TEACHINGS
The Devil comes to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. He is not your friend, but he pretends that he is. He will do whatever it takes to keep you from God.
When we were in the world, we belonged to Satan, for he is the Prince of this world. So, where does spiritual warfare come from? It starts when Satan wants us back to our old lifestyle. When we came to Christ, that is when the war started, and it is between you and Satan, and not between Satan and God.
As long as we are in this world, which belongs to Satan, there will always be false teachers. The question again is, how do we know who’s telling the truth and who is lying to us? We must carefully submit to a new teaching and search the Scriptures for its accuracy in God’s word.
As Christians, we should measure what we are taught against the infallible word of God, which can make you wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. Failure to search the Scriptures for errors may make us vulnerable to false teaching. They are some Christians who have not carefully examined their beliefs and, consequently, accept every new opinion and follow the guidance of every new teacher uncritically. As Christians, we must carefully weigh and examine what people tell us.
How can you tell a false prophet, a false teacher, and even a false Christ? I don’t think we could with our own human understanding. According to the word of God, we are to test all teaching. But how do you know, or how do you expose those that are flawed?
That is why we have the gifts of the Holy Spirit to help us discern right from wrong. We have the gift of discernment to help us distinguish between a good and a bad teacher.
The scriptures teach us that Satan and his kingdom have little power over Christians. Therefore, the only way he has to attack us is by using false doctrine to confuse us. We must be prepared in every aspect of our spiritual warfare for our enemy, the Devil. The primary place of attack by Satan is in the mind and thought life.
The Devil, our enemy, has an army with organized opposition to the world, especially Christians. We can be tempted, oppressed, harassed, and even afflicted by the enemy, but we cannot be controlled. We do have the authority and the strength to resist the Devil’s temptations and lies by submitting to God, standing in Christ, and putting on Christ’s armor. (2 Timothy 3:12-14 NKJV), (Ephesians 6:12 NKJV).
So many Christians have become passive and fearful. They are satisfied with just attending church services and activities each week. This lifestyle is quite different from what Jesus has called us to. Like the apostles (Luke 9:1-2) and the seventy (Luke 10), who Jesus told to go out and preach and teach about the kingdom of God, and he also said they were to heal the sick and set the captives free (Matthew 28:18-20 NKJV).
We must always be alert to the activities of the enemy. This alertness is by no means fear or paranoia. We must not go around crediting Satan and his demons for everything wrong under the sun. The Apostle Paul was a good example of a Christian soldier. He didn’t go out of his way to look for demonic activity, but when he encountered it, he quickly recognized it, and then he confronted it with spiritual authority.
A soldier knows he must bring discipline to his thoughts and actions. He knows he must conquer fear or paranoia because if we allow these areas to be compromised, he will not be effective in resisting the enemy. We must take sin very seriously because we know that sin always gives the Devil an advantage. We must always be on guard against comparing ourselves with others and being entrapped by the subtlety of religious pride.
A soldier knows that he can do nothing that is effective in his own strength. Because his strength comes from unity, so do our strength, authority, wisdom, and discernment depend on our close walk with the Lord. We should always remain focused and guard ourselves against distractions caused by problems and troubles that appear. These are designed to get our eyes off the Lord and lure us into working in the flesh. The Devil will come after us at our weakest times.
Our Commitment to Spiritual Warfare Means:
A New Attitude – You begin to think like an overcomer with a victorious attitude. You walk according to your inheritance of grace in Christ. You no longer have an attitude of playing it safe or seeking not to rock the boat. You realize you want to be on the front lines for God, not trying to live a comfortable life with as few problems as possible.
A Greater Focus – You carefully guard against the attempts to distract you or to push your buttons. You recognize that the enemy likes to entangle God’s people in the cares of this world or provoke you to react in the flesh. You understand the importance of keeping your eyes on the Lord and standing in faith upon God’s character, not in your abilities.
A Necessary Discipline – You begin to discipline yourself on all levels. You are setting more time aside for study and prayer. You are spending more time being alert and obedient to the leading of the Holy Spirit.
A More Balanced, Biblical World View – You take very seriously the Biblical warnings to God’s people about a real enemy.
When anybody mentions warfare, we immediately think of casualties and fierce fighting, but just because you don’t see the spiritual warfare going on with our enemy, the Devil doesn’t mean it’s not there. We must be trained in spiritual warfare. The Devil has limited resources; he attacks us in our weakness. So, we must be trained in God’s word if we are to overcome the flaming arrows the enemy shoots at us.
When you join the army, you must be trained. Did you know that it took five years to train a Roman soldier? He was trained to act on command and not in reaction. It took a lot of guts to just stand there and watch your enemies charge at you. It took a lot of discipline to wait on your commander for the proper orders to fight. It took a lot of discipline for the soldiers to stand their ground.
Roman soldiers were fighting men, first and foremost. Constant and rigorous training keeps them at peak condition and ready for action at any time. Most people are not surprised that the best army in the world places a high value on training its soldiers.
