C hristians must be equipped to fight the spiritual battle against the world, the flesh and the Devil, so here are 8 ways to equip you for spiritual warfare.
Fighting the Enemy
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It’s hard enough being in a battle when you can see your enemy, but try fighting one you can’t see, but that’s just what Christians face, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). Since we fight an enemy that’s too much for us, we need God’s divine power to fight with, “For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy stronghold” (2 Cor 10:3-4). Without the armor of God (Ephesians 6) and His power, we’d be no match for the enemy.
Be Watchful
Only in Christianity is there victory in submission…submitting ourselves to God. When we submit to God, we can resist the devil, as James wrote, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). Who does the fleeing? It is the Devil and not we! He cannot stand to be around someone who submits to God, but we must be vigilant. You won’t live long in the jungle if you’re not watching for wild animals, and Satan’s even more sinister and cunning than wild beasts, so we must be “sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Submit to God and he’ll have to prowl elsewhere…but watch because he comes in many forms like pride, lust, greed, and a thirst for violence.
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Armor Up
An army without armor wouldn’t last very long in a war, but Christians can go into their spiritual battle with no armor on at all every day. That’s why the Apostle Paul says, “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11). Notice it’s not in the passive form, but rather, we must take action and “put on” the armor. He won’t put it on for us. To stay resistant to Satan and his demons, and to resist our own pulls of the flesh, we need to stay in the Word of God and pray in the Spirit of God, and put on the armor of God. We need all the protection we can get as we go into our daily battle with the enemy. Today, Satan and his minions are on the prowl…and what’s worse, they’re invisible. He’s a deceiver too, and will whisper in your ear, “It’s only a little sin,” but afterwards tell you, “What a hypocrite you are…how can you call yourself a Christian!” Irwin Lutzer once said, “When the Devil reminds you of your past, remind him of his future” (Rev 20:10).
4 Offensive Spiritual Weapons
Fasting
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You might not think of this as an offensive weapon during a spiritual attack, but it does a lot of things for you spiritually. First of all, it lets us all see our utter and absolute dependence upon God for everything, including food. In the Old Testament, when they afflicted themselves, this usually meant that they fasted. Isaiah writes “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke” (Isaiah 53:6)? The psalmist wrote, “It is good for me that I was afflicted, That I may learn Your statutes” (Psalm 119:71). Consulting your doctor first is a good idea and those with medical conditions can fast from media, their phone, TV, coffee, etc.
Praying
When all you can do is pray, pray is all you should do. When you are entering into a spiritual attack, go on the offensive and enter the throne room of heaven through the Mediator, Jesus Christ. Ask for God’s help in being strengthened and fortified in this spiritual warfare you’re in. In the so-called “Lord’s Prayer,” Jesus told His disciples to pray to “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (Matt 6:13) or “evil one.” God doesn’t actually lead us into temptation because the Greek word “peirasmos” means “an experiment, attempt, trial, proving.” Just like Satan tried to prove Job, and sift Peter, he may try and “prove us,” so pray for to be delivered out of this.
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Praising
I really believe that Satan and his demons hate it when we start praising God and thanking Him for the shed blood of Jesus Christ Who died for our sins. This type of praise is a high irritant for the enemy because they know we’re right. God is good, gracious, loving, merciful, and we see all of these in Jesus Christ. Praise Him, worship Him, glorify Him and the Devil will depart.
Reading Scripture
I believe reading the Bible is a powerful offensive weapon during spiritual attacks. It is the only offensive weapon listed in the armor of God in Ephesians 6 as it tells us to take up “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph 6:17b). By reading Scripture, and I think reading it aloud, is best if possible. The truth is just too much for the enemy to handle. Try reading Revelation 20:10 where it says that “the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” I doubt very much that Satan and the demons like those verses because it speaks of their final fate…so remind him of his future.
4 Defensive Spiritual Tactics
The Belt of Truth
[5]Most of the equipment you need for spiritual warfare is listed in Ephesians 6:14 where the Apostle Paul writes, “Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth,” so the first order of business is to “stand” as it begins, “Stand therefore.” You can’t put equipment on unless you first stand and if you stand for nothing, you’ll fall for anything. That may be why Paul starts of by writing, “stand up,” and then put “on the belt of truth,” which is the Word of God itself.
The Breastplate of Righteousness
This piece of equipment protects the heart and all the vital organs, but did we make the breastplate or was it provided for us? Second Corinthians 5:21 tells us exactly where this breastplate comes from as Paul writes that it was “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Jesus provided our righteousness by His sinless, spotless, holy life…and then death to shield us from the wrath of God and protects us eternally (John 6:35-39; 10:28-29), and there is now no more condemnation (Rom 8:1).
The Shield of Faith
Do you have faith? Even non-believers have faith. They have fain in their brakes working in their car, faith in the elevator not plummeting down to the bottom, or things like this, but saving faith is freely given as a gift (Eph 2:8) when a person trusts in Christ, so our faith in Christ is our “shield of faith.” It’s not faith in us…hoping we’ll hold on, but faith in what Christ’s already done. This is why Paul says that “In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one” (Eph 6:16). We have faith in God’s sovereignty that all things will eventually work out for our own good (Rom 8:28). We should know from Scripture that Satan was defeated at the cross and we are secure in Christ (John 6:37, 39; 10:28-29) for He has brought us victory (1 Cor 15:54-55). The Apostle John wrote that “everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith” (1 John 5:4). That’s how you resist those fiery darts, now rendered useless against the shield of faith.
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The Helmet and Sword
I included the helmet and the sword together because they seem be mentioned as going together as Paul writes, “take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph 6:17). The helmet is where the seat of the intellect is and that is protected by the salvation by faith that we received in Christ on the day we repented and trusted in Christ. Take that knowledge with you every day and you’ve got the helmet on and then the “sword of the Spirit,” which is the “word of God.” That’s the only offensive weapon you have, so memorize Scripture and quote it the moment you’re under spiritual attack or facing temptation. The enemy hates the truth because Jesus is the truth (John 14:6).
Conclusion
I pray you have put your trust in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. If that has not happened yet, my friend, you are in real danger of hell fire. And I mean, in immediate danger. You’re one breath, one heartbeat…one accident away from eternity when it will be too late to repent. Today is the best day to believe (2 Cor 6:2) since tomorrow is no guarantee. If Jesus Christ came today, here is your fate (Matt 7:21-23). This is why I plead with you as you read this, repent today…and I mean right now. Put your trust in Jesus Christ. If you do not, you will face God’s judgment after death guaranteed (Heb 9:27) or at Jesus Christ’s appearance (Rev 20:12-15), which could happen at any moment.
Here is some related reading for you: Belt of Truth: 5 Daily Spiritual Warfare Tips [7]
Resource – Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), Crossway Bibles. (2007). ESV: Study Bible: English standard version. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway Bibles. Used by permission. All rights reserved.