The Spiritual War E-Book

Riaan Engelbrecht

• Herausgeber: Riaan Engelbrecht
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

The spiritual war is real, make no mistake about this reality. War is defined as a state of armed conflict between different countries or different groups within a country. The spiritual battle can be defined as a war for there is a conflict between the Kingdom of God and the already defeated yet functioning kingdom of the devil. Truth is, we are all involved in this war, unintentionally or intentionally, as believers or non-believers. As gravity affects all on earth, so does the spiritual war impact our lives daily from the rising to the setting of the sun. Let us be equipped, empowered and trained in knowledge to understand the war and its manifold ramifications on humanity.

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

The Spiritual War (Deliverance, #1)

The war is real

Go to war in perilous times

The Bride of God – the battle ax against strongholds

A game of chess

By the hand of the Lord

A Kingdom not of this world

Lessons out of Daniel 3 on spiritual warfare, persecution and idolatry

Standing in spiritual power and authority

From slavery to adopted redemption

Offensive and defensive Strategies

Prepared and trained for war

Overcoming the legal battle in the spiritual realm

Rising from lambs to lions

Where you tread

Pierce the darkness

Resist, fight, and stand in El Gibbor’s strength

Guard against the devil’s psychological warfare

Also By Riaan Engelbrecht

About the Author

Also by the same author:

Perilous Times Series Volumes 1- 9

In Pursuit of God Series Volumes 1 -15

The Holy Spirit Series Volumes 1 - 3

The Disciple of God Series Volumes 1 - 5 (Vol 2 Part A and B)

Deliverance Volumes 1 – 3 (Vol 1 Part A and B)

Crossroads to Freedom Volumes 1-4

The Kingdom of God Series Volumes 1- 4

The Prophetic Series Volumes 1-5

Apologetics Series Volumes 1-7

Deliverance Volume 3: The Spiritual War

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The author’s intellectual property rights are protected by international Copyright law. You are licensed to use this digital copy strictly for your personal enjoyment only: it must not be redistributed or offered for sale in any form.

Scriptures quotes from the New Kings James Bible, Amplified, and the New International Version.

FOR MORE FREE STUDY material visit www.avishuaministries.wixsite.com/avishua

Table of Contents

The war is real        

Go to war in perilous times      

The Bride of God – battle axe against strongholds  

A game of chess        

By the hand of the Lord  

A Kingdom not of this world  

Lessons out of Daniel 3 on spiritual warfare, persecution and idolatry  

Standing in spiritual power and authority  

From slavery to adopted redemption  

Offensive and defensive strategies  

Prepared and trained for war   

Overcoming the legal battle in the spiritual realm   

Rising from lambs to lions 

Where you tread 

Pierce the darkness

Resist, fight, and stand in El Gibbor’s strength

Guard against the devil’s psychological warfare 

The war is real

THE SPIRITUAL WAR IS real, make no mistake about this reality. War is defined as a state of armed conflict between different countries or different groups within a country. The spiritual battle can be defined as a war for there is a conflict between the Kingdom of God and the already defeated yet functioning kingdom of the devil.

We saw such a conflict in "Exodus 7: 8 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 9 “When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, ‘Show a miracle for yourselves,’ then you shall say to Aaron, ‘Take your rod and cast it before Pharaoh, and let it become a serpent.’ ” 10 So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and they did so, just as the Lord commanded. And Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent. 11 But Pharaoh also called the wise men and the [b]sorcerers; so the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. 12 For every man threw down his rod, and they became serpents. But Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods. 13 And Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, as the Lord had said."

What we need to realise is that the nature of such warfare is first and foremost spiritual (Ephesians 6), but it manifests and spills over into the natural realm. We are not talking here about conventional warfare, as stated also in 2 Corinthians 10, but warfare in the spiritual realm. Our weapons are the truth of God, the Spirit of the Lord, faith in the great I AM and our conduct of righteousness.

It is also very important to remember that everything within the ministry, or when it comes to the work for the Kingdom of God, is about spiritual warfare. Think about it. When you lead someone to Jesus, you lead such a person from captivity into liberty, from darkness into the light, and from damnation to salvation. That is warfare! You have encroached onto the enemy’s territory and by the might and power of Jesus have managed to release a captive from the clutches of despair.

