Why Spiritual Warfare
WAR UNTIL THE END OF THE AGE. The Final War will be fought until the end of
history. REV 19:11?20:10 DAN 9:26 "The end will come like a flood: War
will continue until the end, and desolation have been decreed". The days
of Messiah the Prince will be days of intensifying Warfare, UNTIL THE END!
Satan continues to deceive, blind, steal, and tempt the human race. So we are
now in the tension of transitional time where victory has been won, but the
redeemed continue to make war against the Enemy.
ILLUSTRATIONS. REVIEW OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF CANAAN WAR.
1. Possess the Land by dispossessing the Enemy, DEU 7:1.
2. Using Israel to punish nations, DEU 9:4?5 GEN 15:16
3. Destroy the Enemy totally, without mercy, DEU 7:2
4. Annihilation of Enemy protects from corruption, DEU 7:16
5. Land through God's Love Faithfulness, DEU 7:8-9
6. No instant Victory but little by little, DEU 7:22
7. No able soldier is exempted from the Wars, JOS 1:12-15
8. God's design: All will experience war, JDG 2:21-3:2
9. Warning-- They did not complete the war! JOS 13:1
10. Polluted and snared in the wickedness of the Land!
WHY CHRISTIANS MUST INVOLVE IN WARFARE-EVANGELISM
1. THE MILITANT CHARACTER OF THE CHURCH..
2. THE REVEALED WAR NAMES OF GOD.
3. THE CONTINUED RAGE OF THE ENEMY
4. THE NEED OF THE LOST.
5. THE GROWTH OF THE BELIEVERS.
6. THE CERTAINTY OF VICTORY.
7. THE SIGN OF THE LAST DAYS.
Understanding The Levels of Spiritual War:
LUK 11:14-26 …"When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe. But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up the spoils. From the above passage we see different levels of warfare and the order of the way they must be waged:
· PERSONAL LEVEL ? The warrior (the Church) must first become stronger than the strongman (the Enemy).
· TERRITORIAL LEVEL - The warrior must then overcome the strongman; Binding the Strongman; destroy his weapons.
· MINISTERIAL LEVEL - The warrior can now take "the spoils of war" and set the captives free.
This is when and where effective evangelism / church planting can begin!
HOW SATAN WINS BATTLES
His wicked schemes. The real score of the war is that Jesus has already won
it. So Satan is an overall defeated enemy. He can only "win battles"
if we allow Him to use his tactics of:
1. DECEPTION. Because we Fail to see and obey the truth. The strategy of baits in temptation. Propaganda Machine, to educate people in wickedness & sin.
2. DAMNATION. Because we Fail to live Pure Lives. He is the deceiver and the ACCUSER of the Brethren.
3. DOMINATIONS. Because we Fail to keep our Authority and Power.
4. DIRECT ASSAULT. Because we Fail to guard our defenses.
5. DEFAULT. Because we Fail to give him a Fight.
PRINCIPLE OF WARFARE EVANGELISM
MAT 12:28-29 MAR 3:27 LUK 11:21-22 23-26.
Not only do we stand against the enemy, but also we move to attack him. We are NOT waiting for the devil to attack. We take the offensive against the Gates of Hell: It shall not prevail. We are in fact already on the enemy's territory, sent as Lambs among Wolves.
1. BUILD YOUR STRENGTH UP. Be spiritually fit, strong in the Lord, EPH 6:10. Put on the Whole Armor of God, this makes you invincible and Stronger than the Strongman of the enemy's house! Reckon your victorious position in Christ: Submitting to God, resist the Devil, and he will flee! JAM 4:7. Greater is Jesus Who is in you than Satan Who is in the World. ROM 16:20 1JO 4:4 Sit. Walk. Stand. ILLUS ACT 19:13-16
NOTE: The Church itself must learn to act corporately. Together as an army they will engage the devil. But their strength depends on the strength of each person in their vital relationship with Jesus Christ.
2. BRING THE KINGDOM OF GOD UPON THE ENEMY. Enter the Strongman's house. Confront the enemy, declare war against Satan according to God's purpose, LUK 4:14-19. Invade, assault the Gates of Hell (where Satan counsels together with his forces & exercise authority).
Take the offensive: take Satan's house (any place he has a stronghold). Say, The Kingdom of God is at hand! Where the kingdom is, the King is.
3. BIND THE STRONGMAN FIRST. Take the principal leader: Territorial Ruler, dominating the spiritual atmosphere & deceiving people. Declare God's sentence on the Devil, take authority: "trample the enemy underfoot". Challenge directly the enemy, resist & command him to leave: drive/cast him out in Jesus Name (being authorized by Him), MAR 16:17-18 ACT 16:16-18.
BEAT THE ENEMY'S STRENGTH. Disarm, take away his trusted armor of deception, temptation, fear, lust, rebellion, resentments: by prayer & proclamation of the Word, to trample & overpower the enemy, LUK 10:18-20. Tear down his strongholds, 2CO 10:4-5.
4. BREAK PRISON DOORS. Release those who have been held captive by Satan's power: "carry off his possessions..rob his house." Give them over to God for forgiveness & deliverance. ACT 8:5-8 19:11-12 PRINCIPLE: 26:18 [1]Open, take the veil from their eyes, [2]Turn them from Darkness to Light, [3]Turn them from the power of Satan unto God, [4]That they may receive forgiveness.
5. BRING IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD. No demon can further occupy any territory filled with God's Spirit. Never leave a conquered house unoccupied, MAT 12:43-45 LUK 11:24-26. Prayer: Lead us not into temptation & deliver us from the evil one, MAT 6:13.
After deliverance from Satan, we must be preoccupied with the things of God, LUK 22:31-32. Demons do not just dwell but builds a stronghold if given a chance or entrance. Let Jesus Occupy.