Spiritual Warfare

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Spiritual Warfare

Welcome:

Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 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 he heavenly realms (Eph. 6:11-12)

Recap Outline: Spiritual Warfare

Introduction

- Definition of Spiritual Warfare

- Ephesians 6:11-12

- Unseen supernatural world

- Historical beginning: Adam, Eve, and Satan in the Garden of Eden

- The ongoing struggle against sin and unrighteous behavior

Nature of Spiritual Warfare

- Occurs in various settings: home, work, church

- God's sovereignty and Satan's limitations

- Satan as a fallen angel, not an evil god

- God's omnipotence and eternal nature

Misconceptions about Spiritual Warfare

- Not about loud, emotional displays

- True spiritual warfare is not visible actions but understanding and faith
 - 2 Corinthians 4:18

Enemies in Spiritual Warfare

1. The World

- Influence of worldly systems and values

2. The Flesh

- Struggle with internal emotions and desires

3. The Devil

- Deceit and destruction

Historical Context of the Battle

- Creation of angels and Lucifer's rebellion

- God’s counteractions through human history:

- Creation of man

- Redemptive acts following humanity’s fall

- Key biblical events (Cain and Abel, Tower of Babel, etc.)

- The culmination in Jesus Christ’s life, death, and resurrection

- Jesus' temptation and crucifixion

- Victory through resurrection

Confronting the Reality of Spiritual Warfare

- Existence of God's and Satan's kingdoms

- Matthew 12:26

- Satan’s dominion includes:

- Spiritual blindness (2 Corinthians 4:4)

- Sin and death (Romans 5:12)

- Temptation and deception (1 Peter 5:8; Revelation 12:9)

- Earthly kingdoms’ influence (Matthew 4:8-9)

- Paul’s teachings on Satan’s authority (Acts 26:18; Colossians 1:13)

Challenges in Recognizing Spiritual Warfare

- Ignorance of biblical teachings

- Ephesians 6:12

- Individualism and inward focus

- Perception of biblical irrelevance

- Dismissal of spiritual warfare as mythical or outdated

- Misunderstanding the victory of the cross

- Need for active resistance (Ephesians 6:16)

- Fear of sensationalism and imbalance

- Functional Deism

- Living as if spiritual beings have no influence

Lesson 2:
Basis of our Victory

Story Time:

A father and his son were traveling across the Wild West in a wagon one day when a prairie fire broke
out. The father and his son tried to outrun the wildfire in their wagon, but they quickly realized that it
wasn’t going to work. The fire was coming too fast, and unless they tried something else, it would
catch up to them and consume them.

Much to the confusion of the son, the father turned the horse and wagon around and rushed directly
back toward the fire. He took them to a spot that had already been burned and yelled to his son,
“Jump out and stand here. Don’t move!”

They both jumped out, but the boy became afraid as he saw the fire raging and moving toward them.
He wanted to run, but his father grabbed his hand and said, “Don’t move, son. Stand firm!”

“But the fire is almost here,” the son cried, his voice shaking with fear. “I don’t understand!”

“This spot has already been burned,” his dad replied. “There is noth- ing left for the fire to grab. The
fire will come near, but it cannot burn again what has already been burned once before.” The boy was
safe because he stayed with his father in a place that the fire could not reach.

As Satan battles you in spiritual warfare, he wants you to step away from the ground that has already
been burned in the spiritual realm, which is Jesus Christ. Jesus has already been crucified, and His
resurrection has already secured the victory. Satan can’t touch you when you stay close to Christ. If
you stand firm in the center of the safest location—the cross, where the victory has been
accomplished—you will stand victoriously because Satan can’t reach you there.

I will now explain the most important single fact that we must know in order to be assured of victory in
our spiritual warfare.

In Colossians 2:13-15, Paul describes what God has done for us, as believers, through the death of
Christ on the cross on our behalf.

13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our
sins,

14 having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the
cross.

15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. (NIV)

Let me first warn you that Satan is extremely determined that you shall not grasp this fact. He wants
to keep all Christians from understanding it, because it is the key to his defeat. The great essential fact
is this: Christ has already defeated Satan and all his evil powers and authorities totally and forever.

If you remember nothing else, remember that.

Christ has already defeated Satan and all his evil powers and authorities totally and forever. He did
that through His death on the cross, through His shed blood, and through His triumphant
resurrection.