When you pray for someone who is sick and is then healed, then this is warfare, because you have delivered that person from the slavery of sickness/infirmity. And at times the sickness is a result of demonic oppression. We read for example how Jesus cured the nobleman's son (John 4:46-47). In this story, there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death. Yes, Jesu healed him and thus delivered him from the clutches of death. That is warfare! Jesus performed many such miracles, such as curing Peter's mother-in-law of a fever (Mark 1:30-31), healing of a leper (Mark 1:40-45), healing the centurion's servant (Matthew 8:5-13) and curing the paralytic (Matthew 9:1-8). Yes, Isaiah 61 states Jesus has come to set the captive free! This is waging warfare.

Consider how Jesus also opened the eyes of two blind men (Matthew 9:27-31), loosened the tongue of a man who could not speak (Matthew 9:32-33), restored a withered hand (Matthew 12:10-13) and cured a deaf and mute man (Mark 7:31-37). This is a demonstration of power and God’s authority to restore and to heal! This is warfare against any work of the devil, of the world, of the unnatural or the unfortunate.

When you set someone free from demonic possession, then this is surely spiritual warfare! After all, that person was in the clutches of Satan but is now set free. Praise God. Jesus for example cured two demoniacs (Matthew 8:28-34), a demon-possessed man (Matthew 12:22) and He cast out an unclean spirit (Mark 1:23-28). Jesus also cured a boy who was plagued by a demon (Matthew 17:14-21).

When you pray for someone who was dead and then becomes alive, you are waging warfare for you have brought someone from the grip of death into life. Jesus raised the ruler's daughter from the dead (Matthew 9:18-26), He raised the widow's son from the dead (Luke 7:11-18) and of course, Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11:1-46).

When you evangelise, preach or teach the Word of God, you are engaged in spiritual warfare, for the Truth of God (John 8:32) sets the captive free. Jesus is the Truth and the Way and the Life. When we share the Gospel, we tell the world of the goodness and the greatness of God, of His love, and of His mercy. Yes in God there is liberty, there is hope and there is salvation. That is a defiant shout of victory in the face of the devil. The Great Commission is thus a triumphant call to arms, for indeed in God there is victory and hope!

The devil will always try and defy God. And he will always try to be the champion of the struggle, but as wee in Exodus 7, Aaron’s rod swallowed up the rods of the sorcerers. Yes, God is always more powerful, for He is God, and the one who battles him is but a fallen angel, nothing more. This we must always remember in this war. It says in “Colossians 1: 13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.” The spiritual war is thus defined as being a conflict between the Light of God and the darkness of the devil, described and defined as the thief who only comes to steal, to destroy and to kill (John 10:10). The devil seeks to counter God’s good works, thus he is the great counterfeiter and corrupter.

Once we come to the Lord and accept Him as our Saviour, we are delivered from the grip of darkness, therefore we are no longer slaves of fear. It says in “Romans 8:15: The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." In God, we are called to be sons and daughters of the Most High God, no longer subjected to slavery to darkness, but now co-heirs to the Kingdom of God. It says in “Romans 8: 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.”

Jesus is the Light of the World (John 8:12). The devil doesn’t want people to walk in the light, or to receive their adoption as sons and daughters. He wants people to wallow in darkness – broken, miserable, enslaved and unsaved. It says in “Romans 13: 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.” The war is firstly about oneself coming to God to put on the armour of light, thus clothed with Jesus, and to shed the darkness, but also secondly to lead others to the Light which encapsulates the Great Commission of Matthew 28.

It says of the followers of God in “Matthew 12: 14 You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” The Greek translated word for light as used in this context is Phos, which means to shine or make manifest, especially by rays. The word is especially used to speak of a light that is emitting by a lamp; a heavenly light such as surrounds angels when they appear on earth; fire because it is light and sheds light; and a lamp or torch. Light in the Bible speaks of God being the light (1 John 1-5-8), for light is extremely delicate, subtle, pure and has a brilliant quality. God is the light for God is also the truth and the knowledge, coupled with the spiritual purity, that exposes to the view of all openly and publicly all that is false, wrong and impure. God is the light for He is the ancient moral and spiritual truth.

It says in “2 Corinthians 4:4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” So this war is about the devil trying to keep people enslaved in spirit, soul and body, thus entombed in darkness, while God seeks to bring people out of the darkness into the liberating Truth of is Glory.

