Spiritual Warfare E-Book

Rev. Norman Holmes

• Herausgeber: Zion Christian Publishers
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025

Beschreibung

A spiritual war is raging throughout the world! Learn how to fight the good fight of faith and become an overcomer. Let this book reveal to:
- Unmasking Your Enemy
- Our Spiritual Defenses
- Keys for Victory
- The Full Armor of God
- Developing Discernment

Leseprobe

Copyright © 2023 by Norman Wallace Holmes. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law.

Scriptures quoted in this book, unless otherwise noted, are taken from the New King James Version of the Bible. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982, by Thomas Nelson Inc. Used by permission

Scriptures noted as NIV are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House

Published by Zion Christian Publishers with the author's permission

For more information, please contact:

Zion Christian Publishers

A ministry of Zion Fellowship ®

P.O. Box 70

Waverly, NY 14892

Tel: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

www.zcpublishers.com

www.zionfellowship.org

If you have been blessed by this book and would like to donate to the author's ministry, you may contact Zion Ministries Philippines at [email protected]

ISBN 979-8-89159-004-5

PREFACE

We are in a spiritual war. It began in heaven with the rebellion of Lucifer and his angels but has since engulfed planet Earth.

You might not consider yourself to be involved in the war, but if you are a Christian, you will be a target of the enemy. You are in danger. Civilians and innocent bystanders can become victims of a war just as much as the soldiers who are fighting.

There was a time when I unknowingly walked into the middle of a conflict where two opposing gangs suddenly became violent. I had only been aware that there were a lot of young men milling around the place I was walking through, but then rocks started flying, wood clubs were raised, and the gangs attacked each other. One large, swiftly thrown rock came straight for my head, but I ducked as I quickly exited the area of the fight. In my ignorance I could have become a casualty of this little war if the Lord had not helped me—and the purpose of this book is to help you to be aware of the spiritual battles around you so that you will become a victorious Christian who defeats the powers of Satan.

I am personally well aware of this spiritual war, having fought it on both sides. As a young teenager I was part of the hippie movement of the American 1960s. As a rock musician and vocalist I would sing songs glorifying Satan, drugs, and many corrupt things. I didn’t believe in a real Satan, but I could sense the chilling, mysterious changes in the atmosphere as the crowds soaked in our music.  As I became more involved in mystic religions and drug abuse, I was more and more aware of the spiritual world around me. However, I ignorantly sought to use the supposedly “good” spirits to help me as I tried to avoid the openly evil ones.

That all ended just before I turned 20, when the Lord Jesus revealed Himself to me and I became a born-again Christian. The former demon “friends” that had masqueraded as my spiritual guides then proved to be my violent enemies, seeking to kill me! I had many battles before I became safely established on the Lord’s side.

While now in my 50th year of serving the Lord, I have often been on the front lines and seen much of the workings of this spiritual war. In one nation, God rescued me from a fanatical Hindu mob that burned down the church I had just preached in. In a communist nation we repeatedly had to change our location as I secretly taught a group of pastors, staying one step ahead of the secret police who were trying to catch me day by day. In another nation I stood against a death threat given to me by a group of rebels that had been killing Christian preachers. On a large tropical island my family once lived at the edge of a jungle, in an area that was controlled by an Islamic terrorist group that had kidnapped all the other foreigners who lived nearby! These were all obvious spiritual conflicts, but my more usual battles have been invisible ones fought while praying for people, pastors, churches, and nations.

The results of winning these battles have been an abundantly fruitful ministry: many souls saved, churches built, dozens of Bible schools conducted in six Asian nations, books written and published in 20 languages, and much more. And the lessons that I have learned can help you to also become a victorious and fruitful Christian as you read this book and apply it to your life!

CHAPTER 1 – WE ARE IN A WAR

Yes, we are in a war. Actually, you may have several wars raging around you. Yet if there are no bullets flying or enemy soldiers to be seen, it can be easy to think that the wars are far away and of no danger. But looks can be deceiving!

The most dangerous wars are the ones we do not see; they are the conflicts that might victimize us without our knowing what dangers we are in. The worldwide war on terrorism, international wars on drugs, or even local gang wars are more dangerous if we remain ignorant of the conflicts stirring around us. Yet the most dangerous war is the unseen spiritual war that engulfs our world.

