Spiritual Warfare

John 10:10

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

This is the key verse when it comes to spiritual warfare.  We are caught in a tug of war between two kingdoms.  One wants to destroy us by any means possible, the other wants to bless us to the fullest.  We need to chose sides or else the outcome will be unfavorably decided for us.  To start out with, let’s look at what spiritual warfare is not.

What Spiritual Warfare is Not.

Spiritual Warfare is not a game that should be entered into lightly.  Its outcome is completely on our relationship with God and our dependence on His power.  It is not something to be entered into in our own strength or wisdom.  If we do, the demons will laugh in our face.  Worse yet, we will suffer the consequences in our flesh.

Acts 19:13-16

Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, "In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out." Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. [One day] the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?" Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.

Many people think that Spiritual Warfare is getting together, waving banners, marching around stomping on Satan’s head, mocking him and singing songs about spiritual warfare and defeating the devil. 

Jude 6, 8-10

And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home-these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day…

In the very same way, these dreamers pollute their own bodies, reject authority and slander celestial beings. But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!"   Yet these men speak abusively against whatever they do not understand; and what things they do understand by instinct, like unreasoning animals-these are the very things that destroy them.

Again, this is treading on dangerous ground as we are exceeding the authority that has been given to us and it enters into a realm that is reserved for God and ultimately for Jesus.  It is not our place to revile or rebuke Satan.  Satan is being allowed by God a certain amount of authority and power until the final judgment when he will be cast in the lake of fire forever.

Rev 20:10

And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

When we get into reviling celestial beings, heaping verbal abuse upon them, railing against them or angrily presuming to rebuke them, we are departing Jesus’ teachings and have become like the enemy against whom we wrestle.  Even Jesus treated Satan courteously but firmly when He was tempted in the desert. 

Matt 4:1-11

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread."

Jesus answered, "It is written: `Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"

Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written:

"`He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'"

Jesus answered him, "It is also written: `Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'"

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me."

Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: `Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'"

Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

Jesus, the Son of God, did not allow pride to get the better of him and knew his place.

Phil 2:5-8

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God,

did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing,

taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death- even death on a cross!

 Not so Satan, spiritual pride is what caused his fall in the first place.

 Isa 14:12-15

How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your heart, I will ascend to heaven;
 will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain.   I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High."  But you are brought down to the grave, to the depths of the pit.

 We put ourselves at risk not only from Satan, but from God, when we think that we have the authority to revile, rebuke or mock Satan. 

 t is also important to know that he did not fall alone.  When he fell he took a lot of high-ranking angels with him.  These he set up over regions.

 Eph 6:12

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

 In the end will reign as co-heirs with Jesus and we will sit in judgment with Him.  In the meantime we need to realize that angels are celestial beings who were created before us and rank higher than us in the heavenly realms and therefore are to be treated with respect.

 Heb 2:6-7

What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the angels;

 Even the fallen angels occupy the second heaven.

 On the other hand, some people give Satan and his demons too much respect by paying them too much attention.  They seem to spend more time and attention on the devil than they do worshipping God and doing Kingdom work. They see a demon under every doily and they erroneously measure spiritual growth by the number of deliverances.