All war deals with dominion, which is defined as a territory or sphere of influence or control. The word “kingdom” comes from king and domain, thus the kingdom is the area which a king rules. Wars are always fought over dominion, thus land and resources. Why then do we talk about dominion? If one nation encroaches on another’s nation’s territory [dominion] by force or without permission it is an act of war.  The devil encroached on God’s dominion by challenging to rule the Throne. And remember, unto God belongs all dominion and power (1 Peter 5:11).

Man is the greatest dominion over which the war is fought, and so we engage in spiritual battle when we want to lead someone out of the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of Light. Man is God’s masterpiece. The crowning jewel of His creation. Unto man, He has given the authority to have dominion on earth. And so of course the devil is jealous.  Dominion is therefore in simple words when you are in charge of something or rule it, then you have dominion over it. The devil wants dominion over mankind and on earth (thus in cities and towns), to enforce his mandate of John 10:10 of stealing, killing and destroying. It is an act of war against God’s Kingdom, for God has created all. The devil after all declared war when he rebelled against God. It says in “Isaiah 14:12 – 15: 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.” The devil declared war against God’s Kingdom and against God’s people. He has one mandate which is to corrupt this world and to corrupt people so that they do not follow God.

Victorious Christians reign supreme when abiding in Christ, to whom belongs all dominion, and is constantly by the Spirit not walking by the dictates of the flesh, or loving the world or yielding to the devious seductions of the devil. For a victorious Christian by the spiritual armour of Ephesians 6 guards the spirit, guards the soul which is mind, heart and the will of man (yes the three fronts also of the soul), and guards the flesh against becoming defiled and corrupted. Indeed a victorious Christian has yielded to the way of God, to the Truth of God, and has truly resisted the devil (James 4:7), who do love the things of this world (1 John 2:15) or who does not yearn for gratifications of such desires. Victorious Christians seek to constantly renew their mind, guard their heart and rest in the Presence of the Almighty.

For the warfare will continuously wage in the heavenlies, on all three fronts and in the domain of man, but in God, and in God alone, the believer can arise, be victorious and overcome. For unto such a believer there is a great reward as clearly outlined in the seven-letter to the Churches in the book of Revelation.

The reality is that a believer is engaged in spiritual warfare all day and night. Many do not wish to accept it, but the reality is that spiritual warfare rages around us all the time. God never slumbers. Neither does the devil. There is a constant battle. If you are aware of it or wish to ignore it, it doesn’t matter. Warfare exists. It impacts everyone on the planet because the goal of the devil is to influence people to defy God while God has empowered His Church to lead people out of darkness into the light. Thus you will constant warfare.

The reality is that every believer has been called to wage spiritual warfare. But we do so according to 2 Corinthians 10, by fulfilling the Great Commission and by sharing the Word of God. It is that simple. And yes, at times we will deal directly with the devil in times of deliverance, but this is also the duty of a disciple. As mentioned, if we pray for healing, or deliverance or just share the Word, we are engaged in warfare. It is that simple.

The story of David and Goliath is well-known, yet it deals directly with spiritual warfare. Saul never could defeat the giant, because the battle wasn’t really physical but spiritual. Saul wanted to use conventional warfare tactics, and this tactic failed. Not so for David. The shepherd boy resisted putting on physical armour when engaging in battle, reminding us that our true armour is spiritual in nature (Ephesians 6). We read: 45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. 47 Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.”

David of course slew the giant with a stone. It was not really the stone that killed the giant, but God’s hand. Just as it was God who kept Noah safe during the rains, not the ark. David engaged in true warfare, for he came to the giant “in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel”, whom the giant had defied. Similarly, we take on the devil – the one who defied God – not in our strength or by weapons of this earth, but in the power of God and the might of His Glory. Jesus after all set the example of spiritual warfare in the wilderness when He defied the temptations of the devil by simply countering the seductions with “it is written”. Yes, in this spiritual war, we need to stand upon the Word of God who is Jesus, and we need to declare it for in the Word of God is liberty, hope, deliverance and victory.

Yes, this war is not conventional. This is expressed in “2 Corinthians 10: 4 The weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood]. Our weapons are divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. 5 We are destroying sophisticated arguments and every exalted and proud thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought and purpose captive to the obedience of Christ, 6 being ready to punish every act of disobedience, when your own obedience [as a church] is complete.” 

