My son loves to play video games. He is always telling me about
the different characters he chooses for each game. He also
describes the different weapons he loves to use to win those
games. It reminds me of the battle that we fight daily to win
against the schemes of the devil.
Ephesians 6: 10-18
10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand
against the devil's schemes.
12For 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.
13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day
of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after
you have done everything, to stand.
14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your
waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,
15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from
the gospel of peace.
16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with
which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God.
18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of
prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always
keep on praying for all the saints.
Although no one needs to remind us that spiritual warfare is not
a game, let us look at this battle and use the comparison of
playing a game. No one is exempt from spiritual warfare, so
remember even if you don’t want or like to be in this battle you
have no choice. So let’s prepare ourselves for battle and
remember to be strong.
Maximum Power is a Christian soldier in God’s military force. He
is required to use his resources in a way in which he escapes
the powers of evil. This information will describe the Christian
journey and the many obstacles we must overcome. It details the
power that has been given to us. Also, it described the power in
which we are given through prayer.
However while following the will of God, we are reminded of our
enemy and his method of interference. We are made aware of his
position in the heavenly realm. Also, we are reminded of our
duty and responsibility in order to face our enemies’ daily
attacks in our lives. We must always properly use our resources
and daily don our personal protective equipment along with our
fighting equipment in order to win this battle.
In this battle there are two sides, the fight for the force of
good and the fight for evil. Since our character (Maximum Power)
has chosen to fight for good, we need to know the principles or
standards we have chosen to win this game.
Goal: The goal of this game is to be strong, stand your ground,
and remain standing firm. It is not a one time position it is a
permanent position that we need to maintain the entire game. If
we are to stand firm, then we need know the principles upon
which we make our stand. We need to know what we are fighting
for.
The principle for this game is the pursuit of God’s will. As God
speaks to us and directs our lives our actions must change to
meet God’s plan for our lives. It is all part of our growth and
development within the Christian journey.
The church does not set the standard. God wants to have an
intimate and personal relationship with you. He wants to show
you what He expects of you. The church is one of the many
educational tools He uses to assist in this process but the
personal accountability for your spiritual journey is made
completely and entirely by God with the leading of His Holy
Spirit and the redemptive power of His son.
We don’t all have the same weaknesses. Some people may be strong
in one area and weak in another. This is the reason why God must
set the standard and determine what He wants, needs, and desires
to change at each particular time in our lives.
God wants to lead and guide us in the path that He has set
before us (Prov. 3:5-7). Sometimes we assume we know what we
need to change or what we should be doing with our life. If we
are asking for God’s standard, then He will give the knowledge,
wisdom and understand to complete the task He has set before us.
On the other hand, we may have the tendency to see the speck in
someone else’s eye and not realize we have a boulder in our own
eye (Matt 7:3-5, Luke 6:40-42). Either way whether we think we
know what is best for us or if we think we know what is best for
others, these two ways eliminate the real solution which is
finding God’s way and always seeking His perfect will and plan.
In summary, Maximum Power must stand firm for his entire
journey. Second his stand must be based on the standard God has
set before him since he is part of God’s military force. Now
let’s look at the equipment God has given us to protect
ourselves with and the equipment He has given us for fighting.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): There are five
different pieces of personal protective equipment God has given
us. However, God has supplied only one piece of fighting
equipment.
A. Helmet of Salvation (protects
brain which contain thoughts)
B. Breastplate of Righteousness
(protects our heart which needs to be guarded)
C. Feet fitted with readiness comes from the Gospel of
Peace ( protect our actions)
D. Belt of Truth buckled around you
waist (protects us from being deceived)
E. Shield of Faith (extinguishes all
flaming arrows of the evil one) this PPE protects us from
outside conflict. The other pieces of PPE are used for internal
sources of conflict the shield is used for outside conflicts.
Fighting Equipment (FE): Our only piece of fighting
equipment is the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God.
Hebrews 4:12
12For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any
double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and
spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes
of the heart.
PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) and FE (Fighting Equipment)
are part of our personal preparedness. The devil knows the word
of God (Matt. 4:6) so personal preparedness will not make
Maximum Power the winner of this game. Maximum Power must also
maintain and access the resources God has given him.
