Victory in Spiritual Warfare | Alexander Kurian

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Spiritual Warfare: Part 1 | Victory in Spiritual Warfare

Dr. Alexander Kurian

The Real Truth and The Real Problem

Spiritual warfare can be called the “Mother of all Battles.” The problems and struggles Christians face in the world today is part of a warfare; a wrestling match being waged in the invisible spiritual world by demonic forces against God’s kingdom. We who are in the spiritual kingdom of God’s beloved Son (Col.1:13) are constantly attacked by Satan and his demons. Since most of us are not aware of this truth, we tend to see our problems in non-spiritual terms and seek non-spiritual solutions. The effects of this war is reflected in our sins, sinful habits, addictions, backsliding, failures, unforgiveness, pride, broken relationships, rebellion, and numerous other mental, emotional problems which manifest in destructive ways. The result is our own slavery to sin, life of defeat, fear, anxiety, insecurity, doubt, lack of assurance of salvation, retarded spiritual growth, immaturity, divisiveness at home and in the church, and the list goes on. No wonder, countless number of believers, young and old, live a defeated life.

Look at the turmoil, unrest, violence and the rapid collapse of civilizations today. A new evil world order with rebellion and anarchy is slowly setting in. Christians ae persecuted in many countries of the world. The church is constantly attacked by the powers of darkness. The most prized possession of demonic forces is unsaved souls. Millions of souls are enslaved by the devil preventing their opportunity to hear the Gospel. That is why spiritual warfare has great evangelistic implications. Break up of marriages, dysfunctional families, enormous debt, depression, discouragement, drug addiction, atheistic-humanistic ideologies influencing millions of students, are all part of the battle for the minds and souls. We read about the snare of the devil, “having been held captive by him to do His will” (2 Tim.2:26). Because of sin and unfaithfulness, the devil also can hold a believer captive to do His will. Captivity of the devil is the trap the devil had set for people. “Held captive” comes from the root word zogreo meaning “capture alive”, or to “take alive.” The same word is translated “catching” in Luke 5:10 (“from now on, instead of catching fish, you will be catching men”). Both Christ and the devil are in the business of taking men alive. This is a significant concept in understanding the magnitude of strategic level warfare for the souls of men.

But most of the time, we ignore the real problem, because we are ignorant of the real truth behind the real problem. Some Christians always talk about spiritual warfare and have their own imaginative theories about Satan and demons. They are carried away by false teachings on the nature of spiritual warfare and are preoccupied with sensational demonology. On the other hand, many of us who take pride in “sound doctrine” ignore this truth and never talk about it. That is the reason many of us never heard about teachings on spiritual warfare. I must confess that, growing up in good Bible teaching churches, I never heard anything related to spiritual warfare. Any mention of such concepts was considered Charismatic excesses by many believers. Those who really wanted to speak about such things kept silent for fear of unpopularity. Nothing much has changed. This attitude of negligence is an overreaction to the false teachings propagated by many so-called “prophets” and “visionaries” who constantly have visions into the secret world of demons and can predict many things for you. They are into “deliverance” ministries, spiritual mappings, naming territorial spirits, and binding Satan. These gimmicks are very effective in exploiting people in dire spiritual needs. It is true that many fringe Christian movements have blown up this idea into lurid, sensational caricature. We overreact to this falsehood, and totally neglect the real truth of Scripture on spiritual warfare. It is always dangerous to throw the baby with the bathwater. Sorry to say, we do this in many areas of our faith.

Yes, we cannot neglect or ignore the truth about spiritual warfare. Our biggest problems are spiritually rooted. The word of God is very clear in affirming this: “For 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” (Eph.6:12). This is a cosmic struggle. Paul reminded the Corinthians, “For though we live in the world we are not carrying on a worldly war, for the weapons of our warfare are not worldly but have divine power to destroy strongholds” (2 Cor.10:3-4). Yes, Paul is talking about a real spiritual warfare.