Throughout the Scriptures, it is proven God’s ways are not ours when it comes to warfare, be it physical or even spiritual. In the case of Jericho, we read in “Joshua chapter 6:  3 You shall march around the city, all you men of war; you shall go all around the city once. This you shall do six days. 4 And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. 5 It shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet that all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the wall of the city will fall down flat. And the people shall go up every man straight before him.”

Or how about the story of Gideon’s army of 300 that routed the Midianite camp? Gideon gave each of his men a trumpet (shofar) and a clay jar with a torch hidden inside. Divided into three companies, Gideon and his 300 men marched on the enemy camp. He instructed them to blow the trumpet, give a battle cry and light torches, simulating an attack by a large force. As they did so, the Midianite army fled (Judges 7:17–22).  Or how about the story of how Samson through supernatural strength and long hair continuously wreaked havoc on the Philistines? Or how about the incredible tale of how God delivered Israel from Egyptian bondage? Yes, God did not send an army, but only 10 plagues brought Egypt to its knees.

Or how about the story of 1 Samuel 14 Amplified Bible (AMP)? It says "1 One day Jonathan the son of Saul said to his young armor bearer, “Come, let us go over to the Philistine garrison on the other side.” But he did not tell his father. 2 Saul was staying in the outskirts of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree in Migron; and with him were about six hundred men, 3 and Ahijah the son of Ichabod’s brother Ahitub the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the Lord’s priest at Shiloh, was wearing the ephod. And the people did not know that Jonathan had gone. 4 Between the passes by which Jonathan sought to cross over to get to the Philistine garrison, there was a rocky crag on the one side and a rocky crag on the other side; one [crag] was named Bozez, and the other, Seneh. 5 The one crag was on the north in front of Michmash, and the other on the south in front of Geba. 6 Jonathan said to his young armor bearer, “Come, let us cross over to the garrison of these uncircumcised men; it may be that the Lord will work for us. For there is nothing to prevent the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.” 7 And his armor bearer said to him, “Do everything that is in your heart (mind); here I am with you [a]in whatever you think [best].” 8 Jonathan said, “See now, we are going to cross over to the [Philistine] men and reveal ourselves to them. 9 If they say to us, ‘Wait until we come to you,’ then we will stand in our place and not go up to them. 10 But if they say, ‘Come up to us,’ we will go up, for the Lord has handed them over to us; and this shall be the sign to us.” 11 When both of them revealed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines, the Philistines said, “Look, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have hidden themselves.” 12 So the men of the garrison responded to Jonathan and his armor bearer, “Come up to us and we will tell you something.” Jonathan said to his armor bearer, “Climb up after me, for the Lord has given them into the hands of Israel.” 13 Then Jonathan climbed up on his hands and feet, his armor bearer following after him. The enemy fell before Jonathan [in combat], and his armor bearer killed some of them after him. 14 That first slaughter which Jonathan and his armor bearer made was about twenty men within about half a [plow] furrow in a plot of land [the area of which a yoke of oxen could plow in a day]. 15 And there was trembling in the [Philistine] camp, in the field, and among all the people; even the garrison and the raiding party trembled [in fear], and the earth quaked and it became a trembling and terror from God."

Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 during World War 2, delivered a rousing speech on never surrendering as the Nazis continues to mark through Europe. It has become a eulogy to the British war effort that has been immortalised in popular memory of the Second World War. In his speech of “fighting on the beaches”, we can easily take his speech and apply it to the believer as well during the spiritual war we wage. For the devil is continually marching throughout the world, plundering and destroying, but we must stand our ground and never surrender.

So part of Churchill’s speech can also be read in context for the believer when adapted: “We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in spiritual, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our domain, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.”

Yes, in this spiritual war, we must never surrender. We must never give up doing good, sharing the Good News and keep on fighting the good fight of faith. We must never surrender, even when the days are dark as it was for England when facing the might of Germany, for even though the devil is devious and sly, God is greater and victorious. Yes, we can never surrender, and wherever we go we must keep on shining the light in the darkness, declaring the love of God for the sinner and the saint. Whatever the cost, we must never surrender! We shall indeed go on to the end. Wherever the Lord sends us, may we declare the Gospel in the fields, in the valleys and from the mountaintops. Wherever the need arises, we shall not be kept silent, or be discouraged or driven back for God is glorious and mighty. 

