Spiritual warfare is the Christian concept of combating supernatural evil powers at work. It is founded on the biblical belief in evil spirits, often known as demons, who are thought to meddle in human affairs in a variety of ways. Although neo-charismatic churches emphasize spiritual warfare, other Christian denominations and groups have adopted behaviors based on spiritual warfare notions, with Christian demonology frequently playing a crucial role in these practices and beliefs.
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Prayer is one of the most prevalent forms of “spiritual warfare” used by these Christians. Exorcism, the laying on of hands, fasting with prayer, praise and worship, and anointing with oil are examples of other practices.
What are the Christian's weapons of warfare?
Because our battle is spiritual, Jesus Christ told the disciples, “I am sending you out as sheep among wolves.”
Our victory is certain in Jesus Christ. The Scriptures further identified these weapons in the sixth chapter of the Epistle to the Ephesians, after noting the nature and potency of our weapons of combat.
It's worth noting that the first five are for defense and the last two are for offense.
The fact that five of the seven weapons outlined in this chapter are for defense demonstrates the seriousness of the attacks that the devil mounts against us on a regular basis. These are the weapons of war, or the entire Armour of God:
What are the strongholds?
The Spirit of God desires each of you to break free from any demonic strongholds that are holding you hostage.
I believe it would be beneficial to think about the metaphor's metaphorical element a little further.
9:9 (Psalms) The LORD is a stronghold in times of adversity for the oppressed.
Because it is high and inaccessible to adversaries, a cliff might be used as a stronghold.
1 Samuel 23:14; 1 Samuel 23:15; 1 Samuel 23:16; 1 David lingered in the fortresses of the desert and the highlands of the Ziph Desert.
and my deliverer; my shield, and the one in whom I put my trust; the one who subdues my people under me
Why would a “high thing” want to elevate itself by hanging out in a high cliff or a high tower?
It's considerably easier to drive an adversary away from a fortress on a high vantage point.
In the history of Israel's conflicts, you can learn about the strategic value of strongholds.
It's just off the main route leading up to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv and the airport.
The problem with this location was that it was a stronghold located along the main roadway.
The Arab Legion held the fortress of Latrun when the War of Independence began.
They could pick off the caravans delivering supplies up to the Jews in Jerusalem from this vantage point.
This was a stronghold that needed to be conquered!
It had a suffocating grip over Jerusalem!
The fledgling Israeli Defense Forces attempted to take it five times in five different ways.
The Arab Legionthe greatest, British-trained warriors on the Arab sidehas proven itself time and time again.
As a result, the Israelis construct a “Burma Road” around the bastion, traversing tough terrain.
Until 1967, the Arabs controlled this fortification, which was located just five kilometers from Ben-Gurion Airport.
Nasser dispatched Egyptian troops to Jordanian garrisons shortly before the 1967 conflict.
includes an impressive display of Israeli army tanks that were purchased, manufactured, or captured.
For the past two decades, that location has posed a threat to our people's safety in the heart of the country.
How long has a stronghold in the center of your thinking life jeopardized your safety?
Is it possible?
Hey, David conquered Jerusalem and established it as his capital!
Joab unlocked the citadel's gates by breaking through a tunnel that led to a spring.
“Even if Babylon climbs the sky and fortifies her lofty stronghold,' Jer 51:53 declares.
by diverting the city's river and marching into the city on the riverbank!
God is well-versed in strongholds and understands how to overthrow them and he'll show you how.
Do you ever want to quit up when you come up against a stronghold in your life?
Individuals who are willing to battle, people with courage, capture strongholds!
God will assist you if you ask for it. The Bible and the Holy Spirit will show you how. Amen?
One thing to remember about a stronghold: it's a location, not a person.
The mind is the castle of the soul, and Satan and his henchmen aim to capture people's minds.
“Have nothing to do with the unproductive deeds of darkness,” Ephesians 5:11 exhorts us.
If you wish to allow God's light shine on the darkness, you must have a humble attitude.
“Test me, O LORD, and try me, probe my heart and my intellect,” David begged in Ps 26:2.
After you've identified the stronghold, repentance is the next stage in bringing it down.
Honesty before God is the best policy, and humbly allowing the Spirit to reveal the stronghold in the darkness is the best policy.
It's possible that you'll have to mute the tiny lawyer who emerges from a dark corner of your mind.
A frontal assault on a stronghold doesn't always appear to work.
So, what are your options?
With a frontal attack, Jewish warriors attempted to take the Old City of Jerusalem.