The spiritual warfare is the conflict in the spiritual realm that affects the physical realm in which we live and operate. Actual spiritual forces are arrayed against the triune God and His every goal and purpose. In our continued commitment to God’s plan and purpose in our lives, we also become the target of the enemy. The New Testament clearly recognizes the reality of this struggle and its influence upon the lives of believers. We should be diligent to learn about this topic without going “beyond what is written” (1 Cor.4:6). This will open the gateway to victory in our battles. One of my dear friends recently reminded me that banks, when teaching their new employees about counterfeit currency, make them intimately familiar with the real money so they recognize the counterfeit when it comes along. This is the healthy approach we should take in studying this topic; a biblical, balanced, doctrinal, pastoral and practical approach.

How Did it All Begin?

Spiritual warfare is an epic battle between God and Satan, good and evil, the kingdom of God and the Kingdom of darkness. As a result of Lucifer’s pride and rebellion, he was cast out of heaven. Later, the confrontation escalated in the Garden of Eden, the home of the first man Adam and his wife Eve. Sin entered the world through the fall of man and the seeds of death spread – physical death and spiritual death. Relational death and rebellion characterized humanity. The battle continued for centuries against God’s chosen people Israel, their faith system, and their heroes and prophets. The battle raged fiercely against our Lord during His sojourn on this earth. The battle started from the day He was born. King Herod wanted to kill the baby Jesus. The devil tempted Jesus in the wilderness at the very outset of His public ministry. These temptations were strategically designed to bypass the cross. Satan schemed several times to kill Jesus before the cross. Demonic forces were very active during the public ministry of our Lord. The cross witnessed the fierce battle between God and Satan. Jesus rose victoriously on the third day, but the enemy hasn’t still surrendered.

Throughout the Book of Acts, we see demonic forces waging occult-level spiritual warfare against Christian missions and missionaries. Ground-level warfare from everywhere against the apostles, resulting in persecution was an integral part of the apostolic mission. It still continues against the church. Ideological warfare through Eastern mysticism, New Age Movement, liberalism and radical theologies have made deep inroads into churches today. The cosmic conflict will continue throughout the church age and will intensify towards the latter part of the last days. After the church age, we see the aggressive attack of Satan and demons on God’s remnant during the Tribulation days culminating in the final rebellion, resulting in the ultimate doom and destruction of Satan.

Surrounding us is a spiritual conflict in all walks of life. The cosmic duel for the hearts and souls of individuals is going on. The whole creation is reeling under the onslaught of the enemy’s attack. This is the battle of the ages. It will continue until the final overthrow of Satan by the conquering King of Kings and Lord of Lords, our Lord Jesus Christ. Meanwhile, power is given unto us to be overcomers. “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses…….” (Acts 1:8). This is the golden promise. Our mission is tied to the power of God. When we think about our mission, realize it is always “Power and Mission;” it is not a powerless mission. It is through His power that mightily works within us that we can march forward. Then you will see Satan’s territories shrinking steadily in our lives and ministries.

Basic Truths on the Nature of the Spiritual Battle

1. We are fighting an invisible enemy. It is harder to fight someone you can’t see. Our struggle is NOT against flesh and blood. It is against spiritual forces in heavenly places (Eph.6:12).

2. We must focus on the real enemy in the spiritual realm. The sinful problems within us and around us, whether in the family, church, society, or nation is influenced or sometimes even caused by the strategies of the spiritual forces of wickedness. Look at the violence, vandalism, brutality, murder, and destruction we have witnessed recently in our country. Why and how? Who is controlling it ultimately? Look at the world at large and the unrest and anarchy. The real problem can only be discerned with our spiritual sense, a spiritual mind tuned to God’s Word. Our information about this struggle is given by God. Let us be Bible Christians. Satan never gives the right information about himself and his strategies. God has revealed the truth about this invisible war, so that we can be ready, prepared and ultimately be victorious.

3. Thus we become totally dependent on God, aligning ourselves with His plan and purpose; prayerful and vigilant. “Be strong in the Lord, and the strength of His might” (Eph.6:10). Only the Lord can give us victory and we want to be in His team. If He is for us, who can be against us?