Satan and his forces are at war with the servants of God, and there is no nation or place where this conflict is not being fought. While many people do not see this, that is one of the most potent weapons of the forces of darkness: that they remain hidden! Many people in countries that lack a strong Christian heritage understand and fear the power of demon spirits. In contrast, the nations that have traditionally had a Christian background have largely become spiritually complacent and only think of Satan as a myth. The very nations where the Bible has exposed this enemy to previous generations now often reduce the concept of a personal devil to mere cartoon characters or horror movies. Our contemporary Western society has been forgetting its Christian foundations. As an example, the Constitution of the European Union now guiding 27 nations has purposefully ignored any mention of God or Christianity. As societies drift away from former biblical foundations, lies are being portrayed as truth and darkness as light. Many modern movies and video games are teaching this generation that having dragons, sorcerers, witches, and evil powers on your side is good for you!

In this chapter we will examine the origin of this war and the nature of our enemy. Knowing who we are fighting and the tactics that he uses are two of the most important factors for us to become overcomers in this conflict. One of the world’s most effective armed forces is the IDF, the Israeli Defense Forces. They are a relatively small military force, yet they have repeatedly defeated armies that have massively outnumbered them. One of the main reasons is that their nation has had the world’s most effective intelligence network. Knowing their enemy well has helped enable them to gain great victories that have repeatedly surprised the world! Similarly, if we learn to expose the hidden workings of our spiritual enemies, then we are taking the first step toward victory. Ignorance will never help us. Civilians in a war can claim to be uninformed and uninvolved, yet they can become casualties just as quickly as the soldiers. We must grow in spiritual discernment and wisdom so that we will be able to say like the Apostle Paul, “We are not ignorant of his [Satan’s] devices,” 2 Corinthians 2:11. Then we will become less and less the victims of this war, and instead be the victors!

The One Who Started the War

Numerous Bible scriptures teach us that before mankind was created there were hosts of angels who were created to serve God. One of the highest angels in Isaiah 14:12 was named Lucifer, which translates as the Light-Bearer or Morning Star. A prophecy about him in Ezekiel 28:12b-18 tells us,

“Thus says the Lord God: ‘You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering: The sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created. You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; you were on the holy mountain of God; you walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you. By the abundance of your trading you became filled with violence within, and you sinned; therefore I cast you as a profane thing out of the mountain of God; and I destroyed you, O covering cherub, from the midst of the fiery stones. Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor; I cast you to the ground, I laid you before kings, that they might gaze at you. You defiled your sanctuaries by the multitude of your iniquities, by the iniquity of your trading; therefore I brought fire from your midst; it devoured you, and I turned you to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all who saw you.’”

One of Lucifer’s descriptions mentioned here was “the anointed cherub who covers.” This refers to the ministry of the cherubim (which is the plural of the word cherub) of having their wings cover the throne and glory of God. This was symbolically portrayed in Moses’ Tabernacle and Solomon’s Temple by the two cherubim figures whose wings covered the Mercy Seat where God dwelt and revealed His glory 1.

As one of these original covering cherubim, Lucifer was one of the angels closest to God. Repeatedly throughout the Bible we see that those who are the closest to God are entrusted with the greatest ministries. These cherubim helped lead the worship of heaven, for those closest to God are the first to experience His presence and power and can then release it through their worship to help motivate others to join along 2.

Lucifer was also a musician, as can be seen from the original Hebrew in Ezekiel 28:13 which described him as being created with timbrels (or tambourines) and pipes 3. He also had stringed instruments according to Isaiah 14:11. It shouldn’t surprise us that Lucifer possessed the ability to make music, as our human bodies are also equipped with musical instruments. Our vibrating vocal cords function as a stringed instrument when we sing. Clapping our hands or tapping our feet serve as percussion instruments. And those of us who can whistle have our own wind instrument!

Lucifer was also a leader over many of the hosts of angels. Just as the High Priest of Israel had twelve precious stones in his uniform, signifying his ministry and leadership over the twelve tribes of Israel, Lucifer had nine of these same precious stones upon his uniform 4. This suggests that Lucifer had a place of leadership over many groups of angels, which influence he wrongly used when he led a multitude of angels in rebellion against God 5.

The Scriptures reveal that Lucifer was perfect when he was created. The prophecy about him in Ezekiel 28:15 said, “You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you.” And again, in verse twelve we read, “You were the seal of perfection [the model of perfection, NIV], full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.” So, if God created Lucifer to be perfect and pure, how could iniquity grow within him and corrupt him into becoming a great enemy of God? Until we get to heaven we will never fully understand this “mystery of lawlessness,” as the Apostle Paul described it 6. However, many scriptures do help us understand this with some clarity.

