Spiritual Warfare

Spiritual Warfare

A.W. Tozer wrote at the closing of his ministry that “in the early days when Christianity exercised a dominant influence over American thinking, men conceived the world to be a battleground.  Our fathers believed in sin, the devil, and hell as constituting one force, and they believed in God, righteousness, and heaven as the other.”  Man “could not be neutral…and if he chose to come out on God’s side, he could expect open war with God’s enemies.
 

”How different today!  Tozer went on to say that in modern times “men think of the world not as a battleground, but a playground. We are not here to fight but to frolic. We are not in a foreign land, we are home…and the best we can do is to rid ourselves of our inhibitions and our frustrations and live this life here to the full.”  Tozer was right. We have lost the sense that we are at war and that is why we are so often defeated.  It’s not that Christians don’t want to win.  Most don’t even know they are at war.
 

The Armor of God

Our Commander-in-Chief has already won the war, and He is waiting for us to get in on the victory.  But you can’t win unless you are armed. That’s why Paul told the Ephesians, “Take up the whole armor of God.” (Ephesians 6: 10-18). It is our personal and primary duty to put on the armor of God, which will protect us from what the enemy wants to do to us.

10) Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. 11) Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12) 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.

Christ Jesus won the victory at the cross when He disarmed Satan and provided for us the power to resist sin and temptation through the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. We are to store up God’s Word in our hearts (an armory: a place to store weapons) so that we might not sin against Him (Psalm 119:11). Every Scripture verse or passage taken in context for a specific attack is a sword to wield against the enemy. However, we do not wield the sword in our own power, but through the power of the Holy Spirit. 

We must know the doctrine of God. He is a Triune God consisting of three Persons in the Godhead and that each of the three Persons is fully God with the exact same attributes, nature, and power, yet they are individually and collectively one God. In all things they work together and always agree together on all things. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit make up the Godhead.  We read in 1 John 5: 7-8 that there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. (The Word is Jesus). And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one. (The Holy Spirit, the water of the Word, and the blood of Christ)

 In Colossians 2:9,10 we read, For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. We see that Christ is God, and He is the head over every power and authority. This means Christ Jesus is the only way to defeat the spiritual forces of darkness and Satan. He has already done this on the cross through His shed blood. Jesus set us an example in everything by living out His life here in dependence upon His Father and quoting prayer and Scripture when attacked by the enemy. We must follow after Him doing the same. We were purchased by the blood of Christ and therefore belong to Him. Remind Satan of that and he will flee (1 Peter 1:18-19). James 4:7-8 says, Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and He will come near to you.

Our heart is “the armory” in which we are to store our spiritual weapons (Ps.119:11).  Our Scriptural swords are Scripture verses or passages, and the sword of the Holy Spirit is the entire Word of God. The Holy Spirit is the one who will take from what we have stored in our heart and bring to our remembrance at time of need. Then, in His power, will enable us to defeat the enemy through the Word of God and the blood of Christ Jesus by which we were purchased. (see 1 Peter 1:18-19)

For you know it is not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your  forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect (1 Peter 1:18-19).

…with Your blood You purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation (Revelation 5:9b).

10. Then I heard a loud voice from heaven say, “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom or our God, and the authority of His Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.

11. They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and the Word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. (see Revelation 12:10-11)

In Revelation 19: 11-16 we read... I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice He judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on His head are many crowns. He has a name written on Him that no one knows but He Himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is the Word of God.  The armies of heaven were following Him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean.  Out of His mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter. He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On His robe and on His thigh He has this name written: King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come (Rev.4:8b).

"Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" (Rev. 5:12)

 

The next post will cover one of the principles of war, "know Your Enemy."

 ~Annie~