4. The materialistic and the so-called scientific worldview will not help us in this warfare. Only a spiritual worldview (how we perceive reality) based on God’s revelation will help us to recognize evil forces outside of the physical world. The Holy Spirit is the interpreter of the spiritual worldview. Our lives have to be constantly plugged into His power.

5. Since the whole world lies in the power of the evil one (1 John 5:19), and “all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life is…. from the world” (1 John 2:16), the worldly wisdom and the cultural ideology will not help us to be victorious in this warfare. “Satan is the prince of the power of the air” (Eph.2:2). Since we are constantly seeing, knowing and attracted to what he has to offer, without spiritual stamina, we will be oblivious to his deceptive traps.

The spiritual warfare is being fought in heavenly places (Eph.6:12). We have been “blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Eph.1:3). Jesus Christ is seated in the heavenly places (Eph.1:20). Spiritual rulers, authorities, angelic powers also are there in the heavenly places (Eph.3:10). We are also seated with Him in the heavenly places (Eph.2:6). “So if you need Christ’s help in heavenly places, you’d better know where He is hanging out and how to take a trip there to obtain His help in your warfare” (Tony Evans). We need the power of God to neutralize Satan’s attack against us. Who is in charge of our life? Are we loyal to the kingdom agenda of our Lord Jesus Christ? Are we fighting the enemy in the power of His might? These are crucial questions that decide our victory.

Let us recognize these basic truths of spiritual warfare and do everything we can to fortify our discipleship with spiritual priorities, commitment to the Lordship of Christ, and develop spiritual disciplines that would connect us to the heavenly realm. When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word, He will lead us to victory.

Waging Victorious Warfare

Ephesians 6:10-20 is the most important passage in the New Testament on spiritual warfare. This ringing passage sounds a call to arms. The body of Christ must be built up and be ready with the inevitable encounter with the forces of evil. Each believer must be prepared for the fight. In military strategy, one must never underestimate the strength of the enemy. Paul’s report of the enemy here is realistic. Our fight is with one who aspires for world control. The whole armor of God is provided for us to fight against this maligned force.

“Paul provides believers with a self-defense course in Ephesians 6, and Jesus equips us with all six dimensions of our spiritual armor. He is our truth, our righteousness, our peace, the object of our faith, the source of our salvation, and the living Word of God. When we put on Jesus Christ (Rom.13:14; Ga.3:27), we are protected by the only person Satan has never defeated” (David Jeremiah).

The Whole Armor of God (Eph.6:10-20)

As spiritual warfare rages on in the world. Let us not forget the mighty provision of the full armor of God supplied for our victory.

The nature of the warfare (6:10-13)
The weapons of the warfare (6:14-20)

Outline

The preparation – be empowered (6:10)
The provision – the full armor of God (6:11)
The enemy - Satan and demonic forces (6:11c-12)
The nature of the battle – an invisible spiritual struggle (6:12)
Our defense – the full armor of God (6:13-17)
The power of the warfare – prayer (6:18-20).

The Weapons of Spiritual Warfare (6:14-17)

1. The belt of truth

2. The breast plate of righteousness

3. The gospel of peace

4. The shield of faith

5. The helmet of salvation

6. The sword of the Spirit

Prayer: Our Secret Resource (6:18-20)

1. The power of prayer – in the Spirit

2. The variety of prayer – all prayer and supplication

3. The frequency of prayer – always

4. The manner of prayer – on the alert with all perseverance

5. The object of prayer – all the saints

6. Specific prayer – on my behalf.

Expositional Insights

1. The Lord’s strength is more than sufficient for the battle; that’s all we need (6:10). Remember, spiritual battles require spiritual strength. His strength is our strength. We are not simply fighting for victory but fighting from victory. On the cross our Lord has disarmed Satan and the demonic powers and has triumphed over them (Col.2:15). Satan was destroyed strategically, prophetically and historically on the cross. One day he will be defeated eternally (Rev.12:7-9; 20:10).