From the beginning

THE SPIRITUAL WAR HAS been evident from the beginning. Satan is the enemy of God, he actively seeks to oppose God, His purposes, and His people. Let us consider the evidence for the spiritual war in the Old Testament, and then further pursue this matter in the New Testament. We would probably turn first to the third chapter of the Book of Genesis to find Satan striking what appears to be the first blow of the spiritual war. Actually, the battle began long before the creation of Adam and Eve.

Satan’s rebellion against God is described in two Old Testament prophecies. It is written in Isaiah 14: 12 “How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! 13 “But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, and I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recesses of the north. 14 ‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High’. And also Ezekiel 28: 12 “Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “You had the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. 13 “You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering: The ruby, the topaz, and the diamond; the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper; the lapis lazuli, the turquoise, and the emerald; and the gold, the workmanship of your settings and sockets, Was in you. On the day that you were created they were prepared. 14 “You were the anointed cherub who covers, and I placed you there. You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked in the midst of the stones of fire. 15 “You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, until unrighteousness was found in you.”

It is clear from these verses that the prophets are not speaking only of an earthly ruler, but of someone possessing much greater power. They are speaking of none other than Satan. He was the angel who was created by God (Ezekiel 28:13), given the highest authority under God, but who was not content with this. He was the one who was in Eden, the garden of God (Ezekiel 28:13). He was once blameless at the time of his creation, but then was found with sin (Ezekiel 28:15). He possessed great beauty, power, and authority, but he had to have more. He wanted to exalt himself further; he wanted to become like God (Isaiah 14:14). When Satan rebelled against God, others joined him in opposing God and His purposes. And so we find Satan making his first public appearance in Genesis chapter 3, not as Satan, but as a creature which God has made. Satan comes to Adam and Eve as a fellow-creature, under God’s authority. His temptation is heeded, and God’s Word disobeyed, leading not only to the downfall of Adam and his wife but of all their offspring. So the devil rebelled against God and thus it was an act of war. And so he has always tempted man to rebel against God, thus engaging in conflict with the Kingdom of Light.

We read the following in "2 Kings 6: 15 And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” 16 So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17 And Elisha prayed, and said, “Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 18 So when the Syrians came down to him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, and said, “Strike this people, I pray, with blindness.” And He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha. 19 Now Elisha said to them, “This is not the way, nor is this the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek.”

In 2 Kings chapter 6, the king of Syria was waging war against Israel. God informed Elisha the prophet of all the Syrian king’s battle plans in advance, and the prophet conveyed them to the king of Israel, so that all of Syria’s attacks were nullified. When the king of Syria learned that Elisha was the source of his troubles, he sent out his army to seize him. In the morning, the Syrian troops surrounded the city of Dothan, where Elisha was staying. When Elisha’s servant arose early and went out, perhaps to draw water, he saw the Syrian army as it was surrounding the city. The panic-stricken servant rushed to his master and told him what he had seen. While the servant was terrified by what he had seen, Elisha remained calm. He knew something that his servant did not. He knew that earthly armies were no threat when the host of heaven was on his side. And so he prayed that the eyes of his servant might be opened, to see the “invisible army” which was on duty to protect the people of God: Elisha was able, singlehandedly, to lead the entire Syrian army into the hands of the Israelite army’s hand. In this spiritual war, the good news is that the heavenly army is ever-present, and it responds to the prayers of the saints and if God is with us, then who can be against us? (Romans 8:31).

In Daniel chapter three, Daniel’s three companions are thrown into the fiery furnace, because they will not bow down before the golden image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. But when these three were cast into the furnace, the king looked in and was shocked to see not three, but four men inside, and they were not writhing in pain or being consumed by the flames, they were walking around inside that furnace. If not our Lord Himself, this fourth person was surely an angelic being, sent there to save the lives of these faithful men. Yes, the spiritual war wages around us but God will give us victory and strength!

Take a look at what Moses said of God in “Exodus 15 NKJV: 1 Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the Lord, and spoke, saying: “I will sing to the Lord, For He has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea!  2 The Lord is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him; My father’s God, and I will exalt Him. 3 The Lord is a man of war; The Lord is His name.” When God cut down the entire Egyptian army and Pharaoh, He did so as a sign of His superiority and greatness, as a matter of honour, for He promised His chosen nation He would protect them. It was also a sign of His wrath against all who oppress His people and reject Him, right up to the last day and judgment. Even today, God laughs in derision, and say with the Egyptians, “I will pursue, I will overtake... my lust will be satisfied upon them... destroy them”. Is this not the sentiment at the cross? (Mark 15:29-31; Luke 23:35). Our God is a man of war, and He shall surely not be mocked.

