Spiritual Warfare

 

“If you know the enemy and know yourself, your victory will not stand in doubt; if you know Heaven and know Earth, you may make your victory complete.”
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

 

The Devil has been portrayed as a cartoon character with red suit, horns, and pitchfork. Nothing could be further from the truth. If we do not understand who the enemy is, and the nature of the enemy, we will always be defeated by him. If we do not know ourselves honestly, understanding how this enemy works towards us, we will never have victory. If we do not have knowledge of the things of heaven and earth, we become easy prey.
There is nothing cartoonish about our first glimpse of Satan in scripture. In Genesis, he takes the form of a subtle creature, a serpent, deceiving Eve and Adam by questioning God's command to them: "Yea, hath God said...?" (Gen. 3:1-4). Satan challenged the truth of what God had said to Adam, and lied about the consequences. Jesus similarly explained Satan's character to us:

"...He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaks of his own: for he is a liar and the father of it."  Jn. 8:44

Satan murdered in the beginning by drawing man from eternal life in God to death in sin. He does not do it with truth, but with lies. Because of this, Jesus went on to say that those who rejected the truth of God, and Himself as the Bringer of that truth, were after the likeness of their father, Satan. Those who believed Christ, and the words He brought from the Father, were of their Father, God (v. 44-47). We can't have it both ways. We can't disregard God's Word as truth, or the Son Whom He sent, and still say, "God is my Father".

The Apostle Paul explained the difference between those who belong to God, Who brought us back to life through Christ, and those who belong to the world, and the spirit that influences the world:

"Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world. according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God who is rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ...."  Eph. 2:2-5

The mind and ways of the world and the flesh are ruled by the prince of the power of the air, and that's where the battle begins-in our own minds and flesh. He is a spirit who is not confined to hell, but who inhabited heaven, and now falsely claims the earth as his. We have been delivered out of his realm of sin and death by Christ.  We who have been so miraculously delivered, are no longer to be one of the children of disobedience, subject to Satan's deception.

His fall from heaven is described in Revelation. After great warfare, Satan and the angels that he deceived into rebellion with him, were cast out:

"And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him....Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! For the devil has come down unto you having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time."  Rev. 12:7-12

Not only is Satan a murderer and a liar, but he is filled with great wrath. He viciously and unendingly accuses believers before God. The work of this vicious accuser is overcome by the brethren by the blood of the Lamb, the word of their testimony, and the fact that they do not love their own lives even to death (v. 11). Natural weapons, and natural strength have nothing to do with victory over this spiritual enemy. Daniel warns that it will be those "who know their God" that shall be strong and do exploits in the face of this spiritually powerful enemy (Dan. 11:32). In the end times shown to Daniel, the worker of evil will lure the world, and even some of God's people with "flatteries" (smooth, slippery, deceitful promises, (promises) to plunder, divide, share, distribute or apportion). As these end times were described to Daniel as an age in which knowledge increases (Dan. 12:4), the time in which we live now definitely qualifies. Natural knowledge and advancement in just this past generation alone has surpassed that of any other age in history. Daniel also prophesied that those who serve God in the time of the end will teach others the knowledge of God with wisdom.

We have not been left defenseless in the face of this unmerciful enemy of God and His people. Paul describes the spiritual armor and weapons that God has provided for us through Christ, and he urges us to use them, to stand against the wiles (cunning arts, deceit, craft, trickery, method, settled plan, lie in wait) of the devil. "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all of the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance for all saints."  Eph. 6:12-18

Paul gave this revelation having been in the midst of spiritual warfare himself, under arrest and in chains (v. 19-20). The spiritual armor and weapons of truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and the Word of God (Who is Jesus Christ), are the tools given to us to stand against and overcome the spirit of murder, lies, accusation and hot anger that is Satan. As Paul taught, we cannot take this armor on and off, which happens when we carelessly desire to be of this world. Jesus also told us that while we are physically in the world, we are not to be of the world. Paul told us in another place that we were not to be conformed to this world, but transformed. We are in a spiritual battle that requires perseverance, praying always, not only for ourselves, but together with and for all the saints.

The enemy that all of God' s people face is not a cartoon. Because God has already prophesied his utter defeat, Satan knows his time is running out, and he seeks to destroy as many as he can in his seething anger, especially in these end times. However, Almighty God has given us the means to attain the victory in Christ.
If you want to know Jesus like this in these end times, if you want to know the truth concerning the things of heaven and earth, there is a prayer below which will start you on this journey. You will never be the same!

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Prayer of Salvation for all who desire to receive Jesus as their Savior:Lord Jesus, I desire to know You, and to know Your salvation. I believe that You died for me, and that You were resurrected for me. Forgive me of my sins. Come into my heart, change me, fill me with Your righteousness. Baptize me in Your Holy Spirit, so that I can learn the truth of Your Word and ways, and be strengthened in my walk all the days of my life. You are the hope of my life, and You are my eternal life. I place my trust in You, Lord, for myself, and my whole household. Use me to do the will of the heavenly Father, Who sent You, in Whose name You came. In Your name, and in thanks and praise I pray, Amen.