Spiritual Warfare
1 Corinthians 10:3-4 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh
Every day we wake up, get dressed, go to school, work, or to play, and all of it is in a physical world that we can see, feel, and touch. What we do not always remember, or understand, is that there is a very real spiritual realm all around us, all the time. This spiritual world is active at all times, either working against us, or, as children of covenant with the Living God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, working for us. Jesus has told us in His own words that there is another world beyond our natural, physical realm.
John 18:36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.”
It is so easy to get wrapped up in our physical surroundings and forget there is a very real enemy out there that is always trying to bring destruction and misery to our lives. The Apostle Peter warned us to be alert and vigilant in regards to the spiritual realm.
1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
To glean a little foundational understanding about spiritual warfare we have to understand what the birth of Jesus Christ has done for us. Jesus was born from of woman, Mary, who was from the physical world. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, who is from the spiritual realm. When Holy Spirit planted the seed of life in Mary’s womb, this tore down the wall of separation between the physical and spiritual realm. Then through His death on the cross, and by His spilled blood, we now have authority, in His Name, to wage warfare in the spiritual realm. When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, the spiritual realm is opened up to us. As we study the Old Testament, or under the Old Covenant, we see warfare was all in the natural realm. In the book of Joshua and then throughout the books of 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, all the warfare that the people of God did was in the natural realm, against an enemy that they could see, touch, and strike down. However, in the New Testament, or under the New Covenant, the warfare moves from the natural realm to the spiritual realm. As we study the scriptures of the New Covenant we can see several examples of our fight moving to the spiritual realm.
A great example of spiritual warfare can be found in Mark 4:35 – Mark 5:20. In this passage, we can see levels of spiritual warfare. In Mark 4:35-41 we see warfare on the regional, or territorial, level. In this passage, Jesus and His disciples were crossing the sea to go and minister in the country of the Gardarenes. In an effort to stop Jesus from getting to His destination to minister, the principality over that region rose up a storm. When His disciples were afraid Jesus rebuked the principality and the wind and storm became silent. This is the same way we operate in spiritual warfare. Through the power in the name of Jesus we bind and rebuke the principalities over a region. As we study the next potion of the scripture we will find out why this is important.
In Mark 5:1-20 we read how Jesus came into the land of Gadarenes and how He ministered to a man who had an unclean spirit. This level of spiritual warfare was done on a personal level, as Jesus ministered to the soul who was tormented. He commanded the demons to come out and they left the man by going into a herd of pigs. This level of warfare was successful, because in the verses just prior to this Jesus bound the principalities over the region. In spiritual warfare, when we go to minister on a personal level, city level, or national level, it is important to first bind the spiritual principalities that are over a person, city, or nation. For this we need to pray and seek the Lord for His guidance, asking Him to reveal the principalities operating in and around the given situation. When Jesus rebuked the principality over the land of Gaderenes He cut off the source of power flowing down to the ground level demons that were tormenting the soul. If you want to see great results in ministering to the souls, first spend time seeking the Lord and bind and rebuke the principalities in the second heaven.
1 Corinthians 10:3-4 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
As we enter into the realm of spiritual warfare we must remember that our fight is in the spiritual. It is not against any person, organization, people group, or nation. There are demonic forces sent from the depths of hell that reside in the second heaven, that work night and day to bring about the plans of the enemy. Through the work of Jesus Christ and His resurrection power we now have the power and authority to take the warfare to the spiritual realm, in order to fulfill our directive to manifest God's Kingdom here on earth and over through the kingdom of darkness. Through prayer, fasting, and the guidance of Holy Spirit we can make a difference in the spiritual realm and bring freedom and deliverance to our family, friends, co-workers, city, and nation. As believers in Jesus, as we follow His lead, we are all called to do spiritual warfare. The lives of those around us can depend upon our prayers and how we fight the good fight.
Obviously, in an impartation of this size it would be impossible to share all there is to know about spiritual warfare. There are many demons, principalities, powers, and rulers of this dark age that the ememy has dispatched to torment the lives of God's people. However, we have the promise of the blood of Jesus that covers us and protects us, because through Christ all things are possible. This impartation is only meant to give a brief introduction to spiritual warfare and hopefully open your eyes to see there is a very real spiritual realm that we need to be aware of. If you are interested in learning more about spiritual warfare there are many great books that can help you. For a list of books that we recommend you may write to us by going to www.abbapeople.com and clicking on our prayer request link and writing your questions and requests there.
May the Lord bless you and may His shalom fill your life,
Scott Wood
© 2011 Scott Wood - No distribution beyond personal use without permission
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