WEAPONS OF SPIRITUAL WARFARE
Introduction
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Every Child of God is made righteous by and through Jesus’ death on the Cross and His resurrection. At the moment of our salvation, we are “automatically” enlisted in God’s Army. God doesn’t just throw us onto the Battlefield (which is “our minds”) without supplying all weaponry needed for VICTORY. But it is up to us to TRAIN and BE PREPARED.
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NOTE: Victory is NOT assured just because we are Christians. If you believe that, the Enemy is well on his way to rendering you an ineffective warrior, by convincing you to believe yet another one of his LIES. Yes, Jesus has already won. Yes, Jesus fights in Battle for us. Yes, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us. WE must be Battle-Ready which means: WE MUST show up for training and be trained just as any other soldier, WE MUST use the weapons we have been given and trained to use, and WE MUST fight in order to win. 1 Timothy 6:12 "FIGHT the good fight of the faith. TAKE HOLD of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses."
As Christians, the Enemy engages us in Spiritual Battles every day. It is therefore important to be familiar with the terms of Battle, what weapons and battle tactics to use in every circumstance (whether defensive or offensive), and to OBEY each and every COMMAND of our Leader in Battle. No soldier in any army will be victorious in a passive state.
WE CANNOT BE PASSIVE IN OUR CHRISTIAN WALK BE VICTORIOUS OVER THE ENEMY!
God has supplied us with both defensive and offensive weapons.
A. OFFENSE
Uses aggressive force to occupy territory, gain an objective or achieve some larger strategic, operational, or tactical goal; UTILIZES PREEMINENT MEANS OF PRODUCING VICTORY.
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PURPOSE
(All on a Battle-to-Battle basis, because the end of our Spiritual Battles
and the Enemy’s removal will occur after Jesus returns)
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1) Defeat the Enemy (Satan) and its forces (principalities, powers, evil in high places –
a/k/a evil spirits/demons – Ephesians 6:12),
2) Destroy the works of the Enemy and its forces (1 John 3:8), and
3) Neutralize the Enemy and its forces.
OFFENSIVE CHARACTERISTICS
1) Audacity (boldness, disregard of normal restraints, unusually strong confidence –
Joshua 1:9; Deuteronomy 31:6-8; 1 Chronicles 28:20; Ephesians 3:12; 2 Timothy 1:7;
Romans 8:37),
2) Concentration (a lot of attention and thought directed to an activity or situation –
1 Peter 5:8; 1 Corinthians 16:13; Matthew 10:16-20), and
3) Surprise (Jeremiah 51:12)
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Offense is the DECISIVE TYPE OF COMBAT OPERATION. Decisive means: having the power or quality of deciding (action on the part of the soldier/warrior); putting an end to controversy; crucial or most important; characterized by or displaying no or little hesitation; resolute; determined.
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Defeating the Enemy requires shifting from defense to offense at any given time in order to seize, retain, exploit the operational initiative, to deprive the Enemy of resources, to gain information, to deceive and divert the enemy, to hold the Enemy in position, to disrupt the Enemy’s attack, and to set conditions for future successful operations.
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B. DEFENSE
Defense is the STRONGEST type of combat operation. Defensive battle tactics can be defined as resisting (1 Peter 5:9; James 4:7) or preventing Enemy attacks or attempts to keep the Enemy and its opponents from gaining the advantage (holding one’s ground).
PURPOSE
(All on a Battle-to-Battle basis, because the end of our Spiritual Battles
and the Enemy’s removal will occur after Jesus returns)
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1) Retain ground (2 Corinthians 2:8-11)
2) Deny ground (Ephesians 4: 27) to the Enemy
3) Respond to Enemy’s surprise attack (Matthew 4:1-11; Matthew 10:16-20)
4) Increase the Enemy’s vulnerability (vulnerable to God’s Word – Matthew 4:1-11)
DEFENSIVE CHARACTERISTICS
1) Disrupt Enemy Attacks (Matthew 4:1-11; 2 Corinthians 10:3-6)
2) Ability to respond to the ever-changing approach of the Enemy (Nehemiah 4:1-23)
3) Retain combat focus (Hebrews 12:1-2; Isaiah 26:3)
4) Battle-Readiness (Ephesians 6:10-18)
5) Security – Protection of (freedom from fear, danger, anxiety; protection – 2 Timothy 1:7; Hebrews 13:5; 1 John 4:4)
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SPIRITUAL WEAPONS BY CLASSIFICATION
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OFFENSIVE WEAPONS
Blood of the Lamb (Pleading the Blood)
Name of Jesus
Sword of the Spirit (Word of God)
Our Testimony
Resistance/Refusal (OBEDIENCE)
Prayer
Praise
Fasting
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DEFENSIVE WEAPONS
Belt of Truth
Breastplate of Righteousness
Shoes Shod with the Preparation of Peace
Shield of Faith
Helmet of Salvation
Sword of the Spirit (Word of God)
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Fellow Warriors, it’s impossible to fight and win any Battle without knowing whether to use defensive or offensive tactics, right? We must actively be on guard, alert, and ready at a moment’s notice to enter into Battle mode. The Enemy isn’t going to wait until we are ready or “feel like it” to engage us in Battle. He is more than happy to engage us when we aren’t ready . . . when we are defenseless. We are enlisted in God’s Army for ACTIVE duty. Be and stay ACTIVE, because passivity ENSURES defeat.
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