What About Spiritual Warfare?

The Lord has prompted me to know that many, who have received my series on prayer, were quite shaken to learn that there is no such thing as spiritual warfare in prayer. No, we do not have to battle the forces of evil in order to get a prayer through to God. Neither do we have to fight the devil and his demon powers to deliver those who are possessed. We simply speak the Word to cast them out. This, beloved, is the spiritual protocol of the script. Nevertheless, what about the issue of war?

It is important to understand truth. For many years now ministers have assumed things that are just not true. Spiritual warfare is so misconceived in that it never submits to the finished work of our Lord nor does it recognize the very power of His existence. As we learned in my Fast Track Ministerial Training module, Lord Teach Us to Pray II, Jesus Christ is the Lord from heaven. He came to the earth with power over all the power of the enemy. This is contrary to the school of thought that brings Jesus to the earth to conquer the powers of darkness.

St. Matthew 12:28

But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.

He healed the sick, opened blinded eyes, made the lame to walk and the dumb to talk. He rebuked devils and gave them commandment. The anointing He walked in was the Spirit of God. It is not subject to the powers of darkness. It is the presence of God Himself.

The Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. If Jesus was to manifest the presence of the Kingdom, He could have no darkness in Him. He would have to be one with the Spirit of the Living God. It is then that He can declare the Kingdom of God is at hand. We, too, must achieve that oneness if we are to cast out devils and do all the things that are relative to our call.

St. John 5:16-18

16 And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day.

17 But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.

18 Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

Jesus expressed oneness with the Father that never changed throughout His ministry here on earth. The work men saw Him do was the work of the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of God, the Father. At what point in His ministry did we see Him fight the devil? I dare to say, He did not. He manifested power over all the power of the enemy. In this it is manifest that such power is given to destroy the works of Satan in the lives of the people who were held captive by him. These were the boundaries set for the working of ministry.

In the temptation in the wilderness, Satan attempted to seduce Jesus into operating the power for vanity’s sake and self-gain. However, He knew to do so would tempt God and thus referred Satan to that which is written. Christ humbled Himself and sought not to make of Himself a reputation. One of the attributes of humility is not to abuse the power God has given. This abuse occurs when the power of your presence manifests itself outside of the boundaries of the faith. For example, if my presence in your life is influential and I use that influence or power I have in your life for my own selfish gain, I have taken advantage and abused the power God has given me. Jesus had power to destroy, instead He forgave. No man took His life, He laid it down.

I can hear some saying, “Well, I don’t know about that. I fight with the devil all the time. I was taught to take back all that the devil has stolen from me. I battle him every day for the souls of my children. There are demons on my job I have to fight.” The list goes on and on. If there is a war, then where is it?

READY FOR THE BATTLE

Let us walk with Paul through this famous spiritual warfare chapter.

2 Corinthians 10:1-4

1 Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you:

2 But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:

4(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

Oh, Paul! I know you did not intend for the doctrine of spiritual warfare to be a practice in which the saints of God go about warring against demons and devils in prayer and I must say, even in ministry period. All demons and devils are already subject to the Holy Ghost so there is no need to war against them. We simply command them in the name of our Lord. But the key to this entire passage is given to us in the second verse.

2 Corinthians 10:2

I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.

The weapons of the apostle’s warfare were not to be used against demons and devils, but against some members of the Corinthian Church who dared to entreat Paul and the other apostles as if they walked after the flesh, thus being powerless in the Spirit.

It is the responsibility of the apostle to operate the bishop’s ministry in the household of faith. He or she is responsible for that which is allowed to operate in the Church. False doctrines and erroneous mindsets can become strongholds in the church. These as well as damnable heresies are to be destroyed by the weapons of the apostle’s warfare. These weapons, the Word, the Spirit and prayer are mighty through God and are capable of “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; (II Corinthians 10:5).”

The apostle is charged to confront and destroy that which is not of the faith.

2 Corinthians 10:6

6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

The apostle is also given the authority to institute discipline in the church. He is able to install punishment on the disobedient. Here he charges the elders of the Corinthian Church to come in line with the faith first.

2 Corinthians 10:7

7 Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? If any man trust to himself that he is Christ's, let him of himself think this again, that, as he is Christ's, even so are we Christ's.

Those who boast of being in Christ, let them be aware that we (the apostles) are also of Christ. We know the way of the Lord and are charged with defending the faith unto death.

2 Corinthians 10:8

8 For though I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord hath given us for edification, and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed:

Paul does not apologize for the authority the apostles have to restore order and righteousness to the house of God, for it is for the edification of the Body, not its destruction.

2 Corinthians 10:9-11

9 That I may not seem as if I would terrify you by letters.

10 For his letters, say they, are weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.

11 Let such an one think this, that, such as we are in word by letters when we are absent, such will we be also in deed when we are present.

The bottom line is . . . if this letter is a terror to you then please do not remain in the same spiritual disposition until we come because the chastisement of God will come with us.

In all of these eleven verses, there is no mention of any target other than the disposition of the mind of the leaders and the things they allowed to operate in the house of God. We war against sin and false doctrines in the Body of Christ. But we fight these with the Spirit of God, the Word of God and Prayer.

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world and spiritual wickedness in high places. All of these are the powers of darkness. To keep the intent of the apostle in context, his inference is that if we do not walk in the power of the Spirit and the Word of God, then we will not survive the wiles of the devil. But let us continue to move forward. If a saint of God, or even better a minister of God, indeed does not walk after the Spirit, what power does the devil have over him?

Satan’s power is the same as it was from the beginning when dealing with those who belong to God. He has the power of suggestion and opportunity, the same as he had with Eve and then Adam. The rulers of the darkness of this world merely suggested that it was an option. When dealing with those who belong to God, he can only offer the opportunity to agree with the lie he presents to them. We are not held captive but must agree to become partakers of spiritual wickedness.

Though it is impossible for the man or woman of God to be possessed by the devil, without the armor of God (which is the Word of God hidden in our heart and the Spirit of God in which we are to walk) these suggestions of Satan would create a thought war. Indeed we would wrestle with each and every thought, desire and opportunity. Because he can no longer live in us, the devil must cause us to self-destruct.

James 1:14-17

14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.

17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

If the man or woman of God agrees with the way of the wicked, then they become corrupt trees who are no longer able to produce good fruit. The evil would now sit in the household of faith and as Jesus said, “a little leaven leavens the whole lump.”

So do we fight? Yes, we fight against spiritual wickedness in the household of faith. And if the devil is bold enough to target us as one he might devour, we simply submit ourselves to God and resist the devil. He has no choice but to flee because we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.