Why all the warfare?
The topic of spiritual warfare is always timely. As a matter of fact, quite a few of my friends and I seem to be in the thick of it right now. I believe many of us are on the verge of something significant that will mark who we are and what we are called to do in a way like never before. There is more at stake now and things as heating up on so many levels. So, why all the warfare, apart from the fact that the enemy hates God, God being out of his league, his next best targets are those whom God calls His own - His sons of daughters, followers of His Son, Jesus Christ.
But what is he really after? Why all the attempts to terrorize us?
In the Beginning ...
Well the best place to start is where it all started, the Garden of Eden. Another thing to realize is that the devil is the ultimate liar. The Bible refers to him as the "Father of lies." That means everything he utters is a lie. Consider John 8:44 -
You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.
If the devil is a liar and Jesus is the Truth, the Word of God, the Light of the World. Then what the devil does is utter lies to get us to believe his lies rather than the Truth, the Person, as well as the truth of the Word of God. So going back to the Garden of Eden, a quick recap that will set the tone for this whole discussion and prayerfully shed some light and offer some deliverance and liberty of areas where the enemy has set up a stronghold in our lives. I believe the Lord really wants to bring deliverance in this area because it keeps the enemy involved in many lives.
In the Garden of Eden, God told the first couple, our fore-parents, Adam and Eve, they could eat from any tree in the Garden except 1, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. In fact they were prohibited to even touch the tree. That means if you touch it, you would become defiled and you would die. So instead of staying as far away from the tree as possible. Eve found herself at the tree, speaking to the devil. There must have been millions of trees from which they had their pick. But where was the devil hanging out? You guessed it. He was in the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
You know the story, he got Eve's attention to the point where he enticed her to eat of the tree. But the reason this is so important is what he used to entice her. He is doing the same thing today. He asked her a question, then made a statement. The question made her doubt and then the statement accused God of lying. Satan asked Eve, "did God really say you should not eat of every tree in the Garden?" Eve answered, paraphrasing, "yes, we can eat of every other tree but we cannot touch this tree." The devil's response was, "no you will not surely die, because God knows the day you eat from this tree you eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." (Gen. 3:4)
The Devil's Target
So what is the devil after, 1) He wants us to doubt the Word of God and 2) He wants us to doubt our identity in God. That's it! If he can get you do off the foundation of the Word of God, incarnate and in the Bible, he can bat you around like a bug and finally swat you. Yes, I know that's graphic. But the Bible tells us that his goal is to "Steal, kill, and destroy." That's all he knows out to do. But Christ comes to "give life and it more abundantly," and that what Christ does. So what can we do to protect us from the lies of the evil one, especially in light of our identity? That's the purpose of this post.
Bottom line, our Identity is rooted in Christ, and when we waver, doubt, or forget who we are, the enemy gains more traction in our lives. That is why we need to put on the Armor of God.
Armor of God
When it comes to spiritual warfare, many are familiar with Paul's admonition in his letter to the Ephesians, particularly in chapter 6. He reminds us that we are not warring against flesh and blood but with the powers and principalities of the air. And in verses 10-18 Paul describes the nature of the warfare and the method by wage and win the war. The first thing he say in verse 10 is to "be strong in the Lord and in the power of HIs might". That's before he gets to the armor. So Paul is not addressing fair-weather, lukewarm Christians. He is speaking to those who are strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. The reason is anyone one is going to be out for the count. You cannot withstand and should never engage the enemy unless you have a strong relationship with God. So being strong in the Lord is a prerequisite for donning the armor of God in the first place. And being assured of His supreme power and might gives the confidence in battle that we all need for a victorious outcome.
Won't discuss all of the armor in detail, but mainly in what the Lord revealed today during a sermon on the shield of faith. Often during a conversation or sermon the Lord will drop something that breaks wide open a personal or other dilemma He wants me to pray or share on. Today, during a sermon on the "shield of faith with which to quench the fiery darts of the evil one." And the question was, what are those fiery darts? It was a good sermon giving the history of battle in the ancient world and why Paul used the imagery he used and what each meant in battle at the time. And the answer during the sermon was that the fiery darts are the lies the enemy uses to lure us into temptations of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. But the Lord had more for me to break open some of the challenges I face and I am sure others do as well.
