Spiritual warfare is real y’all! If you are in Christ I have news for you. Listen, this may not sound pleasing to the ear but you are on a battlefield. As a Christian youth, you are part of the Lord’s army. Your opponent the devil is busy. He roams like a hungry lion seeking who to devour(1 Peter 5:7-9) You are at war and you must not be caught slipping.
Signs that you are in spiritual warfare.
- Living in constant fear. You have the feeling that something terrible is going to happen to you.
- You start doubting the Word of God and its authenticity
- When things around you start going wrong with no logical explanation
- When people start hating you. (note it’s not the people but the forces behind them)
- When you start having suicidal thoughts and you feel depressed all the time
- When you start feeling like a stranger in your Father’s presence—This means war!
There is serious spiritual warfare going on! A very serious war. You may be in Christ, have all the spiritual blessings in the supernatural realm and have the direction for living the Christian life. You may also have the fullness of the Spirit of God and are drowning in the love of God. But you are not exempted from the devil’s attack. Satan will still come at you. You need to be aware that he has schemes and though he tries you already have the victory through Christ Jesus
"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" Ephesians 6:12
Satan’s best weapons in spiritual warfare
- Deception: To deceive someone is to deliberately cause (someone) to believe something that is not true, especially for personal gain. Satan can lie. He is the father of all lies(John 8:44) . He is perfect in this game of lying. Deception is one of satan’s best weapons in spiritual warfare.
- Temptation: As if deceiving you is not enough, he will then tempt you to do what is wrong.
- Accusation: and boom! he shifts the blame on you and starts shaming you.
You must do these 6 things to survive a spiritual attack
The devil is your enemy and In order to fight and win this battle there are a few things you must do:
- You must not be ignorant of the schemes/devices/tools/weapons of the enemy(2 Corinthians 2:11)
- You must be sober-minded [well-balanced and self-disciplined], alert and cautious at all times.
- You must be strong in the Lord and the power of His might.
- You must resist him, be firm in your faith
- You must also put on the whole armour of God and
- You must stand your ground.
The Full Armor Of God Enables you to Fight in a spiritual warfare
The armour is not something we as followers of Christ put off. It should be on at all times because the devil can strike without prior notice. When we put on the “full armour of God” we are actually putting on Christ:
1. The Belt Of Truth ( Ephesian 6:14)
A belt is what we wear to hold our pants/trousers in place. The belt held the rest of the armour in place for the Roman soldiers. Christ is the truth, in him, there is no lie. With him tied around our waist to guard our loins, we can resist all the lies of the enemy(the devil is the father of all liars, he takes the truth and corrupts it making the believer doubt). The belt of truth is also the Word of God. The belt of truth is also living a life of honesty and integrity i.e. being a doer of the word.
The Breastplate Of Righteousness (Ephesians 6:14b)
Jesus is the righteousness of God and only in him is justification found that protects us from the accusation of satan (Philippians 3:3vs9). This breastplate of righteousness could also mean the believer’s responsibility to guard his/her heart (Proverbs 4:4:23, Matthew: 15vs11,18) and to make the right choices.
The Shoes Of The Gospel Of Peace (Ephesians 6:15)
Jesus is the gospel and in him, we have already been reconciled to God through the gospel. This is our foundation. Secondly, we need to be ready with the same gospel to proclaim war against the devil and peace to the world.
Related post: The believer’s warfare(a sermon)
The Shield Of Faith(Ephesians 6:16)
What protects us from the attacks of the enemy is faith. Faith is believing God and that He is faithful (Hebrews 11:1). It is only this confident expectation in God that allows us to survive the potentially deadly attacks of the enemy. we must consistently remind ourselves of God’s unfailing faithfulness described in the Scriptures and demonstrate it again and again in our own lives.
The Helmet Of Salvation (Ephesians 6:17)
Our mind is Satan’s battlefield. He brings fear, hopelessness, frustrations, and despair into it. We overcome these through the renewal of our hope in the salvation that flows from Christ, (1 Thessalonians 5:8). How do we renew our minds? By constantly meditating on His Word.
The Sword Of The Spirit (Ephesians 6:17b)
God’s word is our sword. The only weapon of offence. We must use it regularly in order to become proficient users. Knowing the word (logos) is insufficient, we must know how to use it (Rhema). Ex: Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 8:3 (Matthew 4:4)
Praying in The Spirit (Ephesians 6:18)
All of the above is just preparation. We have not stepped into the battlefield until we start praying in the Spirit. The most powerful position Christians assume is when we kneel. Our prayers and worship are how we win our battles. Our prayer Should be the prayer of perseverance, (Luke 18:1-8) and intercession, (Ephesians 6:19-20).
Standing Firm (Ephesians 6:13&14)
It’s not just enough to put on the full armour, you have to stand and take your position. The fun fact about Satan is that he doesn’t strike once. Standing firm is you contending for your faith. When you are faced with troubles and issues in life, it’s important that you stand. The continuity of your faith in the face of trials is the test of its reality.
I noticed that the phrase “stand firm” is used in Exodus 14:13 and 2 Chronicles 20:17
"Moses answered the people, Do not be afraid. Stand Firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again" Exodus 14:13
"You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.’” 2Chronicles 20:17
Why Should you stand firm during spiritual warfare?
- You are to stand firm because you are a soldier involved in a spiritual conflict and your enemy is not powerless
- You are also encouraged to stand firm in order to overcome temptation
- You are to stand firm in what you have learned (i.e the truth about your identity in Christ) so you don’t get swept away by any form of doctrine
Conclusion
The Bible gives assurance that we can stand firm and resist anything that Satan throws our way, only if we put on the whole armour of God. The battle has already been won, we have the victory. All we need to do is to be alert and play our part.
May the Lord help us!
Great and powerful
more wisdom, vision, revelation and skills.