Maximum Power- Maximum Power was graciously blessed by
God with power.
Before we look at allies and his support team, let’s look at the
power and authority given by God through His son and imparted by
His Holy Spirit.
Maximum Power has an inheritance. God has given us power like
the power He gave His son Jesus when he raised him from the dead
and seated him at His right hand.
Ephesians 1: 18-23
18I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in
order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the
riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,
19and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That
power is like the working of his mighty strength,
20which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead
and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,
21far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and
every title that can be given, not only in the present age but
also in the one to come.
22And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to
be head over everything for the church,
23which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in
every way.
Ephesians chapter two deals with were we came from and that
through God’s grace we are saved from sin and death. It also
describes an enemy who we must deal with and is mentioned in
this paper under the of section of enemies. The chapter ends
with the assurance that we are all joined together under Jesus
Christ. We are God’s people and members of God’s household.
Ephesians 2:19-22
19Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but
fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's
household,
20built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with
Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.
21In him the whole building is joined together and rises to
become a holy temple in the Lord.
22And in him you too are being built together to become a
dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
In Romans chapter eight verse seventeen, it again states that we
are children of God and also heirs. Heirs mean that we have an
inheritance and it then states our inheritance is shared with
Jesus Christ. We are co-heirs with Christ. However in this
chapter it also deals with the Holy Spirit who is our ally. Now
let’s look at allies and the controversial support team which
are other resources must used in this battle.
Allies or Support Team: These are the other resources in
which we must depend upon in order to win this battle. Although
we have been given authority, this authority is generated by our
allies. They have given this power to us but in order to use
this power correctly we need their assistance. They include
God, Jesus, Holy Spirit and Angels.
These allies can only be activated through prayer. We must call
for these allies for assistance. The allies are the source of
this power; they know how to use this power. They can maintain
our standing firm position and keep us in God’s perfect will.
The support team is other Christians. They come with a
sin nature so remember that they may be used by God to assist or
may be used by our enemy to destroy. Only our allies know which
way they are being used. Always believe and trust the allies and
seek their guidance in all things.
A. God-The best way to describe God and His ability to
assist in this spiritual battle is to read Psalms 91.
Psalms 91
1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.]
2 I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust."
3 Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.
9 If you make the Most High your dwelling—
even the LORD, who is my refuge-
10 then no harm will befall you,
no disaster will come near your tent. 11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread upon the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
14 "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life will I satisfy him
and show him my salvation."
This describes God’s personal protection. This is such an
awesome example of God’s protection that Satan quoted verses 11
& 12 in Matt. 4:6 when he was with Jesus in the desert. This
passage is wonderful; even Satan finds it useful but we must
remember he uses the sword to promote his own agenda.
We can also read about God’s past, present and future power and
reputation. He created the universe with extreme intelligence
and attention to fine detail. He destroyed the earth with a
flood and saved enough of the world to have it rebuild itself
again. He saved the Israelites from Egypt. He dispenses justice
with patience and long suffering. He warns, rebukes, and
corrects. Also, He has angels at His command to guard and
protect us.
He is willing and able to help and assist in your current state
of affairs. He loves you and wants to dwell in you (I John
4:10-19). This also reminds us that we must love one another.
Also, His future power and reputation is recorded in the book of
Revelations.
Now that we know His power and reputation how can we access this
powerhouse? We approach His throne through prayer. As mentioned
in verse 18 of Ephesians 6 “And pray in the Spirit on all
occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in
mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints”.
Please read the article on prayer for more information. *
B. Jesus- is our High Priest and the mediator of the new
covenant. We would not be able to approach the throne of God
without the blood He shed on Calvary. In Hebrews it talks about
the old covenant and then it explains the new covenant which is
superior to the old one.
Hebrews 8:1-6
1The point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a
high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the
Majesty in heaven, 2and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up
by the Lord, not by man.
3Every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and
sacrifices, and so it was necessary for this one also to have
something to offer.
4If he were on earth, he would not be a priest, for there are
already men who offer the gifts prescribed by the law.
5They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is
in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to
build the tabernacle: "See to it that you make everything
according to the pattern shown you on the mountain."
