Spiritual warfare is not an option. If we do not fight the devil with spiritual weapons we will live a defeated life. We will constantly be in a state of discouragement, bitterness and unhappiness.
“He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.” 2 Samuel 22:35 God trains us in spiritual warfare. Part of the reason we are left on this earth is to be trained in spiritual warfare. Through fighting spiritual warfare, we get to know God:
"You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light. With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall. As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him. For who is God besides the Lord? And who is a Rock except our God? It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights. He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great. You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn. I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back till they were destroyed. I crushed them so that they could not rise; they fell beneath my feet. You armed me with strength for battle; you made my adversaries bow at my feet. You made my enemies turn their backs in flight, but I destroyed my foes." Psalm 18:28-40
God gives us tests to strengthen us and to know our hearts: “These were the nations the Lord left to test all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan (he did this only to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previious battle experiences)” Judges 3:1-2
“…the Lord tests the hearts.” Proverbs 17:3
“…but God, who tests our hearts.” 1 Thessalonians 2:4
“Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” James 1:12
God does not give us temptations: “When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.” James 1:13-14
He provides a way of escape from every temptation: “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13 Even when we are in deep waters because of disobedience, His way is the only way out.
The following is one of the most practical passages in the Bible. It is worth memorizing and applying every day:
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the power of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Ephesians 6:10-18
1. “Finally be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.”
We can be strong. We can be strong because we are to be strong IN THE LORD. Paul says, “When I am weak, then I am strong…” 2 Corinthians 12:10 If we are weak, then we have to rely on the Lord’s strength. If we think we are strong in ourselves, we might forget to ask Him. We might forget to continue to ask Him in every battle. The more we rely on the Lord, the more strength we have. We have to believe that He will give us the strength to do what He asks us to do.
We are commanded to be strong. Four times in the first chapter of Joshua the Lord told Joshua to be strong and courageous:
Be strong and courageous because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to your forefathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:6-9
Joshua, as leader of the Israelites, was given everything he needed to win every battle he had to fight in the promised land. The Israelites won almost every battle and they could have won every battle. They did not win the battle against Ai because of one man’s disobedience (Joshua 7). They let the Gibeonites deceive them because they forgot to ask God’s direction (Joshua 9)
To win every battle we must be strong and courageous. We can do this when we remember that God has all power and we continue to rely on Him.
2. Paul tells us who we are fighting. It is so easy to think a person or people are our enemies. From this passage we can realize that the devil and his demon’s are our enemies. The devil uses people. For instance, Peter told Jesus He should never go to the cross: “Jesus turned and said to Peter, ‘Out of my sight, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you don’t have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.’” Matthew 16:23 Jesus knew it was Satan talking through Peter.
We don’t want to glorify the devil by blaming everything on him as if God were not in control or could not be in control if we let Him. The devil can only do what we let him do. He can be very persuasive, but he can’t make us do anything. “…each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” James 1:14-15 A pastor said–”I can defeat the world and the devil. It’s my flesh that is the biggest problem.”
But the devil is a powerful enemy and we have to be aware of what he is doing. The devil is powerful, but we, as Christians, have more power, if we rely on God, than the devil. God gave man dominion over the earth. Because Adam sinned, the devil legally acquired that dominion: “…the whole world is under the control of the evil one.” 1 John 5:19
When Jesus was crucified on the cross, He rose and took the keys to death and Hades: “…And I hold the keys of death and Hades.” Revelation 1:18 He then gave to the church the right to have dominion over this earth: “I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.” Luke 10:19 How much of that legal right we actually put into practice is up to us.
We have as much power as Jesus did when He was on earth. If we do exactly what God tells us to do, as Jesus did, we can do the things that He did:
“But if I do judge, my decisions are right, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me.” John 8:16
“For I did not speak on my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it.” John 12:49
“And these signs will accompany those who believe”: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” Mark 16:17-18
“I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” John 14:12
3. “Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” Ephesians 6:13 This verse implies that there will be times when the devil will especially attack us. But with God’s weapons we can stand. And this passage also implies that sometimes just by standing, we have won the victory.
