Spiritual Warfare

Here and now, in this life, this is war! There are terms in the Bible that are for the here and now. Terms such as warfare, weapons, and armor are not for heaven, they are for earth. Spiritual forces are in this world and we are here among the artillery fire. We are strategic targets because we represent the walking "will of God" effective in the earth.

The Word of God gives us ultimate "fire power" to effectively combat Satanic maneuvers. Sometimes in the middle of the conflict, we must bring in the special forces! These are intensity points that the Holy Spirit uses to give extra strength and to expedite victory.

A Conquering Spirit

Romans 8:37 says, "In all these things, we are more than conquerors through him that loved us." Of all the important characteristics of the Christian soldier, strength and courage are paramount in this warfare.

How do you get it? You get it from the Spirit of God who is a conquering Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the spirit of the conqueror! God will equip His soldiers with the inward fortitude to stand and to endure in every battle.

We have been given the mind of Christ.

Do you remember the words of Joshua chapter one? God told Joshua, "Have not I commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go" (Joshua 1:9). Three times in one chapter we are commanded to have strength and courage.

You are responsible for your own mental attitude in this battle. Part of the discipline required to excel in the army of the Lord is outfitting yourself with an effective mental fortitude. We are commanded to renew our minds. We do this through constant use of the Spirit's sword of battle -- the Word Of God!

Battles are won and lost in the mind.

Golgotha, the scene of the ultimate conflict, was also called the place of the skull. Remember, we are commanded to "gird up the loins of our mind" (1 Peter 1:13).

Casualties of this war will surmount if you don't take advantage of the Spirit's sword. Once while involved in a horrific defense against the enemy, I cried out to God, "Lord, I am tormented in my mind at the words Satan is hurling against me." Immediately the Spirit of the Lord spoke to me: "If Satan is tormenting you with his words, start tormenting him with My words!" Instantly, I was energized in the midst of the battle. The Holy Ghost at once began to wield the sword of the Word and ultimately the victory was realized.

The Word of God will give us the spirit of the conqueror!

Peace In The Midst Of Terror

"And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God" (Phil 1:28).

All fear must go. Jesus did not give you that spirit. 2 Timothy 1:7 says, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear..."

TERROR AND THE IMAGINATION

"Casting down imaginations..." (2 Corinthians 10:5)

The might of terror is magnified by one's imagination. Your mind begins to play out scenarios in battle of your defeat. You begin to be afraid of what tomorrow will hold. Fear has torment. (See 1 John 4:18) Call fear for what it is and begin to battle against this spirit and cast down your imaginations by the weapons of our warfare. You will never conquer if you have fear. It must go in Jesus' name!

WHEN TERROR LEAVES AND PEACE COMES

"And in nothing terrified..."

There is a point in warfare when peace that passes understanding comes to flood your heart and mind, even in the midst of destructive, combative warfare.

This will be a sign and a token to you that your enemies are about to come face to face with downfall. Remember, your opponents are not flesh and blood, but spiritual forces. However, they often work through yielded vessels who become victims of Satan in battle. Remember, Satan is vicious and cruel. He has no friends and knows no loyalty. Even those he uses against you, he destroys.

When you reach the victory point of knowing that the Lord is standing by you, giving you the strength in battle to go through the pain, to withstand the rejection, to endure the betrayal, then the situation begins to yield to the peace of God that passes human comprehension. What was once an impregnable force, must yield to God's peace. Why is peace such an important part of a winning strategy? It's because peace comes from our confidence in knowing Who our God is! Peace is born out of confidence. Reliance upon Him to manifest His victory is terrifying to the enemy. When the peace of God comes, we are focused upon our Victor, not our battle!

In the midst of your battle, build your confidence in the advance of Jesus Christ and the kingdom of God!

God has already told you that the shoes of peace are a vital part of your armor. Put them on! They will carry you, they will transport you into victory! "And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace!" (Ephesians 6:15)

God's peace has keeping power for our minds during the battles. "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:7). "And the God of peace shall be with you" (Philippians 4:9). "And let the peace of God rule" (Colossians 3:15). "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee" (Isaiah 26:3).

Fasting

The first mention of fasting in the Bible was just before a time of battle. (Judges 20) Fasting is part of God's special forces before, during and after battle. Some demonic forces, such as the evils of unbelief and doubt, can't be broken without the combined forces of prayer and fasting. Jesus explained this when He said in Matthew 17:21, "Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting."

Fasting crucifies the flesh so that we may become intense in our ability to commune with God. Old patterns and habits can be broken through fasting. Appetites and lusts of the flesh are reckoned with through the special force of prayer.

Praise

Take the stick of Judah and beat the devil to death!!!!

Ezek. 37:15-28

15 Again a message came to me from the Lord:16 "Son of man, take a stick and carve on it these words: `this stick represents Judah and its allied tribes.' Then take another stick and carve these words on it: `this stick represents the northern tribes of Israel.' 17 Now hold them together in your hand as one stick. 18 When your people ask you what your actions mean, 19 say to them, `this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will take the northern tribes and join them to Judah. I will make them one stick in my hand.' 20 Then hold out the sticks you have inscribed, so the people can see them. 21 And give them this message from the Sovereign Lord: I will gather the people of Israel from among the nations. I will bring them home to their own land from the places where they have been scattered. 22 I will unify them into one nation in the land. One king will rule them all; no longer will they be divided into two nations. 23 They will stop polluting themselves with their detestable idols and other sins, for I will save them from their sinful backsliding. I will cleanse them. Then they will truly be my people, and I will be their God. 24 "My servant David will be their king, and they will have only one shepherd. They will obey my regulations and keep my laws. 25 They will live in the land of Israel where their ancestors lived, the land I gave my servant Jacob. They and their children and their grandchildren after them will live there forever, generation after generation. And my servant David will be their prince forever. 26 And I will make a covenant of peace with them, an everlasting covenant. I will give them their land and multiply them, and I will put my temple among them forever. 27 I will make my home among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 28 And since my temple will remain among them forever, the nations will know that I, the Lord, have set Israel apart for myself to be holy."

Judah means praise. It was Judah who came between the situation with Joseph so that his life was spared. (Genesis 37:26) Praise will keep you from the devil's destruction. It's a weapon. Judah will defeat its enemies (Genesis 49:8).

Are you surrounded by an impossible situation? Judah will get you through. Are you in a prison? Are you in bondage? At midnight Paul and Silas sang praises to God and the shackles fell off! (Acts 16:25, 26)

Praise will silence the enemy! Psalms 8:2 says, "Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger." Psalm 138:1 says to "praise Him in the midst of demons!" David said, "Before the gods, will I sing praise" (Psalms 138:1). Why? Because such front-line warfare strategies will bring victory!

The time to put on the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness is come! There's such a spirit of heaviness released against the Body of Christ. The effective strategy against this particular spirit is the garment of praise! Isaiah 61:3 tells us God will "give unto them the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness."