September 27, 2022
Spiritual Warfare Scriptures: Facing Life’s Battles-Part 2
Why is understanding Spiritual Warfare so Important?
The Word of God gives us the perfect answer to this question in Hosea 4:6 when it states, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.” This verse of scripture should alert us as to how serious spiritual warfare truly is. We are fighting against the spiritual forces of evil and spiritual wickedness in the heavenly places, Ephesians 6:12. It should drive us to want to learn how to engage in the battle that we are involved in and have a clear and accurate understanding of the adversary that we are up against.
The devil is a defeated foe; nonetheless he is extremely powerful and we cannot overcome the power of the enemy within our own might. One of the advantages that he has over us is that a lot of us don’t know anything pertaining to his devices or how he uses them against us. Before you know it, you are caught in one of his traps that you have no clue how to get out of. In Ephesian 6:10-18, The Apostle Paul outlines our spiritual protective covering which is the whole armor of God: belt of Truth, breastplate of righteousness, shoes prepared with the Gospel of peace, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, and the Sword of the Spirit. It is vital that we learn how to use every piece of armor effectively.
That is why the Lord is so adamant about us getting into His Word and staying in His Word. Every single spiritual law that governs God’s kingdom and the Kingdom of darkness is outlined for us in the Bible. The problem is, very few of us will take the time to pick it up, read it, and study it to understand it.
What ends up happening is your lack of knowledge (due to your limited time learning God’s Words) will cause you to become an easy target for Satan and his minions, the powers of this dark world. The Lord makes it known that He puts His Word above even His own Name, Psalm 138:2. Meaning that whatever is written in the Holy Scriptures or God’s Truth, is extremely important to the Lord. Whether it’s concerning His instructions, guidance, law, or protection we need to play close attention to every word.
2 Timothy 2:15 states, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” In so many words God is explaining to us that we need to study to show ourselves approved with the ability to have a precise understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Why? So that we can learn how to fight back when the devil and powers of darkness come against us. Remember, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” God’s Truth is a Powerful Sword but you have to learn how to use it!
Below I am listing some spiritual warfare Scriptures which are powerful verses that you can meditate on that will help you remain equipped for the battle that you will face as a Christian. The bottom line is; your true enemy has developed wicked plots against you and the more tools that you have stored up in your arsenal, the more of a chance you will have to stand against the wiles of the devil, Ephesians 6:11.
1 John 4:4
“You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”
This particular verse of Scripture should give every believer absolute confidence and hope in the Lord and His mighty power. John is telling us plainly that He that is in us (the power of Christ in the Person of the Holy Spirit) is greater than the devil that is in this world.
The problem that a lot of us face regarding spiritual warfare is that we have no idea who we are fighting and the power that we are up against. Without the bread of life, which is the Word of God, there is no way that we can survive the attacks of the enemy. He is a roaring lion and the father of lies that loves to target those that don’t believe that he even exists.
We have to get to the place where we make a stand and say “not today Satan” and know our authority in the Name of Jesus that He died for each one of us to have. The first part of this verse is stating that as children of God we have overcome them. Who is them? Them is anyone or anything that is contrary to the Word of God.
The spiritual realm is governed by laws that the Lord Himself has laid out in the Bible that the devil and his demons, every child of Christ, and everyone else must obey whether they understand them or not. He will not go against His Word or make any exceptions regardless of the circumstances. We have to study and comprehend as many of these laws as we possibly can because that is how we are going to remain free from the schemes of the devil. In this spiritual battle, you truly are fighting the good fight of faith, 1 Timothy 6:12.
As a Christian, you are going to come against spiritual attacks and that is why you HAVE to meditate on these words given by John and keep them embedded in your heart and mind. Yes you are fighting against a powerful adversary and yes he is tricky and never plays fair; but the Holy Spirit that dwells in you is so much more powerful there isn’t even a comparison! When we can come to that knowledge and understanding, we will not become easily manipulated by the devil and his devices.
Proverbs 11:9
“The hypocrite with his mouth destroys his neighbor, But through knowledge the righteous will be delivered.”
This proverb that was written by King Solomon is extremely revealing. We receive the revelation of how one can be delivered and that is through knowledge. Not just any kind of knowledge, it is the same Hebrew word da’at that is used in Hosea 4:6 “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge….” It is pertaining to the knowledge of God which is the Word of God our Powerful weapon.
The way that a person is delivered from the spiritual attacks that we face is: they are reading the Bible, understanding the Bible, and applying the Bible in every aspect of their lives. That is where the word righteous comes into effect because what that word means is in right standing with God and His commandments. In order for you to remain obedient to His instructions, you have to have the correct knowledge of what they are.
The first part of this Proverb is giving an example of how someone that is not living according to the laws of God would conduct themselves. Solomon is stating that a hypocrite or a deceitful person would use his or her mouth to destroy their neighbor or those around them. What does the Lord say about our neighbors? He is very transparent when He states in Mark 12:31, “And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” We can conclude by this bible verse that the Lord is explaining that there is no greater commandment than these, loving your neighbor being one of them.
So what Solomon is showing us is that if we are not following the rules of God and remaining obedient to His commandments we shouldn’t be surprised when the devil comes into our lives to kill, steal, and destroy, John 10:10. Trust me when I tell you, he is always looking for an open doorway so that he can have the legal right to wreak havoc using all the flaming arrows that he has and he will!
Zechariah 4:6
“So he answered and said to me: “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, ’Says the Lord of hosts.”
This verse of Scripture was written by the prophet Zechariah pertaining to a vision that he received from the Lord regarding a golden lampstand and two olive trees. At the time of this vision the Israelites were rebuilding a temple but were receiving opposition. The oil from the olive trees in Zechariah’s vision was a symbol of the Holy Spirit. The Lord was showing him that the Israelites were going to successfully build the temple regardless of all of the resistance that they were facing. The key thing that the Lord was highlighting to the prophet was that they were not going to be able to do it within their own might but would need the Power of the Holy Spirit to prevail.
It is the same scenario for us today in regards to fighting against Satan and his kingdom. Within our own power there is no way that we would be able to stand a chance but with the Power of the Holy Spirit, he doesn’t stand a chance! The same Spirit that raised Jesus Christ from the dead is the same Spirit that dwells in us (Romans 8:11), what makes us so fearful?
The Holy Spirit is one of our most effective weapons against the schemes of our enemy and He is Who gives us the ability to proclaim the Gospel of Christ Jesus boldly. An example of this is in Acts 1:8 Luke writes, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
We also know that the Holy Spirit is the One that will guide us into all truth, John 16:13. Why is this piece of information so important when dealing with spiritual warfare in the heavenly realms? The fact of the matter is, when you know the Truth (which is the Word of the Almighty God) the Truth is what is going to set you free, John 8:31-32. Free from what?
Free from the enemy’s ability to entangle you, build strong holds in your life, and create all kinds of suffering that we shouldn’t have to go through. The problem is, when you do not have a full understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ the devil will take advantage of your lack of knowledge. He doesn’t give you a break merely on the fact that you are not aware of spiritual laws. In fact those are the people that he will attack even more.
I was that person at one time; unaware of the enemy’s devices and he almost completely destroyed my life because of it. Now, I am on a mission to try to help as many people as I can with the knowledge that I have gained over the years when it comes to being equipped for this spiritual war.
John 10:10
“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”
The Lord through John is giving us an illustration regarding a “good Shepard” which is the Lord Jesus Christ. He explains that He is the “door” or only way to salvation and anyone that has claimed otherwise is leading you to destruction. He goes on to say that “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep,” John 10:11.
The reason that the Lord was using this analogy is because of the false teachers at that time, the Pharisees for instance, which were leading people astray. The same thing is happening today if not worse. There are evil men and women that the devil is using that are not teaching the true, authentic, and undiluted Word of God and are therefore leaving the Lord’s people vulnerable when it comes to the attacks of the enemy, John 10:12.