He wanted me to know why we face warfare and give me some more information about the fiery darts. They are also lies that cause us to question God so that we waver in our identity in God.
Shield of Faith
Quenching the fiery darts. The Lord said these are the lies that come against our identity in Christ. If he can get us to doubt who we are in Him, eventually he can get us to doubt Who He is. Sound far fetched? Consider the Garden and the unforgettable events that took place there. The serpent called God a liar and Eve and then Adam believed him. God told them on the day they ate from the forbidden tree that they would surely die. Before that they were immortal, not of incorruptible flesh. If they were not, God would not have even introduced the concept of death.
The serpent told them, "you shall not surely die." They must have believed it otherwise they would not have eaten it. So.they believed the serpent when it called God a liar.
Next, do you remember how the enticement came? The serpent promised them they would be like God in knowing both good and evil. Okay, wait a minute and allow me a slight digression. If you know only good, why do you need to know what is evil? So this is where the identity crisis began that still plagues us today. THEY WERE ALREADY LIKE GOD LIVING IN PERFECTION OF BEING AND OF FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD.
I believe the fiery darts that come against us are whatever it is that causes us to question the truth of the Word of God. "Did God really say...?" Doubting God leads to double-mindedness and deception as Eve was, especially in regards to our identity. Take, for instance, any anti-biblical stance. Did God really say homosexuality is an abominable sin? We know the answer is yes. Did God really say sex outside of the bond of marriage is a sin against the body? Most definitely yes. Did God say murder was a sin? Yes, including of the innocent unborn. Are these not areas where the laws of this country have gone in the opposite direction of God's sacred code? This is an indication that strong delusion is not something that is afar of, folks. Strong delusion is here.
What is faith?
Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Heb. 11:1). Simply put, faith is believing what God says. Really that God is Who He says He is and will always do what He says He will do. That God is a Promise-keeper and that everything is as He says it is regardless on what we see. Faith is how justified people live, not by what we see. By falling into temptation, Eve demonstrated that she did not believe God and that she was not firmly established in her identity in Him because she was deceived by a promise of something she already had. She was already as like God as she could ever be. Falling for the trick made her unlike God.
How do I get faith?
Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. (Rom. 10:17) To get faith, I have to be able to hear God. That is, can I take in the Word of God, whether I am reading it or the Holy Spirit is saying something to me. And once I hear it do I then do it. Eve heard God but because she did not truly believe Him, she did not carry through in the doing part of the word. Hence the fall into sin.
Adam and Eve represent all of us, none of us were there so none of us can say: "If that were me, I wouldn't have disobeyed God and sinned." We don't know that. What we do know is that we can see how God lovingly provided a way back to Him in Jesus Christ and gave us His Word so that we can see the examples of His ways and the enemy's tactics. That, my friend, my brother, my sister is invaluable information. And based on what the Lord revealed today, opportunity for deliverance when the enemy fires his fiery darts at us, because He will still try.
Sword of the Spirit - The Word of God
When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness by the devil, His response was not a defensive one but an offensive one. Why? Because He was using the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. And it was so effective against the devil that the devil had to retreat. This is how we go on the offensive. We follow Jesus in warfare as we do in everything else. When the enemy fires his fiery darts at us, we are to respond offensively with the Word of God.
The sword of the spirit is 2-edged. (Hebrews 4:12). It cuts going and coming; and it cuts through everything that the enemy can use as a weapon. When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness by the devil. He did not yell and carry on, He simply spoke the truth, the Word of God. What could the devil do but retreat. The Truth was speaking the truth. Satan is a liar and the only weapon that effective against him is the Truth. The bet weapon is quoting the Truth speaking the truth! Out of the mouths of those who are God's, the enemy has no response and no weapon that can prosper against the Truth speaking the truth.
