Bible Battles Study Bible Warfare Project A Long Time In The Making
Would a Bible Battles study be the task that God wanted for me? The verses would also prove that we are to fight with the spirit and how that ends up being more potent than flesh. We are to trust God and not the world for our victory. Given my background of studying military history, this made a lot of sense. Ive been an avid student of the science and history of warfare for the last 20 years. Never did I think that God would use this. I thought it was just a pass time. It seems now all my preparation has had this purpose in mind.
What Are The Enemys Goals
Satans number one goal is to keep non-Christians from accepting the truth of Jesus Christ. He wants to make Christians ineffective he wants to cause doubt about the love of God, the deity of Christ, and the power of Jesus sacrifice for our sins. He is relentless and always on the prowl for those he can destroy.
First Peter 5:8 says Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. The verb prowls here is in the Greek present tense, which means a continuous action. The enemy is always prowling, always seeking to defeat us in battle. He seeks to bring dishonor to Gods name he also wants us to turn and dishonor God.
Repentance As Spiritual Defense From Demonization
If preaching the truth is a powerful weapon, so is repentance. The issue is that men and women are held captive by Satan . How can they be set free?
The Gospels use a Greek verb daimonizomai,variously translated “demon-possessed” , “possessed with devils” , “demoniacs” . A better translation might be “oppressed by demons” or perhaps “demonized,” that is, afflicted to one degree or another by a demon.
Paul talks about the influence of Satan in a fascinating passage we just looked at.
“1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spiritwho is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.”
I see demonization on a continuum, rather than a “possessed” or “not possessed” judgment. The continuum might look something like this :
“God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance.”
“Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation.”
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Powerful Scriptures For Spiritual Warfare Resistance
Based on Chip Ingrams sermon series, Diabolical, the verses in this article will help you recognize and resist spiritual warfare.
Current Series
Consider the enemys subtle work in your life.
The Scriptures reveal the spiritual warfare thats occurring under our noses, both in obvious and subtle ways. In this article, well spotlight 12 Bible verses you can hold on to for recognizing and resisting the Enemys plans.
Because for every person on the planet and for this planet itself there are two competing agendas.
Gods Mission Has An Enemy: 10 Facts About Spiritual Warfare
The Bible speaks about the reality of a conflict we face as believers, and we popularly call that conflict spiritual warfare. Missionaries are often most aware of this reality as they engage those who dont know Christ around the world. C. S. Lewis warned us decades ago, though, that believers usually fall into one of two camps when dealing with the demonic: we deny their existence, or we get fascinated with them. Either way, we too often miss the Bibles basic teachings about this conflict.
The Bible is a book about God, not the devil.
The Bible doesnt answer every question about warfare, nor does it grant us permission to focus our attention on the devil. Any approach to warfare that magnifies the devils power does not reflect biblical spiritual warfare.
Satan and his forces are real.
Some argue the concept of Satan and demons is only a first-century attempt to explain evil, but the Bible reveals them as real, supernatural beings who oppose God and his people. Our attempts to explain away these forces do not negate their reality.
Satan, however, is not our biggest problem.
We face three enemies: the world, our flesh, and the devil . In some cases, the three are so interwoven that its difficult to tell them apart. Our primary problem is not Satan, though. We are our biggest issue.
God reigns, even over the enemy.
The enemy we face is a defeated foe.
Warfare is the devils attempt to deceive and divide believers.
But we are not on the defensive in this battle.
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Recognizing The Enemy’s Strategy
Priscilla reminds us the enemy operates by deception. He wants us to believe lies about him, about God, about ourselves and about what’s important and true. And he’s very strategic in the way he goes about it.
“The enemy’s attacks are always wrapped in the packaging of deception, always designed to manipulate the truth about God, and about your value in Him. He desires to lead you into sin so that fellowship is broken between you and God this way you’ll be disconnected from the Source of true power and strength,” she said.