But that raises a question. How do you stand firm? As Paul said in Ephesians 6:10, we are to “be
strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.” You stand firm by appropriating God’s strength,
not your own determination, positive thinking, or even self-discipline. Those things are good, but they
are not good enough to overcome an enemy battling you from another realm. Instead, you are to be
strong in the Lord Jesus Christ and in His might.

In order to know how to be strong in Jesus Christ, we need to understand a few things about
His power and His authority to exercise that power:

A. Headship and Authority :

When God pronounced the curse to Adam for moving out from underneath his designated
alignment, He coupled it with a prophecy: “ I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise
him on the heel” (Genesis 3:15)

He will crush the serpent’s head. Don’t read that too quickly. God said that the seed of the
woman will crush the serpent’s head. Let me help you grasp the significance of that
statement by adding something onto the end of a word. Look at it this way:

The seed of the woman will crush the serpent’s headship. “Headship” means rule and
authority. With the coming of the seed of the woman—Jesus Christ—the headship (the rule
and authority of Satan) has been crushed. Eliminated. Gone!

B. Authority Versus Power

"Wow, that sounds really nice," you might say. "It seems so heavenly and idealistic, and it
looks great on paper. But what about me? I'm living in the real world with real struggles—
financial issues, career challenges, family conflicts, and emotional battles. How does all this
talk about Jesus being in charge help me when I'm feeling overwhelmed by my problems? It
doesn't feel like I'm winning any battles; instead, it seems like my problems are winning over
me. So what's the deal? This isn't what I'm experiencing in my life."

These are important questions, and to answer them, it's crucial to understand this
fundamental truth: Satan may have lost his authority, but he hasn't lost his power. He still
wields considerable influence in our world because he retains his power. Satan remains as
potent now as ever before. The harm he inflicts is real, destructive, and damaging. He
continues to deceive, steal, and cause destruction, with the aim to kill, steal, and destroy.
Just take a look at the state of our world, our communities, our homes, or even our own inner
struggles—it's evident that Satan's influence persists.

Personal Example: At the age of five, I was a victim of abuse.....

At the age of 19, I received Jesus into my life. Therefore, my life is now under the Authority
and rule of Jesus. Now did it free me from my addictions and thought patterns that is not of
God?

NO! Because although I have been set free. It’s another thing to “walk” free. Just like a baby
learning His ABCs, and Just like a toddler learning how to walk. Same as with us, as we
continue to trust and learn and follow the leading of our Heavenly Father, we will begin to
gain spiritual muscles to know how to “walk away from the bondage” that Jesus set us free
from!

However, the crucial truth we must grasp, the truth that can liberate us, is that Satan no
longer holds authority. That's the key distinction. Authority is the right to exercise the power
one possesses. For Satan to exert his power in our lives, he must prevent us from operating
within our rightful authority because his power only becomes effective when he has the
authority to use it.

Sample: Picture in a corporate setting, a person in a team who has been there and earned his
seniority has the potential power to influence decisions made by the whole team because
he has “perceived knowledge” more than any other team member in the room. So he can
hold the respect of the majority. Nevertheless, it is still the team leaders’ decision that will
prevail in the end.
C. Union with Christ

Our connection with Christ is crucial for overcoming Satan's influence in our lives. The book
of Colossians delves deeply into this concept.

It warns against being misled by empty philosophies based on human tradition and worldly
principles rather than on Christ. It emphasizes that in Christ, the entirety of God's essence
dwells in bodily form, and believers are made complete in Him. He is the supreme authority
over all powers. Through Him, believers experience a spiritual transformation symbolized by
circumcision not performed by human hands but by Christ, signifying a putting off of the
sinful nature. This transformation is likened to being buried and raised with Christ through
faith in God's power that raised Him from the dead.

In Jesus Christ, the fullness of God resides completely. This divine-human nature enables
Jesus to perform extraordinary feats, bridging the gap between divinity and humanity. He is
depicted as the image of the invisible God and the source of all creation, holding everything
together and maintaining balance in the universe.

The key to spiritual victory lies in our union with Christ. This union is reiterated throughout
Colossians, emphasizing phrases like "in Him" and "with Him." Our success in spiritual warfare
hinges on our connection to Jesus Christ. Failure to grasp this truth means missing out on the
essential element of victory: our union with Christ.

Satan’s Agenda

Just like God has a Kingdom agenda that encompasses His complete authority over all
aspects of life, Satan also has his own agenda. Satan relies on deception to further his goal of
exerting influence and control over the world. Additionally, he aims to hinder Christians in
their spiritual battles, diminishing the glory they bring to God. Satan advances his agenda by
targeting the same four realms through which God reveals His glory: the individual, family,
church, and society.

