Page Suggestions: Deliverance Prayers, Demons
The Fortress of Spiritual Warfare
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Satan's darts take the form of attacks, deceptions, temptations, and accusations. He assaults our minds with every conceivable thought in an attempt to regain lost territory. In order to remain healed, it is important to control our thought-life. The enemy has access to our minds and interjects his thoughts and ideas into them. The twist is that we naturally assume that those thoughts are our creation, when in reality SATAN IS THE AUTHOR.
James 1:14
But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.James 1 verse 14 says each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his desires and enticed. THE ENEMY CANNOT MAKE YOU SIN. All he can do is present you with the opportunity to sin. What he needs and wants is your cooperation. Keeping one's shield of faith in place is important for continued freedom. When the enemy presents you with the urge to sin, your faith must rise up to extinguish the thoughts that are endeavoring to root in your mind. The shield of faith intercepts the fiery darts of doubt, discouragement, and defeat peddled by the devil. Faith in Jesus and His continued power and presence in one's life will counter the maneuvers of Satan. One of the main occupations of the devil is to discredit God's promises, power, and presence in one's life. As each of us puts faith in God's character and Word on a daily basis, we uncover and disarm the schemes of our enemy.
The fifth piece of armor Paul discusses is the helmet of salvation. The Roman Soldier wore a helmet, which protected his head from mortal injury. Like the breastplate, the helmet protected a strategic organ, the brain, which if injured could cause death. Everything a human does or thinks must originate in the brain. The helmet of salvation protects the Christian's mind. His mind is the command center. For the most part, a person does not act unless he thinks first. Therefore, THE BATTLE SATAN FIGHTS LARGELY OCCURS IN ONE's MIND!
Keeping our shield of faith upright and ready for battle is important. However, it is equally important to control our thoughts. Before we knew Jesus, our thought-life was worldly and subject to our senses. However, after we were saved, new data from the Word of God was introduced. This data, even though foreign at first, provides us with the implements of war to regain our minds and with the power to protect them from further intrusion.
To maintain our deliverance and healing, we renew our minds through the Word of God, learning to think thoughts that are consistent with people who walk in the power of the Holy Spirit. With the helmet of salvation firmly in place, little room is given to the enemy for his reattachment. When our minds are filled with light and truth, we walk in safety and peace.
The last weapon is the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. Though the sword was at times used defensively, it was the Roman Soldier's only offensive weapon. Every other piece of armor listed in Ephesians 6 was defensive, designed to protect the Soldier from harm. However, the sword was the instrument used to pierce the heart of the enemy. When Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted, HE RESISTED THE TEMPTATIONS OF THE ENEMY BY USING THE WORD OF GOD. With every temptation hurled at Him by the devil, Jesus responded with, "It is written."
When the enemy attacks us, in an attempt to deceive, torment, or scare us, like Jesus, we should counter with the Word of God. As Satan honored God's Word in the wilderness, he has to honor the same Word today. God's Word is powerful. Hebrew 4:12For the word of God [is] quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and [is] a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.Hebrew 4 (KJV) verse 12 says,
"For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart" (NKJV).
The Enemy Cannot Stand Against the Word of God!
DO NOT GIVE UP! YOU MUST FIGHT THE ENEMY! GOD ALREADY DEFEATED THE ENEMY FOR US WHEN HE SACRIFICED HIS SON, JESUS, ON THE CROSS FOR US. YOU ALREADY HAVE THE VICTORY BUT YOU MUST BE WILLING TO TAKE THE AUTHORITY YOU HAVE OVER SATAN AND USE IT AGAINST HIM. DO NOT ALLOW SATAN TO STEAL THE PLANS AND THE FUTURE GOD HAS FOR YOUR LIFE!
Finally, in Ephesians 6:18Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.Ephesians 6 verse 18 Paul gives us some practical instructions regarding warfare. He says to pray always with all prayer and supplication in the SPIRIT. Prayer is significant in spiritual warfare. Whether an army is on the move or in position to attack, it does not want to lose communication with the generals located behind the lines at field headquarters. A good Soldier communicates with his commanders and is unswervingly obedient. The foot Soldier hovering in a fox hole knows he doesn't have a clear grasp of the overall battle. He knows little beyond his point of entrenchment and is totally dependent on his leaders to safely and successfully direct him through the battle.
Prayer is a communication link to our General. He understands the battle. He sees the big picture and has wisdom beyond that of the foot Solder. We pray and depend on Him to guide us into a conflict we cannot see. Jesus stayed in close communication with field headquarters. When challenged about the miracles He was performing, He stated that He only did what He saw His father doing (John 5:19Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.John 5 verse 19).
Frequently, Jesus withdrew to lonely places to pray. He did not operate spontaneously; He was obedient to His General who gave Him His orders. While battling our UNSEEN ENEMY, we, too, must be diligent in our efforts to communicate with God. We are not the Lone Ranger, but a part of an army where communication and obedience are vital. Submitting ourselves to God is essential to preparing for successful warfare against the devil (James 4:7Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.James 4 verse 7).
Another form of communication with God is PRAISE and WORSHIP - an activity which the enemy detests. Not only does praise put the enemy on the run, it also elevates our spirits, lifts our hearts, and encourages us. In Acts 16:24Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.Acts 16 verse 24, Paul and Silas were imprisoned in the Greek city of Macedonia. They were incarcerated because Paul had cast out a spirit of divination from a woman who persistently followed them. As a result of charges brought against them, they were confined under tight security to the innermost part of the prison.
"At midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them" (Acts 16:25, NKJVAnd at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.Acts 16 (KJV) verse 25).
Suddenly, there was a great earthquake, shaking the foundations of the prison and throwing open the prison doors. Paul and Silas were in prayer and singing hymns prior to their supernatural release. In the process of prayer, DO NOT NEGLECT PRAISE AS A TOOL AGAINST THE ENEMY. It focuses our eyes on God, where they need to be, and PREPARES US TO FACE ANYTHING THAT IS COMING AGAINST US.
YOU ARE THE FOOT SOLDIER HERE. IF YOU WANT TO BE SET FREE FROM YOUR PRISON, THEN YOU MUST TAKE A STEP OF FAITH AND TRUST GOD, SING PRAISES TO GOD. THE ENEMY WILL THEN HAVE NO RIGHT TO HOLD YOU IN HIS BONDAGE, HE WILL BE FORCED TO LET YOU GO.