From the east, I've seen a photo of Israeli generals looking down on the Old City!
They were able to cut off supplies and reinforcements after encircling the city.
After that, the Israelis were able to enter the city with little resistance.
What was the game plan? March for seven days around the city, then blow your trumpets!
How can you encircle a fortress of pessimistic thinking and old rumours?
How about some compliments?
32:7 in Psalms. “You are my safe haven; you will keep me safe from harm and surround me.”
Praise God by singing psalms and spiritual hymns around the fortress.
There's a powerful technique to surround every bad stronghold with God's contrary truth.
If you're fighting a stronghold of rejection, surround it with Abba's acceptance.
If you're having trouble dealing with unresolved anger, try surrounding it with forgiveness.
Surround yourself with the knowledge of God's love if you're battling with a stronghold of fear.
If you're fighting a failing fortress, surround it with the triumph of the resurrection!
Once you've recognized a stronghold, go to the Bible and look up the contrary truth that God has revealed.
If rejection is your stronghold, read everything the Bible says about God's acceptance.
His resistance will swiftly wane, and if he isn't already gone, he will be soon!
Please forgive me for making a compromise. Give me the guts to demolish every stronghold I own.
I bind any evil powers within me that were encouraging compromise and sin.
I submit to the light of the Spirit of Truth in order for any sin strongholds in me to be exposed.
I declare that every satanic stronghold is being demolished by the great weapons of the Spirit and the Word!
I intend to envelop this demonic stronghold in praise and affirming truth from God's Word.
I intend to capture every negative thought pattern and bring it into submission to Messiah.
By God's grace, I intend to persevere until even the ruins of this stronghold are razed.
I intend to consider everything that is genuine, noble, right, and pure.
If there is anything charming or admirableif there is anything worthy of praise
By God's grace, I intend to construct one fortress within my mind and heart:
“The LORD's name is a strong fortress; the virtuous will flee to it for safety.”
What happens when you have a spiritual awakening?
As Kaiser argues, this is the start of your spiritual journey, as you begin to doubt everything you previously believed. You begin to purge certain aspects of your life (habits, relationships, and outdated belief systems) in order to make room for new, more meaningful experiences. You may sense that something is lacking, but you aren't sure what it is. It's common to feel disoriented, confused, and down during this time.
What is warfare prayer?
The finest techniques for combating spiritual warfare are battle scriptures and prayers. Nothing can compare to the force of God's word and the ability to invoke Jesus' authority via prayer. The most effective strategy to combat spiritual warfare is to use God's word and pray.
Warfare prayer acknowledges the spiritual battle raging around you and prays for victory over the enemy through the power of Jesus Christ.
Whether you are conscious of it or not, spiritual warfare is all around you. Keep in mind what the Bible says about the adversary. There is a real adversary of God who will stop at nothing to prevent you from growing in your faith and being closer to Him. The objective of the thief, according to John 10:10, is to steal, murder, and destroy.
When you understand the enemy's goal against you, you may fully appreciate the value of warfare prayers and scriptures. Warfare prayer points and verses are in handy in this situation.
How do you break a stronghold?
2. INTERCESSION Gather with other believers to pray and intercede against strongholds until results are obtained. The power of the gathering of additional believers is amplified. Fasting and prayer strengthen faith, and faith will break strongholds.” The disciples then approached Jesus privately and pleaded, “Why couldn't we get rid of him? This sort, on the other hand, does not leave the house except via prayer and fasting” (Matthew 17:19,21).
3. DISPLACEMENT Create a sense of God's presence. Fill the space where Satan has been told to leave with God's presence. The Devil does not exist when the Lord is present! Satan avoids areas where people are singing and praying in praise of Jesus. The Devil is displaced by the presence of the Lord. “What kind of relationship does righteousness have with lawlessness? And what kind of relationship does light have with darkness?” 2 Corinthians 6:14; 2 Corinthians 6:15; 2 Corinthians 6:16; 2
4. RESISTANCE Submit to God and become near to Him. According to the Bible, if we resist Satan in this way, he will flee. The Devil flees from Christians who have surrendered. He is fleeing your life and will flee wherever you go. “As a result, surrender to God. The devil will fly from you if you resist him” (James 4:7).
5. OCCUPATION Don't give the Devil a seat or a vacancy. Fill the vacuum with God now that Satan is gone. Allow righteousness to be the guiding principle and action. There should be no pockets of disobedience, corruption, or immorality where Satan can re-establish his power or influence. The Bible warns against doing so “Make room for the devil” (Eph. 4:27).
