rabbi Esther Boucher |
G-d has called Christians to over come the world and drive back
the forces of evil and darkness at work within it. Spiritual warfare
is not just casting out demons: it is Spirit - controlled thinking and
attitudes.
Today we are going to look at twelve areas of warfare and how
we can wage war against
the enemy in a practical way. Everything we do either aids the
forces of darkness or
repels them. Sin is what gives an opening to the devil. Eph. 4:27
says Do not give the
devil an opportunity. Giving is spiritual warfare. Turn with me to
Malachi 3:10-11. The Devil is involved in the economy right now.
And this will increase. In the book of Revelation in Chapter 13,
we will see how the Antichrist will be in absolute control of the
economy. He will direct financial powers throughout the earth.
The mark of the beast will be connected with buying and selling.
Satan is interested in finances, because he knows we become
more selfish as our money increases. According to the Bible in 1
Tim. 6:10 the love of money is the root of all sorts of evil. The
love of money affects very area of human existence. Greed is the
very foundation of Satan's economic schemes. Therefore, the
greatest weapon against this is a giving heart. When people
give, it totally frustrates Satan's attempts to influence people
toward selfishness. Giving is contagious, undoing the work of the
devil far beyond the act of a single giver. It ripples outward with
every gift comes a grateful heart, and with a more grateful heart
comes a greater willingness to give. Giving initiates a cycle,
which can influence many. G-d is not concerned about how
much you have, or how much you give. The issue for G-d is not
wealth but an issue of your heart. G-d does not want His people
to be poor; He wants them to hold what they have in open palms,
more willing to give than to receive.
Repentance is warfare. Jesus told us that we are the salt of the
earth and the light of the world. He also warned us that salt can
lose its savor, and light can be hidden under a bushel. We can
be effective or ineffective. Our light can be a beacon to people or
it can be hidden. As salt, our holy lives can change the flavor of
the city, or we can go unnoticed and make no difference at all.
For example, if we pray for someone
struggling with a sin that is also present and unchecked in our
own lives, our prayers will be powerless. But when we repent
and pray, we smash the enemies hold over people, pave the way
for revival and help establish the Kingdom of G-d. Repentance is
a major weapon against Satan. It is simple, if you repent, you
break the powers of darkness. If you are disobedient you allow
the enemy to work.
Preaching is warfare. One sure way of getting rid of darkness is
to turn on the light. Preaching the gospel places light in the midst
of darkness. The devil will do all he can to talk us out of sharing
the gospel because he knows that preaching the gospel drives
back the powers of darkness.
Another way we wage spiritual warfare is through our attitudes.
Terrible things happen to good Christian people. Psm 34:19 says
Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but
the L-rd delivers him of them all. Adversity is part of life in a fallen
world and no one is exempt. The book of Job is a picture of
calamities in the life of a faithful man. Job lost
everything and suffered every possible attack both spiritually and
physically. Yet Job defeated the devil. In the midst of all his
suffering and confusion and even when he
didn't understand, Job was able to say with confidence I know
that my Redeemer lives. We don't know why things happen to
us, but regardless of what happens we should be able to say G-d
is okay. Satan tries to tell us that G-d fails us when our
circumstances are less than ideal and even painful. We can
react in hurt and bitterness or we can trust in G-d's character.
Our circumstances do not change the character of God. When
we accuse G-d, criticize Him, blame Him, insult His character and
complain about Him we hand Satan a tremendous victory. Every
adversity is an opportunity for Christians to have a good attitude,
to give G-d the glory and to defeat the devil. We are called to
spiritual warfare not a sheltered life of comfort without pain. Our
comfort comes from knowing who G-d is. We are called to be
over comers not avoiders. We are called to
establish the Kingdom of G-d and resist the devil. G-d could
remove us from this planet the minute we are saved but He
chooses to leave us here to become spiritual warriors. We must
grit out teeth and endure adversity with a right attitude to defeat
the enemy.
Fasting and Prayer is a tremendous weapon against the enemy.
Isa. 58:6 says Is this not the fast which I chose to loosen the
bonds of wickedness to undo the bands of the yoke
and to let the oppressed go free and break every yoke?
Unity is a powerful means of warfare. In Matt. 18:19 Jesus said if
two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it
shall be done for them. The devil hates unity. This is obvious by
the amount of division, betrayal, undercutting, gossiping, and
backbiting he constantly sows among G-d's people. When we
fight and have any part in breaking up relationships whether in a
marriage, a church or between different parts of the body of
Christ, we give the devil the advantage. We must refuse to be a
part of any division. We must humble ourselves, put things right,
forgive people, go the extra mile and be tolerant. If we work for
unity it will keep the door shut to the enemy. As we stand in
unity, honoring and valuing one another we are invincible. Deut.
32:30 says
One shall put a thousand and two ten thousand to fight.
Another means of spiritual warfare which may come as a surprise
is loving service. The devils nature is to steal kill and destroy.
Serving people in physical ways is not just a social gospel. It is a
command from G-d and it is direct spiritual warfare. Loving
service drives out the destroyers that attempt to bring despair and
ultimately death. We need to feed the hungry, house the
homeless, visit those in prison because this is effective warfare
against the enemy.
Another method of waging spiritual warfare is through steps of
Faith. Faith is believing in who G-d is and what He has said.
Heb. 12:2 says that Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith.
Whatever G-d begins, He will finish. When G-d says that
something will happen, it will happen. We need to be a people
wholly dependant upon G-d, who seek His Word and wait for Him
to bring revelation. We need to hear G-d and step out in faith. As
we do, we will defeat the powers of darkness who thrive on
ignorance and unbelief. We have to guard against stepping back
into our comfort zones. We can read the Bible, go to church,
pray, tithe, and fellowship, but still be unwilling to hear G-d and
step out in faith. In our comfort zones we slowly cease to have
conviction of who G-d is and what He has said. With faith and
faith in action, the world will overcome us instead of us
overcoming the world. We need to live by faith. Living by faith is
dependence on G-d, waiting, listening, hearing and then acting.
If we are living by faith then we are holding back the powers of
darkness.
The Bible has much to say about praise defeating and driving
back the powers of darkness. II Chron. 20 tells the story of
Jehoshaphat who when faced with an enemy instead of sending
out soldiers with swords and spears he sent out those who sand
to the L-rd and those who praised G-d in holy attire. And as they
sang G-d set ambushes against the enemy, angels were sent to
defeat a physical foe. The physical enemy
was defeated because unseen enemies were scattered by the
power of praise. Praise is not just an activity, like singing or
raising our hands. Praise is from the heart. If praise is done
mechanically it is meaningless. Biblical praise drives back the
powers of darkness, releases the angels of G-d to do battle on
our behalf and brings G-d's awesome presence into each
situation.
Spiritual warfare also includes direct confrontation with the
demonic. This would include deliverance of demons directly
rebuking the enemy and using the gifts of the spirit. Casting out
demons and pulling down strongholds is only important if people
are led to Christ as a result.
We are a generation of quitters. We quit our places of
leadership. We quit our marriages. We drop out of church. We
get hurt and discouraged and quit. We don't realize that this also
is part of the warfare. Heb. 10:36 says For you have need of
endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may
receive what was promised. Satan is in constant hope that G-d's
people will give up, that their circumstances, the tasks set before
them, and the daily adversities of life will be too
much for them to endure. Sometimes the only effective weapon
and often the last to be employed is just saying I'll die before I let
this thing go. Rev. 12:11 says They overcame him they did not
love their life even to death. It is this weapon of endurance that
finally convinces the devil to give up. Too many Christians quit
minutes before the victory.
G-d is our strength and our hope. He has delegated responsibility
to us. He has chosen us as co-workers in the establishment of
His Kingdom and the destruction of the
Kingdom of darkness. G-d is waiting for His people to rise up and
take hold of the victory He purchased on the cross. Spiritual
warfare is a life lived. It is embracing the truth, aware of the
enemy and committed to G-d. To be a Christian is to be a
spiritual warrior. To be a spiritual warrior is to walk consistently
and victoriously through life with Christ by our side.
the forces of evil and darkness at work within it. Spiritual warfare
is not just casting out demons: it is Spirit - controlled thinking and
attitudes.