The Bible, our double-edged Sword is one of the most effective ways that we will be able to sustain the flaming darts of the devil. If we are not receiving the True Gospel of Jesus Christ it’s as if we aren’t receiving God’s Word at all. You have to keep in mind that the enemy knows the Lord’s Word and this fact is shown throughout Scripture. So, he is going to pay close attention to see if you are learning the absolute Truth or if you are following false doctrine.
This is how he is going to trip you up. That is why the Lord tells us to study to show ourselves approved, 2 Timothy 2:15, so that we are not easily swayed by deceitful teaching. Make no mistake about it, the devil is trying to kill, steal, and destroy you and will do it any way that he possibly can. The method of choice that he uses to ensnare Christians is having them follow the wrong doctrine. He knows that if you can get an understanding of the Truth, it is what will make you free, John 8:32.
The second part of this verse is stating that Jesus came so that we would have life more abundantly. He laid His life down for us as the “good” Shepard paying the ultimate price for His sheep, John 10:11. He gave us the free gift of salvation which is something that we didn’t have to earn. The abundant life that the Lord wants us to have is a life free from the bondage of sin and death. The only way that we are going to have the pure knowledge of how we are to stay out of the clutches of our adversary is if we get into our Word and stay in our Word!
Psalm 23
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.”
King David wrote this beautiful Psalm which is one of the most recognized one today. I have yet to come across a Christian that doesn’t have some knowledge of these powerful Bible verses. David was a shepherd over sheep as a boy so he describes the Lord as his personal Shepherd, Psalm 23:1. He goes into greater detail about how he feels regarding his Shepard when he explains “… Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” The rod symbolizing protection and the staff symbolizing guidance, he knew that the Lord would not lead him astray.
He expresses how his soul is restored, and when faced with evil or even death David will feel no fear because he knew Who was right by his side. He was sure that goodness would be his portion for the rest of his life and that he would be in the Lord’s house forever! What powerful words of encouragement and assurance this Psalm is providing us with!
I cannot tell you how many times I used these particular verses of Scripture when I was receiving full on attacks from the enemy. I mean there were some nights that I went to bed reciting this Psalm over and over and over again so that I could have some sense of peace. I was so demonically oppressed that I didn’t know if I would live to see the light of day; that was how bad it was! When I tell you that these verses of Scripture are Powerful Warfare Scriptures, I am speaking from experience.
I would speak the Words that the Lord provided for us in this beautiful Psalm and I would feel relief from the assaults of the devil. Spiritual warfare is so real and it isn’t something that you want to take lightly. If you are a Christian, you are in the army of Jesus Christ battling against Satan and his demonic kingdom. If you are not prepared for the battle, he is going to take full advantage and wreak havoc in your life any way that he can and he never plays fair!
Marinate, study, and proclaim these Warfare Scriptures that I have listed above. The Word of God is our Sword and a very powerful weapon, Hebrews 4:12, but how can you use it if you never pick it up. It is so critical that all Christians get into the Bible and learn as much as we can about God’s rules and how to protect ourselves against the traps of the enemy. Make no mistake about it; it isn’t if he will come to steal, kill, and destroy but it’s when, John 10:10.
I am linking other blogs pertaining to this topic below:
Spiritual Warfare Scriptures: Facing Life’s Battles-Part 1
The Importance of Forgiveness!
What does it mean to walk by Faith and not by Sight?
7 Steps to Fighting Spiritual Oppression-Real Talk!
Also, get your week started right! Check out my Positive Weekly Message Series down below:
Positive Thinking-Get Your Week Started Off Right! September 24, 2022
Positive Thinking-Get Your Week Started Off Right! September 19, 2022
Positive Thinking-Get Your Week Started Off Right! September 12, 2022
Positive Thinking-Get Your Week Started Off Right! September 6, 2022
Positive Thinking-Get Your Week Started Off Right! August 28, 2022
Positive Thinking-Get Your Week Started Off Right! August 22.2022