2. God supplies the armor. It belongs to Him; it is the armor of God. But He always expects us to put on the armor (11, 13). The idea here is putting it on permanently. The armor of God should be worn at all times. We do not know when the attack comes. Put on the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom.13:14). Paul is taking this analogy from the armor of a Roman soldier to whom he is chained.

3. Our main duty in this battle is to stand, withstand, stand up, take up, resist, and pray (see verses 11, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18). No suggestion here of we attacking, binding, trampling, rebuking, removing, and defeating Satan. Satan’s binding and final defeat comes not at the hands of the saints, but from the hand of God (Rev.20). Our Lord is the victor. The battle belongs to the Lord. Let us put on the armor of God and stand as He commanded. Watch Him win the battle for you and celebrate the victory.

4. Recognize and know your enemy. We have an invisible spiritual warfare against Satan and his forces (6:12). Note the repetition of the word “against.” The sophistication, ranking and hierarchy, power and control of the demonic forces is reflected in the phrases powers, forces, and spiritual forces of wickedness. They exercise their authority over regions, religions, territories, nations, lives, institutions, societies, and culture.

Our enemy is very powerful, but not all powerful.
He is a wicked enemy.
He is an invisible enemy.
He is a crafty enemy. His cunning and deceptive strategies are employed to control, deceive and enslave. He will use a variety of schemes, devices and methods against us (6:11: “schemes,” methodia, from which we get the word “method”). The schemes or wiles of the devil are always attractive, deceptive and ensnaring.

5. There is a coming evil day when the spiritual war will intensify and the dangers for believers will increase (6:13). Even in the midst of such intense war, we may hold our ground firmly, completely, gloriously, and victoriously.

6. The weapons of spiritual warfare (the armor of God) are described from verse 14. The first one is the belt of truth. This belt is not an ornament but an armament. Girding of the loins is the first step. The belt is to gird everything securely and makes the soldier ready. The band holds the tunic in place. Truth is first. Successful spiritual warfare begins with knowing and being convinced of the great truths of our faith. Truth is revealed in the Word of God. It enlightens our mind and illumines our path. Truth also can refer to the attitude of truthfulness in us.

Jesus Christ Himself is the truth (John14:6).
It is by the truth we are saved (Eph.1:13-14; James 1:18).
We are also sanctified by the truth (John 17:17).
It is the truth that edifies and builds up the church (Eph.4:15, 25).
The church is God’s divinely ordained means of declaring and displaying the truth (1 Tim.3:14-15).
The truth informs us of Satan’s schemes and deception and exposes error (2 Cor.2:11).
Satan is always opposed to the truth. He keeps men from the truth or keeps the truth from men (2 Cor.4:3-4; Mark 4:15). Satan denies the truth, usually by declaring a new truth in its place (Gen.3:1-7). He creates doubt in the truth, adds to the truth, distorts it and works to produce disobedience to the truth. He even leads people to higher alternate truths. These strategies are part of his warfare. We find his fight against truth in our culture, politics, government, morality, ethics, ideologies, universities, academia, media, entertainment industry, liberal and apostate Christianity, and in various trends of postmodernism. We, our fellow-believers and our children are constantly bombarded by Satan’s anti-truth campaigns.

7. The breastplate of righteousness (6:14). The breastplate protects the vital organs of the body. We are saved by the imputed righteousness of God. This should lead us to a life of righteous deeds (Col.3:9-14), to practical righteousness of a life lived in obedience to God.

Righteousness is to be wrapped around our whole being. Without it, we would be vulnerable and defeated.

8. The Gospel of peace (6:15). In the midst of this war, we can think of peace. The gospel brings peace with God (Rom.5:1) and leads us to the peace of God (Phil.4:7). Peace is found only in the God of peace (Phil.4:9). The Gospel of Jesus Christ produces peace and this peace gives the Christian warrior a steadiness and stability which enables him to stand in battle. Anxiety can be a distraction in war. But the confidence that we are at peace with God and God is on our side gives us more confidence in the battlefield. Our feet are rooted firmly on the solid ground of the gospel of peace. “Preparation” indicates readiness for duty, prepared to do God’s will, and prepared to proclaim the gospel of peace.