Those of us who stand by the Lord, willing to die for Him, are also like Him in valour (see 1 Samuel 16:18). But, note what King Saul thought of the young David’s ability to beat a mighty foe: “And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou [art but] a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.” (1 Samuel 17:33). He missed the point – that when we fight on the Lord’s side, the size and power of the enemy is irrelevant. With God all things are possible, for unto God belong all dominion, power and glory. What matters is our obedience and trust! David was incensed by the arrogance of Goliath, who dared to face the army of the people chosen by God (verse 36). One small stone, one big enemy! But, God guided the stone and the sword that cut off Goliath’s head afterwards. It was done this way to show that the means used by us are not what vanquishes an enemy. In this historic and amazing account we see that when a man stands against the foe in God’s Name, God wins the victory. Thus, we can say that God is a mighty man of war, even when His servant wields the sword. What the man of faith does on God’s behalf is God Himself in action.

Whenever we stand firm against an enemy, God enters the battle as champion. Our means will then be His means; our valour will be His valour; our strength will be His strength. We do not battle in our own name and power, even if we have such human strength and ability. Rather, God clothes us in Himself, and we win... for God can never lose! This is how secure we are in this war. Indeed, “The Lord shall go forth as a mighty man, he shall stir up jealousy like a man of war: he shall cry, yea, roar; he shall prevail against his enemies.” (Isaiah 42:13). God will not be mocked. He is indeed a God of love and peace – but He is also a man of war. Do not underestimate this and do not think that He is pacified by mere words.

He hears our cries; He sees our anguish; He knows what the enemy is doing, and listens as they mock us and Him. We also read in “Joshua 5: 13 And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, “Are You for us or for our adversaries?” 14 So He said, “No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, “What does my Lord say to His servant?” 15 Then the Commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy.” And Joshua did so.”

So who was this Man? There is only one that commands the armies of heaven, and that is Jesus. It says in “Revelation 19: NKJV 11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. 15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”

Yes, God is a man of war. In the Old Testament, such war very often manifested in physical confrontations, even though the true war also rages in the spiritual. It says in “Psalm 144: Blessed be the Lord, my Rock and my great strength, who trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle.”

We need to always remind ourselves that the battle belongs to God. It is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperilled in a hundred battles; if you do not know your enemies but do know yourself, you will win one and lose one; if you do not know your enemies nor yourself, you will be imperilled in every single battle. IMPERILLED means TO PUT IN PERIL OR DANGER; ENDANGER. The devil is the ancient serpent/dragon corrupting God’s perfect order.  So if we walk in the wisdom and knowledge of God, we shall not be in danger, and we shall in the power of God set the captives free who are in danger of the devil's malice.

In the Gospels of the New Testament, the spiritual war is again evident. In Matthew (4:1-11) and Luke (4:1-13), the account of our Lord’s temptation by Satan is recorded. Satan sought to tempt our Lord to renounce His submission to the Father by acting independently for His own selfish gain. He was, of course, unsuccessful. What worked on Adam and on others, would not work on this King. The devil wanted Jesus to rebel against the Father, and thus join his kingdom of darkness. This was spiritual warfare in motion, but of course, the devil failed.

Matthew 16: 23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” This is the crux of the war. The devil constantly opposes God and is constantly an offence to the ways of the Kingdom. He wants people to oppose and to offend the Kingdom in their actions and behaviours. But in the Blood of Jesus, there is victory and hope! In Matthew’s Gospel, we learn that the church which is soon to be established is going to withstand the attacks of hell itself. For it says in the same chapter: “18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Glory to God, the Church has been granted the authority in the spiritual war to lead people out of darkness to the adoption of sons and daughters. Luke tells us that Satan had the audacity to demand that our Lord allow him to “sift Peter like wheat” (Luke 22:31). It was Satan who entered into Judas, using him to betray his Lord and to hand Him over to those who would arrest Him (John 13:27). In spite of his efforts to the contrary, Satan, the “ruler of this world” (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11), was soon to be defeated on the cross of Calvary.

