Eagles Wings Ministries

Principles Of Spiritual Warfare

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An Introduction To
Spiritual Warfare




(Before we start this lesson, I would like to say that during my ministry trips to
various countries I have come across every possible stance towards this area
of ministry, from extremely over the top to extremely passive and all stages in
between. What I would like to emphasise here is balance, as in all things.
Jesus was the most balanced person to have ever lived and He wants us to
live as He lived - remain focused on God at ALL times in whatever we are
doing. Do not become "darkness focused" in your dealings with the enemy
and strike a path that God directs, and not one that we may think or perceive
is the right one.

This brief introduction to a very complex subject is meant to give a
foundational understanding of this subject before we launch further into the
training manual).


What is Spiritual Warfare?

Spiritual warfare is a very controversial subject and there are many different
stances that are taken by Christians around the world from one extreme to the
other and everything in between.

Although the subject of spiritual warfare is a very in-depth one and will be
studied much further, in this introductory lesson I want to lay a foundation for
you that will hopefully help to bring balance to this area of our Christian walk.


Spiritual warfare can be defined as a non-passive action aimed at
advancing the Kingdom of God, through worship, prayer,
the Word of God, acts of faith and our witness.


This can either apply on a personal or corporate level. As
we engage in spiritual warfare, it is important for us to
realise that Jesus has already won the victory, and now it
is up to us to stand in that victory and use the keys that He
has given to us.

We are called to engage in spiritual warfare, but we must
have a correct and balanced understanding of what
spiritual warfare actually is, and it is often this lack of
understanding that makes people take a stand against
spiritual warfare or else go over the top on the offensive.
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There are basically 2 types of warfare, and these are:

Aggression: defined as to attack without provocation and

Resistance: defined as to withstand the action or effect of another force.

Both of these types of warfare are found in human physical warfare. For
example, a nation may attack another without the nation being attacked
having done anything to provoke such an attack, whilst the nation being
attacked will resist the attacking force.

Read the accounts of God's people engaging in earthly warfare contained in
such books as Exodus, Joshua, 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings and 1 & 2
Chronicles. When we read these accounts of earthly warfare, we can also
learn important lessons for spiritual warfare.

In spiritual warfare, God may call us to go on the offensive in the spiritual
realm and/or the defensive (aggression or resistance). When we worship God,
prophesy and intercede, we are entering into both types of warfare. We are
attacking because we are claiming ground, even by the very act of
worshipping God (as we worship God and lift up the name of Jesus, the
spiritual realm changes, as at times does the natural environment around us).
We may be dead set against the idea of spiritual warfare, but when we
worship God in spirit and truth and when we make intercession on behalf of
others, we are changing the spiritual environment around us for the better,
and by so doing we are claiming back ground and advancing.

Our spiritual warfare is our appropriation of what Jesus
did for us on the cross of Calvary. Satan and his demons
have been stripped of their power, but the doorways that
they have had into our lives need the keys that Jesus
has given to us in order to open them and deal with what
is behind them, for instance curses and demonic
inhabitation (read Isaiah 53). It is no good for us to have
keys if we never use them. Worship is one of the most
powerful keys.

Before Calvary, God used these keys to bring His people into freedom from
curses, demonic attack, territorial spirits, etc. Post Calvary, Jesus has given
us the keys to use by appropriating His victory on the Cross over the demonic
(we will be looking in detail at the types of keys and how to use them in the
Inner Healing module).

Demons are almost never the source of the problem, they are there due to
legal ground/open doors in our lives, churches, cities and nations, and in the
vast majority of cases are there due to deception and emotional
woundedness.



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One of the main tactics of the devil is to get the Church to focus on the
demonic and away from the true source of woundedness, which is our
historical and emotional pain, wounds and upset (we will be looking at this in
detail during the Inner Healing module).

Through our involvement in inner healing ministry we are finding that the vast
majority of demonic spirits are present within a person due to abusive and
traumatic things that have been done to the person, usually at a young age.

Satan wants to distract us from the truth that will bring us healing and victory.
He often wants us to focus on him and his demons and his territorial spirits so
that we take our focus off of God and onto the darkness around us. I have
seen this happen many times in the lives of those who are in the spiritual
warfare, spiritual mapping and inner healing/deliverance ministries.

Even in the area of territorial spirits, the problems in the territory are not there
because of a territorial spirit. Rather the territorial spirit has been given a right
to manipulate the people there because of ungodly events, the choices made
by people in the area and their subsequent lifestyles.

Spiritual Warfare is a question of the heart. Individuals and groups of people
within geographical areas need to have a change of heart if lasting change is
to occur - nothing lasting will be established without true repentance (not just
a change of mind, but a change in actual thinking, heart attitude and lifestyle).