God commands us to be strong. We are to do this by using his powerful weapons. They will never fail; they will defeat the devil every time.
4. “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist…” Our first weapon is truth. The main weapon the devil uses against us is deceit. If we know what he is doing, and we can know what he is doing only by fully trusting and obeying God, we can defeat the devil in every instance. It may take time, but truth always wins in the end.
First of all we must know truth. We can know truth by hearing and understand the Bible. The Bible has the answer to every question. The Bible may give us only the general principle, but by applying that principle to the experiences of life we gain wisdom.
“Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, in the gateways of the city she makes her speech.” Proverbs 1:20-21 God is talking to us through all of life’s situations.
We can study the Bible, get wise counsel, pray for God to show us the truth of a particular situation, accept prophecies and visions that are of God, listen to others preach or teach the word of God, etc. Sometimes, God lets us make mistakes to teach us wisdom, but those mistakes will work out for good. So one of our most important weapons is to know truth.
What keeps people in bondage is believing a lie. For instance, a man might think that because he has been with lots of women, he is a he-man (macho). If he could understand what God thinks of that he would change his mind and consequently his behavior: “With persuasive words she led him astray; she seduced him with her smooth talk; All at once he followed her like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deep stepping into a noose till an arrow pierces his liver, like a bird darting into a snare, little knowing it will cost him his life.” Proverbs 7:21-23 The world would look up to that kind of a person, but God would say they are a fool that will suffer serious consequences. For example, AIDS can be a consequence.
Sometimes, people remain in a sin, thinking they cannot change. That is the devil’s lie. Understanding truth can set us free.
It is also very important to always tell the truth. Even white lies can be harmful. Often we tell white lies, thinking we don’t want to hurt the other person, but often it is because we don’t want to confront someone with the truth. Situations like that take God’s wisdom, but don’t deliberately lie.
5. “…with the breastplate of righteousness is place…” Jesus is called “…The Lord Our Righteousness.” Jeremiah 23:6 It is Christ’s righteousness. It is not by our righteousness or holiness that we can do anything. Rather, we have to apply Christ’s righteousness. How can we apply the righteousness of God? By obeying Him. By doing what it says in His word or following His explicit instructions: “I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey your precepts.” Psalm 119:100 If are living a holy life, we can hear God’s voice so we can pray and do His will: “But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.” Hebrews 5:14
Also, by applying Christ’s righteousness we are making clear to observers, whether believers or unbelievers, exactly how Christ would handle a situation. When people see the truth lived out, this brings change.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6 We need to obey even if we do not understand what God tells us to do.
Dr. Petti Wagner, in her book, Murdered Heiress, tells how she was kidnaped, tortured and murdered. She came back to life and through carefully following God’s leading, she escaped from where she was being held captive. We can escape from any of the devil’s prisons in our lives by carefully following the instructions of the Holy Spirit. If we are carefully following God’s orders, the process will work for our good and the good of others and for God’s glory.
6. “…and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.” Jesus says, through David: “How good and pleasant it is when bothers love together in unity!” Psalm 133:1 And through Paul: “”then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.” Philippians 2:2. And through Peter: “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8
Since it is God’s very heart, when Christians are united much can be accomplished for the kingdom of God. How do we apply this weapon? The best description of how to apply God’s love is “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 How much more effective our lives would be if we put that into practice.
“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Proverbs 15:1 When we were living in Montreal, a friend told us this story. He accidently ran into a man’s car. The man got out of his car, every angry, red in the face. Our friend said to him that he was so sorry, he realized it was all his fault and he was willing to pay what was necessary. The man he had hit went away calm and didn’t charge him anything. In a sense, he had used the weapon of love. Our friend’s purpose was not to get away without paying anything, but to treat someone else fairly, the way he would have been wanted to be treated. Sometimes we will be taken to court and expected to pay all sorts of expenses, but if we keep trusting God and showing love, it will work out for our good and God’s glory.
