It is an undeniable fact that every Christian is involved with a spiritual battle – we all experience it. We need spiritual armour for this battle which the Lord alone can supply to us. Paul says: “Though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds…” (2 Cor. 10:3-4).
There is an arsenal of at least five of these weapons of light that are at our disposal for spiritual warfare. We should not only be cognisant of them but also skilled in using them. When discussing the armour it will immediately be evident that they are part of our normal spiritual attributes as Christians. They are vital in establishing and maintaining our relationship with the Lord but also relevant to our battle against temptations and evil powers. These weapons are the following:
Our faith in the Lord must be so strong and unshakeable that we will fully trust Him under all circumstances to make us more than conquerors in Christ. Know and believe that He who is in us is greater and stronger than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4). Without faith in the Conqueror we are defenceless in our struggle against sin and iniquity. The following Scriptures emphasise the fact that we are engaged in a spiritual battle in which our faith in the Lord is a strong weapon against the Evil One and all his devices:
· “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:4-5).
· “…above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one” (Eph. 6:16).
· “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses” (1 Tim. 6:12).
· “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith” (1 Pet. 5:8-9).
Do you fight the good fight of faith? Do you quench the fiery darts of devil with the shield of your faith in Jesus Christ, or are you an easy target to all the confusing, deceptive and vile thoughts which the devil aims at you? Take refuge in Christ against all the attacks of the enemy: “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe” (Prov. 18:10). Remember that you can only achieve the victory in Christ – never in your own strength.
It is important that our spiritual protection and victory should be based upon the shed blood of the Lamb! On the cross He has broken the power of sin to set us free: “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Eph. 1:7). He died on the cross, “that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil” (Heb. 2:14).
During the coming great tribulation when the devil will come down to earth with great wrath knowing that he has but a short time, there will still be only one effective weapon against him. Although many of the true believers of that time will die as martyrs (Rev. 6:9-11), they will prevail spiritually against the attacks of Satan through faith in the Lamb of God who was slain to redeem them: “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb” (Rev. 12:11).
The blood of Christ, which is the symbol of His atoning death, gives life (John 6:53-56), it cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7) and ensures victory in the battle (Rev. 12:11).
The Lord Jesus clearly commanded us to be His witnesses in a dark and evil world (John 20:21; Acts 1:8). Because of this, many great victories have been achieved for the cross while the kingdom of heaven was extended among diverse peoples in many parts of the world. Without Christian witnessing and preaching millions of people would still have lived in spiritual darkness, their minds blinded by the god of this world – the devil (2 Cor. 4:4). Pray for boldness to keep on witnessing of so great a salvation.
Identifying ourselves fully with the victory of Jesus on the cross and waiting on the Lord to fill us with His Holy Spirit, gives us confidence to witness to other people and to resist the devil. After his conversion, Paul was “filled with the Holy Spirit… Immediately he preached Christ… that He is the Son of God” (Acts 9:17,20). The bold and fearless testimony of a believer not only confirms his faith in the Lord Jesus, but also ensures the retreat of the enemy (Jas. 4:7).
People who do not confess their sins to God and give testimony to others about their faith in Christ cannot possibly be saved. “...if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation” (Rom. 10:9-10). Another form of confessing your faith with your mouth is by praising the Lord. To sing His praises and exalt His wonderful and victorious Name scares away the enemy and releases power within you, “for the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Neh. 8:10).
A prayerless Christian is a powerless Christian. Intercession according to the will of God, and in the power of the Holy Spirit, can certainly change things. It moves the mighty arm of God and brings many blessings to people: “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (Jas. 5:16). Prayer goes hand in hand with faith: “Let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways” (Jas. 1:6-8).
To pray prevailing prayers we should “draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience” (Heb. 10:22). We should live holy lives and pray in accordance with the will of God: “This is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us” (1 John 5:14). On that moment when we approach the throne of grace and submit ourselves to the authority of God, Satan will flee from us (Jas. 4:7).
Always guard against inactivity in your prayer life, as well as other areas of your service to the Lord. Idleness is the parent of vice, and the enemy will definitely exploit situations like this: “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labour is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Cor. 15:58).
If we ignore the attacks of the devil, shrug them off as an illusion, or try to ward them off by resorting to psychological or medical therapy, the problems will become more deeply entrenched, which will have serious consequences. If we take refuge in the Lord, lay down our burdens before Him in prayer, and also ask others to intercede for us, He will deliver us from evil: “…the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations” (2 Pet. 2:9). “Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might” (Eph. 6:10). The victory belongs to Him who is mighty to save!
The Word of God is a mighty weapon in the battle against temptation, deception, unbelief, and other attacks that the enemy may launch against us. We must trust and know this weapon if we want to use it: “And take... the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph. 6:17).