Conclusion
ALL 6 manifestations of the armor of God point to the Personification of the Word of God in Jesus Christ:
The belt of truth (Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, John 14:6);
the breastplate of righteousness (Jesus is my righteousness, Rom. 5:21; 2 Peter 1:1);
the shoes of the Gospel of Peace (He is the Prince of Peace, Isaiah 9:6);
the shield of faith ( He is the Author and Finisher of my faith, Hebrews 12:2),
the helmet of salvation (He is our Savior, 2 Peter 1:1, Phil. 3:20),
the Sword of the Spirit (He is the Word that became flesh, John 1:14).
So the goal is to believe not only in Jesus Christ but to believe everything He says. That is what the enemy of our souls fight against. He can do nothing to the person who truly believes God and refuse to waver from What God has said. Once we believe what God has said, all of it, we can be secure in our identity in who we are. Another way to say this is we must know and believe Whose we are before we can know who we are. Once we are convinced, the enemy will have a very difficult time in his attacks against us. I believe it is possible to be so convinced of His Word, Who He is, and who we are in Him, that we become a total waste of time for the evil one.
The topic of spiritual warfare is always timely. As a matter of fact, quite a few of my friends and I seem to be in the thick of it right now. I believe many of us are on the verge of something significant that will mark who we are and what we are called to do in a way like never before. There is more at stake now and things as heating up on so many levels. So, why all the warfare, apart from the fact that the enemy hates God, God being out of his league, his next best targets are those whom God calls His own - His sons of daughters, followers of His Son, Jesus Christ.
But what is he really after? Why all the attempts to terrorize us?
In the Beginning ...
Well the best place to start is where it all started, the Garden of Eden. Another thing to realize is that the devil is the ultimate liar. The Bible refers to him as the "Father of lies." That means everything he utters is a lie. Consider John 8:44 -
You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.
If the devil is a liar and Jesus is the Truth, the Word of God, the Light of the World. Then what the devil does is utter lies to get us to believe his lies rather than the Truth, the Person, as well as the truth of the Word of God. So going back to the Garden of Eden, a quick recap that will set the tone for this whole discussion and prayerfully shed some light and offer some deliverance and liberty of areas where the enemy has set up a stronghold in our lives. I believe the Lord really wants to bring deliverance in this area because it keeps the enemy involved in many lives.
In the Garden of Eden, God told the first couple, our fore-parents, Adam and Eve, they could eat from any tree in the Garden except 1, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. In fact they were prohibited to even touch the tree. That means if you touch it, you would become defiled and you would die. So instead of staying as far away from the tree as possible. Eve found herself at the tree, speaking to the devil. There must have been millions of trees from which they had their pick. But where was the devil hanging out? You guessed it. He was in the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
You know the story, he got Eve's attention to the point where he enticed her to eat of the tree. But the reason this is so important is what he used to entice her. He is doing the same thing today. He asked her a question, then made a statement. The question made her doubt and then the statement accused God of lying. Satan asked Eve, "did God really say you should not eat of every tree in the Garden?" Eve answered, paraphrasing, "yes, we can eat of every other tree but we cannot touch this tree." The devil's response was, "no you will not surely die, because God knows the day you eat from this tree you eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." (Gen. 3:4)
The Devil's Target
So what is the devil after, 1) He wants us to doubt the Word of God and 2) He wants us to doubt our identity in God. That's it! If he can get you do off the foundation of the Word of God, incarnate and in the Bible, he can bat you around like a bug and finally swat you. Yes, I know that's graphic. But the Bible tells us that his goal is to "Steal, kill, and destroy." That's all he knows out to do. But Christ comes to "give life and it more abundantly," and that what Christ does. So what can we do to protect us from the lies of the evil one, especially in light of our identity? That's the purpose of this post.
Bottom line, our Identity is rooted in Christ, and when we waver, doubt, or forget who we are, the enemy gains more traction in our lives. That is why we need to put on the Armor of God.
