Spiritual warefare : Corrie Huyser

Prayer is a powerful instrument in the hands of the Christian for pulling down strongholds. 
2 Cor.10:3-5 Of course, we are living in the flesh, but we do not fight in a fleshly way. For the weapons of our warfare are not those of the flesh. Instead, they have the power of God to demolish fortresses. We tear down arguments and every proud obstacle that is raised against the knowledge of God, taking every thought captive in order to obey Christ. Again we follow in the footsteps of Jesus1 John 3:8 “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.” And Jesus said to His disciples in John 20:21; “As the Father has sent Me, I am sending you. “Only when Satan is bound and defeated we can be sure of answered prayer. Luke 11:21-22. “When a strongman fully armed , guards his own palace , his goods are in peace. But if a stronger than he comes upon him and overcome him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted and divides his spoils.” Fortunately we are on the side of the stronger man. Jesus Christ, the Name above all names. We must understand our power as intercessors. Luke 10:19 “Authority over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt us”.  Also the power to confront demonic forces. Every born again believer is automatically involved in the battle. There is always a battle between Satan’s kingdom (the kingdom of darkness) and God’s Kingdom (the Kingdom of light). There is no way we can be impartial. Scripture clearly introduces this conflict in Eph. 6:10-12 “Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms”.
KNOW YOUR ENEMY Satan’s Character : Biblical names given to Satan reveal his character, and show his realm of authority on earth.

1. Adversary “be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour. …”1 Peter 5:8Thief: The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. John 10:10Murderer and Liar: …. he is a liar and the father of lies and of all that is false. John 8:44.
2. Accuser: the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. Rev. 12:10).
3. Deceiver: that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world Rev. 12:9Angel of Light: 2Cor. 11:4 Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
4. The Prince (Ruler)of this World: “Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out” (John 12:31).
5. Prince of the power of the air: “…the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now work in the children of disobedience” Eph. 2:2.
6. The god of this world: For the god of this world has blinded the unbelievers’ minds (that they should not discern the truth) 2 Cor. 4:4

THE BATTLEGROUND AND THE WEAPONS. The weapons that you use must correspond with the nature of the war. Our weapons will be spiritual, because the war is in the spiritual realm.
God is Spirit and those who who walk (worship) with Him need to walk (worship) abide in Him in Spirit and in truth. The key to spiritual warfare is
James 4:6+7 2 Cor. 10:3-5 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 strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, THERE ARE THREE BATTLEGROUNDS: Your mouth, heart and mind :

1. The Mind (thoughts, will and intellect)Satan deliberately and systematically builds strongholds in people’s minds. These strongholds, according to Paul, can be imaginations, reasoning, speculations, arguments, knowledge and thoughts. Strongholds resist the truth of the gospel and the Word of God. Thoughts must be captured and wrong attitudes crucified. Eph. 4:22-24 tells us; that we should put off the old man and renew our minds. This is something that we should do daily.
2. The Heart (emotions and attitudes)Prov. 4:23 “Keep your heart with all diligence for out of it springs the issues of life”. We have to take action against any wrong attitudes. According to the Word of God we should take responsibility for our choices. Bitterness, pride, jealousy, envy etc. need to be dealt with. They are open doors for Satan. 1 Pet. 5:6-9 tells us how to deal with our emotions and attitudes. “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you, Casting the whole of your care on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully”. Humility is the key to a Christ-like life. 1 Pet. 5:5 “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble”  Satan’s kingdom is built on a deadly combination of pride, unbelief and fear. You deal with pride through humbling yourself before God, and you handle fear and unbelief by casting all your cares and burdens on Jesus.
3. The Mouth Prov. 18:21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue”. The book of Job shows us that we should carefully choose our words. Job did not remain silent but, he didn’t accuse God and therefore he did not sin. Do we act in the same manner when we feel despaired or depressed? Remember there is power in our words. We should discipline ourselves in this. Remember we are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus.

SPIRITUAL WEAPONS (defensive armor) Eph 6:10-18 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 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. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. 

The Belt of Truth. The first item of equipment is the belt of truth. The belt was the most vital part of all weaponry the Roman soldier wore. Satan fights with lies and sometimes his lies sound like the truth, but believers have God’s truth which can defeat Satan’s lies. The belt of truth means that we should practice truth in our daily living. It means honesty, sincerity, openness and frankness. 

