PT 3.b. Spiritual Warfare – Roundup/Recap

“If you would endeavor, like men of courage, to stand in the battle, surely we would feel the favorable assistance of God from heaven. For who He giveth us occasion to fight, to the end we may get the victory, is ready succor those that fight manfully, and do trust in His grace.”—Thomas à Kempis

One of the most important aspects of prayer is spiritual warfare. The Bible tells us that we are in the midst of a spiritual battle, and our adversary, the devil, is like a roaring lion seeking to destroy our lives. Paul says, “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).
Satan and his forces of darkness are trying to destroy your life and it is imperative that we learn to pray against these forces of darkness in order to gain victory in our lives. There are several things that the Bible tells us about spiritual warfare.
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The Real Deal on Spiritual Warfare
We are in a real spiritual battle (2 Corinthians. 10:4; 1 Timothy 1:18)
We are to resist the devil and he will flee from us (James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:9)
We are to take authority over powers of darkness (Matthew 16:19)
We are to cast out demons (Mark 16:17)
We are to use spiritual weapons to overcome darkness (2 Corinthians 10:4; Ephesians 6:10-20)

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” The first thing to do when you are in spiritual warfare is to ask help from the Lord. The Lord reminded them, “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s” (2 Chronicles 20:15). God wants to fight our battles for us. All we have to do is go to him in prayer and ask for his help.

Pray Always

Paul tells us to pray “at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints” (Eph. 6:18). We must develop a lifestyle of prayer. Even when we aren’t praying out loud, we can still be in a state of union and intimacy with the Lord.

Be Watchful

Paul goes on to say that we need to be watchful. This means that we must be aware of what is going on around us spiritually. God calls us to be watchmen and watchwomen who will guard against the devil. In the Bible, a watchman would stay awake at night to make sure that the enemy didn’t attack while everyone was sleeping. It is our responsibility to be watchful in prayer.

Have Perseverance

Our prayers should be made with all perseverance. God doesn’t like weak, powerless prayers; rather he desires for us to persevere in prayer. James tells us, “The prayer of a righteous person has great power” (James 5:16). We need to be fervent and energetic in our prayer life. Don’t give up until your prayer is answered!

Pray in the Spirit

The only way that our prayers will ever have power is if they are in the Spirit. The Spirit intercedes for us and reveals the will of God to us (Rom. 8:26). The Holy Spirit gives fire to the incense of our prayer. Jude says that we should build ourselves in the most holy faith by praying in the Spirit (Jude 1:20). The Spirit will build us up, guide us in truth, and give us the strength to pray as we should.

Friends, These are my views, and the views of those I trust. They came to me from the Prayer, Research, and the Bible. I hope this series helps someone defend and defeat! I hope at least it evokes thought. GP