Living in the power available through Jesus Christ is an intentional effort of faith. Faith is necessary in order to defeat the devil in spiritual warfare, to overcome the thoughts that impede our faith and, most importantly, to access the power available to us as believers. On a recent episode of The Power of Intimacy With Christ on the Charisma Podcast Network, I share how this requires your intentional decision to win the battles of spiritual warfare. Doing so demands an intentional fortification and focus on the Word of God with a tenacious confidence to win the war. Our adversary, the devil, is strategic and plots and plans against our lives for the purpose of robbing our faith and stealing our peace. Make the decision to win the small battles by knowing how to overcome his tricks; this secures winning the war. We have the victory in Christ, but it is one that must be taken by force with a violent faith that won’t be denied (see Matt. 11:12).
I am defining spiritual warfare as opposition by the demonic with the purpose to confront and steal our confidence in God. Both aggressive and subtle spiritual attacks against our faith cause us to doubt God, feel insecure and unable to walk and live in the peace and power of God. We must consider the strategies that our adversaries use to plot against our confidence in God and our overall success in His call on our lives. We must be wise. We must be dedicated to reading and believing the Bible and spiritually strategic for developing an understanding of the tactics planned against our maturity. Being prepared for spiritual warfare begins with learning to identify the strategies against us and rebuking them in full authority in Jesus’ name. Also, we must practice being strong in faith for overcoming everything that wars against our faith in God and in our ability to move and thrive in the Spirit. We must know who we are in God—and who God is in us—in order to maintain faith during spiritual warfare. An astute mindset developed through faithful thinking, acceptance of the power of faith within us and professing the Word with authority—sealing it in our minds with a statement or act of praise—is required to win the battles. Now, we stand no matter what attack or emotion may arise to provoke fear, without losing our confidence in victory. This occurs in the invisible world, and the demon world seeks to derail our confidence in God by provoking fear of the unknown.
To overcome the natural inclination to fear the spiritual realm, or the invisible unknown world, we must become a student of our thoughts and gird them up. Meaning, when they don’t align with the Word of God, we use intentionality to do the work of reforming those thoughts (1 Pet. 1:13). We resist and rebuke all defeating and doubt-based thoughts and images that enter our minds and spirits, understanding they are seeds of the enemy to be used against you. It means knowing God’s Word so we can proclaim it as a weapon of war against false and deceitful thoughts and wrongful words spoken to us and against us. We must speak Scriptures to empower our thoughts with the truth of God’s promises and protection. Also, let’s give the Holy Spirit permission to help us do the work for a power-filled life and to help us identify and overcome any seed of doubt and fear planted by the devil. This is necessary for victory in spiritual warfare. The power of God in us will rise to the occasion as we “faith it through.”
Spiritual warfare is won in the mind and empowers the spirit to power-filled faith that overcomes. To win, you must fight with faith in Jesus’ name. This power is heavily invested in using Jesus’ name and training your mind to declare God’s Word all the way to victory. Spiritual warfare demands that we spend time with Jesus in the Holy Spirit for learning how to live in the Spirit, the empowerment of faith and for discerning the voice of the Holy Spirit from the deceitful voice of the enemy. It is essentially important, to have a spirit of discernment developed and maturing in you so you can discern the activity of God and the mundanity of the day, from the wicked one. This dedication to maturity will situate you to win the battles of spiritual warfare, but you must respond in proclamation of faith, taking authority over it in Jesus’ name (Luke 10:19).
If you’re struggling with standing firm under spiritual opposition, listen to The Power of Intimacy With Christ on the Charisma Podcast Network now. {eoa}
L.A. Marzulli