“The evil temptations that appeal to your specific desires and happen to show up when you are most vulnerable are not accidental. They are his deceptive tactics , specifically designed, timed and personalized in hopes that you fall prey to his demon ploy and miss out on experiencing an abundant life in Christ,” she said.
The Weapons Of Our Warfare
Hopefully, you can see the battlefield now for what it is. For Satan, this is a life and death struggle for dominance. He’ll use every trick he has. So what are our weapons of warfare? Paul says:
“The weaponsof our warfareare not merely human,but they have divine power to destroystrongholds.”
Strongly fortified forts or walled cities seemed impenetrable in the ancient world, except through long sieges by determined armies, and large, specialized equipment of one kind or another used to scale a wall, or to breach it — and after the victory, ropes and cables to literally pull it down to prevent that city from defending itself in the future. Paul says that our weapons are not physical, but have equivalent power in the spiritual realm to pull down and destroy the defenses of the most fortified of military installations. In other words, our spiritual weapons are of the most powerful kind known in spiritual warfare. Some of them we don’t even recognize as weapons against Satan. But it would be well to take an inventory of our spiritual arsenal.
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What Does The Bible Say About Our Enemy
We are definitely at war, and in war, we have an enemy. Well, we have four enemies that Scripture tells us about.
The Devil
The Devil. Satan. Lucifer. The Accuser. The Dragon. These are all names for our fearsome enemy. But, as we will see later, we do not have to be afraid. God didnt leave us to battle him alone.
Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
-1 Peter 5:8 NIV Full Chapter
More Bible verses about spiritual warfare: Job 1:6-7, 2 Corinthians 11:14-15, John 8:44, Revelation 12:9, Luke 22:31-32, Isaiah 14:12, Revelation 20:2
Demons
There has been a surge in people interested in the demonic and evil. Look no further than the latest popular television shows. Our culture glamorizes evil, but God commands us to have nothing to do with contacting the dead or demons.
When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it.Then it says, I will return to the house I left. When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order.Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.
-Matthew 12:43-45 NIV Full Chapter
More Bible verses about spiritual warfare: James 2:19, Mark 3:11, 2 Peter 2:4, Jude 1:6
The World
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Scriptures That Help You Pray Through Spiritual Warfare
Try using the following verses from the Bible as prayers when you are battling the world, the flesh or the devil. You can even insert your own name or the name of someone you are praying for to personalize the verse.
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2 Corinthians 10:3-5 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
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Isaiah 54:17 No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me, declares the LORD.
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Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
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Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.
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John 15:7 If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
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God’s Peace Will Guard Your Mind
Paul is teaching us how to deal with anxiety. The first lesson is to rejoice. The second is to bring our anxieties to God — with thanksgiving. The third lesson is to trust God to guard your mind.
“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Anxiety is the antithesis of peace.Here is God’s promise concerning peace: When you pray with thanksgiving, God’s peace will guardyour heartand mind.And this peace, Paul says, goes beyond your rational understanding and thought processes.
Spiritual Mapping & The Charismatic Movement
Spiritual mapping refers to the 21st century Evangelical belief that all history is a battle between Satan and God. Neo-Evangelicals who follow the spiritual mapping movement perceive the world in terms of demonic activity and believe that they can use prayer and other Evangelical religious practices to counteract evil in the world.
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The World And Spiritual Warfare
Societies and cultures in the world encourage people to think and act in certain ways. Some elements of every society or culture can point you toward Jesus, some are neither good nor bad, and some directly conflict with your ability to follow Jesus and maintain a strong connection with God.
The things a culture values whatever it focuses its attention on are usually a clear indicator of the position Gods commandments are given in it. In our Western culture, physical appearance, personal success and freedom from responsibility to the wider community are just three examples of things the world encourages you to put before God.
Scripture reminds us that to walk closely with God, we need to be alert to the ways we are influenced by the people around us.
For everything in the world the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life comes not from the Father but from the world.
Prayer tip:As you pray regularly, ask God if there are ways you are putting something the world values before Him in your life.
