When you became a believer, you were immediately placed into God’s family and kingdom; isn’t that great news? However, being a part of God’s family means you now have an adversary who wants to prevent you from living in God’s fullness.
Even Jesus Himself experienced spiritual warfare. He taught that Satan would try and rob you of abundant life, that Satan’s character was to steal, kill, and destroy.
The enemy comes to rob you of God’s blessings, to oppress your soul and body through hardships and sickness, and to destroy everything that you love and hold dear.
He attempts to have you believe his lies about yourself or to be focused on your past sin. You must have more faith in God’s ability to protect and keep you than in the enemy’s ability to attack you. Yes, warfare occurs; however, Christ is greater!
Warfare is Spiritual and Planned
We have been given spiritual weapons to fight our spiritual battles. Paul describes these weapons in Ephesians 6:13-18.
Paul also implies that spiritual warfare does not occur accidentally, but is something that is strategically planned. Just like any army that plans an attack, the devil devises a strategy to assault you, the same way he did with Jesus. We too need a strategy to combat the assault of the enemy. The Holy Spirit holds the key!
Warfare Requires Spiritual Strategies
In 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, Paul states, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds…”
Paul is essentially saying, “Don’t look to human efforts or human reasoning for the spiritual weapons and strategies you need.” If you want to receive the strategy needed to assure yourself of victory, you must turn your attention to the realm of the Spirit. You must spend time praying in the Spirit and reading the Word.
You have the mind of Christ; use your head as much as you can and think through each step. But as you seek God, stay open for Him to give you strategies that may not be what you expected.
The bible is full of divinely inspired strategies that make no sense to the natural mind. Consider Joshua and the children of Israel as they stood before the walls of Jericho. (Read about it again in Joshua 6.) God’s strategy brought the walls of Jericho down… using a method no human could have imagined! (See also 2 Chronicles 20:20-25 for another out-of-the-box strategy.)
The Lord might give you something that doesn’t immediately make sense; however, your obedience to God’s revelation and direction will release His power to do the impossible!
In Conclusion
Imagine an army that is fully equipped with weapons of warfare, but has no strategy for using those weapons against the enemy – they would fail! It is very important for you to learn how to use the spiritual weapons God has given you – coupled with His divine strategies to wage effective spiritual warfare.
Declare today by faith that you have the strategies you need, and that you are ready and willing to do whatever the Lord tells you to do!
Blessings,
Bob
P.S. If you would like to learn more about this topic, watch my sermon here on the Passion Church website.