Today we are going to look at twelve areas of warfare and how
we can wage war against
the enemy in a practical way. Everything we do either aids the
forces of darkness or
repels them. Sin is what gives an opening to the devil. Eph. 4:27
says Do not give the
devil an opportunity. Giving is spiritual warfare. Turn with me to
Malachi 3:10-11. The Devil is involved in the economy right now.
And this will increase. In the book of Revelation in Chapter 13,
we will see how the Antichrist will be in absolute control of the
economy. He will direct financial powers throughout the earth.
The mark of the beast will be connected with buying and selling.
Satan is interested in finances, because he knows we become
more selfish as our money increases. According to the Bible in 1
Tim. 6:10 the love of money is the root of all sorts of evil. The
love of money affects very area of human existence. Greed is the
very foundation of Satan's economic schemes. Therefore, the
greatest weapon against this is a giving heart. When people
give, it totally frustrates Satan's attempts to influence people
toward selfishness. Giving is contagious, undoing the work of the
devil far beyond the act of a single giver. It ripples outward with
every gift comes a grateful heart, and with a more grateful heart
comes a greater willingness to give. Giving initiates a cycle,
which can influence many. G-d is not concerned about how
much you have, or how much you give. The issue for G-d is not
wealth but an issue of your heart. G-d does not want His people
to be poor; He wants them to hold what they have in open palms,
more willing to give than to receive.
Repentance is warfare. Jesus told us that we are the salt of the
earth and the light of the world. He also warned us that salt can
lose its savor, and light can be hidden under a bushel. We can
be effective or ineffective. Our light can be a beacon to people or
it can be hidden. As salt, our holy lives can change the flavor of
the city, or we can go unnoticed and make no difference at all.
For example, if we pray for someone
struggling with a sin that is also present and unchecked in our
own lives, our prayers will be powerless. But when we repent
and pray, we smash the enemies hold over people, pave the way
for revival and help establish the Kingdom of G-d. Repentance is
a major weapon against Satan. It is simple, if you repent, you
break the powers of darkness. If you are disobedient you allow
the enemy to work.
Preaching is warfare. One sure way of getting rid of darkness is
to turn on the light. Preaching the gospel places light in the midst
of darkness. The devil will do all he can to talk us out of sharing
the gospel because he knows that preaching the gospel drives
back the powers of darkness.
Another way we wage spiritual warfare is through our attitudes.
Terrible things happen to good Christian people. Psm 34:19 says
Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but
the L-rd delivers him of them all. Adversity is part of life in a fallen
world and no one is exempt. The book of Job is a picture of
calamities in the life of a faithful man. Job lost
everything and suffered every possible attack both spiritually and
physically. Yet Job defeated the devil. In the midst of all his
suffering and confusion and even when he
didn't understand, Job was able to say with confidence I know
that my Redeemer lives. We don't know why things happen to
us, but regardless of what happens we should be able to say G-d
is okay. Satan tries to tell us that G-d fails us when our
circumstances are less than ideal and even painful. We can
react in hurt and bitterness or we can trust in G-d's character.
Our circumstances do not change the character of God. When
we accuse G-d, criticize Him, blame Him, insult His character and
complain about Him we hand Satan a tremendous victory. Every
adversity is an opportunity for Christians to have a good attitude,
to give G-d the glory and to defeat the devil. We are called to
spiritual warfare not a sheltered life of comfort without pain. Our
comfort comes from knowing who G-d is. We are called to be
over comers not avoiders. We are called to
establish the Kingdom of G-d and resist the devil. G-d could
remove us from this planet the minute we are saved but He
chooses to leave us here to become spiritual warriors. We must
grit out teeth and endure adversity with a right attitude to defeat
the enemy.
Fasting and Prayer is a tremendous weapon against the enemy.
Isa. 58:6 says Is this not the fast which I chose to loosen the
bonds of wickedness to undo the bands of the yoke
and to let the oppressed go free and break every yoke?