9. Shield of faith (6:16). The shield is the large oblong shield for the full protection of the body. Faith is our utter dependence on God, upon His promise, power, presence, protection, and provision. Faith puts God between us and the enemy. The fire dipped darts are the arrows of the enemy, dipped in combustible material designed to destroy us. The shield will give us amazing protection. It will stop the incoming missiles and put out the fire. Supernatural protection in spiritual warfare is promised to us.

10. The helmet of salvation (6:17). The purpose of the helmet is to protect the head from injury. The helmet protects the head, the citadel of intelligence from false teaching, fills our mind with the assurance of the truth of salvation, and gives boldness in conflict. The fact that the helmet is related to salvation indicates that Satan’s blows are directed at the believer’s security and assurance in Christ. One of the reasons many believers lack the assurance of faith may be an indication of the adverse effect of the spiritual warfare in their life. Satan takes victory in this area and they are constantly defeated.

The word “take” in verse 17 is different from the same word in verse 16. Salvation is a free gift and “take” in verse 17 means “receive” or “accept” it from God.

11. The sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God (6:17). This mighty weapon is the only offensive weapon in the armor of God. It is capable of deflecting the blows of the opponent. It is the Sword of the Spirit. Its nature is spiritual and source is the Holy Spirit. It is provided by Him. Our Lord used this powerful weapon in the wilderness temptation. The Word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword (Heb.4:12). Offensively as well as defensively, the use of God’s Word needs to be specific in order to be effective. That is why the “word’ here is not logos, but rhema (as in Romans 10:17). It is a particular word, a specific word that needs to be spoken or used at specific occasions according to the need. Speak the specific word, “it is written” to Satan. It is not the vain repetition of a verse like a mantra, but trusting in the authority and veracity of the truth of God’s Word, use it against the schemes of the enemy as our Lord used it. The sword must be unsheathed, the Bible must not be idle. The more we know, understand and apply the Word, we will be able to march through Satan’s strong hold.

12. Pray at all times (6:18). Prayer is the closing theme of this passage on spiritual warfare (also the closing theme of Ephesians). Prayer is the secret resource in our warfare, though it is not a part of the armor of God. As we engage in this “mother of all battles,” keep the communication open with the Captain of our salvation. The Captain of the Lord’s army (Joshua 5) is leading the battle lines. Listen to His marching orders. Be in constant communication with Him.

Programs, projects, activities, techniques and methods are only like paper armor. You cannot fight a war with paper armor. Theories, science, traditions, commands of men, rituals, religiosity, cultural Christianity (or churchianity), and form of godliness will never be able to make you a winner in the spiritual battles of life. That is why we have so many anemic, weak, and defeated Christians in our churches. What we need is the full armor of God; nothing more, nothing less, and nothing else.

The whole description of spiritual warfare in Ephesians 6 concludes on the Word and Prayer. These two should never be separated. Prayer and the Word are inseparably linked in the ministry of the apostles (Acts 6:4). No wonder, Paul could write, “for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses (2 Cor.10:4). The searching of the Word must be done with prayer and prayer will be effectual through knowing the Word.

CONCLUSION

As part of his master plan, Satan desires to bring this world under his control. As part of his plan, he also seeks to make our personal lives part of His domain. Our Lord is in complete control of this universe. He is the Sovereign Lord of heaven and earth. He commands our destiny. Be resolved to follow Jesus Christ and live under His Lordship. Fulfill His kingdom agenda through your life. Be an overcomer. Make sure you haven’t given Satan any handles on your life. Using the armor of God, the Christian can stand strong in the midst of this ever-present, but unseen spiritual battle. The ultimate victory against Satan has already been achieved by our Lord. Satan is just gasping for breath as his days are numbered. Remember, right now, “We overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us” (Rom.8:37).

“Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). We are not “victims,” but “victors.” The best is yet to come for us.

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