Divine Militancy

The strength for all aspects of our life and therefore our warfare comes
through our intimacy with Jesus, and our time spent with Him. This must be
our lifestyle, and indeed, a true intercessor must first of all be a true
worshiper.

"But those who wait on the LORD
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint."
(Isaiah 40:31 - NKJV)

Jesus has called His Church to be both His Bride and His army. This divine
militancy that is rising within the Church has come at a very strategic time.
Jesus is coming back soon, and there is much work to be done, both in the
natural and the spiritual realm. We must understand that nothing is
accomplished without intercession and other aspects of spiritual warfare, such
as worship, and so as Jesus leads us as our Captain, we must follow Him.

We must remain God-centred at all times and remember that spiritual warfare
is essentially us coming into agreement with God and disagreeing with the
enemy. It is basically that simple.
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Worship is perhaps the highest and most powerful form of spiritual warfare,
for as we lift up the name of Jesus, so He will draw all people to Himself.
Remember that worship is not just about singing songs, but is a lifestyle.


The Hierarchy of Darkness

"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." (Ephesians 6:12)

The kingdom of darkness consists of several different levels of
authority. The first level is of course, Satan himself, then the
principalities of darkness (Satan's inner circle) - in Greek,
"Archas". Below this level are the powers of darkness (referred
to by many as the "parliament" of darkness) - in Greek,
"Exousia". The next level down is referred to in Scripture as the
"World Rulers of the darkness" - in Greek, "Kosmokratoras". In
the Amplified - "Master spirits who are the rulers of this present
darkness". The base level of the hierarchy of darkness are the
demon spirits that we often deal with in inner healing ministry -
In Greek, "Pneumatika Poneria".

I have seen a lot of Christian ministries focus on naming demons as a means
of bringing deliverance to a person, by then calling that particular demon to
come forward and be expelled. I do not believe that there is any need for this,
as our focus needs to rather be on bringing healing to the person's historical
emotional wounds and deception, and once this is done, the demons will be
expelled as a result of a very simple prayer spoken with authority. Demonic
spirits know when a minister knows their authority in Christ and when they do
not. We must always minister to the person with respect and dignity, even
when addressing the demonic spirits - there is no need to shout and carry on,
as this does not prove our authority over the demonic, but often shows our
own insecurities.

I personally believe that "demonic schools" were set up by the demonic
infrastructure in order to train and equip demons in their specific roles; e.g.
fear, homosexuality, depression and so on, but this is their job description and
not their name. When the demons were cast out of heaven, these things (fear,
homosexuality, etc.) did not exist, and so they had to learn them.


Our Position of Authority in Christ

We are seated with Christ in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6) and as such we
have all authority over demonic spirits - of all levels, but we must seek to live
close to God and not allow any open doors in our lives to the influence of evil
spirits. The Bible is very clear that if we humble ourselves before God and
resist the devil then even he will flee from us. However, it is highly unlikely
that we will be dealing directly with Satan himself, as he is not omnipresent,
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and so can only be in one place at one time. However, only ever go into high-
level spiritual warfare within the corporate church setting.

"But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "God resists the proud,
But gives grace to the humble." Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and
he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse
your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded."
(James 4: 6-8)

You may know the story of how Smith Wigglesworth was woken in the night
by a figure standing at the end of his bed trying to intimidate him.
Wigglesworth realised that this was the devil himself and he simply said, "Oh,
it's only you!" and turned over and went to sleep! That is the authority that
each one of us has over the devil, if we only realise it and stand in it. Our
authority comes from the One who has already defeated Satan and his
demons - Jesus Christ, the Victor!



Maintaining the Correct Perspective and Balance

We need to have the correct perspective and balance when it comes to the
area of spiritual warfare, and seek to remain on the God-centred path, which
is straight and true. There have been 2 excesses in recent years in regards to
spiritual warfare. One of which is passivity where it comes to spiritual warfare,
and an attitude of avoidance, which does little to bring healing to individuals,
cities, nations or the spiritual atmosphere itself. The second excess has been
entered into by those who have jumped in tooth-and-nail against every
perceived and imagined demonic spirit, as well as those that are real, and this
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has brought "needless casualties of war". Both of these excesses are
dangerous, as they promote either doing too little or too much!

The demonic spirits cannot do anything without God allowing them to,
although we often give demons the right to enter into our lives, churches and
cities through our sin and disobedience against God. However, it is our
responsibility to war against them and to take back the ground that has been
lost. (Remember that there are MANY types of spiritual warfare, including
prayer, worship, fasting, teaching the Word of God, acts of faith and meeting
the needs of society - in other words anything that exalts God, as by doing so
it automatically comes against the works of the enemy). Jesus is the Victor,
and we stand on the Victor's side, with the covering of His blood of protection
and filled with the power of His Holy Spirit.