Unity is a powerful means of warfare. In Matt. 18:19 Jesus said if
two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it
shall be done for them. The devil hates unity. This is obvious by
the amount of division, betrayal, undercutting, gossiping, and
backbiting he constantly sows among G-d's people. When we
fight and have any part in breaking up relationships whether in a
marriage, a church or between different parts of the body of
Christ, we give the devil the advantage. We must refuse to be a
part of any division. We must humble ourselves, put things right,
forgive people, go the extra mile and be tolerant. If we work for
unity it will keep the door shut to the enemy. As we stand in
unity, honoring and valuing one another we are invincible. Deut.
32:30 says
One shall put a thousand and two ten thousand to fight.
Another means of spiritual warfare which may come as a surprise
is loving service. The devils nature is to steal kill and destroy.
Serving people in physical ways is not just a social gospel. It is a
command from G-d and it is direct spiritual warfare. Loving
service drives out the destroyers that attempt to bring despair and
ultimately death. We need to feed the hungry, house the
homeless, visit those in prison because this is effective warfare
against the enemy.
Another method of waging spiritual warfare is through steps of
Faith. Faith is believing in who G-d is and what He has said.
Heb. 12:2 says that Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith.
Whatever G-d begins, He will finish. When G-d says that
something will happen, it will happen. We need to be a people
wholly dependant upon G-d, who seek His Word and wait for Him
to bring revelation. We need to hear G-d and step out in faith. As
we do, we will defeat the powers of darkness who thrive on
ignorance and unbelief. We have to guard against stepping back
into our comfort zones. We can read the Bible, go to church,
pray, tithe, and fellowship, but still be unwilling to hear G-d and
step out in faith. In our comfort zones we slowly cease to have
conviction of who G-d is and what He has said. With faith and
faith in action, the world will overcome us instead of us
overcoming the world. We need to live by faith. Living by faith is
dependence on G-d, waiting, listening, hearing and then acting.
If we are living by faith then we are holding back the powers of
darkness.
The Bible has much to say about praise defeating and driving
back the powers of darkness. II Chron. 20 tells the story of
Jehoshaphat who when faced with an enemy instead of sending
out soldiers with swords and spears he sent out those who sand
to the L-rd and those who praised G-d in holy attire. And as they
sang G-d set ambushes against the enemy, angels were sent to
defeat a physical foe. The physical enemy
was defeated because unseen enemies were scattered by the
power of praise. Praise is not just an activity, like singing or
raising our hands. Praise is from the heart. If praise is done
mechanically it is meaningless. Biblical praise drives back the
powers of darkness, releases the angels of G-d to do battle on
our behalf and brings G-d's awesome presence into each
situation.
Spiritual warfare also includes direct confrontation with the
demonic. This would include deliverance of demons directly
rebuking the enemy and using the gifts of the spirit. Casting out
demons and pulling down strongholds is only important if people
are led to Christ as a result.
We are a generation of quitters. We quit our places of
leadership. We quit our marriages. We drop out of church. We
get hurt and discouraged and quit. We don't realize that this also
is part of the warfare. Heb. 10:36 says For you have need of
endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may
receive what was promised. Satan is in constant hope that G-d's
people will give up, that their circumstances, the tasks set before
them, and the daily adversities of life will be too
much for them to endure. Sometimes the only effective weapon
and often the last to be employed is just saying I'll die before I let
this thing go. Rev. 12:11 says They overcame him they did not
love their life even to death. It is this weapon of endurance that
finally convinces the devil to give up. Too many Christians quit
minutes before the victory.
G-d is our strength and our hope. He has delegated responsibility
to us. He has chosen us as co-workers in the establishment of
His Kingdom and the destruction of the
Kingdom of darkness. G-d is waiting for His people to rise up and
take hold of the victory He purchased on the cross. Spiritual
warfare is a life lived. It is embracing the truth, aware of the
enemy and committed to G-d. To be a Christian is to be a
spiritual warrior. To be a spiritual warrior is to walk consistently
and victoriously through life with Christ by our side.
| Ministry of Gates of Praise Ministries, Inc. © Copyright Gates of Praise Ministries 2007 |