Early in the Book of Acts, Satan is found opposing the people and the purposes of God. In Acts chapter 5 we read of Ananias and his wife Sapphira, who had given a certain amount of money to the work of the Lord, but who had lied about the amount. When Peter rebuked Ananias for his deception, he attributed the source of the lie to Satan: “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back some of the price of the land?” (Acts 5:3). The devil will always seek for man to bring opposition to the Truth, to holiness, to purity and to the ways of life and light.

In Acts 13:10, Paul rebuked Elymas the magician for opposing the gospel, calling him a “son of the devil.” In 2 Corinthians chapter 2, Paul spoke of the church’s reticence to forgive a repentant brother as giving Satan the opportunity to take advantage, adding that we are not ignorant of his schemes (2:10-11). Later in this same epistle, Paul speaks of Satan as the “god of this world” who has “blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ” (4:4). And near the end of this epistle, Paul warns that Satan and his subordinates disguise themselves as true believers, thereby seeking to lead some astray by their authoritarian leadership:

“13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their deeds” (2 Corinthians 11:13-15).

Peter had come to learn about Satan the hard way (see Matthew 16:21-23; Luke 22:31). And so we find him warning others of the threat which Satan poses as our adversary. So he writes in “1 Peter 5:8-9: Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world”. In the letters to the seven churches, recorded in Revelation 2 and 3, the Lord Jesus frequently mentions Satan as the source of temptation and trials in the church (see 2:9, 13, 24; 3:9). The remainder of the Book of Revelation describes the coming final conflict with Satan, and his ultimate demise (see especially chapters 12 and 20).

So yes, the war is real. Even those who are in Christ will be under attack, so we are called to resist the devil and we are called to help others to overcome by the Blood of the Lamb and the word of testimony. God has never worked in traditional manners, and this is very true even in spiritual warfare. We need to listen to God, trust Him and do as He commands. We also have to understand this war is not one of flesh and blood, as underlined in Ephesians 6. Yes, God is a man of war. God knows the battle, and in Him, we find our victory and strength. Yet when we fail to abide in Him, this is when we are in danger of suffering losses, for then we battle in our strength, instead of the might of the Spirit.

Participating in the spiritual war has got nothing to do with mandates or calling, but with the authority of the believer. It should be supernaturally natural to walk in such a manner and to challenge the darkness. Our calling and mandate and gifts empower and equip and determine only how we operate and function in this war, but if we truly walk in authority and make a stand of authority against the power of darkness as the children of light then it should be naturally supernatural for us to come against forces of darkness and whatever bondage or yoke. Wherever Jesus walked, He came into contact with the sick and the tormented, be it because of the devil or sin.

This is because the true authority will be challenged, but a pretentious authority has to submit. And because Jesus walked in authority, He would exercise such authority just as every believer is supposed to do.

At the end of the day, demons are real and Satan is real. The spiritual torment afflicted by these workers of darkness is real. Jesus dealt with them and He has given us the authority to also deal with them. Sickness is real and Jesus dealt with it and He has given us the authority to also deal with them. The strongholds of our soul are real and Jesus dealt with it and He has given us the authority to also deal with them.  If every believer was to walk and exercise the authority granted unto them, we will be living in a word filled with God’s glory! God would not have sent us forth into battle if we were not equipped and protected. We have the Holy Spirit, the Blood of Jesus, and the armour of the Lord and the angels of heaven to protect us!  It says in “Luke 10:19: Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” We are not called to run from this war, but be participants in God’s strength and might to His glory!

It should come as no surprise to the Christian to read in Ephesians 6 that we are engaged in a great spiritual battle. From the early chapters of the Old Testament, it is apparent that Satan is the enemy of God, and that he actively seeks to oppose God, His purposes, and His people. Ephesians 6:10-20 is perhaps the clearest definition of the spiritual war which we find from the pen of the Apostle Paul. It not only assures us that there is a spiritual war, but it warns us that apart from utilizing the weapons which God has provided for us (2 Corinthians 2), we are hopelessly underpowered. We as children of the Lord are all involved in this war, and there is indeed in the heavenlies an order of battle. We are part of the Lord’s army and each one of us in the army has been equipped and trained for a certain task. We also need to constantly listen to God as the battle wages. In any war, there are casualties and collateral damage and the Church’s task is to ensure there are as few casualties as possible. This, however, still does not negate the fact that the outcome of the war is certain.