6But the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs
as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old
one, and it is founded on better promises.
Also, we find with this new covenant that our High Priest is
sympathetic to our weaknesses because he was tempted in every
way but without sin. Although God cannot tolerate or look at
sin, Jesus realizes our weakness and covers us with his
righteous blood. So, we can receive mercy and grace when we
approach the throne of God.
Hebrews 4:14-16
14Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone
through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to
the faith we profess.
15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize
with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in
every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. 16Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence,
so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our
time of need.
Jesus is the link to God. He gives us the access to the throne
of God so we are able to access the power and authority God
gives his children. The old covenant incorporated a human High
Priest. The new covenant incorporates Jesus as the High Priest
or the mediator. Mediator means someone who works both sides of
a dispute in an attempt to reach an agreement. So our mediator
has provided us with a new covenant.
As we read about the Holy Spirit in the next section, we find
that we are joint heirs with Christ. Jesus Christ is the son of
God. This means we are also sons of God when we accept the new
covenant that God has given us.
C. Holy Spirit- the Holy Spirit deals with our sin
nature. Maximum Power has chosen to do God’s will but his sin
nature often attempts to overshadow the guidance of the Holy
Spirit. Romans 8:5-17 tells us what the Holy Spirit does to
facilitate this issue.
Romans 8:5-17
5 Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds
set on what that nature desires; but those who live in
accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the
Spirit desires.
6 The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by
the Spirit is life and peace;
7 the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's
law, nor can it do so.
8 Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. 9 You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but
by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone
does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to
Christ.
10 But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin,
yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness.
11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is
living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give
life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.
12 Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to
the sinful nature, to live according to it.
13 For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die;
but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body,
you will live, 14 because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of
God.
15 For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again
to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we
cry, "Abba, Father."
16The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's
children. 17Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and
co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in
order that we may also share in his glory.
Remember this when it comes to fighting our sin nature. This is
an enemy that we must encounter and deal with daily. We become
the sons of God if we are led by the Spirit. We must walk to be
led. We must actively participate in choosing life. The Holy
Spirit does not walk for us he shows us where to go. The Holy
Spirit helps us put to death the misdeeds of the body.
D. Angels- they are directed by God to perform different
acts of service and are also give the power and authority to
carry out these actions. There are numerous references to angels
in the Bible. We know that they can guard, protect, destroy and
complete assignments given by God. (Ps. 91:11, Ex. 14:19, Ex.
32:340, Matt1:20, Matt 24:31, Luke 1:13). Elijah and Jesus were
ministered to by angels (Matt4:11, I Kings 19:3-9). The list of
assignment is extremely long but it suffices to say they perform
the tasks God has given them.
There are different titles for positions held in heaven. There
are destroying angels, chief princes and archangels (Ps 78:39,
Daniel 10:13, I Thess. 4:16). Each is given different authority
and different responsibility. For this game, we need to ask God
for His will and these authorities will be activated on our
behalf.
Because we are discussing spiritual warfare, there are three
areas in the Bible that we need to make a special notation. The
first is that in the heavenly realm you are being evaluated. The
second is that sometimes angels’ messages can be delayed by
other spiritual beings that come against them. The third is that
sons of God go before the throne of God but so does Satan. We
will discuss this third area of interest when we talk about our
enemies.
In the book of Daniel, we are given insight to the power and
position of angels. Gabriel was sent by God to Daniel. He was
obviously one of God’s messengers. Before he gave the message to
Daniel, he tells Daniel that he is highly esteemed.
The reason I mentioned this passage is because it shows that
although Daniel was a human being he was given credit for being
valuable in the heavenly realm. He was highly esteemed by the
heavenly realm.
Daniel 9:20-23
20 While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the
sin of my people Israel and making my request to the LORD my God
for his holy hill-
21 while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in
the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of
the evening sacrifice.
22 He instructed me and said to me, "Daniel, I have now come to
give you insight and understanding.
23 As soon as you began to pray, an answer was given, which I
have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed. Therefore,
consider the message and understand the vision:
Another example of this was in Paul’s time, seven sons of Sceva
were driving out an evil spirit when the spirit replied “Jesus I
know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?” Jesus was
recognized each and every time by the demons but in this passage
we are aware of the fact that Paul is also recognized by demons.