The Breastplate of Righteousness. The breastplate protects a vital organ of the human body: the heart. Prov. 4:23 “Watch over your heart with all diligence for from it flows the springs of life”. Satan often attacks our hearts – the seat of our emotions, self-worth and trust. We must put on a breastplate which is the righteousness of Christ. 2Cor. 5:21 “(God) made Him who knew no sin (Jesus) to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (Christ)”. We must accept this fact by faith. 

The Shoes with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. A Roman soldier’s shoes were primarily composed of two parts, the shin protector and the shoe itself. These shoes were very dangerous to any foe. The bottom of these shoes was fitted with long spikes. The “shoes” God gives us are the motivation to continue to proclaim the true Peace which is available in God. 

The Shield of Faith. With the use of this shield, no part of the soldier’s body could be reached by the missiles of the enemy. In order to keep their shields in good shape, the soldiers had to oil them every day. The shield represents our faith. Satan’s attacks come in the form of insults, setbacks and temptations, but the shield of faith protects us from Satan’s flaming arrows. Our faith needs to be developed every day, by a fresh anointing of the Spirit of God. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God. 

The Helmet of Salvation. As the breastplate protects the heart, we see that the helmet protects the head. This piece of armor was so strong that nothing could pierce it. Satan wants us to doubt God, Jesus and our salvation. The helmet protects our minds. 2 Cor. 10:5 tells us that our thoughts should be brought into captivity. Salvation needs to be wrapped around our minds. 

The Sword of the Spirit. This is an offensive and aggressive weapon. The sword, which Paul had in mind, was approximately nineteen inches long and razor-sharp on both sides of the blade. The Bible compares God’s Word to a sword because God’s Word pierces and penetrates. Hebr. 4:12: “ For the sword of God is living and active. Sharper than any double/ edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” This is not a general word but a specific, revealed word from God. (Rhema) It must be more than head knowledge.

The “Lance” of Prayer and Supplication. Paul says in Eph. 6:18 “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints”. Although the lance is not specifically mentioned by name, it was a strategic part of a Roman soldier’s armor. The lance was the long-distance weapon = prayer. By using this you can stop major obstacles from developing in you personal life. 

BASIC PRINCIPLES OF SPIRITUAL WARFARE. Attitude towards God: Ephesians 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might Attitude towards Satan to say NO. A life of constant discernment- what is of God and what is of the devil or the world. A daily life of repentance and reconciliation – this IS the war. 

The biggest problem is not the presence of demons but the absence of God’s glory.

How to bring God’s glory into your life.

A life of waiting on God. Ps. 40:1 I WAITED patiently and expectantly for the Lord; and He inclined to me and heard my cry.

A lifestyle of prayer, We cannot separate intercession, spiritual warfare, worship and supplication. Spiritual warfare is not separate of a life of prayer. It is a life of walking in the presence of God. 

Live from the victory of Calvary. A life of perseverance Spiritual warfare is a battle of the mind. In Spiritual Warfare always remember you are seated with Christ in heavenly places! Eph.2:6: …. raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, We do not fight to see who will win because the victory was settled 2000 years ago by Christ at Calvary. We now fight this fight from a position of victory. We fight to manifest the victory of Christ. Col 2:15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. Joh 16:33 In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” We have all the resources necessary for fighting this war, but the question is whether we are willing to fight or will we allow Satan to win by default.  Spiritual warfare is not a matter of using the correct words or techniques or the correct prayers. Spiritual warfare is at its root love for Christ and His Kingdom. 1 Sam.17:26 David asked about Goliath; .. who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” Do I want to see God getting the glory He deserves here on earth? Do I care about the fact that the enemy are gaining ground in the lives of people or not? The James 4:7 strategy Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. The two key elements are submission and resistance.

Submission to God: 1) confess your sin and renounce it.2) receive forgiveness.3) forgive those who wronged you.1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 
To resist the devil. We must remember that we resist him from our position in Christ. Give the devil no foothold.

Identify your weaknesses.
Strongholds in our minds where the enemy and his demons can flourish are unbelief, fear, pride, unforgiveness, rebellion, lust, greed, lack of love.  This war is both offensive and defensive. We have to pray; Let Your Kingdom come. (Matt 6:10) When God’s kingdom come Satan’s has to go.  Col 1:13-14 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 

Weapons :

The Word of God. The truth of the Word destroys Satan’s lies and deception.

