Every hour we draw closer to the perfection of our faith, upon that great morning when Jesus’ feet once again stand on the surface of the earth. And as each moment ticks by, the need to be fully nourished and fortified in God’s spoken Word only builds toward the moment we meet God’s Living Word.
The Modern English Version Spiritual Warfare Edition of the Bible arrives for the Fall of 2024 in a newly revised presentation with abundant practical wisdom for training as well as overcoming the spreading darkness in the world. Leading authors and ministry figures have contributed sermons and writings that sharpen this new MEV, including Isaiah Saldivar, Alexander Pagani, John Eckhardt, Jennifer LeClaire, Greg Locke and John Ramirez.
Jesus Commissioned You to Cast Out Demons
How to Cast Out Demons, by Isaiah Saldivar
Jesus gave three main commissions when it came to casting out demons.
The first commission is in Matthew 10:5–8 when He calls His 12 apostles to cast out demons. Note that He did not ask them to do this; He told them to. Now, you might be thinking, “Isaiah, I’m not one of the 12 apostles. This doesn’t apply to me!” Let’s keep going.
The second commission is in Luke 10:17–20, where Jesus sends out the 72 disciples and they return saying: “Lord, even the demons submit to us in Your name.” These were not the 12 apostles. These were 72 disciples. You still might say, “But Isaiah, this doesn’t apply to me! I’m not one of the 72 disciples.” Let’s keep going.
The third commission in Mark 16:15–18 applies to every believer. It says the first sign of a believer is that they will cast out demons—not they might, not they can, but they will! To me the text is clear: This is for every believer.
It saddens me how many Christians see their friends and family being demonized and choose to do nothing about it. When will you get tired of seeing everyone around you in bondage while you have the answer? The Bible says in Romans 8:11 that you have the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead, living in you. You do not have a weaker, lesser version of the Holy Spirit; you have the same Spirit that raised Christ inside you! So, let’s get to work! It’s time to go to war against the forces of darkness that keep our friends and families in bondage.
Going Deeper in Deliverance
The Secrets to Deliverance, by Alexander Pagani
Freedom is your inheritance in Christ. It’s what Jesus came to earth to give freely to those willing to receive it. First John 3:8 tells us that “For this purpose the Son of God was revealed, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” Demons love mediocrity and apathy. They thrive off believers having no passion to pursue freedom. But when the true kingdom of God has arrived, it will interfere with the kingdom of darkness. It will aggressively confront what has remained hidden for years. Digging disturbs what’s been living in undisturbed areas. When we dig deeper and unearth what’s been hiding, it causes a disruption. There will be minor manifestations of resistance. Don’t be alarmed. These are demonic tactics to get you to stop digging. Whatever you do, don’t stop digging until every last work of the devil in your life has been destroyed.
The Jezebel Spirit Is Manipulative
God Still Speaks, by John Eckhardt
Just as Ahab’s wife Jezebel was notorious for being very manipulative, so is the Jezebel spirit. Prophets can discern and expose subtle manipulation through teaching, false prophecy and flattery. The influence of the Jezebel spirit will always be seen in false teaching and efforts to control decisions. It may also involve witchcraft, seduction and sexual sin. Obviously a church cannot remain healthy with the influence of a seducing Jezebel spirit. This spirit seduces believers, leading them astray, misleading them. The Jezebel spirit causes churches to be guided more by the flesh than by the Spirit. The spirit of Jezebel draws the whole church away from purity and interferes with true worship. When a Jezebel spirit is present, spirits of perversion, adultery, immorality and fornication will run rampant in a body of people. Slander and gossip are the marks of this spirit. Churches under the influence of a Jezebel spirit will go astray in their doctrine. Dangerous false teaching and heresy will affect the lifestyles of the saints and even once-strong assemblies will find themselves in a broken-down, weakened condition.
Shut Your Ears to the Accuser of the Brethren
101 Tactics for Spiritual Warfare, by Jennifer LeClaire
In Revelation 12:10 we see that one of Satan’s names is the accuser of the brethren. He accuses you before God. He accuses you before other people. He accuses God to you. Satan will accuse you amid warfare with condemning thoughts, thoughts of inadequacy and other thoughts that work to rob your joy, which is where your strength comes from. Satan is a master at the blame game. He’ll have you angry with anybody and everybody. He’ll put the trap of offense in front of you to tempt you into unforgiveness, knowing that resentment dilutes your ability to hear and exercise your authority over his schemes. You must shut your ears to his accusations. How you respond to mistreatment is one of the most important aspects of your spiritual life. When you respond the right way, you climb higher— or go deeper— in the Spirit. By contrast, when you respond the wrong way, you get bitter. Over time that bitterness will defile your spirit and dull your ability to sense the presence of God or hear His voice.