Armor of God
When it comes to spiritual warfare, many are familiar with Paul's admonition in his letter to the Ephesians, particularly in chapter 6. He reminds us that we are not warring against flesh and blood but with the powers and principalities of the air. And in verses 10-18 Paul describes the nature of the warfare and the method by wage and win the war. The first thing he say in verse 10 is to "be strong in the Lord and in the power of HIs might". That's before he gets to the armor. So Paul is not addressing fair-weather, lukewarm Christians. He is speaking to those who are strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. The reason is anyone one is going to be out for the count. You cannot withstand and should never engage the enemy unless you have a strong relationship with God. So being strong in the Lord is a prerequisite for donning the armor of God in the first place. And being assured of His supreme power and might gives the confidence in battle that we all need for a victorious outcome.
Won't discuss all of the armor in detail, but mainly in what the Lord revealed today during a sermon on the shield of faith. Often during a conversation or sermon the Lord will drop something that breaks wide open a personal or other dilemma He wants me to pray or share on. Today, during a sermon on the "shield of faith with which to quench the fiery darts of the evil one." And the question was, what are those fiery darts? It was a good sermon giving the history of battle in the ancient world and why Paul used the imagery he used and what each meant in battle at the time. And the answer during the sermon was that the fiery darts are the lies the enemy uses to lure us into temptations of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. But the Lord had more for me to break open some of the challenges I face and I am sure others do as well.
He wanted me to know why we face warfare and give me some more information about the fiery darts. They are also lies that cause us to question God so that we waver in our identity in God.
Shield of Faith
Quenching the fiery darts. The Lord said these are the lies that come against our identity in Christ. If he can get us to doubt who we are in Him, eventually he can get us to doubt Who He is. Sound far fetched? Consider the Garden and the unforgettable events that took place there. The serpent called God a liar and Eve and then Adam believed him. God told them on the day they ate from the forbidden tree that they would surely die. Before that they were immortal, not of incorruptible flesh. If they were not, God would not have even introduced the concept of death.
The serpent told them, "you shall not surely die." They must have believed it otherwise they would not have eaten it. So.they believed the serpent when it called God a liar.
Next, do you remember how the enticement came? The serpent promised them they would be like God in knowing both good and evil. Okay, wait a minute and allow me a slight digression. If you know only good, why do you need to know what is evil? So this is where the identity crisis began that still plagues us today. THEY WERE ALREADY LIKE GOD LIVING IN PERFECTION OF BEING AND OF FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD.
I believe the fiery darts that come against us are whatever it is that causes us to question the truth of the Word of God. "Did God really say...?" Doubting God leads to double-mindedness and deception as Eve was, especially in regards to our identity. Take, for instance, any anti-biblical stance. Did God really say homosexuality is an abominable sin? We know the answer is yes. Did God really say sex outside of the bond of marriage is a sin against the body? Most definitely yes. Did God say murder was a sin? Yes, including of the innocent unborn. Are these not areas where the laws of this country have gone in the opposite direction of God's sacred code? This is an indication that strong delusion is not something that is afar of, folks. Strong delusion is here.
What is faith?
Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Heb. 11:1). Simply put, faith is believing what God says. Really that God is Who He says He is and will always do what He says He will do. That God is a Promise-keeper and that everything is as He says it is regardless on what we see. Faith is how justified people live, not by what we see. By falling into temptation, Eve demonstrated that she did not believe God and that she was not firmly established in her identity in Him because she was deceived by a promise of something she already had. She was already as like God as she could ever be. Falling for the trick made her unlike God.
How do I get faith?
Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. (Rom. 10:17) To get faith, I have to be able to hear God. That is, can I take in the Word of God, whether I am reading it or the Holy Spirit is saying something to me. And once I hear it do I then do it. Eve heard God but because she did not truly believe Him, she did not carry through in the doing part of the word. Hence the fall into sin.
Adam and Eve represent all of us, none of us were there so none of us can say: "If that were me, I wouldn't have disobeyed God and sinned." We don't know that. What we do know is that we can see how God lovingly provided a way back to Him in Jesus Christ and gave us His Word so that we can see the examples of His ways and the enemy's tactics. That, my friend, my brother, my sister is invaluable information. And based on what the Lord revealed today, opportunity for deliverance when the enemy fires his fiery darts at us, because He will still try.
