Lessons on Effective Spiritual Warfare, Plus Battle Plans for Overcomers

 

Lessons on Effective Spiritual Warfare
This week in our Global Prayer Storm we are going to rise up and use our effective weapons of spiritual warfare to confront the enemy in our lives, families and spheres of influence! So, here you go! I am arming you for battle this week!
Your Most Effective Weapons
A. You Must Know and Speak the Word
Revelation 12:11 They overcame him by the Blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. (See also Hebrews 4:12 and 1 John 5:4-5.)
2 Timothy 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
B. Your Conversations Should Reflect the Mentality of a Conqueror
Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.
C. You Must Take Authority Over satan in the Name of Jesus
Proverbs 18:10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous runs into it and is safe.
Philippians 2:9,10 Therefore God has highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in Heaven and on earth and under the earth.
D. You Must by Faith Clothe Yourself with God's Spiritual Armor
Ephesians 6:13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.
E. You Must Tap into the Power of Prayer and Fasting
James 5:16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.
Isaiah 58:6 Is this not the fast which I choose, to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free and break every yoke?
F. You Must Draw Forth the Wisdom of God From Spiritual Veterans
Honor the vets of spiritual battle and learn from their successes and failures.
Proverbs 1:5 A wise man will hear and increase in learning, and a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel.
G. You Must Learn When to Rest and Not Directly Engage the Enemy
The devil's job is to wear down the saints (Daniel 7:25); the spirit of the antichrist comes to do the same (1 John 4:3). Therefore, we must learn wisdom with our warring and learn to rest in the Lord, physically as well.
Forces That Shorten Your Seasons of Struggle
A. Your Testimony
Agreeing with the Word of God that Jesus has already won the battle is a power tool the devil hates.
Romans 10:8 But what does it say? "The Word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" – that is, the word of faith which we are preaching. (See also Proverbs 18:21; Revelation 12:11.)
B. Your Praise
This creates a climate satan cannot tolerate.
1 Samuel 16:23 So it came about whenever the evil spirit from God came to Saul, David would take the harp and play it with his hand; and Saul would be refreshed and be well, and the evil spirit would depart from him.
C. Your Agreeing
Get others involved! Call forth the power of agreeing prayer.
Matthew 18:18-19 Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven. Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in Heaven.
D. Your Seed-Sowing
This creates a partnership with God that involved Him to battle your adversary. Have a need? Sow a Seed!
Malachi 3:10-11 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this," says the Lord of hosts, "if I will not open for you the windows of Heaven, and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows. Then I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it may not destroy the fruits of the ground; nor will your vine in the field cast its grapes," says the Lord of hosts. (See also 2 Corinthians 9:6-12.)
Battle Plans For Overcomers:
Why Does satan Attempt to Oppose You?
A. You are the Potential Source of Pleasure to God
Revelation 4:11 "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they were created and have their being."
B. The devil Attempts to Attack Those Closest to the Heart of God
That means – you and me! He does this because he is powerless directly against God – who is his real enemy. Therefore, he attacks God's friends.
C. To Prevent the Arrival of Supernatural Assistance
The devil wants to paralyze your planning, abort your dreams, and dilute your hope. He opposes anything that will give God glory.
What are satan's Favorite Weapons?
A. Delay
He wants to weaken your desire to keep you from reaching to God. It's like coming under the fog of fatigue and losing your way (Daniel 10:2-14).
B. Deceit
Satan is the master of deception, error and seduction. He attempts to derail God's purposes by making principles of the spirit into laws of legalism.
C. Distraction
Broken focus is the goal of all satanic attack. Our times of greatest intimacy can be our times of greatest battle.
Proverbs 4:27 Do not turn to the right nor to the left; turn your foot from evil.
D. Disappointment
This can occur toward others, self, church and God, etc. The enemy attempts to magnify the weakness of others to offend and embitter. Those closest to you have the potential to wound you the most – therefore we must be people who release mercy and forgiveness.
    