The Armour of God

The armour of God is given to us primarily for resistance, as can be seen
consistently in Ephesians 6:10-18, which is the passage of Scripture that
deals with the armour of God.


The Belt of Truth

The servant of God cannot remain standing against
the kingdom of darkness unless he stands upon the
truth of God's Word.

Satan does his work through deception and ignorance
(1 Peter 1:13). Therefore we must be saturated with
God's truth.


The Breastplate of Righteousness

Righteousness will cause you to stand steadfast in God. It is essential for us
to realise that we stand in God's righteousness, and not our own (Romans
3:22, 25-26). It is Jesus' death on the cross and our salvation through it that
has made us righteous.


The Shoes of the Gospel of Peace

It is essential for us to walk in the way of peace (Matthew 12:18-20). The
gospel of Jesus Christ is the gospel of peace.

The work of the enemy causes confusion, strife and division. Striving with God
will cause you to lose your peace.


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The Shield of Faith

Our faith in God always has to be around us like a protecting wall. The enemy
will try to get through this wall by coming against us with thoughts of unbelief,
doubt and fear. We must resist him actively (1 Peter 5:9).

Faith is released by our mouths speaking out the Word of God and through
prayer.


The Helmet of Salvation

The main attack is against the mind. Always try and ensure that your mind
has peace with God, man and yourself.

The unrenewed mind remains in darkness and so it is imperative that we are
continually renewed in our minds (Ephesians 4:23).

We must actively take our thoughts captive to obedience, and do not allow
unchecked thoughts to run wild in our minds.

The Bible tells us that, The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the
world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We
demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the
knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to
Christ. (2 Cor. 10:4-5)

A spiritual stronghold can be defined as an ideological fortress that exists
both in the human mind and in objective territorial locations. Manifesting both
defensive and offensive characteristics, these strongholds simultaneously
repel light and export darkness. (George Otis Jr.)


The Sword of the Spirit

The sword of the Spirit is a living sword with godly power to cast down
strongholds (arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the
knowledge of God).

It is an offensive weapon that comes out of the mouth (Revelation 19:15).

Demonic spirits will try to twist the Word of God, and so we must declare the
Word of God as Jesus did when the devil tempted Him in the desert.

Remember that James 4:7 tells us to, Submit yourselves, then, to God.
Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Speak the truth with God given authority.

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Hebrews 4:12 speaking of the word of God says, For 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.

Contrary to popular belief, the sword of the Spirit is not primarily for chopping
heads off demonic spirits or slashing our way through the heavenly realms in
search of territorial spirits to attack.

The sword of the Spirit is primarily to be used on ourselves (remembering that
the sword of the Spirit is the Word of God), to bring our minds and our lives
into submission to the Word of God and to help us to live accordingly.


At Every Opportunity Pray in the Spirit

The zeal of the Lord protects us like a mantle against discouragement
(Isaiah 59:17b).

What about your back?

The glory of the Lord is your rearguard (Isaiah 58:8, Ex. 14:19,20).

People will cover your back with prayer whilst you fight and rebuild the "fallen
walls" (Neh. 4:16-17).


Remember, NEVER take off your armour!

One of the more unusual practises that I have come across in terms of
spiritual warfare teaching (and one that I definitely do not hold with) is that of
"taking off the armour". This is done when a person goes to bed and then they
are instructed to put their armour back on when they get up! So, my question
is - what happens to that person during the night?

We need to be very careful not only to do those things that God tells us to, but
especially careful to only teach the truth. NEVER take off your armour - apart
from anything else, literally taking off your spiritual armour such as our helmet
of salvation or our breastplate of righteousness by a physical action must
surely be impossible?


Prophecy is a vital part of our spiritual warfare

To prophesy as a part of our warfare gives us the interpretation of Gods view
in the realm of the spirit, and can show us the tactics and strategy of people,
the demonic and of course God Himself.


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Actions in Prophetic Worship and Intercession

During times of worship and spiritual warfare, God will often lead His people
to perform particular actions, which may seem strange and even outright
weird! However, if God tells us to do something, we can be sure that it is for a
purpose.

The Bible is full of accounts of God telling His people to do very unusual
things, which had remarkable out-workings for the Glory of God.

Joshua at the battle of Jericho is one such example, and we can see by this
and many other examples the truth of Exodus 15:3 The Lord is a man of
war.