The Individual

The Bible warns that Satan tries to control everyone, no matter who they are. He uses tricky
plans to harm people, no matter their status or success. Sadly, even in Christian groups today,
some people are trapped by Satan's influence. They struggle with things like drugs, alcohol,
bad relationships, and feeling hopeless. These struggles might have fancy names, but
basically, Satan takes someone who believes in God and makes them feel trapped by
problems and lies. If Satan can hurt one person, it makes it easier for him to cause trouble in
families, churches, and communities.

The Family

Throughout history, Satan has been focused on causing trouble in families, starting with
tempting Eve and Adam in the Bible. Negative relationships influenced by him have continued
through generations. Families are important because they're where the spiritual battle
happens, as seen in Genesis 3:15. God's command to have children and raise them well
emphasizes this. Satan targets families because by breaking them, he can harm many
generations. If he can influence kids early, he controls not just their homes but also the
future. This starts a cycle where future generations struggle to follow God's ways. Many
Christians don't see family problems as spiritual, but it's crucial to understand Satan's plan to
ruin families because whoever controls the family shapes the future.

The Church

Satan tries to divide and weaken the church by exploiting people's weaknesses and
preferences. He promotes division by encouraging disagreements over things like
denominations, rules, and personal preferences. He knows that when the church is divided,
its ability to do God's work is weakened.

To combat this, we need to focus on genuine humility and love, which bring harmony to the
church. If Satan can get us to make decisions based on our own biases instead of what God
wants, he succeeds in dividing us.

But our unity as a church is based on our shared belief in Jesus Christ. Even though we may
have different tastes in music, worship styles, or teachings, our unity comes from our
common faith in Christ's life, death, and resurrection. That's why God tells us to work hard to
keep the peace and unity in the church.

Satan's goal is to divide us so we're less effective in spreading God's message. That's why it's
so important for us to stay united around our faith in Jesus.

The Society

Satan's fourth target is society, where he influences rulers and leaders to wreak havoc and
oppress innocent people. He works through individuals like Hitler and Mussolini to provoke
destruction on a large scale. Sin's corruption extends beyond individuals to societal
institutions, which Satan exploits to suppress freedom and justice, contrary to God's design.
God has established covenants with individuals, families, churches, and governments, but
Satan seeks to overpower them all. Understanding this complex spiritual battle requires
recognizing Satan's agenda to dominate individuals, families, churches, and societies. Until we
grasp this, we'll be fighting the wrong battles, opposing flesh and blood instead of spiritual
forces.
Satan’s Strategy

Satan has a strategic plan to make people focus on what they lack, causing them to overlook
God's blessings. As he did with Eve in the garden, Satan wants to get you to question the
value of all of the trees that God has provided by getting you to focus on the one tree He has
said to avoid. Satan wants you to com- plain about what you don’t have so you will lose sight
of what God has given you.

However, God instructs us how to counteract this scheme in Philippians 4:6-8.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let
your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all
comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely, what- ever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if any- thing
worthy of praise, dwell on these things. Satan tries to pull our focus away from the goodness
of God because he knows that the only way he can defeat us is through deception. Truth
exists with in the goodness of God, and wherever the truth of God is present, Satan’s ability
to deceive is diminished.

Keep in mind as you face Satan’s tricks of deception that you cannot fight him on your own,
with your own methods, or even with your own thoughts. God’s Word—His truth—trumps
Satan. You don’t. Satan has constitutional superiority over every man and woman because he
is a spirit being. He is not bound by the limitations of flesh and blood. Therefore, you cannot
compete with him on the level of his deception. He is the master chameleon.

In fact, Satan is such a masterful chameleon that rarely will you find him strutting his stuff in
a red jumpsuit carrying a pitchfork. That’s too obvious. His scheme is to trick you. He doesn’t
want you to see him for who he truly is.

Weapons of Warfare

The apostle Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus and to Christians everywhere about what we
are to wear when we’re engaged in spiritual warfare.

Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having
done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having
put on the breastplate of righteous- ness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the
gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish
all of the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:13-17).
Context of Ephesians: At the time of Paul’s writing he was under house arrest in Rome awaiting for his
trial when he wrote the letter of Ephesians. So it is so fitting and highly probable that as he starts
writing Ephesians 6, he is pertaining to an Armor whom he has gotten so acquainted with due to him
being chained to a roman soldier during his house arrest.

