Whether you know it or not, you are in a spiritual battle.
A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies (the devil has strategies) of the devil. 12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, put on every piece of God's armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. (Ephesians 6:10-13; NLT).
We are human, but we don't wage war as humans do. 4 We use God's mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. 5 We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:3-5; NLT).
Our protection is described as the "armor of God." The Word of God is compared to a "sword." Satan's attacks are called “fiery darts.†Faith in God is called “the good fight." We are in a battle with a very powerful and strategic enemy.
(1) How does the enemy wage war against us?
Temptation—the desire to satisfy God given desires in an ungodly way.
Deception—intentionally misleading us by false appearances and statements.
Accusation—charging us with wrongdoing bringing about guilt and shame.
Most all of the devil’s attacks will fall into these three categories.
(2) What do his attacks look like?
Every attack involves the human mind
Every attack revolves around a lie
For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. (John 8:44; NLT).
Most every attack is subtle in nature.
These people are false apostles. They are deceitful workers who disguise themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 But I am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. (2 Corinthians 11:13-14; NLT).
There are ten practical things that I’ve learned about spiritual warfare.
(1) The Powerful Name of Jesus
The Bible gives preference to the name of Jesus… “No other name by which a person can be saved.†“At the name of Jesus, every knee will bow…â€
When the seventy-two disciples returned, they joyfully reported to him, "Lord, even the demons obey us when we use your name!" (Luke 10:17; NLT).
Sing songs with that name. Pray in that name. Speak that name. Rebuke the enemy in that name.
(2) Our Spiritual Position Before God
I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God's power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly realms. 21 Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. 22 God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. (Ephesians 1:19-22).
But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God's grace that you have been saved!) 6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:4-6; NLT).
Jesus is in the position of supreme authority and those who are Christ-followers are seated with Him. What is under His feet is also under ours. We are seated in position of authority and nothing has authority over us unless we let it.
(3) No Unconfessed Sins
Sin in our lives gives permission and authority to the devil, not just in one particular area but in every area.
And "don't sin by letting anger control you." Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 for anger gives a foothold to the devil. (Ephesians 4:26-27; NLT).
If I sold you ten acres of land but asked that I could buy back from you only the middle acre, would you do it without any agreed upon negotiations? Of course not. If I own the middle piece of land, what do I have legal right to? My land! Whose land can I use and cross over to get to my land! The land I just sold you. Therefore, who has legal right to all of the land? ME! I can use your land to get to my land because I own the middle piece.
In the same way, when you give the devil a foothold or a piece of property in your life, he legally and rightfully uses every other part of your life to get to the territory that he owns.
(4) The Word of God
The Bible is our weapon against the enemy. In Ephesians it is called the “Sword.â€
Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, "If you are the Son of God, jump off! 10 For the Scriptures say, 'He will order his angels to protect and guard you. 11 And they will hold you up with their hands so you won't even hurt your foot on a stone.'" 12 Jesus responded, "The Scriptures also say, 'You must not test the LORD your God.'" (Luke 4:9-12; NLT).
We use the Scripture, the Word of God, as the offensive weapon against the enemy.
(5) When To Pray Out Loud
In speaking to the enemy remember that the devil cannot read your thoughts. He is not all knowing. Therefore, you must speak to him directly and out loud.
(6) When To Pray Silently
Because he is not all knowing, you don’t have to let him know everything that is going on with you (what you are thinking, feeling, struggling with, etc.).
(7) Awareness of My Surroundings
Again, since Satan is not all knowing, he can only observe what we are doing or have done. What you watch can be used to tempt you along with what you say, what you have in your home, who you associate with. If you struggle with alcohol, pornography, gossip, and other things like this, know that the devil knows these things and will tempt you with these very things.
(8) Recognizing When the Devil Arrives
The devil will show up in your life. This is especially true in marriage because he wants to destroy the home. It looks something like this:
A thought materializes into a spoken word.
That spoken word is offensive, accusatory and not from God.
When received, that word from the enemy becomes a dagger of defeat in your life.
If you are aware that the devil is always at work, you will be able to recognize when he comes on the scene in your life.
(9) Capturing Your Thoughts
You have to learn to capture your thoughts. Every attack and every sin begins as a thought. If a thought that is not from God is received, it can lead to a choice. When that choice is made, it becomes an action. An action that is repeated becomes a habit. A repeated habit turns into a stronghold.
The thought itself is not a sin. It is what is done with that thought that makes it a sin. We are not to receive thoughts that are not from God. We are to recognize and resist those thoughts.
For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
(2 Corinthians 10:3-5; NLT).
We take these thoughts captive and bring them into the subjection of Jesus. Planes at an airport are allowed to land only if they have permission to do so from air traffic control. Planes that do not have permission to land do not do so. In the same way, believers need to always have a guarded mind understanding which thoughts from God need to land and which thoughts from the devil that need to be told, “You do not have permission to land.â€
(10) Praying For A Hedge of Protection
One day the members of the heavenly court* came to present themselves before the LORD, and the Accuser, Satan, came with them. 7 "Where have you come from?" the LORD
asked Satan. Satan answered the LORD, "I have been patrolling the earth, watching everything that's going on." 8 Then the LORD asked Satan, "Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil." 9 Satan replied to the LORD, "Yes, but Job has good reason to fear God. 10 You have always put a wall of protection around him and his home and his property. You have made him prosper in everything he does. Look how rich he is! (Job 1:6-10; NLT).
If God can put a hedge of protection around Job, He can put one around you and me. Ask God to put a hedge of protection around you. He will if you ask.
