By Rabbi Dr. Esther Boucher
WARFARE 101
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God 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. God is not
concerned about how much you have, or how much you give.
The issue for God is not wealth but an issue of your heart.
God 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 God.
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 Lord 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
God is okay. Satan tries to tell us that God fails us when our
circumstances are less than ideal and even painful. We can
react in hurt and bitterness or we can trust in God's character.
Our circumstances do not change the character of God. When
we accuse God, 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 God 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 God is.
We are called to be over comers not avoiders. We are called to
establish the Kingdom of God and resist the devil. God 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 God'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 God 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 God is and what He has
said. Heb. 12:2 says that Jesus is the author and finisher of
our faith. Whatever God begins, He will finish. When God
says that something will happen, it will happen. We need to
be a people wholly dependant upon God, who seek His Word
and wait for Him to bring revelation. We need to hear God
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 God and step out in faith. In our
comfort zones we slowly cease to have conviction of who God
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
God, 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 Lord and those who praised God in holy
attire. And as they sang God 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 God to do battle
on our behalf and brings God'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 God'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.
God 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. God 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 God. 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.
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. God is not
concerned about how much you have, or how much you give.
The issue for God is not wealth but an issue of your heart.
God 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 God.
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 Lord 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
God is okay. Satan tries to tell us that God fails us when our
circumstances are less than ideal and even painful. We can
react in hurt and bitterness or we can trust in God's character.
Our circumstances do not change the character of God. When
we accuse God, 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 God 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 God is.
We are called to be over comers not avoiders. We are called to
establish the Kingdom of God and resist the devil. God 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 God'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 God 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 God is and what He has
said. Heb. 12:2 says that Jesus is the author and finisher of
our faith. Whatever God begins, He will finish. When God
says that something will happen, it will happen. We need to
be a people wholly dependant upon God, who seek His Word
and wait for Him to bring revelation. We need to hear God
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 God and step out in faith. In our
comfort zones we slowly cease to have conviction of who God
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
God, 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 Lord and those who praised God in holy
attire. And as they sang God 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 God to do battle
on our behalf and brings God'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 God'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.
God 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. God 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 God. 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.