7. “In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” When we have been so in turmoil in my life that we can not even concentrate on the Word of God, remember that all we had to have is faith in God to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Faith is just believing what God says and acting on it no matter what circumstances appear to be, no matter what the opinion of others. In Murdered Heiress Dr. Petti Wagner tells that when she was praying for her son the Lord told her, “If you don’t give up, I won’t either.” If we keep asking, God will keep working. How many times, does the devil win a battle, because we give us before the answer comes? “If you falter in times of trouble, how small is your strength.” Proverbs 24:10 God has promised us the victory in any battle if we continue to rely on Him. When the going gets tough, the tough get going.
8. “Take the helmet of salvation…” A helmet is what is needed to protect our heads and therefore our minds. When we receive salvation we receive the mind of Christ. We have the ability, because the Holy Spirit lives in us, to “…take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5 The context of this passage implies that doing so has a part in demolishing strongholds, arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God. We are to take control of our mind, following the Holy Spirit. Self-control is one of the fruit of the Spirit. We are not to let the devil control our minds. We are not guilty for every thought the devil puts in our mind, but we are responsible for what we let stay there. We must be careful about what we allow in our minds through T.V. music or magazines or a poor choice of friends. Also, we can ask God’s help in fighting against the devil in this area: “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” Proverbs 4:23
9. “…and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” This is a word from the Bible we can use in a specific situation. Jesus used the word of God as a weapon when the devil tempted Him. For instance, He said, “Man does not live by bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4 when the devil told Him to prove He was the Son of God by turning stones into bread. He was quoting from Deuteronomy 8:3 He was also showing us that we can use the Word to resist when the devil is tempting us to satisfy our flesh in a way that we know is not pleasing to God.
Sometimes God gives us a special word when we need help or to help others. For instance, when Jim and I lived in Nova Scotia, we were talking to a young lady who had all sorts of problems. Suddenly Jim said to her, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 That Word of Knowledge from God was what she needed to hear from the word of God at that moment. It was a weapon against the anxiety she was feeling.
10. The last weapon is prayer: “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” Prayer is simply talking to God. It can be commanding the devil to leave, also, but that is a relatively small part of prayer.
The best way to learn about prayer is to do it, although we can learn much from reading what others have written about prayer. God is right here, waiting for us to request what is His will to do. The sooner we can break through all the hindrances to asking His will in a certain situation, the sooner the answer will come. He has promised to always give us what we ask for when we ask for His will, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us–whatever we ask–we know that we have what we asked of him.” 1 John 5:14-15
Some question, “Since we know it is His will that everyone be saved, why isn’t everyone saved?” One answer is that it is not His will to go against the will of man. He will not violate anyone’s free choice. However, when we seriously seek to bring someone to salvation, God will give us the prayers to pray and the actions to do that will most likely lead them to Himself. The more we pray the more of a chance that person has of coming to Christ, no matter how unlikely it seems. Sometimes when we pray for someone, we will have some contact with them. For example, one day I prayed for two people I seldom see and seldom pray for. That very day when we were taking our daughter, Jill, to the airport I saw both those people. But often there is not much we can do except pray.
What a small but important part we play in a person’s salvation! Why is it such a struggle then to pray? Because the devil knows how important it is and tries to hinder it in every way. We need to be constantly reminded of the importance of prayer. Reading the Bible, memorizing Bible verses, and fellowships with mature believers helps most in keeping up communication with God.
These, then. are the weapons of God: knowing truth and speaking truth, putting on His righteousness by obeying Him, love and forgiveness, faith, controlling our minds, the word of God and prayer. If we apply those weapons and keep applying them, we will win EVERY time.