The Blood of Christ. We need to understand and appreciate the power, protection and cleansing power of the Blood. It is the Blood that gives us boldness to approach the throne of God. Rev 12:11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. 

The Cross of Christ. We must be able to confess like Paul:. Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 

The name of Jesus. This is of the utmost importance in prayer and spiritual warfare. Php 2:9-11 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 

The Holy Spirit. Without the guidance and co-operation of the Holy Spirit it is impossible to make a stand against the evil one and win. Is.59:19 When the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard against him. We easily forget the offensive part of spiritual warfare because we focus on the defensive. Jesus sent us into the world where Satan rules to bring people out of darkness into His glorious light.

The Keys to the Kingdom. Mat 16:19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”  Partnership between heaven and earth.

Praise and Worship. To declare the victory before it can be seen. Satan fears praise even more than prayer. God manifests His glory where His people praise Him. The heart of the battle is the battle for the heart….2 Chron 20….Jehoshaphat feared and set himself to seek the Lord….proclaimed a fast…. So Judah came together to ask help from the Lord. Was there something wrong because he feared… Fear is the recognition that we lack the resources for the challenge confronting us. He knew his army was overmatched… his hope was in the hand of God. Jehoshaphat took the lead in worship… he praised God for who He is, for what He had done, could do in future and then turned his praise to petition. God said; Don’t be afraid, the battle is not yours, the battle belongs to the Lord. …You shall not need to fight… take your positions, stand still, see the deliverance of the Lord… Jehoshaphat appointed those who were to sing to the LORD and praise him in holy attire, as they went before the army, and say, “Give thanks to the LORD, for his steadfast love endures forever.” And when they began to sing and praise, the LORD set an ambush against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, so that they were routed.  Worship is the weapon that turns the battle every time. In confrontation our first impulse is to become defensive, but there is one way we can seize the offensive: simply lift up and exalt the Name of God. 
How? Not only singing and music. To bring glory to the Name of God. Our Father prayer:- 

To exalt and honor God. To acknowledge God for who He is, – the One who created you – – for His unfailing Word – – for your salvation – – that you are included in His purpose…To exalt God with your words, your whole being and with your attitude in prayer. Worship Him for His Name. .. above all other Names. Examples: Isaiah 9:6 “And His Name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” His righteousness, love, holiness, …omnipotence,  greatness, faithfulness,… ask God to remind you of answers to prayer etc. His omnipresence, His Word, His Creation, His work of redemption, etc.

Praise is vocal adoration of God… *voicing our love and esteem and admiration… *it is also an act of showing respect and submission… *acknowledging God as God…* It puts God in His rightful position …we declare His sovereignty and recognize His nature and power…the right perspective.. greatness of God and our insignificance* It draws our attention to God and away from ourselves…puts our focus on God…Makes us realize that it is this all powerful God to whom we are going to present our petitions* Its sets Satan running…God inhabits the praises of His people. God enters and Satan runs.* Praise transforms the pray-er…we are transformed from glory to glory in His presence. Praise is much more than a single aspect of prayer… it is a way of life. We worship whom we trust, and we trust whom we know….we come to this level of faith because we build trust, and we build trust because we spend time with God. To trust God we must know Him. But to come to know God we must first trust Him—right?

Some first steps. When you discover that you started doubting or questioning God.

1. Admit to yourself the doubt into which you have fallen. Be honest with God.

2. Acknowledge to God what you have just told yourself.

3. Attribute to God His various traits… clear the air between you. 

4. Apply His attributes to your situation…holy, eternal, sovereign, almighty.

5. Add …God is love.. Read 1 John 4:16-18

6. Abide in God’s love… imagine His love enfolding you

7. Adore Him…Sing songs of praise, read Bible verses.

Worship is a stairway on which there is movement in two direction: Cod comes to man, and man goes to God.

DANGERS OF SPIRITUAL WARFARE. Be careful to …Become addicted to power play or power encounters. Walk in presumption, don’t assume. For arrogance. Relying on knowledge, rather than on God. Walk independently. We must have other people around as, listen to other people. Be accountable and have spiritual covering. A last reminder: It is not the devil who conquers us, but it is our openness to him and his tactics.