When Does the enemy Hit the Hardest?
We can learn to predict the seasons of your attack.
Matthew 4:11 Then the devil left Him (for a season), and angels came and attended Him.
A. Physical Exhaustion
Some of satan's greatest attacks on your life will probably happen when you get too little sleep.
B. Major Changes
This is especially true when there are geographical changes, when one is moving into a new region. Crisis occurs on the eve of change.
C. The Birth of a Child Destined for Prophetic Greatness
Matthew 2:13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise, take the Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him."
Satan's murderous scheme to attack a prophetic generation:
1. Moses with Pharaoh.
2. Jesus with Herod.
3. This generation with abortion.
D. A Specific Miracle Leaving the Hand of God
An enemy attack can happen when a specific miracle has just left the hand of God toward you. Daniel's 21-day prayer retreat is such an example and the resulting conflict that occurred.
Daniel 10:13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days; then behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia.
An attack can occur when you make an effort to take a stand. The degree of intensity in spiritual warfare is proportional to the plan that you are to possess.
E. When You are Next in Line for Promotion
Remember, there are cyclic seasons. Satan came to Jesus seeking to entice and enslave Him, but left for a more opportune time.
Matthew 4:11 Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him.
Tips For Warriors
The following is a list that adds to and summarizes the points already brought forth. Remember, the taste of victory lasts longer than the memory of the struggle. Praise the Lord!
Psalm 42:6 O my God, my soul is in despair within me; therefore I remember You from the land of the Jordan, and the peaks of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.
1. You will never outgrow warfare. You must simply learn to fight (Ephesians 6:12).
2. God's purpose in your struggle is not merely your survival, but your advancement.
Deuteronomy 8:1-2 All the commandments that I am commanding you today you shall be careful to do, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the Lord swore to give to your forefathers. You shall remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.
3. Nothing is ever as bad as it first appears (Psalm 138:7-.
4. Failure is not an event but an opinion.
Luke 23:35 And the people stood by, looking on. And even the rulers were sneering at Him, saying, "He saved others; let Him save Himself if this is the Christ of God, His Chosen One."
5. Failure cannot happen in your life without your permission.
Joshua 24:15 If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
6. All great men and women of God attract satanic attention.
Job 1:9-12 Then satan answered the Lord, "Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face."
Then the LORD said to satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him." So satan departed from the presence of the Lord.
7. All men fall – but great men and women get back up!
Psalm 37:23-24 The steps of a man are established by the Lord; and He delights in his way. When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, because the Lord is the One who holds his hand.
8. Satan always attacks what he fears the most (Matthew 2:3).
9. Struggle is the proof you have not been conquered (2 Corinthians 4:8-9).
10. Satan's favorite entry point is often those closest to you (Micah 7:6).
11. You will never fully win a spiritual battle logically (2 Corinthians 10:3).
12. Pain can be a passageway to a miracle (Psalm 30:5).
13. Warfare tends to surround the birth of a miracle (Matthew 2:13).
14. Crisis always occurs at the curve of change (Genesis 13:1, 6, 7).
15. Satan often attacks those who are next in line for promotion (Job 2:3).
16. Stop keeping your gaze on what you see and place it on what you have (Numbers 14:8; 2 Kings 6).
17. No one has been a loser longer than the devil.
Revelation 12:9 And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
18. Never speak words that make satan think (or you) that he is winning (Daniel 3:17).
19. Those unwilling to lose rarely do.
Psalm 55:22 Cast your burden upon the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.
20. Battle is your chance for recognition – both in Heaven and in the enemy's camp.
I Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
Make a quality decision to go on with God! Remember Psalm 18:37: "I pursued my enemy and overtook him – and I did not turn back until they were consumed!" May it be the same with us and may the Holy Spirit wash us each from weariness in the battle to continue until the battle has been fully won.
Summary To Key Points
Psalm 18:37 I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back till they were destroyed.
1. You are born in battle and you were born for battle.
2. Your battle is not against your spouse, children, your boss, or pastor but against spiritual forces of wickedness.
3. Spiritual warfare is centered around the placement of the Son – in your life, family, city and nation!
4. Struggle is a sign of life and proof that one has not been conquered.
5. Warfare and battling always surround the advancement and the birth of a miracle.
I trust these tips help you. They come from my new book and study guide Deliverance from Darkness. I have learned a few things the hard way, and these lessons and much more are yours. This is my gift to you. Now use your weapons – arise and pursue your once-strong enemy in Jesus Christ's name!
Battling with You!

James W. Goll
Encounters Network • PrayerStorm • Compassion Acts
Email: [email=info@encountersnetwork.com?subject=Inquiry%20from%20Elijah%20List%20Subscriber]info@encountersnetwork.com[/email]