Ephesians: 1-3 : No commands

Ephesians:4-6: Commands after commands

( He first establish the identity of a believer) Because with identity comes calling, and with the calling
comes conduct. Because Paul understand that if you don’t address “identity” then if you address
conduct, it will feel disconnected. Because once a person understand, this is WHO I AM and THIS IS
WHAT I AM CALLED TO DO, then the conduct makes sense.

What is Paul Addressing to Ephesus?

Jewish believers are treating the gentile believers as second class citizen. Paul connects the idea of
this Person being given an instruction being assimilated into being a ROMAN soldier by introducing
each piece of the equipment and learning how to use it.

The Roman military, especially during times of expansion, often recruited soldiers from conquered
territories and allied states. These non-Roman soldiers were known as auxiliaries and played a crucial
role in supporting and complementing the Roman legions. They were granted Roman citizenship upon
completion of their service, incentivizing loyalty and dedication to the empire.

In a sense Paul is saying listen our battle is not against each other, our battle is against one enemy,
therefore let’s help each other put on the armor of God because doesn't matter if you are a jew or a
gentile we now fight for ONE SIDE.

These spiritual weapons fall into two main categories: weapons of defense, weapons (BELT,
BREASTPLATE AND SANDALS) that a soldier is supposed to be on ALL THE TIME and weapons
of attack, are weapon you “TAKE ON” (shield, helmet, sword).

Weapons of Defense:

Putting on the Belt of Truth: gird our loins with truth (worn at all times it is where you
place your sword)

The question "What is truth?" In greek; aletheia meaning reality, truth, truthfulness...

posed by Pilate two millennia ago remains relevant today, reflecting the pervasive influence
of relativism in our culture. In this worldview, truth becomes subjective, varying from person
to person, leading to a lack of overarching guiding principles. This state of flux mirrors the
chaotic period described in Judges 21:25, where everyone did what they deemed right.
However, this approach resulted in societal decay and moral decline for the Israelites. The
finite nature and deceitful hearts of individuals make it impossible for them to define truth.
Truth, ultimately, originates from the Creator, who possesses comprehensive knowledge and
understanding. Truth is inherently grounded in God.

Putting the Breastplate of Righteousness:

The Breastplate of Righteousness Paul next describes the breastplate of righteousness (Eph.
6:14b). The “breastplate” (tho¯raka, from which we get “thorax”) usually extended from the
base of the neck to the upper part of the thighs, covering what we would call the abdomen or
trunk.

So, is this righteousness “objective” or “subjective”? That is to say, does Paul have in mind the
righteousness of Jesus Christ that has been imputed or reckoned to us when we first trusted
in Christ for salvation? Or does he mean the experiential righteousness of godly living, day in
and day out?

Probably both, but with emphasis on the former. By objective righteousness, Paul would be
referring to the breastplate of our justification, our righteous standing/position through faith
in Christ, and our legal holiness (Phil. 3:3–8; 2 Cor. 5:21; Rom. 3:19–24). If the emphasis is on
our subjective righteousness, the idea would be that the breastplate is our experiential
holiness of life, our habitual obedience to all God has commanded (Eph. 4:24; 5:9). The reason
why the “breastplate of righteousness” is so important is that one of Satan’s most common
and effective strategies is to undermine your faith and create doubt in your heart by
reminding you of how wicked you are and of how often you have failed as a Christian. Our
response must always be to say: “No matter how badly I have sinned, God sees me as
perfectly righteous in Jesus Christ. His righteousness has been imputed to me.” In essence,
you fight Satan’s accusations by throwing back in his face the truth of what Paul wrote in
Philippians 3:8–9:

Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ
Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as
rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of
my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the
righteousness from God that depends on faith.

The Shoes of the Gospel

We're also told to wear the shoes of the gospel (Ephesians 6:15). Picture the sturdy sandals
worn by Roman soldiers, equipped with studs for stability. Paul's imagery can be understood
in two ways. First, it could mean that we should be prepared and ready to share the good
news of peace—the gospel—with others. Just like soldiers are always ready for battle, we
should always be ready to tell people about the amazing message of peace found in the
gospel (1 Peter 3:15; Isaiah 52:7; Romans 10:13–15). The gospel has the power to free people
from Satan's control and bring them into a relationship with God (2 Corinthians 4:3–4;
Ephesians 2:1–2; Acts 26:18).