What is your evaluation in the heavenly realm?
Acts 19: 13-16
13Some 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."
14Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this.
15(One day) the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and
I know about Paul, but who are you?"
16Then 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.
In this case the best advice is to always seek God’s will first.
This demon could not have done this if God did not allow it.
These men were saying the right words but not with the authority
given by God. So, repeating words does not give you authority
that is given solely and completely by God. Seek His face and
His will always.
Again in Daniel, he sees another angel in which he describes his
appearance. We are then given insight to the princes and powers
in the heavenly realms. We are told that Michael is one of the
chief princes meaning there is more than one chief prince and
that his help was needed in order for this message to arrive to
Daniel. This confirms Ephesians 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.”
This informs us that angels are in this spiritual battle as well
because there is evil in the heavenly realm. Please take this
seriously. Keep plugged in and tuned in to God’s will so our
assignment is completed and done for the glory of God.
Daniel 10:4-14
4 On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing
on the bank of the great river, the Tigris,
5I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen,
with a belt of the finest gold around his waist. 6 His body was like chrysolite, his face like lightning, his
eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of
burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude.
7 I, Daniel, was the only one who saw the vision; the men with
me did not see it, but such terror overwhelmed them that they
fled and hid themselves.
8 So I was left alone, gazing at this great vision; I had no
strength left, my face turned deathly pale and I was helpless.
9 Then I heard him speaking, and as I listened to him, I fell
into a deep sleep, my face to the ground.
10 A hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees.
11 He said, "Daniel, you who are highly esteemed, consider
carefully the words I am about to speak to you, and stand up,
for I have now been sent to you." And when he said this to me, I
stood up trembling.
12 Then he continued, "Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first
day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble
yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come
in response to them. 13 But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me
twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to
help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia.
14 Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your
people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to
come."
So do not underestimate the power of angels because they hold
titles and position in the heavenly realms. You will be reminded
of this when we discuss enemies because to win this battle we
need all these allies. Now we are going to discuss our support
team.
E. Christians- this is your support team. This one comes
with weaknesses. Please remember that the Allies you have in
this battle can always be trusted and used for good but this
support team deals with the sin nature just like Maximum Power.
In the Old Testament I am reminded of the story of the prophet
who had a word from the Lord (I Kings 13). He did everything God
had told him to do but on his way home another prophet told him
that one of God’s angel’s had told him to come to his house.
However, this prophet lied. While he was with this lying
prophet, the lying prophet had a word from the Lord that the man
whom God had given the original instructions to come to Israel
would be punished for his disobedience.
What bothered me the most about this story is that I do not see
the punishment for the lying prophet. I wanted to see the
punishment for the lying prophet not just the disobedient
prophet. But then I am reminded that God is just and He always
knows what He is doing (Jer. 9:23-24).
However, this story should evoke reverential fear in all of us.
It shows us something much more significant. It reminds us that
we need to always obey God. He comes first no matter what anyone
says. So if you know God told you something to do then do it. He
is the one who truly matters.
So remember that God has given each of us an independent
assignment in which we are to complete. Please do not choose to
listen to outside influences. God must always come first. To add
some clarity to this subject, God would not ask us to do
something contrary to His written word. So we not only need to
read His word regularly, we need to ask for His Holy Spirit so
we can understand the word of God.
Enemy: Our enemies are the devil, princes of power of
evil, demons and our sin nature. There are different
approaches the enemy uses against us. Although denial is one of
the many coping mechanics used to protect us from unacceptable
situations, denial can cost us everything God has for us.
Another tool used by our enemies is apathy. We seem to think
because we are given power and authority we do not have to do
anything, God does it all. This is totally untrue. We are to
ask, seek and knock (Matt 7:7-12, Luke 11:5-13). You must also
realize that our PPE must be put on this requires us to actively
participate.
Let’s look at this from a soldier’s point of view. You are a
member of the armed forces. Each branch of the military has a
different mission but the goal is the same. They each must
defend and protect this country.
The Air Force’s strength is to protect and defend the air. The
Navy’s strength is to protect and defend the sea. The Army and
Marines strength is to protect and defend the land. So we have
covered all the areas of our country which is air, water, and
land.
