Spiritual Warfare 101

[chicacanella]

Hi everyone,

As you all know, something happened to me the other day regarding intense spiritual warfare and I wanted to post some of the battle techniques that will help us during these times.


I'm going to go through a list of weapons that we have to use against the enemy, so not if but when you encounter him, you'll be ready!

 

[chicacanella]

Think of spiritual warfare in the same sense as you would a physical war. The enemy hates you and wants to do all he can to steal, kill and destroy. John 10:10. This is serious business and we have to know what to do when he attacks, because he will try to! I will list the defenive weapons, offensive weapons, what it protects, how to keep each weapon in tact and how the enemy may try to attack that weapon.


Our Defensive Weapons

1.) Helmet of Salvation - In the spiritual realm, the helmet of salvation is given to all those who are saved because of Jesus Christ's sacrafice to pay for their sins.

What it protects - The helmet of salvation protects your thoughts in the spiritual realm. I know that you guys have heard of people knowing what other people think or reading someone else's thoughts and I believe this is possible when someone doesn't have a helmet of salvation. I believe that the helmet of salvation makes it harder and more difficult for the enemy to attack your mind because it serves as a buffer in the spiritual realm.

How to keep it in tact - Watch what you ingest through your ears and eye gate because these are the gates that are used to get to your mind. So many Christian men are struggling with pornography because the devil is using the ear and eye gate to attack their mind. He knows that as a man thinketh, so is he. So, watch what you are thinking and use the Word to counterattack the enemy by casting down thoughts...2 Corinthians 10:5.

How the devil will try and attack it - Overtly sexual, extremely violent, witch craft themes in movies, bill boards, television programs, music, internet articles, threads and forums, etc.

What Happens If You Don't Protect It - In the spiritual realm, I can imagine that when a person has allowed certain things to come against their mind, there may be cracks in their helmet. There may be a young Christian woman that is having trouble with thoughts of fornication and without checking them and casting them down, those thoughts turned into actions. Every action first started with a thought, so if something is too hard for you...seek understanding and humbly come to God and ask Him to help and He will!

"Let this mind be in you that was also in Christ Jesus." Philip. 2:5

 

[chicacanella]

2.) Breastplate of Righteousness - The breastplate of righteousness is given to all those who have a right standing with God. A right-standing does not mean you are perfect, but it means those that serve God.

And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not. Malachi 3:18.

What it Protects - It protects your vital organs, your heart, you whole chest area. Sometimes, the enemy wants to attack certain areas of our body through heaviness in the chest or cause heart attacks. But by the stripes of Jesus Christ you are healed. Even though we are flesh, God has also given us a soul and our soul exists somewhere in our body. Our soul is there when our bodies die. I don't know where our soul exists in our body, so having the breastplate is vital to protecting us period!


How To Keep It In Tact - Keep a right-standing with God! No, seriously you have to keep an open line of communication with Him through worship (loving Him and expressing that for WHO He is), praise (loving Him and expressing that because of WHAT he's done), prayer (talking to him effectively and earnestly), simply talking (maybe no decrees and declarations but spending time with Him.)

How The Devil Will Try and Attack -Through getting you to do acts that are not pleasing to God and acts that don't glorify Him. Remember God is not mocked, a man shall reap what he sows. Galatians 6:7.

What Happens When You Don't Protect It -You are exposing your body to the devil's attack physically and are opening up your body to the indwelling of demonic spirits. Don't test and see if I'm right - just simply keep your armor in tact!

 

[chicacanella]

3.) Belt of Truth - The belt of truth accompanies Chrisitans who a.) tell the truth and b.) worship God in spirit and in truth.

God is dealing with me or has in the past about gossip. I've been trying to figure out what gossip is but I know for sure that it is wrong to be a woman of itching ears, waiting to hear the next juicy tidbit about "So-and-so" and her husband or what they have been going through. We wouldn't want someone going around making up lies on us or passing on half-truths and thing we don't know are true about us, so why do it to any other person? Expressing your opinion on something that is out in the open is one thing, but speculating and adding fuel to the fire when we hear someone is divorced is out of order. Even when I'm in the Celebrity Forum trying to figure out what is going on in mainstream American, I have to be careful about what I say.