Should We Be Afraid Of The Spiritual Battle
The Bible commands us 365 times to NOT FEAR! There is no power on earth that can rival that of our God, and he is not only with us, he lives within each and every disciple of Jesus. While we must be aware and respect the fact that our enemy is powerful and crafty, he holds no power or authority over the children of God.
When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. Oh no, my lord! What shall we do? the servant asked.
Dont be afraid, the prophet answered. Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.
And Elisha prayed, Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see. Then the Lord opened the servants eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
-2 Kings 6:15-17 NIV Full Chapter
More Bible verses about spiritual warfare: Proverbs 9:10 Hebrews 2:14-15, Isaiah 43:1-7, Psalm 23, John 16:33, Deuteronomy 3:22, 2 Chronicles 20:15
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What Should We Recognize About The Spiritual Battle Being Waged In Our Everyday Lives
by on Wednesday, August 11, 2021 at 2:00 PM
Christians are not the only ones who have historically been interested in or aware of a spiritual realm, the existence of angels and demons, and those forces that interact with our world. But the Bible is clear that a spiritual world exists, that spiritual warfare is a significant part of reality.
Christians are not the only ones who have historically been interested in or aware of a spiritual realm, the existence of angels and demons, and those forces that interact with our world. There exists an extensive Jewish theology of angels apart from the Old Testament. Remote peoples live in fear of evil spirits. Movies like The Exorcist, Fallen, and Legion, or songs like Sympathy for the Devil and Demons propel the subject into pop-culture consciousness, usually lacking the clarity of biblical truth.
But the Bible is clear that a spiritual world exists, that spiritual warfare is a significant part of reality. In Daniel 10 we are told of a demonic spirit, the Prince of Persia, who interfered with Daniels answered prayer being communicated to him. In the gospels, we are made privy to encounters Jesus and his disciples had with demons . The epistles further warn of Satans schemes . What then should we recognize about the spiritual warfare in which we are engulfed?
Our Protection: The Truth Of Scripture
When spiritual battles mount, Scripture is our first line of defense. It contains the mind of Christ between two covers. Johns Gospel says, And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth . Later, Jesus told His disciples, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me .
By standing squarely on the truth of who God is and who we are in Christ, we can resist the enemys attacks. Christ Jesus has already claimed victory, and He will not leave us defenseless. In the words of 2 Peter 2:9, The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations. When we walk in Truth, we gain the power to overcome deceptions like fatigue, anxiety, stress, temptation, fear, despair, lies, and revenge.
1 John Wesley, A Plain Account of Christian Perfection, , 110.
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Bible Verses To Resist Spiritual Warfare
4. We face a formidable but defeated foe.
And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. Colossians 2:15
5. God will always give us the power to resist the schemes of the enemy if we choose.
No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13
6. Good and evil are realities, not merely concepts or metaphors. This wasnt some ethereal entity confronting Jesus in this passage of Scripture: its Jesus and Satan face-to-face.
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil Matthew 4:1
Jesus said to him, Away from me, Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only. Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him. Matthew 4:10-11
7. Ignorance of his tactics is lethal.
The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 2 Corinthians 10:4
8. We fight from victory, not for victory.
You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.1 John 4:4
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9. We are in an invisible war with temporal and eternal consequences.
We are more than conquerors!
The Duty Of Saints In Spiritual Warfare
Beware of neglecting those things that will cause enlightenment in spiritual warfare . Do not fall an easy prey to the criticism of others or to the pressing cares of life which will keep you occupied from taking time to wage war successfully . Do not forget that spiritual weapons alone will give you the victory over sin and Satan . Do not neglect prayer and reading the Bible . Do not be discouraged when the conflict for the moment seems to be going against you . Be alert and resist Satan . Do not fail to use the authority of Christ through His precious blood, His name, and the Holy Spirit against evil powers . Do not fail to do the whole will of God intelligently as it becomes known. Walk in the light of the Word of God .Bible Truths Unmasked.
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