Ezekiel 28:17 recorded, “Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor.” This suggests that pride was the beginning of Lucifer’s fall. Instead of fully focusing on the beauty and the glory of God, Lucifer became proud of his own beauty and glory. He could have admired how he was one of the greatest and most glorious of all of God’s creation! But if any created being (including us) starts to look at his own greatness, beauty, or power—whatever he has been gifted with—then pride will begin to grow. This can lead us away from remaining focused on God and instead make us focus on ourselves, which is the beginning of all backsliding!

Ezekiel 28:16 also tells us, “By the abundance of your trading you became filled with violence within, and you sinned.” This shows that Lucifer had been entrusted with many valuable things to be traded or administered. We get a glimpse of this when we consider that his covering was made with precious stones and gold. As the leader of hosts of angels he must have had administrative responsibilities in which he organized and distributed heaven’s riches. As he became proud of his beauty and wisdom, it is logical that he would increasingly gather the riches of heaven under his control for the sake of his greatness and glory.

We have a glimpse of how this can happen when we look at the backsliding of the Apostle Judas. Judas Iscariot used his position as the treasurer of Christ’s apostolic band to first steal some of the money entrusted to his care. Then later he criticized the extravagant “waste” when Mary anointed Jesus’ feet with some costly oil. Judas instead suggested that it could have been sold and given to the poor—but his hidden motive was that the money from its sale would be put into his control, and then he could steal whatever he wanted 7. Then finally, when sin and rebellion had fully corrupted his heart, Judas sold Jesus for 30 pieces of silver! What probably began as a small sin of greed grew until Judas finally betrayed Christ. May each of us who are called to Christian leadership take this to heart, if we begin to juggle church finances and resources for our personal benefit we might be starting down a path that could lead us to become like Judas and Lucifer! Too many ministers have gone down a similar path. Instead of remaining focused on God and His kingdom, they instead begin to build their own kingdom and fame. This can lead to progressive compromises until they are effectively betraying Christ for greater wealth and success.

As pride led Lucifer to increasingly focus on his personal greatness and glory, he wanted to attain and accomplish more than what God had entrusted him with. This can be seen in Isaiah’s prophetic description of Lucifer’s fall: “‘How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’ Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit,”- Isaiah 14:12-15.

This description of Lucifer’s downfall shows that his pride led him to self-exaltation and rebellion. He wanted to exalt his throne and even become equal to God! Yet pride can also motivate us towards dangerous self-exaltation. There can be a dangerous mixture in the hearts of some leaders that they are “climbing the ladder of success” in ministry not just for the glory of God, but also for their own praise. That is why the Apostle Paul wrote that a Christian leader should not be a novice or recent convert, “or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil,” 1 Timothy 3:6 NIV. Sadly, immature Christians who are gifted are sometimes prematurely put into positions of responsibility because their church leaders are desperate for help. But if pride and independence become motivating forces in their untested and inexperienced hearts, they will end up causing conflicts and perhaps even church splits, just as Lucifer caused the first “church split” in heaven.

Lucifer’s pride and desire for independence eventually led him into full rebellion against God. However, he was not alone in this rebellion; he had already persuaded many of the angels to follow him instead of remaining faithful to God. A depiction of what happened next is described in Revelation 12:7-9 concerning the “war in heaven.” This chapter seems to be specifically speaking about a conflict just before the Second Coming of Christ, but since biblical prophecies often have multiple fulfillments it can also help show us what happened the first time that Lucifer tried to exalt his throne: “Then there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels. And the dragon lost the battle, and he and his angels were forced out of heaven. This great dragon—the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world—was thrown down to the earth with all his angels,” Revelation 12:7-9 NLT.

When Lucifer first lifted himself up in rebellious pride, his casting down was swift and great. The Lord Jesus referred to this when He said, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven” in Luke 10:18. Isaiah saw Lucifer’s downfall when he declared, “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations…. Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit,” Isaiah 14:12 & 15.

Isaiah further added in verse eleven of this prophetic revelation, “Your pomp is brought down to Sheol, and the sound of your stringed instruments; the maggot is spread under you, and worms cover you.” Just as we already saw from Ezekiel, Lucifer had been created with musical giftings. Lucifer did not lose his musical abilities when he fell; he kept them, but they became corrupted. This is important for us to understand: if servants of God backslide, they do not lose their talents, although they will shift into using them for corrupt purposes. Lucifer did not lose his talents and giftings when he rebelled against God, and he still uses his talents today—no longer to lead people to God but to himself! Yet he can disguise himself and his followers to look like servants of God when the deception suits his purposes. As the Apostle Paul warned us, “Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no wonder that his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness,” 2 Corinthians 11:14-15 NLT. And as will soon be discussed in a following chapter, it is these invisible deceptions in spiritual warfare that can turn out to be some of our most dangerous battles.