The Greek word translated “peace” in the Scripture is eirene. This word is equivalent to the
Hebrew word shalom. Essentially, eirene embodies completeness, wholeness, and an inner
resting of the soul that does not fluctuate based on outside influences. A person who is at
peace is someone who is stable, calm, orderly, and at rest within. The opposite of peace, of
course, is inner chaos, anxiety, and worry.

The Shield of Faith

We're also instructed to take up the shield of faith (Ephesians 6:16). This shield, about four
feet long and two feet wide, was made of wood, linen, hide, and iron, designed to protect
against fiery arrows launched by enemies. We're told to use this shield at all times, against
every attack from the enemy. The "flaming darts of the evil one" represent various attacks
launched by the devil, including sudden and disturbing thoughts or images that go against
our values and beliefs, such as blasphemous thoughts, immoral images, violent urges,
rebellious impulses, doubts about God, and false guilt feelings.

The Helmet of Salvation

Another crucial piece of God's armor is the helmet of salvation (Ephesians 6:17a). In spiritual
warfare, our minds are a key battleground, so we need protection like a "spiritual hardhat."
Just as a Roman soldier's helmet was made of iron or bronze with padding inside, the "helmet
of salvation" likely refers to the assurance of our salvation. Satan tries to exploit any doubts
we have about our relationship with God, knowing it gives him an advantage. Wearing the
"helmet of salvation" means living with the assurance expressed in passages like Romans 8:1,
31–39, and Hebrews 13:5–6, knowing that our salvation is secure and Satan can't change that
fact.

Weapon of Opposition

Sword of the Spirit

The sword of the Spirit, unlike the other pieces of armor, is unique because it's the only
offensive weapon in the arsenal provided by God. While everything else aims to defend
against the enemy's attacks, this sword equips believers to actively engage and advance.
When Paul mentions taking up the "sword of the Spirit," he refers to the shorter sword used
by Roman soldiers, called the gladius, not the longer spatha. Unlike the dramatic portrayals
seen in movies, the gladius was more like a dagger, used for close combat and delivering swift,
lethal blows to opponents. Its double-edged and sharp-pointed blade ensured quick and fatal
strikes, making it more effective than longer swords. In spiritual warfare, the enemy often
attacks closely, aiming to disrupt and discourage believers. Just like in a basketball game
where opponents block shots up close, Satan tries to bring the battle as close as possible to
believers, often within their own minds, wills, emotions, and bodies.

Teacher’s Guide: Roman soldiers had two very different types of swords for battle. The first
sword was called a “spatha.” The “spatha" was generally three feet long. A shorter sword,
called the gladius, was typically about 18 inches, or a foot and a half. When Paul instructs us
to “take...the sword of the Spirit,” the Greek term he uses is “macaira,” which refers to the
shorter sword, the gladius.
Logos

Another Greek term for the Word of God found in Scripture is the word Logos. Logos refers to
the message of the book, or graphe; it’s the meaning of the words. When you read your Bible,
attend a Bible study, or hear a sermon that explains the meaning of the text being referenced, you
are experiencing and interacting with the Logos. You started with the graphe and have
progressed into the Logos.

Logos is a very powerful word. We read about it in the first chapter of the book of John, where
in the very first verse we read, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.” Jesus is called the Logos in this passage because He was sent as
God’s messenger to present God to human beings and to embody His message to us. The
graphe is the message written, and the Logos is the message given. Logos is the
understanding of the written record of stories, events, and letters that we come into contact
with in God’s written Word.

Rhema

There’s yet a third term in the Bible for the word of God—and it’s a very important word.
When Paul tells us to “take...the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,” he’s not telling
us to take up the graphe or the Logos. Instead, he uses the Greek term rhema.

Rhema simply means utterance, spoken word, or what has been declared. Graphe is the
written word, Logos is the message of the written word, and rhema is the specific declaration
concerning the message of the written word.

Conclusion:

We've made a conscious effort in this curriculum to present the reality of Spiritual Warfare,
Satan and his demons without sensationalism. Ignoring the existence of spiritual beings only
harms believers. Our aim is to handle biblical data in a way that neither instills fear nor
underplays the threat of our spiritual enemies.

What's most important in this curriculum isn't just acknowledging Satan's wickedness or the
frequency of demonic assaults, although these truths are valid. What we want to emphasize is
that you don't have to continue living bound by false beliefs. You needn't succumb to anxiety
over cosmic powers (Ephesians 6:12) or remain trapped by your past. There's no reason for
you to endure the constant onslaught of the enemy's attacks. You can be liberated from the
fear that haunts your daily life and disturbs your sleep. You can truly experience the peace
that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7).