In the Roman mind, the legionary was a tool, a machine. Though it possessed dignity and honor, it abandoned its will to its commander. It ate and drank only to function. It requires no pleasure. It was a fighting machine.
This machine would feel nothing and flinch from nothing. The Roman Army was considered the most advanced of its time. The Roman Army developed fighting techniques that were linked to a ferocious training regime. All new recruits to the army become very fit and disciplined. They were able to strike terror in the enemy’s hearts and had a great advantage over them.
A soldier’s training in the Roman army required not only bravery and strength but also coordination, cunning, and intelligence. Being in the Roman army was a big commitment, and training was a constant part of a soldier’s life.
As soldiers in the Lord’s army, we must also train to be the best the Lord can use. Our training is in reading the word, being in the word, and doing the work that Christ has laid out for us.
We must be like the Roman army in that it abandoned its will to its commander. We, as Christian soldiers, must abandon our will to our commander in chief, Christ our Lord. We should not do anything until we are ordered to by the Holy Spirit.
Being a soldier for Christ is a commitment, and training is a constant part of a soldier’s life. Therefore, we need to grow spiritually on a daily basis by staying in the word. We must learn to stand our ground and don’t make a decision until order. To be filled with the word of God is actually a command.
As Christians, are we properly prepared for a real battle? You don’t want to wake up in the middle of a battle in which you are a fighting soldier and miss the line separating good and evil.
God gives us the best equipment for spiritual warfare, but you must learn to USE YOUR WEAPONS
The Blood of Jesus—Hebrews 9:12; 1 Peter 1:18–19; 1 John 1:7; Revelation 12:11.
The Name of Jesus—Psalm 18:10; Matthew 18:20; John 14:12-14; Colossians 3:17.
The Word/Truth—Psalm 119:105-106; John 8:32; 2 Timothy 2:15; 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12.
Praying in the Spirit—Romans 8:26; 1 Corinthians 14, 15; Ephesians 6:18; Jude 20, 21.
Praise and Worship—2 Chronicles 20:21-22; Psalm 32:7; 149:6-9; Acts 16:25-26.
Love 1 John 4:18.
Binding of the enemy—Matthew 18:18-20; Philippians 4:7; 2 Thessalonians 3:3.
Used legislatively “to bind” meant to forbid something, “to loose” meant to permit.
To be filled with the word of God is actually a command: you must keep being filled, just like a lake is constantly being filled by a flowing stream. God is our flowing stream of living water. Just as the lake does nothing but make it available to the stream, it becomes filled, so as we make ourselves available to God, He can fill us with His word.
Pay attention to God’s Word and treasure it in your heart at all times. And especially doing what it says. Ask the Lord to reveal the enemy’s tactics and for those tactics to come to nothing. You must come against unworthiness, intimidation, mind control, religious spirit, pride, fear, doubt, confusion, distraction, and fatigue.
Read the Word of God, the Bible. The Bible consists of God’s words and instructions. It also consists of God’s expectations for us. Learning about God by reading God’s word will help you to know how to obey God.
Remember that it is our love for God that motivates us to obey him. God does not force us to obey Him, but we must fear the consequence of disobeying God. Because the consequence of disobeying could lead you to hell (2 Thessalonians 1:5-9 NKJV).
If we are attempting to obey God, we will do what He has instructed us to do. Thus, the word of God: (2 Timothy 3:16 NKJV), (Hebrews 4:12 NKJV) and (2 Peter 1:20-21 NKJV).
Summary
- Put on the whole armor of God each day as you awake in the morning (Ephesians 6:11-18). This is done by reading the word, knowing Christ, and applying His teachings. We are victorious when we stand in Christ. God will fight for us as long as we are steadfast in him.
- Be sober and vigilant against Satan and his wiles (2 Peter 5:8-9). Be aware of the enemy and his attacks and distractions.
- Give Satan, no place. (Ephesians 4:27; James 4:7) fight his temptations as soon as they are discovered in thought. Know Satan’s devices, his schemes and his goal to deceive (2 Corinthians 2:11). Avoid areas you know you are weak in; train yourself to concentrate on Christ and his word.
- We overcome Satan by standing on the word of God and in the Holy Spirit’s power, who strengthens our weaknesses (Matthew 1: 11; 1 John 2:14).
- We overcome Satan by the blood of Jesus and our testimony (Revelation 12:11). We cannot be removed if we hold onto Christ by faith. Be assured of what took place in your life, as well as Christ’s promise to cleanse.
- We overcome Satan in the name of Jesus Christ and his merits (Ephesians 2:20-22). Our position in Christ brings us the victory.
- Watch and pray that you do not enter into temptation (Matthew 28:41; Matthew 6:13). We are to walk circumspectly knowing the evil around us that can influence and affect our spiritual life.
- Know your position in Christ; don’t go on experiences for your spiritual walk. Walk by what he has said not by what he has not said. You have full authority.
Seek God–Know God’s Word.
“Your word I have hidden in my heart That I might not sin against You”
“Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path”
