Spiritual Warfare

I read this book back in September (Uganda) and had nowhere to write notes but in my Bible. I finally got around to typing them up this week and thought I'd make a blog of it. GOOD STUFF! 

Spiritual Warfare
  by Derek Prince
 
2 Opposing kingdoms:
– Light (Kingdom of God) & Dark (highly organized, ruled by Satan)

 
We’re at war (Ephesians 6:12). The battleground is in the minds of humanity. Satan has built up strongholds of prejudice and unbelief in the minds of the human race to keep them from receiving the truth of the gospel. Our God-given task is to breakdown these strongholds, thus releasing men and women from Satan’s deception, and then bringing them into submission and obedience to Christ. Our ability to achieve this task lies on 2 factors:
1 – See clearly from scripture Jesus’ defeat of Satan on our behalf and realize it is now our responsibility to demonstrate and administer the victory that Jesus has already won.
2 – We make proper use of the necessary spiritual weapons with which God has provided us: weapons of defense and weapons of attack.
 
Guilt = key to our defeat
Righteousness = key to our victory
 
Romans 10:4– “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.”
2 Corinthians 5:21– Jesus became sin for us so that “in Him, we might become the righteousness of God.”
 
The Great Exchange at the cross – our guilt for His righteousness
 
When we grasp that we have been made righteous with the righteousness of Christ, then the devil cannot make us feel guilty any longer. Satan’s main weapon will thus be taken from him. Jesus disarmed the principalities and powers by His death on the cross. He took from them their main weapon against us (Colosssians 2:15).
 
God’s purpose= for victory to be worked out and demonstrated through us.
 
2 Corinthians 2:14 (NAS)– “thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ and manifest through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.”
 
Matthew 28:18-20– “All authority has been given to me…go and make disciples…”
 
Jesus has won the authority. You go and exercise it. You go and demonstrate His victory to the whole world by fulfilling His commission.
 

Weapons of Defense
 
The Whole Armor of God

 
The armor doesn’t come automatically, you have to put it on (Eph. 6:11, 13)

1. Belt of Truth – First item to put on; needs to be tightened.
– Function: A belt is used to tighten garments so they don’t flap freely and hinder further movement.
– Religious talk = a loose hanging garment preventing us from doing what God asks us to do. Put away sham, hypocrisy, religious clichés, and saying and doing things we don’t mean.
– Truth in daily living: honesty, sincerity, openness and frankness

2. Breastplate of Righteousness = Breastplate of Faith and Love
 – Function: Protects the most vital organ, the heart
– Proverbs 4:23, 1 Thessalonians 5:8
– Not righteousness by works or by law but of faith, only by faith
– It is essential that we protect our heart from all evil
– Philippians 3:9– righteousness that comes from faith, not our righteousness, but the righteousness of Christ which has no weak points
– 2 Corinthians 5:21– We have become the righteousness of God.
– Luke 22:31-32– Jesus knew Peter would betray him but prayed that his faith would not fail. Even though Peter showed himself cowardly, everything could still be retrieved provided his faith did not fail. Faith is essential.
– Galatians 5:6– Faith that works through love.
– Song of Solomon 8:6-7– “Love is as strong as death…”Irresistable, conquers; love protects from negative forces like resentment, unforgiveness, bitterness, discouragement and despair, which can corrupt our hearts and spoil our lives. All that there is in life comes out of our heart (Pr. 4:23).
– 1 Corinthians 13:4-8– Love never fails = breastplate, no weak points that Satan can penetrate.
– When you have on the breastplate of faith that works by love, it will always protect you. It will keep your heart from every attack and attempt of Satan to penetrate that vital area of your life.

3. Shoes of the Preparation/Readiness of the Gospel
– Function: Shoes provide you mobility and availability to your commander (JC).
– If you have your shoes on, you’re prepared.
– Preparation: study of scripture, memorization and ability to intelligently communicate the gospel message.
– “Gospel of peace” – produces peace of heart and mind to those who believe and obey it; we can only transmit peace to others if we have it ourselves.
– Matthew 10:12-13– Impart peace

4. Shield of Faith – Faith for full protection and full provision – covers everything
-Function: Protects completely from missiles of the enemy.
– Greek word for shield is referring to a long rectangular shaped shield (like a door). He will attack any area he can reach – our minds, bodies, hearts, finances, etc – if he can’t get us, he’ll get those closest to us.
– You must have a shield big enough to protect everything for which God has made you responsible – including yourself, your family and everything God has committed to you.

5. Helmet of Salvation
– Function: Protects the head, the mind, which is the battleground.
– If the head is wounded, we can no longer make effective use of our equipment and ability.
– Romans 8:37– “we are more than conquerors” – not only do we win the battle, but we come out with more than we had going in.
– Isaiah 61:3– spirit of heaviness (depression)
– 1 Thessalonians 5:8– Hope of salvation – The protection of the heart is faith, but the protection of the mind is hope.
– Hebrews 11:1– We need to see the connection between faith and hope.
– Faith is the underlying basic reality on which hope is built. When we have valid faith, we have valid hope and vice versa. When we have a real foundation of faith, we can build a valid hope, which is the protection of our mind.
– Hope = a quiet, steady expectation of good based on the promises of God’s Word; continuing optimism – that is the protection of our mind. Hope is an optimistic attitude that always chooses to see the best and will not give way to depression, doubt, or self-pity.
– Romans 8:28– sufficient basis for hope; optimism is the helmet protecting against Satan’s subtle attacks of doubt, discouragement, self-pity, mistrust, etc.
– Romans 8:24– No hope, no salvation VS Ephesians 2:12; Colossians 1:27– If Christ is in you, you have hope.
– Hope in your mind = essential to your salvation experience.
– Hebrews 6:17-20gives 2 pictures of hope: an altar = refuge, & an anchor = reaches out of time an into eternity into the presence of God – when we have hope, our vessel is anchored to the Rock of Ages (unchanging God)
– Hebrews 10:23– Hold on to hope; it is the protection of your mind.

