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Notes on Spiritual Warfare for the Follower of Christ Kirk Durston Reality is much bigger than anything modern science has conceived of. Our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12 A. What do we know about the spiritual forces of wickedness? 1. Satan ‘Satan’ comes from the Hebrew word satan, which means ‘accuser, adversary’ ‘devil’ comes from the Greek word diabolos, ‘one who engages in slander’ The origin of Satan is described in Ezekial 28:12-19. In there, we see that he was once the ‘anointed cherub’ and was created ‘blameless’ and perfect. However, he became filled with pride at his abilities and beauty and sinned. He is described as the ‘god of this world’ who blinds the minds of the unbelieving so that they do not see or understand the gospel (2 Corinthians 4:4) 2. There are different types of fallen angels and demons and Satan has divided the world up into areas or ‘principalities’ over which different powerful fallen angels rule. We see an example in Daniel 10:1-14. We see from all this that there is a very real war raging that is unseen to the human eye. The objective of the spiritual forces of wickedness is to bling humanity to the truth, keep them in deception, and destroy them. 3. Satan’s nature can be described as follows: He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he



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speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44 4. Satan’s plan for you and for humanity is as follows: Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8 B. What are our assets in this spiritual war? 1. The all-powerful God dwells within you ….. if you have been spiritual reborn by receiving Christ as your saviour from the consequences of your sin, and as your Lord and King. If this is true, the following applies to you … You are from God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. 1 John 4:4 2. Prayer: pray without stopping, pray continually. The almighty God hears your prayers, and has chosen to give you a certain level of responsibility for what happens in this world, which can be exercised through prayer. 3. As a follower of Jesus Christ, He has given you the ability to invoke His power and authority against the enemy. Fallen angels and demons can be sent fleeing by ordering them to be gone in the name of Jesus Christ. An example can be observed in Acts 16, where Paul orders a demon to leave a woman in the name of Jesus Christ. 4. You have overwhelming power on your side … Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. James 4:7 Note the all-important first step … surrender yourself completely and without reservation to God. 5. In Ephesians 6:10-18, we see a detailed description of the spiritual



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armor of the Christian. Study each one carefully to see if you have a weakness in your armor. C. Practical, day-to-day suggestions and applications 1. Direct confrontation with a demon a. Make sure your sins are confessed and you are totally surrendered to God. b. In the name of Jesus Christ, and by the authority of the Lamb of God, command the demon to leave immediately. c. Then turn to God and ask Him to do what needs to be done. d. Remember, God’s authority and power are absolute and unlimited. 2. Unusually powerful temptations at ‘opportune’ times a. typically takes the form of an overwhelming, relentless temptation that has no rational explanation. b. In the name of Jesus Christ, and by the authority of the Lamb of God, command the enemy to be gone. c. Make use of the ‘sword of the Spirit’, the Bible. (E.g., specific passages or verses that you find helpful). 3. A series of unfortunate events and being ‘sifted like wheat’. a. Sometimes, Satan has permission to make things very rough for you. It will end and, in the meantime, Jesus Christ is your mediator in prayer to the Father. b. Resolve to learn the wise way rather than the hard way. Ask God what it is He desires you to learn through this. You can also ask God to bring a speedy end to the enemy’s permission to harass



you, provided you have benefited in the way God desired you to benefit from it. 4. Consecration of one’s house and property a. get rid of attractants (things that are connected with evil or idol and spirit worship) b. Ask God to cleanse your house and property of all spiritual defilement and to fill your home with His presence. c. Ask God to keep the spiritual forces of wickedness off your property 5. Dreams and nightmares a. Pray with your children each night before they go to sleep, asking God to stand guard over each one and to give them good dreams. b. Before you go to sleep, ask God to stand guard over you and yours, and to be the shepherd of your dreams. Final Comments: Since Satan is the master of deception and the father of lies, and is blinding all that he can to God’s truth, it is absolutely essential that: a. You have truly received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour b. You are daily and totally surrendering every aspect of yourself to Him. c. You are spending time each day in prayer and studying the Bible.

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