What It Protects -
I always think of a belt holding up something. Being untruthful can in some ways, mess up how you perceive yourself and also the Word of God. You can lie so much that you begin to deceive yourself and even some people lie to the point that they misuse The Word of God. Instead of using the Word of God to attack the enemy, they may not because they've lied so much they don't even know that part of their living is wrong and needs to be attacked wiht the Word of God.

How To Keep It In Tact -
If you don't want to say something to someone that reveals the truth, then choose to say something like:

"I'd rather not discuss that,"

"That's personal,"

"You know, I really did enjoy or like the movie Angela Basset played in,"

There are ways that you can be mature about not talking about something with someone and someone who is also mature will repsect that 9/10. If they don't, then know it isn't you but them that has the bigger problem.


How The Devil Will Try and Attack - In my personal life, conversations came up among friends or work people that I didn't want to discuss. Instead of telling them, "I'm not the type of woman that goes into detailed discussion about certain thing, no matter how small it is," I lied. Now, looking back I know that lying to that person or people wasn't worth it because think about how God felt about it and not to mention the effect on my spiritual belt of armor.

What Happens When You Don't Protect It - Something wil be askew in the spiritual realm. Obviously, God gave you a spiritual belt because He knew you would need it. I don't know how it effects everything when you lie alot, but I can imagine a whole lot of folks have their belt darn near falling off. Not a good look!

 

[chicacanella]

4.) Shield of Faith - The shield of faith accompanies those Christians who have some level of faith in God and what He has said. I would imagine that every Christian would have to have a shield of faith because in order to believe Jesus Christ and that God The Father ressurected you have to haive faith. BUT, at the same time some people have different levels of faith than others. While God can have something prophesized to two people. Both people know it's God speaking through a human but one believes no matter how impossible it might seem while another looks at circumstances and puts faith in what they can see, rather than trusting God. Their faith level is different!

What it Protects

When I was a younger Christian, I would think that if God said something then that meant it was going to happen right away. Actually it was in 2009. But seriously, God is not some cosmic genie that you give your wishes to and then things "magically" appear. There are times when His glory can be manifested immediately and miracles occur instantly, but when they don't it doesn't mean He won't do what He said He would do! Even when it looks rough, just continue to pray and tell Him what He has said in His word. If you know you are sincerely trying then He is going to listen to you and praying earnestly and effectively brings miracles.

How To Keep It In Tact

Being a Christian doesn't mean everything in your life is going to go perfectly every second. Nor does it mean you should have to feel as if you are exhausted or struggling all the time.

If you are a good steward over your finances, then know that God will supply all of your need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. And even when you haven't been a good steward, God will work with you and by grace still supply all your needs accdg. to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Mind you I said, He will WORK with you and in your heart moving you to be a better steward. Just say, "In Jesus Christ I submit all I am to you, mind, heart, body, soul and every part of my existence." And God will help you.

How The Devil Will Try and Attack

Of course, he will try to do anything to make you think God's Word will not come to pass. He will make you try and second guess God when God The Holy Spirit is saying, "I'm going to bless you." The Holy Spirit has been saying this to me lately and I'm waiting to see what He means but even though it may not have manifested itself, or so I believe, I choose to believe God. It's a choice.

What Happens When You Don't Try and Protect It

The enemy is throwing fiery spiritual arrows at you in the spiritual realm. No, of course you won't be able to see them like most spiritual matters but it doesn't mean he won't try and use the arrows.
Ephesians 6:16
16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

 

[phynestone]

This is great. Thanks!

 

[determine3]

WOW girl, THANKS!!

 

[sky035]

Hi everyone,

As you all know, something happened to me the other day regarding intense spiritual warfare and I wanted to post some of the battle techniques that will help us during these times.


I'm going to go through a list of weapons that we have to use against the enemy, so not if but when you encounter him, you'll be ready!

Thanks for this. I really need this right now. I notice as I am trying to progress through my studies, the spritual obstacles are coming with a vengeance, from personal illness, family illness, family turmoil etc. I am grateful for this knowledge. Thanks. .