Spiritual Warfare

Combat boots.  Fatigues.  War paint.  Spiritual warfare is perceived in numerous ways in the church.  I used to believe that the authenticity was found in the intensity – the volume of my voice, the way I moved as I worshipped, and the manner I shouted and screamed at the devil.  The devil is not intimidated by our performance.  He is intimidated by Christ in you: the hope of glory!  What does spiritual warfare look like? First, we must ask: What do we war for?  To advance God’s Kingdom on earth.  Jesus came to reveal and demonstrate the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven and give authority to us to advance His Kingdom like He did.  So do we pray until heaven hears us?  No.  Heaven has heard!  A vital part of spiritual warfare is praying the prayer of faith.  The prayer of faith is not lost in a state of confusion that questions the good, perfect and pleasing will of God (Romans 12:2).  The will of God is found in Jesus.  His will is for all humanity to be saved (I Timothy 2:4) and for you to live an abundant life (John 10:10).  The finished work of the cross was finished when we were crucified, buried, raised, and seated in heavenly realms with Christ (Romans 6:4, Ephesians 2:6).

How did Jesus “war”?  First, He loved and was moved with compassion for the hurting.  Then, He healed the sick, raised the dead, cast out devils, and cleansed the lepers.  I don’t recall a moment He did something to help someone without it being a supernatural occurrence.  Even feeding the hungry was supernatural.  Like Jesus, you have a weapon of power to dispel darkness and bring Light.  He commanded us to heal the sick, raise the dead, and cast out devils.  In doing so, the Kingdom of God becomes our atmosphere (Matthew 12:28).

Is the devil our equal?  No.  He is a defeated foe.  Jesus has already fought and won the war.  He is the blueprint for victory.  Now, in Christ, we carry out our authority and dominion by faith, knowing that Christ made a public spectacle of the enemy, disarming them by the power of the cross (Colossians 2:15).  When we engage in spiritual warfare, we tend to credit the devil (who has no authority) with more than our God (who has all authority).  Personally, I don’t converse with the devil.  Focus your eyes on Jesus.  The overflow from your intimacy with Christ is like raining hell on the devil’s camp.

I have met a number of people that put much of their focus on warring in the Spirit.  Seldom have I seen them rested, joyful, and full of peace.  If we are worn out after we war, it was out of our flesh and not in the Spirit.  The Kingdom of God is righteousness, joy, and peace in the Holy Ghost (Romans 14:17).  The Kingdom of God is on the inside of us (Luke 17:21).  We should have an abundant, infinite flow of righteousness, joy, and peace when we have the source of our victory living on the inside.  The Holy Spirit does not leak out of us.  He gushes out and continually fills us back up!

What about the armor of God?  I sleep in my armor.  The armor of God – aka Holy Spirit – does not run off and need to be summoned every time I go to sleep and wake up.  Did we forget that He is with us always (Matthew 28:20)?  There is not secular Jonathan and believer Jonathan.  When the Holy Spirit sealed my salvation, there was only believer Jonathan.  It doesn’t mean I am perfect.  It’s revelation that all my sins – past, present, and future – are dead.  The old man died and I count myself dead to sin (Romans 6:11).  It is out of intimacy with Him that my awareness of His presence grows.  When we become aware of Him, we grow sensitive to our assignments.

So how do we war?  First, we approach every matter from a position of victory, rest, righteousness, peace, and joy.  The devil is defeated, not us.  We are more than conquerors in Christ (Romans 8:17).  Next, grow in your intimacy with Jesus.  When you receive a revelation that the finished work of the cross has given you access to every blessing so that you can bless others, compassion unlocks living faith that is activated by your action.  Faith works by love (Galatians 5:6).  Your assignments, birthed from your intimacy with Christ, will lead you to opportunities to supernaturally advance the Kingdom of God with an unfair advantage over the enemy.

Your arsenal is love.  Rest well in your armor.

Jonathan Fawcett

Click on the photo to hear an outstanding 3 minute teaching on this topic.What better photo to use describing spiritual warfare than the USS Midway aircraft carrier docked in the port at San Diego?