Lucifer, the “Light Bearer” or “Morning Star,” lost that description and title when he rebelled against God. The morning star refers to a bright star that rises in the east just before dawn, to signify that a new day is coming soon. Lucifer was created to be a herald and messenger of God, to prepare the way for Christ, the Sun of Righteousness, to arise upon His creation. But he had become discontent with being the messenger—he wanted to be the message! He no longer wanted to point the way to God, he instead proudly wanted to point the way to himself.

In his corruption he received two new names that were descriptive of his changed character. He became Satan, which means adversary, and in the New Testament he is also called theDevil, which means the accuser or slanderer. In attempting to justify himself, Satan is ready to oppose everyone else and accuse them of being no better than himself 8. This corrupted nature also made him a tempter, as when he tempted Eve and later tempted Christ in the wilderness.

Satan’s Army

When Satan rebelled against the Lord, he did not attempt this rebellion alone. He had already led many of the angels of heaven to look to him for leadership instead of remaining faithful to God. In a symbolic depiction of this, Revelation 12:4 describes that the tail of the dragon “drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth.” The dragon was explained to be Satan in verse nine, and the stars referred to the angels that he had corrupted to follow him 9. This story suggests that Satan was able to get one-third of the angels to join in his rebellion 10. They are powerful adversaries, so powerful that they proudly thought they could defeat Michael and the faithful angels. However, we should always remember that twice as many holy angels are on our side! As Elisha once said to his fearful servant, “Don’t be afraid….there are more on our side than on theirs 11!”

While heaven has become purged of rebellion, a “pocket of resistance” has remained—and the territory that is still largely controlled by Satan and his rebels is planet Earth. Although God created mankind to rule the world, the corruption of mankind beginning with Adam and Eve has caused Satan and his fallen angels to gain much leverage in controlling the planet. As a result, Satan has also gained the description of being called “the ruler of this world” by Christ, and “the god of this age” by the Apostle Paul 12. Yet it is important to understand that this is only a temporary description. Satan has usurped control, much like trespassers taking over what does not belong to them, or like a gang that terrorizes and holds a community hostage. However, the Scriptures clearly show that at the Second Coming of Christ, Satan and his angels will be bound and cast into a prison, to later be cast into the lake of fire 13. Our battles will soon be over when Christ comes to establish His kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy over the whole earth!

Yet until that day comes, we must be careful to always remember that the battles are raging around us. Because they are invisible and can only be spiritually discerned, we must be careful to not be ignorant and uninvolved. Every Christian is involved, whether we like it or not! And what is very important for us to understand today is that the nearer we come to the time of Christ’s return, the harder Satan and his angels will seek to oppose God and His plans. As Revelation 12:12 tells us about the Last Days before the Second Coming, “Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.” Satan will do everything he can to seek to delay Christ’s return and destroy God’s people. In particular, Satan wants to hinder the fulfillment of the two great signs that the Lord Jesus gave to the Gentiles and Jews that herald His return: that the Church’s Great Commission will be completed, and that the Jews would again be ruling over Jerusalem 14. So the most contested program in these Last Days will be the evangelism of the world,and the most contested place will be Jerusalem!

Now that we know who we are fighting in this War of all Wars, we need to understand more clearly the enemy’s positioning and power. Only a well-informed army of God will have victory in this spiritual war! So let us go forward to the next chapter to become part of the triumphant Church of the Last Days that will prevail over the gates of hell.

CHAPTER 2 – PRINCIPALITIES AND POWERS

One of the essential ways to become skilled in spiritual warfare is to understand how evil spirits seek to control mankind at the various levels of human society. In life, society functions through levels of authority. From the smallest unit of society—the family—our lives are further influenced by larger groups of social affiliations. Increasingly higher levels of government will also shape and control our lives, from our local community or city up to the national level. While each person has their own free will on how they will direct their life, it is also true that these various levels of community and government have powerful influences over us. What we will now examine is that these various levels of society and government that powerfully influence us are not just earthly human authorities, but there are also corresponding angelic authorities in heavenly places.