They are given instructions to follow along with PPE and FE (MOPP
gear, gas mask, weapons etc…). If they do not follow the
instructions or forget to put on the PPE, who is responsible for
this lack of defense? They are given the authority and the power
but if they do not access the available resources the outcome
can be a huge catastrophe; the enemy may win the battle.
The same is true with us and our fight in the spiritual realm.
We have the PPE, FE, and the power and authority to fight the
devil and his schemes but we must protect and defend our
position in order to maintain God’s perfect will.
The best example of this was in the Old Testament. King
Jehoshaphat was about to be attacked by his enemy. The enemy
they were up against had the reputation for winning. He was
afraid. He called upon God.
II Chronicles 20
5 Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and
Jerusalem at the temple of the LORD in the front of the new
courtyard
6 and said: "O LORD, God of our fathers, are you not the God who
is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations.
Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you.
7 O our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land
before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants
of Abraham your friend?
8 They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary for
your Name, saying,
9 'If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or
plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this
temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our
distress, and you will hear us and save us.'
10 "But now here are men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, whose
territory you would not allow Israel to invade when they came
from Egypt; so they turned away from them and did not destroy
them.
11 See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the
possession you gave us as an inheritance.
12 O our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to
face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to
do, but our eyes are upon you."
13 All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and
little ones, stood there before the LORD.
King Jehoshaphat acknowledged God and His powerful position. He
then reminds God of the inheritance He had promised them. He
also states that these nations were to be destroyed. He asked
for God’s justice. Then the spirit of God came on Jahaziel.
14 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel son of
Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of
Mattaniah, a Levite and descendant of Asaph, as he stood in the
assembly.
Then God gives His answer. He does not say stay at home and
relax. God says march down against them, climb up the Pass of
Ziz, you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of
Jeruel. They are to go out and face them tomorrow.
15 He said: "Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in
Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: 'Do not
be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the
battle is not yours, but God's.
16 Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by
the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge
in the Desert of Jeruel.
17 You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your
positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give
you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be
discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be
with you.' "
Needless to say, God takes care of the battle the only job they
had to do was to go where God told them to go and stand firm.
When they arrived all they did for three days was collect
plunder. What do you think would have happened if they were too
afraid to leave their house? Although God did all the work, King
Jehoshaphat did have to show courage and leave his house and go
where God told him to go. He trusted God and had faith in God.
22 As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes
against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were
invading Judah, and they were defeated.
23 The men of Ammon and Moab rose up against the men from Mount
Seir to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished
slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one
another. 24 When the men of Judah came to the place that overlooks the
desert and looked toward the vast army, they saw only dead
bodies lying on the ground; no one had escaped.
25 So Jehoshaphat and his men went to carry off their plunder,
and they found among them a great amount of equipment and
clothing and also articles of value—more than they could take
away. There was so much plunder that it took three days to
collect it.
26 On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Beracah,
where they praised the LORD. This is why it is called the Valley
of Beracah to this day.
So, we know that we must not deny the existence of the enemy.
Also we must not be apathetic to his works. We must take an
active role in doing the will of God. We must always do what God
tells us to do.
A. Devil or Satan: Now, the enemy is the devil and his
schemes. He does not reveal himself in flesh and blood. He does
not have a physical form to attack. He creates situations or
schemes that snare us.
However, we have already stated that the sons of God go before
the throne of God. Now we are going to read the passage of
scripture which states that Satan approaches God’s throne.
Job 1:6-12
6 One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD,
and Satan also came with them.
7 The LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan
answered the LORD, "From roaming through the earth and going
back and forth in it."
8 Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant
Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and
upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil."
9 "Does Job fear God for nothing?" Satan replied. 10 "Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and
everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so
that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land.
11 But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and
he will surely curse you to your face."
12 The LORD said to Satan, "Very well, then, everything he has
is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger."
Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.
There are a few points in this scripture to think about. The
first is Satan said he was roaming through the earth. This is
also mentioned in the New Testament
I Peter 5:8-9
8Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls
around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
9Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that
your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind
of sufferings.
So we know that he is looking and watching us. We must always be
self-controlled and alert.