As we obey God and carry out those actions that He asks us to, God sees
that we mean business with Him, and He blesses our obedience, for it is
better to obey than to sacrifice.


Scriptural Proof of Praise and its use in Warfare

Psalm 8: 2 - Out of the mouths of babes and infants
you have established strength because of your foes:
that you might silence the enemy and the avenger.

Numbers 10:9 When you go into battle...against an
enemy who is oppressing you, sound a blast on the
trumpets. Then you will be remembered before the
Lord and rescued from your enemies.

Psalm 149:6-9 Let the high praises of God be in their throats and a two-
edged sword in their hands, to wreak vengeance upon the nations and
chastisement upon the peoples, to bind their Kings with chains, and their
nobles with fetters of iron, to execute upon them the judgement written. He is
the honour of all its saints. Praise the Lord!

In Isaiah 30, we read that every passing stroke of the staff of punishment and
doom which the Lord lays upon them shall be to the sound of Israel's timbrels
and lyres, when in battle he attacks Assyria with swinging and menacing
arms.

2 Chronicles 20:21,22 When he had consulted with the people, he
appointed singers to sing to the Lord and praise him in the holy priestly
garments as they went out before the army, saying, Give thanks to the Lord,
for his mercy and loving kindness endure for ever! And when they began to
sing and to praise, the Lord set two ambushments against the men of
Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir who had come against Judah, and they were
defeated.


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Some pointers to safe and effective personal and corporate
spiritual warfare through worship:

Most importantly, it is essential for each of us to realise that we can only be
successful in spiritual warfare as we do exactly what God is telling us to do,
exactly when He tells us to do it. We have seen too many casualties of war
that have moved out on their own without covering and outside of God's
timing.

Make sure that when high-level spiritual warfare is entered into, there is
adequate spiritual covering either present during the warfare or else fully
aware and in support of the spiritual warfare that is taking place. Remember
that in the area of spiritual warfare over geographical areas, it is essential for
the hearts of the people within the area to change towards God, and so focus
your prayers along these lines. If a person (when dealing with an individual) or
people (when dealing with an area) continue in their ungodly lifestyles, in a
sense fuelling the demonic altars that exist, lasting change will not come, as
the demonic will still maintain a right to be there.

SPIRITUAL WARFARE IS A QUESTION OF THE HEART - whether
interceding for individuals or groups of people, pray for a change in thought
patterns, heart attitudes and lifestyles effected by the love, power and saving
grace of God Himself. This is the only way that lasting change will come.

Focus our intercession, prophetic proclamations and prophetic actions
towards God, asking Him to perform His will and reminding Him of His
promises. This is what Jesus clearly taught in Scripture, and so we must seek
to follow His example - "when you praypray to your Fatherwho sees in
secretIn this manner, therefore, pray: our Father in Heaven" (Matt. 6:6,9)

Only focus intercession, prophetic proclamations and prophetic actions
towards the enemy when God has very clearly directed us to do so. It is far
more powerful to ask God to act on our behalf than attempting to dislodge the
enemy ourselves!

Pray and make prophetic proclamation in line with Scripture, for example
asking God to send revival to our church and spiritual awakening to our city or
asking God to deliver the nation from economic crisis.

Proclaim God's victory!

Denounce the enemy (by confessing sin, resisting Satan and renouncing the
works of darkness).

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Quote Scripture when relevant, and when doing so remind ALL listeners -
human and spiritual that this is the authoritative Word of God. In so doing, this
breaks down many mental and spiritual strongholds.

To conclude, we must be like the apostle John, who leant on Jesus' breast.
Let us be so close to Him that we know His very heartbeat, never move from
that position of intimacy and fight only when He tells us to.


What Spiritual Warfare is not!

Spiritual warfare is not searching out demons for the sake of it, believing that
by doing so and by dealing with them with loud and aggressive voices that we
will somehow be advancing the kingdom of God!

Spiritual warfare is not a game and neither is it something that should be
taken lightly.

Spiritual warfare is not an attempt to take back the land by the casting out of
demonic spirits (whether in a person or in a geographical location) without first
bringing the necessary healing and change, unless specifically directed to do
so by God. We know from Scripture that if the access point for the demonic is
not dealt with (through inner healing and replacing deception with Gods
truth), that the demonic spirits will return and will seek to re-establish
themselves in a stronger fortification (Matthew 12: 43-45). Let us make sure
that we are actually improving the situation by delivering the person/area from
demonic spirits - (This can only be done by dealing with any open doors or
legal ground first. An exception to this would be demonic spirits that are tied to
specific physical ailments with no roots in the emotions or in deception, but
these are very rare).