The Word of God must govern your heart, renew your mind, and instil its divine nature and principles in your life. “Your word have I hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You” (Ps. 119:11). In the light of God’s Word the true nature of your thoughts and intentions will be revealed: “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” (Heb. 4:12; cf. John 6:33; Jer. 23:29).
The Bible is the final measure for truth, and by its light I can judge all thoughts as good or bad. Since the Word is like a sharp sword that pierces into the depth of my soul it can fully reveal the nature of all my thoughts and motives. It works together with my conscience to show me what is right and wrong.
The gospel of Jesus Christ is a dynamic power to salvation for everyone who believes (Rom. 1:16; cf. James 1:21). It has the ability to deliver every unsaved sinner who believes in Christ from the power of Satan. The Word has an authority and power which is guaranteed by God Himself: “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes and in Him Amen (2 Cor. 1:20). Make sure that you experience the liberating power of the Word in your life every day, and keep walking in its light: “And you will know the truth and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32 AB). Never deviate from this proven guideline: “Direct my steps by Your Word, and let no iniquity have dominion over me” (Ps. 119:133).
The first line of defence in spiritual warfare is the countering of evil thoughts, as that is where all sins start. These thoughts need to be identified, resisted and removed before they become established and even justified in your mind, giving rise to strongholds of sin in your life. Paul says, “The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:4-5). The victory must, therefore, be gained in the spiritual realm if we are not to be paralysed by the enemy and surrendered to the bondage of sin. This is essentially a battle for the spiritual control of the mind.
From this description of the spiritual war it is obvious that the enemy’s strongholds in our lives result from vain reasoning and fleshly exaltation that arise from evil, misguided thoughts. If the strongholds of sin are to be pulled down and eliminated, every thought must be taken into captivity to the obedience of Christ. Should this not be done, the enemy of our souls will gain a large measure of control over us by establishing wicked and uncontrolled thoughts or desires in our hearts and minds. Due to our fallen human nature, our contact with the world and our inability to determine the origin of all ideas, there are various ways in which we can be tempted to sin:
· Wrong ideas and evil intentions may emerge from your own fleshly nature and subconscious mind. “Each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death” (Jas. 1:14-15; see also Mark 7:21-23). Remember that the old man, your old, sinful nature, is completely corrupted by deceitful lusts (Eph. 4:22; Rom. 6:6). It cannot be reformed and must be crucified.
· Many of the things that you see are pleasing to fleshly desires and also lead to sin: “For all that is in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – is not of the Father, but is of the world” (1 John 2:16; see also Matt. 5:28).
· Sinful thoughts are often stimulated by immoral TV shows, pornographic videos and magazines, or the conducting of immoral discussions. Do not expose yourself to these evils: “Do not be deceived: evil company corrupts good habits” (1 Cor. 15:33).
· Doubts, evil thoughts and sinful desires are stimulated by spiritual agents from the kingdom of darkness. They have the ability to aim fiery darts at you (Eph. 6:16), thus defiling your mind. They can also cause your thoughts to wander and render them uncontrollable when you want to read God’s Word, pray or listen to a sermon.
Have you given the enemy the opportunity to make inroads into your mind and establish strongholds of sin in your life? Please recognise that these sins may have started with a single thought or evil suggestion that was not resisted or subjected to the authority of Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. Once certain ideas are established in your mind, they often tend to dominate your thinking and actions.
From the roof of his palace King David saw a beautiful woman who was bathing, and coveted her. He devised an evil plan to get rid of her husband in order to take her as his wife. He acted on the spur of the moment and did not subject his desires and plans to the authority of the clear precepts in God’s Word (cf. Ex. 20:13-14,17). Instead of observing these statutes, David allowed fleshly rationalisation and evil schemes to gratify his lusts. In doing so, he opened his mind and heart to the enemy to erect a stronghold of murder and adultery in his life.
On realising his awful sin and defeat by Satan, David was a broken man under strong conviction of sin. He unconditionally put his trust in the Lord to forgive him his very serious sins and to restore him to a Spirit-filled life of dedication and obedience: “Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow… blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation” (Ps. 51:7-12).
The strongholds of sin were immediately pulled down in his heart, and the fear of the Lord restored. Always reassert the authority of God over your mind and all the thoughts and desires of your heart. Test all your thoughts and ideas before accepting them. Reject them if they are not in full agreement with the Word of God: “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Ps. 139:23-24 KJV).
Sinful thoughts must be dealt with immediately, and not given any chance to establish themselves in your heart or mind. The fiery darts of the enemy, as well as doubts and vain arguments that exalt themselves against the truth of the Word, can be quenched by the shield of your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Eph. 6:16).
If you do not defend yourself against evil thoughts, they will take root in your mind and eventually get their way with you. They will actively resist and eventually subdue the good thoughts. In the process they will defile your mind and undermine your motivation to serve the Lord by inducing you to say and do wrong things. Are the thoughts of your heart under control and well pleasing to the Lord, or are you wilfully and foolishly accommodating evil thoughts?