"When Adam and Eve fell, they relinquished
rulership of the earth to Satan, a fallen angelic
being. Spiritual warfare is the reversal of
that procedure. It is the unseen power encounter
between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of
darkness. Through prayer, fasting and exercising
the authority of Christ and His cross, believers
indwelt and empowered by the Holy Spirit are
forcing angelic beings to relinquish rulership
of the earth!" Eddie and Alice Smith
The
enemy does not like intercession, because we exercise
our authority in Christ when we pray. It is
one of the greatest things he will attack. I have
been to so many prayer meetings over the years
that were stopped or hindered because of enemy
attack. Let us realize that our fight is not against
flesh and blood. It is an attack in the spiritual
realm and is an unseen power encounter between
two kingdoms. I have personally felt the attack
of the enemy in Intercessors Arise over the past
few years. He does not want intercessors to arise
or unite in prayer. He is on an all out attack
to stop us, because he knows that there is power
in united intercession. There is power in even
one intercessor that knows his/her authority in
prayer. Please do not take your prayers and intercession
as a small ministry of no importance. The enemy
knows full well how mighty you are in pulling
down his strongholds, and he will try to intimidate,
discourage, divide or defeat you. Let us pray
for one another that our faith will not fail in
times of intense warfare.
"Doubt.
Deception. Discouragement. Division. It's time
for the church to stop accepting these enemy
strikes as natural. Spiritual warfare is a reality
that the church must face. It won't go away
on its own - but it can be dealt with through
prayer."
Below
are ways you can personally maintain victory in
spiritual warfare. I am especially emphasizing
warfare in the area of relationships in our lives.
This has to do with how we see God, how we see
ourselves, and how we see and relate to others.
Many times we are blinded to the ways that the
enemy is trying to get us. I find that these reminders
are extremely helpful when I am under attack.
They may seem basic, but they have huge significance
and perhaps are the greatest hindrances to the
enemy's success in defeating us.
"The church must do all it can to protect
unity and destroy division. A local congregation
becomes well prepared to resist the enemy when,
finding itself in a conflict, people begin to
ask the question, 'What is the enemy trying
to do here?' Then, turning to the Lord, each
asks an even more important question: 'Lord,
how do we counter these attacks of divisiveness
against your people?'"
How to Maintain Victory in Warfare
- Love
God with all your heart, and abide in Him
- I find that loving God is the most important
thing in life. I am personally, by nature, a
warrior but my relationship with God is the
best antidote against the enemies flaming missiles.
We must know God intimately, and abide in that
intimacy. "If you remain in me and my words
remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it
will be given you" (John 15:7).
- Know
in your heart the sovereignty and greatness
of God - Speak out the attributes of God,
and praise him daily. Worship is a powerful
form of warfare. "Therefore God exalted him
to the highest place and gave him the name that
is above every name, that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth
and under the earth, and every tongue confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God"
(Phil. 2:9-11).
-
Know your identity in Christ - Your identity
in Christ is the enemy's strategy of attack
against you. Know in your heart God's incredible
love for you. You are the beloved of God, a
royal priest, the apple of God's eye, etc. Remind
yourself of these things. "For you created my
inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's
womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and
wonderfully made" (Psalm 139:13-14).
- Depend
on God's wisdom and not your own - Understand
the ways of God, and rely on His sufficiency.
"I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the
Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you
may know him better" (Ephesians 1:17).
- Know
God's Word as your weapons against the enemy's
lies
- The Bible is your main defensive, for it is
the truth that sets free. Pick up your shield
of faith, and protect your mind with the helmet
of salvation. Speak out truth and faith. Strongholds
come in through the mind, and God's Word is
a mighty weapon against them. "Then you will
know the truth, and the truth will set you free"
(John 8:32).
- Grow
in holiness and humility - Humility enables
you to receive the grace of God. It is opposite
of the enemy. When you are submitted to God,
the enemy flees. "Therefore, I urge you, brothers,
in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies
as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God
- this is your spiritual act of worship" (Romans
12:1).
- Guard
your relationships, and practice peace and love
- Know the power of words, and watch your tongue
carefully. Speak life words of peace and love
rather than death words. Watch all criticism.
"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil;
cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another
in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves"
(Romans 12:9-10).
- Forgive
quickly, and walk in unity
- Learn to forgive quickly, and bless others.
We can have no authority over a nation, city,
or area when we have unforgiveness in our hearts.
Release forgiveness and blessings to all. "Bear
with each other and forgive whatever grievances
you may have against one another. Forgive as
the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues
put on love, which binds them together in perfect
unity" (Colossians 3:13-14).
-
Grow in the area of prayer and fasting - Learn
to exercise the authority you have in Christ.
Extended times in prayer and fasting increase
spiritual authority. You are seated with Christ.
"And God raised us up with Christ and seated
us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ
Jesus" (Ephesians 2:6).
I
personally believe that the uniting and training
of intercessors will have a dramatic effect in
bringing in the world harvest. It is as we unite
together that God can bring great breakthrough
against the powers of darkness. Each of us need
others to pray for us personally as we are involved
in the ministry of intercession. Let we pray the
above for all intercessors and their churches.
It would even a greater benefit to you personally
if you would memorize these verses. Additional
verses to study about spiritual warfare are in
Ephesians
6:10-20.
The
real danger for us is not the enemy's schemes,
but being unaware of them - and thus, unprotected
from them. We tend to approach difficulties
in the church as though they are 'natural' things.
But when churches divide over whether to use
hymns or contemporary choruses, it's not natural.
When a flock turns on its shepherd, it's not
natural. When saints, called to live in love
and peace, spend their time criticizing and
accusing one another, it's not natural. The
devil has come to church." Unnamed quotes by
David Butts
For
additional training on warfare prayer; how fasting
intensifies prayer, breaking strongholds over
cities and nations, opening wide the gates into
nations and how to pray for country leaders, read
the book called Intercessors Arise - Book 2
by Debbie Przybylski.
Training
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