“For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”
Ephesians 6:12 (NLT)
Spiritual warfare is described as a battle against the evil spiritual forces of darkness that come against believers in Jesus Christ. It is a battle against demonic opponents, and it is important we understand that their maneuvering, devices, and wickedness are not always visible. It is indeed a spiritual battle waged by an unseen world, and it can come against us on multiple fronts. As God’s children, He commands us to utilize the unbeatable spiritual weapons that He has provided through Jesus Christ. If we do, we will win the victory in whatever area of our lives that is being attacked, and we will remain victorious throughout our entire lives.
At one time, the words ‘spiritual warfare’ were rarely spoken by those outside the Pentecostal Church community. Many believers were unaware that they could be demonically attacked, and therefore, didn’t arm themselves against those attacks. Now, through His infinite mercy, grace, and intelligence, God has provided desperately needed revelation to many of us. We know that spiritual warfare is real, and that we must do as Ephesians 6:11(NLT) commands, and “Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.”
The war
Whether we realize it or not, a spiritual war between good and evil has been happening for longer than any of us can know. It is happening right now, and it is happening all around us. We should not be afraid, because God tells us in 2Timothy 1:7 that He hasn’t given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but He’s given us a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline. Furthermore, He tells us in 1John 4:4(NLT), “But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.” The spirit that lives in those who belong to the world is satan. God declares that the Holy Spirit that is in those who are born again is greater than satan, so we must trust God, stand on His Word, and put on all His armor to walk in the victory that He won for us through the sacrifice and resurrection of Christ.
God’s Kingdom
Fear is one of the enemy’s most common devices. As children of God, we are living in the earth because it is the place where we obtain training in spiritual strength and faith. We are living in the world, but we are not of this world. We belong to our Father’s Kingdom and our hearts and minds should always be focused on Him and His Kingdom, which is vastly different from this world. In God’s Kingdom, there’s no sickness, pain, death, dysfunction, confusion, chaos, or any other kind of darkness, but that’s not the case on earth.
There’s lots of trouble in this world, and many of us have allowed ourselves to believe that our lives should be full of trouble and strife. This has been ingrained in us because of wrong believing and a lack of knowledge about God and His Kingdom. Years ago, Christians only looked to that great by and by before they could receive rest and peace. Now that many of us know God’s Word better, we understand that we can have rest and peace in Christ right this very moment. We can live in that constant place of God’s delight and joy continually, because we belong to His Kingdom.
Ephesians 1:3(NLT) tells us, “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.” We’ve been given every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realm because of our union with Christ, but the enemy doesn’t want us to trust this. Tactics to get us to have feelings and thoughts of fear and darkness in our hearts and minds is what the enemy uses to rob us of all the spiritual treasures that God has provided through Christ. We must wake up and stop allowing the enemy to steal the victory our Savior has won for us.
The battle of the mind and heart
David was the king of God’s people after King Saul. From the time of his youth, as a boy taking care of his father’s sheep, David believed in the power of God and staked his very life on it. He believed God’s promise when He said in Hebrew 13:5(NLT), “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” It was David’s faith in God that won him the battle against Goliath. David was unshaken and unmovable because he believed that God would give him, a ruddy-faced boy, victory over Goliath, a giant who had terrorized the Israelite army and had been a fighter all his life. He said to the giant in 1Samuel 17:45-46(NLT), “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 Today the LORD will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel!”
Notice that David gave God the praise and honor, not himself. He knew the power of God and refused to have fear. This is the heart and mindset that we must have as well. Many of us have a Goliath in our lives right now. Whether it’s finances, health and well-being, relationships, or some other trouble the enemy has sent our way, we’re going through it, and the devil wants us to see our problems as being greater than our Almighty God. We must not allow that to happen. We must recognize who God is and who He has made us through Jesus Christ. We must also understand that if we stand on the authority and weapons that God has equipped us with, we will win every time. So, never try to bring flesh weapons like fear, doubt, anger, arrogance, and belligerence into a spiritual fight. Use the spiritual weapons that our Heavenly Father has provided through His matchless Word. If you do, you’ll witness the victory of Christ continually as you stand firm in your faith in God. ■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“Don’t Bring Flesh Weapons to A Spiritual Fight”, written by KLizzie, edited by Reverend Fran Mack, for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2023. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.