A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies (the devil has strategies) of the devil. 12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, put on every piece of God's armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. (Ephesians 6:10-13; NLT).
We are human, but we don't wage war as humans do. 4 We use God's mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. 5 We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:3-5; NLT).
Our protection is described as the "armor of God." The Word of God is compared to a "sword." Satan's attacks are called “fiery darts.†Faith in God is called “the good fight." We are in a battle with a very powerful and strategic enemy.
(1) How does the enemy wage war against us?
Temptation—the desire to satisfy God given desires in an ungodly way.
Deception—intentionally misleading us by false appearances and statements.
Accusation—charging us with wrongdoing bringing about guilt and shame.
Most all of the devil’s attacks will fall into these three categories.
(2) What do his attacks look like?
Every attack involves the human mind
Every attack revolves around a lie
For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. (John 8:44; NLT).
Most every attack is subtle in nature.
These people are false apostles. They are deceitful workers who disguise themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 But I am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. (2 Corinthians 11:13-14; NLT).
There are ten practical things that I’ve learned about spiritual warfare.
(1) The Powerful Name of Jesus
The Bible gives preference to the name of Jesus… “No other name by which a person can be saved.†“At the name of Jesus, every knee will bow…â€
When the seventy-two disciples returned, they joyfully reported to him, "Lord, even the demons obey us when we use your name!" (Luke 10:17; NLT).
Sing songs with that name. Pray in that name. Speak that name. Rebuke the enemy in that name.
(2) Our Spiritual Position Before God
I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God's power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly realms. 21 Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. 22 God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. (Ephesians 1:19-22).
But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God's grace that you have been saved!) 6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:4-6; NLT).
Jesus is in the position of supreme authority and those who are Christ-followers are seated with Him. What is under His feet is also under ours. We are seated in position of authority and nothing has authority over us unless we let it.
(3) No Unconfessed Sins
Sin in our lives gives permission and authority to the devil, not just in one particular area but in every area.
And "don't sin by letting anger control you." Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 for anger gives a foothold to the devil. (Ephesians 4:26-27; NLT).
If I sold you ten acres of land but asked that I could buy back from you only the middle acre, would you do it without any agreed upon negotiations? Of course not. If I own the middle piece of land, what do I have legal right to? My land! Whose land can I use and cross over to get to my land! The land I just sold you. Therefore, who has legal right to all of the land? ME! I can use your land to get to my land because I own the middle piece.
In the same way, when you give the devil a foothold or a piece of property in your life, he legally and rightfully uses every other part of your life to get to the territory that he owns.
(4) The Word of God
The Bible is our weapon against the enemy. In Ephesians it is called the “Sword.â€
Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, "If you are the Son of God, jump off! 10 For the Scriptures say, 'He will order his angels to protect and guard you. 11 And they will hold you up with their hands so you won't even hurt your foot on a stone.'" 12 Jesus responded, "The Scriptures also say, 'You must not test the LORD your God.'" (Luke 4:9-12; NLT).
We use the Scripture, the Word of God, as the offensive weapon against the enemy.
(5) When To Pray Out Loud
In speaking to the enemy remember that the devil cannot read your thoughts. He is not all knowing. Therefore, you must speak to him directly and out loud.
(6) When To Pray Silently
Because he is not all knowing, you don’t have to let him know everything that is going on with you (what you are thinking, feeling, struggling with, etc.).
(7) Awareness of My Surroundings
Again, since Satan is not all knowing, he can only observe what we are doing or have done. What you watch can be used to tempt you along with what you say, what you have in your home, who you associate with. If you struggle with alcohol, pornography, gossip, and other things like this, know that the devil knows these things and will tempt you with these very things.
(8) Recognizing When the Devil Arrives
The devil will show up in your life. This is especially true in marriage because he wants to destroy the home. It looks something like this:
A thought materializes into a spoken word.
That spoken word is offensive, accusatory and not from God.
When received, that word from the enemy becomes a dagger of defeat in your life.
If you are aware that the devil is always at work, you will be able to recognize when he comes on the scene in your life.
(9) Capturing Your Thoughts
You have to learn to capture your thoughts. Every attack and every sin begins as a thought. If a thought that is not from God is received, it can lead to a choice. When that choice is made, it becomes an action. An action that is repeated becomes a habit. A repeated habit turns into a stronghold.
The thought itself is not a sin. It is what is done with that thought that makes it a sin. We are not to receive thoughts that are not from God. We are to recognize and resist those thoughts.
For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
(2 Corinthians 10:3-5; NLT).
We take these thoughts captive and bring them into the subjection of Jesus. Planes at an airport are allowed to land only if they have permission to do so from air traffic control. Planes that do not have permission to land do not do so. In the same way, believers need to always have a guarded mind understanding which thoughts from God need to land and which thoughts from the devil that need to be told, “You do not have permission to land.â€
(10) Praying For A Hedge of Protection
One day the members of the heavenly court* came to present themselves before the LORD, and the Accuser, Satan, came with them. 7 "Where have you come from?" the LORD
asked Satan. Satan answered the LORD, "I have been patrolling the earth, watching everything that's going on." 8 Then the LORD asked Satan, "Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil." 9 Satan replied to the LORD, "Yes, but Job has good reason to fear God. 10 You have always put a wall of protection around him and his home and his property. You have made him prosper in everything he does. Look how rich he is! (Job 1:6-10; NLT).
If God can put a hedge of protection around Job, He can put one around you and me. Ask God to put a hedge of protection around you. He will if you ask.