The Whole Armor of God
Weapons of Our Warfare, by Greg Locke
When Paul wrote that we had to put on the whole armor of God (Eph. 6:11), he was trying to ensure we didn’t think any of it was optional. You cannot expect to be fully protected unless you obey the command to put on all of it, not just the parts and pieces you pick and choose for any given day or crisis. The rest of Ephesians 6:11 tells us the purpose of the armor is to protect us and empower us as we stand against the devil’s wiles—his trickery, deception and schemes. The devil doesn’t care what you believe as long as it’s not the truth, so he uses deception and lies to build pathways into your soul. He strategically constructs these paths by distorting truth, enticing you with false promises and exploiting your vulnerabilities. If you put on the whole armor of God to stand righteously, you’ll be equipped to stand through every attack, and you won’t fall prey to the enemy’s schemes.
Under Demonic Influence
Cast It Out, by Greg Locke
Critics of deliverance ministry claim it is impossible for a Christian to suffer demonic oppression, and they believe the Bible itself says so. They point to 1 Corinthians 6:19, which says believers are the “temple of the Holy Spirit,” which we absolutely are. But in the context of the passage, we see that Paul is explicitly talking about sexual immorality and is reminding us that we should never desecrate our bodies (our temples) with perversity like fornication. Not one time does the Word of God say that a Christian cannot be under the influence of a demonic spirit. In fact, since we know that idolatry and perversity are examples of how we wrestle against spiritual wickedness (Eph. 6:12), such struggles are evidence that evil spirits can attack our minds and bodies.
Prayers That Defeat the Enemy Through the Blood of Jesus
Fire Prayers, by John Ramirez
Father, I thank You for the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. I have been baptized in His blood, for me and my house, my child(ren) and my family and everything with which You have entrusted me.
Holy Spirit, as I pray these prayers, make me stealthy in the spirit realm so I can operate against the kingdom of darkness and whatever monitoring system it has against me. Thank You that any such system will disappear. I will accomplish my victory through the blood of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Let the blood of the cross stand between me and my past, present and future. Let every demonic assignment of the devil be destroyed today, in Jesus’ name.
By the blood of Jesus Christ, I destroy, paralyze and conquer all demonic assignments against my purpose, destiny, family, ministry and finances. I smite every demon’s head with Jesus’ blood, destroying every plot and scheme against me. I stand on the victory side of the finished work of the cross, in Jesus’ name.
Let the power of the blood of Jesus Christ be released into the atmosphere around and in me, to destroy every fiery dart, every astral-projecting devil from the second and first heaven and every demon on the ground. Let the fire of the Holy Spirit rain on them now, in Jesus’ name.
Let the power of the blood of Jesus Christ release me from every form of spiritual incarceration and every incarcerating mindset in my heart, spirit and soul. I am free now, in Jesus’ name.
Let every unholy door that I have opened to the enemy, whether consciously or unconsciously, be sealed shut now, by the blood of Jesus Christ.
I stand on God’s Word, covered by Jesus’ blood, and I declare over my life and being, from the crown of my head to the soles of my feet, that I will be unshakable and unmovable. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Let the blood of Jesus Christ strengthen, quicken and establish me in every area of my life. In Jesus’ name, amen.
I declare the blood of Jesus Christ against every portal, gateway and open door of demonic assignment over my life. Let it be destroyed and sealed shut forever, in Jesus’ name.
Let the blood of Jesus Christ stand in front of me, beside me and behind me as a shield against every satanic wile, plot and scheme. I will triumph and be victorious, and I will reach my destiny, in Jesus’ name.
Let every evil seed the devil has planted or will try to plant in my life be destroyed. Let it shrivel up and die, in the name of Jesus.
I apply the blood of Jesus over my house, marriage, child(ren), family and health and over every divine opportunity in my life. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Let every demonic strategy and satanic assignment against my life drown in the blood of Jesus.
I draw a line of protection around me, in me and through me everywhere I go. No weapon formed against me will prosper (Isa. 54:17), and no devil will be able to stand in my way. In the mighty name of Jesus Christ, amen.
I curse all satanic operations of witches, warlocks and occult devils against my destiny. I destroy them all with the blood of Jesus.
Let the fire of the Holy Spirit fall on the head of every demonic power that is trying to frustrate or stop God’s plan for my life. Confuse the devil’s camp, Lord. Let the demons attack one another. Release my purpose and my destiny now, in Jesus’ name.
I release warring angels from Michael’s quarter to destroy every demonic strategy the enemy has planned for me this year. Let it be annihilated and pulverized, never to rise against me in any way. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Father, I give You the praise and glory for what You have done in my life, both the things I know about and the things I don’t. I thank You in the untouchable, all-powerful name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
MEV Spiritual Warfare Bible commentaries furnished by leading authors and ministry figures who contributed sermons, book excerpts and other writings.
