Spiritual Warfare | Prepare for Victory

I’ve learned over the years that the enemy of our soul never takes a vacation. As believers, however, we have nothing to fear, for God’s Word declares:

“Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

We are at war against the forces of hell, and before every spiritual breakthrough comes a battle in the realm of the Spirit. Paul the apostle taught:

“The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:4).

God tells us, “Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11)!

Preparation for spiritual warfare requires the application of spiritual principles revealed in the Bible. According to Ephesians 6, we must:

• Identify the enemy (verse 12)
• Strengthen ourselves in the Lord (verse 10)
• Clothe ourselves with the armor of God (verses 11-18)

I especially want to spotlight the spiritual armor, for a prepared soldier never goes into battle without the appropriate protection and weaponry, knowing that the potential for victory hinges upon these vital components.

A spiritual battle requires spiritual weapons. It’s impossible to avert the attacks of the devil and prevail against his strategies in your own strength.

That’s why the Word of God instructs us to get ready for what lies ahead!

Preparation for spiritual warfare requires the application of spiritual principles revealed in the Word of God.

From a spiritual perspective, the whole armor of God, applied and used properly, provides full protection and enables the believer to hold his ground against the enemy until victory comes.

Let me quickly list the seven pieces of armor provided in Ephesians 6:

1. “Loins girt about with truth” (verse 14). Your loins deal with your mind (1 Peter 1:13 tells us, “Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind”). The door to the Spirit comes through the mind. Fill your mind with the Word of God.
2. “The breastplate of righteousness” (verse 14). The breastplate covers the vital organs and speaks of the heart. The breastplate of righteousness fortifies the heart against the attacks of the enemy. Allow the righteousness revealed in God’s Word to influence your mind and touch your heart. His truth brings transformation and renewal (Romans 12:2).
3. “Feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace” (verse 15). The Word of God must affect your walk or your life. This happens as the Word fills your mind, touches your heart, and is manifest or seen in your walk. It all begins with your mind. You begin to read and hear the Word, and it begins to influence and fill your heart with truth. This affects your actions and your daily life.
4. “The shield of faith” (verse 16). Faith brings powerful results, for when faith is joined with the results of the Word in your mind, heart, and life, you can withstand any onslaught and render the enemy’s fiery darts ineffective.
5. “The helmet of salvation” (verse 17). The helmet of salvation deals with doctrine. Once the truth enters your mind, touches your heart, affects your life and walk, and is manifest in your actions, it becomes your nature. The helmet of salvation deals with your nature, your character, your doctrine—what you believe is who you are. The helmet of salvation is the doctrine of the Word that brings balance to your life and keeps you walking steady in the Spirit.
6. “The sword of the Spirit” (verse 17). All the armor up to this point has served a defensive purpose, intended for use in facing the enemy. The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God, and it is intended to be used as an offensive weapon against the enemy. God’s Word protects you against the enemy, affecting your mind, heart, walk, actions, and nature, character, and life. As your life becomes strong and established, the sword of the Spirit becomes an offensive weapon. Unmovable, unshakable, and because of the truth within, you are able to stand against the enemy. In three consecutive instances, Jesus Christ Himself used the Word of God as He resisted Satan’s temptation, saying, “It is written…” (Matthew 4:4,6,7).  The sword of the Spirit helps you take back the territory that belongs to you—your family, your finances, and your health!
7. “Prayer and supplication” (verse 18). The final weapon, also to be used on offense, is what keeps you, and that’s prayer that covers and clothes you like a mantle. That’s why we are to be “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit.”

It is vital for believers to be aware of the preparation needed to triumph in battle!

Even more important is the discovery that you never have to face the enemy in your own strength:

It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect. He maketh my feet like hinds feet… He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms. Thou hast given me the shield of thy salvation… I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them… I have wounded them that they were not able to rise: they are fallen under my feet. For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle. —Psalm 18:32-39

God is on the throne! He is at work in your life. And He desires to walk with you, lead you, and protect you in everything you do.

We must be strong in the Lord, put on the whole armor of God, and pray always. Prayer is the power that completes the armor and makes it effective against the enemy of your soul.

All the armor and weaponry necessary to defeat your foe is available to you. Take time to identify your enemy, put on the whole armor of God, and clothe yourself with a mantle of prayer.

When you are Spirit-led and properly prepared in the realm of the Spirit, you will bring defeat to the enemy and victory to your life!

Take comfort knowing that “God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).

Because you are a covenant believer, God has promised to care of you, even in times of famine and difficulty. While the world struggles around you, you can rejoice, for the God you serve has given this promise:

In famine he shall redeem thee from death: and in war from the power of the sword. Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue: neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh. At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh: neither shalt thou be afraid of the beasts of the earth. —Job 5:20-22

Trust only in the Lord, and as you do, you will be blessed:

Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. —Jeremiah 17:7-8

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