Another important point of interest is that God had a hedge
around him. Remember when we were discussing God and His
protection. The devil is aware of this protection. Do you think
it is important? If the devil is worried about it, it must be
extremely important. He knows that he cannot penetrate this
barrier without God’s expressed permission. He would have never
asked God if Satan could have done this under his own authority.
The final point of interest is that Satan approached the Throne
of God twice. We have just read about his first approach in the
first chapter of Job. The second chapter of Job, Satan again
approaches the throne of God again with the sons of God. He
again was roaming the earth. He then asked God to allow him to
create physical discomfort for Job. Satan was sure this would
make Job curse God. He was wrong. Job remained a righteous man
of God even through testing.
B. Princes of power of evil- this is best described in Daniel 10:13 But the prince of the Persian kingdom
resisted me twenty-one days…. This scripture talks
about an angel who was unable to get to Daniel sooner because of
the prince of the Persian kingdom had delayed him 21 days.
Michael the chief prince assists this angel and he then gave the
message to Daniel. This tells us that evil is in the heavenly
realm and that just like the angel they too have titles and
positions. They have princes of power who do evil.
In Ephesians we hear about another ruler of the kingdom of the
air. We assume this is the devil but we know that there are
powers and rulers of evil other than the devil. The devil roams
around the earth. This gives the impression of covering the
land. This other ruler would be covering the air. It makes you
wonder if someone is covering the water.
Ephesians 2:1-10
1As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,
2in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this
world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the
spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.
3All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the
cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and
thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.
4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in
mercy,
5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in
transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.
6And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the
heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,
7in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable
riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ
Jesus.
8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this
not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—
9not by works, so that no one can boast.
10For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do
good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
The rest of this scripture assures us of our position in God’s
kingdom. He says because God loved us by grace we are saved. We
are raised up with Christ in the heavenly realms. This passage
reminds us that it is through God’s grace that we are saved. Now
we must look at another enemy. The demons which can possess our
body.
C. Demons- as mentioned before Jesus was recognized by
the demons. His ministry entailed a great deal of encounters
with the demons which had possessed human bodies. The demons
would always cry out because they recognized Jesus’ power and
position. This was very distressing because the demons knew who
they were dealing with but only a few of the people around Jesus
knew who He was and what power He possessed.
Here is one passage in which demons possessed animals. They
entered swine and the swine ran off the cliff and died.
Matt. 8:28-32
28When he arrived at the other side in the region of the
Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met
him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. 29"What do you want with us, Son of God?" they shouted. "Have
you come here to torture us before the appointed time?"
30Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding.
31The demons begged Jesus, "If you drive us out, send us into
the herd of pigs."
32He said to them, "Go!" So they came out and went into the
pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the
lake and died in the water.
D. Sin Nature – Paul deals with this subject. Although we
have been given PPE, FE, power, and authority, we still have
sinful desires. Paul states is best in
Romans 7: 14-25
14We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold
as a slave to sin.
15I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not
do, but what I hate I do.
16And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is
good.
17As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin
living in me.
18I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful
nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot
carry it out.
19For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do
not want to do—this I keep on doing.
20Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do
it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
21So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is
right there with me.
22For in my inner being I delight in God's law;
23but I see another law at work in the members of my body,
waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner
of the law of sin at work within my members.
24What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of
death?
25Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I
myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful
nature a slave to the law of sin.
Maximum power is a soldier in God’s military. He knows his goal
which is to stand firm and do the will of God. He has PPE, FE,
protection, power, and authority which are given to him by his
allies which are God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, and angels. He has a
support team which includes other Christians. His enemies
include Satan, princes of power, demons, and his sin nature.
As Christians we participate in spiritual warfare everyday. Our
final thought should be these verses found in I Corinthians. It
assures us that God is faithful and will not allow us to be
tempted beyond what we can bear. So, we will be tempted,
challenged, and tested but remember God is faithful. But as
soldiers in His military force, remember to seek His perfect
will at all times and stand firm.
I Corinthians 10:11-13
11These things happened to them as examples and were written
down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has
come.
12So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you
don't fall!
13No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And
God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you
can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way
out so that you can stand up under it.