6. FORTIFICATION Put on God's armor to protect yourself. Take the complete complement of God's spiritual weapons with you on a regular basis so that you can remain battle-ready. You will be ready to fight any satanic assault and to engage the strongholds in others with the shield of faith, the sword of the Spirit (God's Word), and the other pieces of armor (Eph. 6:13-17). “Put on the complete armor of God so that you can stand against the devil's schemes” (Ephesians 6:11).
How can we stop spiritual warfare?
Because we know God and that he is bigger than the devil and his schemes against us, we can come up against and battle spiritual warfare.
As previously said, the name of Jesus is extremely powerful; we witnessed devils fleeing at the sight of Jesus.
The disciples of Jesus used his name to cast out demons, and Paul did the same in the book of Acts.
“I demand you to get out of her in the name of Jesus Christ,” I turned and said to the ghost. And it was released at that exact hour.
Even today, when facing spiritual warfare, it is effective to use Jesus' name because his name has power.
In the Bible, we see Jesus cast out a demon that his followers were unable to cast out. When the disciples questioned why not, Jesus replied,
Using Jesus as an example, we can see how scripture can be used to combat the evil one in spiritual battle.
After forty days of fasting, Jesus was tempted in the desert, and scripture was his defense against Satan.
We must know scripture in order to use it against the devil and his lies. When the devil lies to us about who we are in Christ, we must remember that we are a new creature, no longer our old selves, as 2 Corinthians 5:17 says.
When we are in the midst of spiritual conflict, worship music can be very effective. It allows us to recognize both who God is and his vast power, as well as who we are in Christ. Worship music helps us focus on God rather than the world's idols.
We are always engaged in spiritual warfare, and hopefully, we will be prepared to fight back against the devil's schemes to lead us away from God. To avoid being led astray, we must be in God's word and recall Jesus' example.
What is the whole armor of God?
God's armor is a crucial reality to comprehend and use. It's not just for coloring pages of a charming soldier in full armor for kids. It is, after all, a biblical command to put on the full armor of God.
I had the opportunity to study and teach the book of Ephesians for an entire year. It was one of the most profound experiences I've ever had. I'd want to share some of what I learned because it clarifies what the armor of God in Ephesians 6 is and how to put it on.
The 6 elements of God's armor are described in Ephesians 6:14-17.
To put on the full armor of God, you must believe what Jesus has done (Ephesians 1-3) and carry it out in your everyday life (Eph. 4-5). It's believing in the power of everything God has done in your life, even while you're facing difficulties.
To put it another way, to properly understand the armor of God in Ephesians 6, you must first read Ephesians chapters 1-5. It must be interpreted in its proper context.
Putting on the full armor of God isn't just about learning a skill or paying attention to evil and darkness. It has nothing to do with a hidden prayer, a mysterious spiritual experience, or visualization techniques.
The entire armor is an outward manifestation of your complete faith in God and all He has done for you via Jesus Christ. The cross of Christ and the blood poured there secured your victory in spiritual warfare (Rev. 12:11).
A misunderstanding of God's armor might lead to a misunderstanding of what the Christian life is all about. When taken out of context, it might become a diversion from Jesus' basic and straightforward teachings.
Ephesus witnessed one of the most significant revivals in the early church's history. In two years, the Gospel reached the entire territory of Asia Minor, and amazing miracles occurred to corroborate Jesus' teaching. It overthrew the religion of a Roman deity, and many people burned their magical books in favor of following Jesus.
All of this happened because of the Gospel message that Paul puts out in Ephesians. One heart, one home at a time, the Gospel conquered the Roman Empire. Without any direct political engagement, large budgets, or events, it changed the culture of the region. It was the Gospel's raw force, as well as its proper application through the armor of God.
Let's take a closer look at what it means to put on the whole armor of God in this post so you can apply it effectively to your life. The whole armor is designed to provide you with strength, stability, and encouragement so that you can receive everything God has planned for you.
How do you use prayer as a weapon?
You will not fully accept all that God has provided for you unless you pray. God has established His Kingdom in such a way that we must maintain a connection with Him, seek Him out personally, and ask Him to work in us and our circumstances. The Lord wants us to invite Him into our lives on a regular basis, surrender to Him, and seek His power. “You don't have because you don't ask God,” James remarked (James 4:2). I am confident that the Lord has blessings in store for you and your life that He is withholding until you come to Him in prayer. He will not give you what He has unless you have a genuine connection with Him. And that, my friends, is the Word.