Sword of the Spirit - The Word of God
When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness by the devil, His response was not a defensive one but an offensive one. Why? Because He was using the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. And it was so effective against the devil that the devil had to retreat. This is how we go on the offensive. We follow Jesus in warfare as we do in everything else. When the enemy fires his fiery darts at us, we are to respond offensively with the Word of God.
The sword of the spirit is 2-edged. (Hebrews 4:12). It cuts going and coming; and it cuts through everything that the enemy can use as a weapon. When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness by the devil. He did not yell and carry on, He simply spoke the truth, the Word of God. What could the devil do but retreat. The Truth was speaking the truth. Satan is a liar and the only weapon that effective against him is the Truth. The bet weapon is quoting the Truth speaking the truth! Out of the mouths of those who are God's, the enemy has no response and no weapon that can prosper against the Truth speaking the truth.
Conclusion
ALL 6 manifestations of the armor of God point to the Personification of the Word of God in Jesus Christ:
The belt of truth (Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, John 14:6);
the breastplate of righteousness (Jesus is my righteousness, Rom. 5:21; 2 Peter 1:1);
the shoes of the Gospel of Peace (He is the Prince of Peace, Isaiah 9:6);
the shield of faith ( He is the Author and Finisher of my faith, Hebrews 12:2),
the helmet of salvation (He is our Savior, 2 Peter 1:1, Phil. 3:20),
the Sword of the Spirit (He is the Word that became flesh, John 1:14).
So the goal is to believe not only in Jesus Christ but to believe everything He says. That is what the enemy of our souls fight against. He can do nothing to the person who truly believes God and refuse to waver from What God has said. Once we believe what God has said, all of it, we can be secure in our identity in who we are. Another way to say this is we must know and believe Whose we are before we can know who we are. Once we are convinced, the enemy will have a very difficult time in his attacks against us. I believe it is possible to be so convinced of His Word, Who He is, and who we are in Him, that we become a total waste of time for the evil one.
So be encouraged. Believe God, no matter what the circumstances. Believe who He says you are, because there are so many who want you to believe otherwise, and believe you can do what He says you can do. When we get hold of all of this, the Foundation of our faith in God and ourselves, there is nothing we cannot do: "I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me," (Phil. 4:13) takes on a much deeper meaning. Remember, God is not allowing the trials so that He can watch us squirm. God is rooting for us to believe Him and get a revelation of our true identity from that foundation. Once that is set, He can trust us with much. Before then, we are not ready, because the first test or temptation will knock us out of the game.
I know, I want to be able to stay in it all the way to the end because we are on the winning team. Do not shrink back, because He has no pleasure in those who do, but persevere to the end. Our current light afflictions, yes, I said light, are nothing compared to the glory that is laid up for us. I know that sounds like a lot of Christianize. Put plainly, the current challenge, no matter how hard, and I know some are unimaginably difficult, yet it's still light compared to what we will inherit. God is faithful and His Word is true! Nothing the enemy does or says can ever change that.
Prayer for Revealed Identity and Increased Faith
Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief. Thank you for the grace to go through the valley of my current affliction, but I know Lord, I am simply going through it. It is not my place of residence and you are with me every step of the way. I refuse to accept fear as a way of life giving the enemy even more access to my soul. Lord, I chose to reject the spirit of fear and only to accept your love, power and sound mind. Jesus, you are the One who died on the Cross and the only One by Whom I can call the Father, Daddy! I know that my Daddy is almighty. There is none more powerful than You, God. And since that is the case, I have no fear. I am a winner. No matter what, I am a winner! Father, please emblazon these truths into my heart and spirit that they become immovable truths interwoven into the fabric of my being spiritually and even physically. Make me aware that I am Your invincible daughter or son. Please bring me into that place of revelation from which I can never retreat.
Thank you, because this is only possible through Your Son Jesus Christ! Amen!
