Spiritual Warfare
Spiritual Warfare
One thing we see throughout Scripture is that there is an unseen battle going on (Ephesians 6:11-13) that followers of Jesus need to be fully aware of. The following tool/resource was put together to help followers of Jesus recognize the battle and begin taking proactive steps to address Spiritual Warfare against and around them.
Read the following passages and discuss what they teach us about the realities of spiritual warfare.
- Colossians 1:13
- Romans 8:10
- Ephesians 6:12
- 2 Corinthians 2:10-11
Part of spiritual warfare is learning to recognize the “schemes” of the enemy so we are able to address them when we experience them. Read the following passages and make a list of the nature of the enemy and how he works.
- Genesis 3:1, 13
- Matthew 4:1
- Luke 13:10-11
- Luke 22:3
- John 8:44
- John 10:10
- Ephesians 6:11
- 1 Corinthians 7:5
- 2 Corinthians 10:3-5
- 2 Corinthians 11:3, 14
- 1 Peter 5:8
- Revelation 12:9-10
When we know the nature of our enemy, we can take steps to combat his work in our lives, both in an ongoing way and in the midst of a “battle”. These are adapted from Greg Pruett’s spiritual warfare teaching.
Ongoing – to close doors, remove footholds or any influence of the enemy in our lives
- Believe that He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4)
- Know the Truth (John 14:6, 2 Corinthians 10:3-5
- Put on the armor (Ephesians 6:11)
- Avoiding and confessing sin, do not give the enemy a foothold (Romans 13:12-14, Ephesians 4:25-27)
- Blood of the lamb and word of our testimony (Revelation 12:11)
- Pray the words of Jesus, “Deliver us from evil” (Matthew 6:13)
- Ask God to send angels to guard your home and family (Psalm 91:11)
- Getting rid of anything that is from other religions or relies on powers other than God (Acts 19:18-19)
In a “battle” when being “attacked” by the enemy or demons
In the following passages, how did Jesus and others deal with demons? You can read the verses listed, or better yet, the whole story they are a part of.
- Acts 16:16-18
- Mark 5:8
- Luke 10:18-20
Steps to dealing with demons – ANYONE who is in Christ can do this confidently
They are more effective as we are doing the ongoing steps above
- Drive demons out of your home/workplace
- “In the name of Jesus I command you to get out of __.”
- Turn away from evil in your life, saying, “I have nothing to do with you and you have nothing to do with me.”
- pay attention to anything that comes to mind as a way you’ve opened a door to evil through sin, unforgiveness, etc
- Declare the promises/truths of scripture
- “I belong to Jesus; the enemy can’t touch me” 1 Cor 6:20, 1 John 5:18
How have you experienced the work of the enemy in your life?
How have you seen the enemy’s work around you?
Have you ever used these steps or anything similar?
What ways have you or are you currently experiencing the work of the enemy in your life?
Pray and ask God to show you what steps you can take to combat the work of the enemy in your life currently.
A word of caution…
Please be careful of giving the enemy too much credit or attention. We don’t need to speculate why the enemy is attacking, whether it’s because we’re doing something really good for God or because lots of bad things are happening to us. We also don’t want to blame the enemy for mental illness (although that could be a factor). It is never “about” the warfare. It is always about rejecting the things of the kingdom of darkness and drawing closer to Jesus, living in His identity and freedom.