6. Sword of the Spirit – 1^st item that is not purely defensive
– With our other equipment, we can defend ourselves, but the sword is the only thing that can drive the devil away from our presence.
– Sword = Word of God, which pierces and penetrates – Hebrews 4:12
– Revelation 1:16– Double-edged sword = the Word of God
– Study how Jesus used it in His earthly life – Matthew 4: 1-11– The only weapon Jesus used was the Word of God. Neither Jesus nor Satan questioned the authority of scripture. The basis of every temptation Satan gave Jesus was doubt.
– We must know Scripture thoroughly and we must know how to apply it if we are going to be able to handle the devil. He tempted Jesus using scripture, he’ll do the same to us as well.
– Greek word “Rhema” is used for “word” in Ephesians 6:17– means spoken word.
 
The Unprotected Area = our back
– Never turn your back on the devil because if you do, you are giving him an opportunity to wound you in an unprotected area. Do not give up – that is turning your back.
– Close rank Roman soldiers fought in a Phalanx formation; We must, as believers, come under discipline, find our place in the body (which is the army of Christ), and know who stands to our right and left. We need to be able to trust them, knowing they will protect our back. Let’s make up our minds to stand together, protect one another’s back and not wound one another.
– When we take the sword in faith, then the Holy Spirit gives us the power and wisdom to use it. When you speak the Word of God, it is a weapon against the devil – sword of the Spirit.

 
Weapons of Attack

 
–  No army ever won on the defensive.
–  We have an absolute obligation to move out of the defensive and into the offensive.
–  Matthew 16:18 – Greek word for hell is “hades,” the root of which is “ invisible, unseen.” So hell is the unseen world of Satan’s kingdom. The first time Jesus mentions the church, the primary focuses are building andbattling. Jesus pictures the church on the offensive, attacking the gates of Satan.
–  Jesus promises us that, if we obey Him as our commander in chief, we will be able to move out, storm Satan’s citadels, break through his gates, release his captives and carry away his spoil. Gates = where the place of counsel and rule is.
–  Instead of the church wondering where Satan will strike next, it should be the other way around!
–  Basis for being on the offensive – Colossians 2:15– Jesus didn’t triumph for himself. He triumphed for us. Satan is already defeated, totally and forever.
 
The world can only see Christ’s victory when we demonstrate it. Christ has won the victory but our assignment is to demonstrate the victory over Satan and his kingdom, which Jesus has already won. This we can only do when we move from defensive to offensive.
 
4 Main Weapons of Spiritual Attack: Prayer, praise, preaching and testimony

1. Prayer – most powerful
– Ephesians 6:18, Acts 12:1-6, 8-11, Luke 18, John 21:18-19, Acts 12: 19-23
–  Acts – God answered the prayers of the church by supernatural intervention through an angel. Prayer broke through heaven and released the intervention of angels (also in Daniel 10).
–  Acts 12:24– It took prayer to enforce the promises of God.
It takes prayer to make the promises of God’s word effective in our spirit. It also takes prayer to release the intervention of angels on our behalf.
–  Angels are ministering spirits, sent forth on our behalf, but they do not come, as a rule, until we pray through. That prayer breaks through Satan’s kingdom in the heavenlies and releases divine angelic intervention.

2. Praise
–  Praise calls forth God’s supernatural intervention and is also an appropriate response to that intervention. Exodus 15:10-11
–  Praise reveals and calls forth God’s awesomeness, His fearfulness, especially against the enemies of God’s people (Psalm 22:23)
–  Psalm 8:2– “Out of the mouths of babes and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger.”
–  Matthew 21:15-16 – “…And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise?’”
–  Mt 21:16– 1) “Out of the mouths…” Mouth = primary channel for releasing our weapons against Satan’s kingdom. 2) “of infants and babes…” – those who have no natural strength on their own, must rely on God.
–  “Prepared praise” – Jesus, Mt 21:16VS “established strength” Ps 8:2. Praise – the nature of strength God has provided.
–  Praise is our greatest source of strength.
–  The purpose of using praise as a weapon is to silence Satan.
–  Satan’s primary activity and main weapon against us is accusations. He continually accuse us before God day and night…if Satan is busy day and night, we cannot afford to be busy only during the day time (Rev 12:10).
–  God has given us the means to silence Satan and he isn’t going to do it for us – The means to do that is “out of the mouths of babes.”
–  Psalm 149:6-9; 1 Corinthians 6:2-3– We have authority committed to us through God’s Word and through the weapon of praise, to administer God’s judgment on angels, rulers, kings, peoples, and nations. That implies tremendous power and authority.
–  Praise ascends through the heavenlies, reaches the throne of God and silences Satan’s accusations against us.
–  Revelation 16: 13-14 – “unclean spirits like frogs”– frogs only make noise at night and it’s ceaseless – propoganda. Satanic spiritual forces are released through the mouths of those who are on Satan’s side – if we do not learn to use our mouths effective, we cannot win the war. The side that uses its mouth most effectively will win the war. 
 
 
1) In the wilderness, Jesus defeated Satan on His own behalf.
2) On the cross, Jesus defeated Satan on our behalf, not for himself, but for us. He did not need the victory for Himself because He already had it, but He won the victory for us and defeated our enemy. He disarmed our enemy, stripped him and made a show of him openly on our behalf.
3) It is now our responsibility to demonstrate and administer the victory of Jesus.
– 2 Corinthians 2:14“ Always” and “in every place,” Christ has made victory possible for us. 

Exciting! 🙂