 The book below is available in paperback books & printable downloads: 3rd Edition, completely revised beyond online 2004 first edition. 2008 version at a donation price.Spiritual Warfare book 1: Major Spiritual Warfare Principles: Biblical Do's and Don'ts of Warfare
Chapter 9. Our Weapons of Spiritual Warfare The following are among the major weapons of spiritual warfare. As the scriptures say these weapons of spiritual warfare look simple but are powerful in overcoming the enemy. Please note the focus of the 20 "weapons" listed. All, except one, focus on God and us doing our part. There is only one exceptional "weapon" that directly targets the devil - weapon #4 -Exercising authority over unclean spirits. This involves casting out evil spirits dwelling in people (see chapter on Exception for Direct Confrontation). The rest of the 19 weapons of spiritual warfare focus on God and us doing our part. They are by no means exhaustive. Other "weapons of spiritual warfare" can be found in the scriptures and be added to them. However they all focus on God or us doing our part. This is not to say we fight God. It implies that God takes care of any obstacles in our lives as we abide in him. Our weapons of spiritual warfare are therefore "weapons of righteousness" (2 Corinthians 6:7) that the Lord uses to confront the enemy and set captives free. This may come as a surprise since we expect weapons of warfare to be used directly against enemy forces and territory. The case is a bit complex in the realm of the spirit because there is one group of forces in the natural realm and another in the spiritual. In the natural realm there is us, God's servants on one side and on the other there are people knowingly or unknowingly being used by the devil, our main enemy. In the spiritual realm there is God almighty and his entire government of angels in their various roles and ranks. On the other spiritual realm side is the devil and his entire alliance of fallen angels in their various roles and ranks. Explaining how and why the war rages may be another lengthy topic with its own limitations. The only important matter to note is that we have the entire heavenly government on our side including our Lord Jesus who stands as our intercessor (Romans 8:34) and our advocate in heaven's highest court (1 John 2:1, Job 16: 19-20). Our main concern here is the part we, as God's servants, play in this war. The scripture has laid this out quite clearly. Most of what we see from the scripture is that the battle is his and our concern is to focus on him rather than on Satan. In fact, Satan's influence over the outcome of any battle is so insignificant that he's the one to be pitied for having started any battle – if only we do our part. That is why the scripture says we're more than conquerors in any battle we may encounter. "In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord," Rom 8:37-39. Thus the distortion that Satan is the focus in any battle ought to be totally demolished. This has been explained extensively in this book. Weapons of Spiritual Warfare 1. Prayer – (among weapons of spiritual warfare against all forms of evil, including sin, real failure, walking outside God's will)
"Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers," Luke 22:31-32 "I (Paul) urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be made for all men, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a quite and peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, who desires all men be saved and come to the knowledge and truth," 1 Timothy 2:1-4 "I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the Lord, give yourselves no rest, and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth." Isaiah 62:6-7 "The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects," James 5:16 (our righteousness is in Christ Jesus: "Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption," 1 Cor 1:30 "When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place," 2 Chronicles 7:13-15 *"Submit to God and be at peace with him… You will pray to him, and he will hear you… He will deliver even the one who is not innocent, who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands," Job 22: 21,27,30. "A time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth," John 4:23-24 "The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will," Romans 8:26-27 2. The Word of God -the sword of the Spirit and the belt of truth– (among weapons of spiritual warfare for evangelism and self defense weapon against ignorance, deception, false doctrines, spiritual poverty, and against walking outside God's will) 3. Fasting -(among weapons of spiritual warfare against heavy oppression that prayer alone may not overcome)
"When (not, if or in case) you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you," Matthew 6:17-18 "His disciples asked him privately, "Why could we not cast it (the demon) out" And he said to them, "This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer and fasting," Mark 9:28-29, Matthew 17: 21, (KJV, ISV) "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter-- when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I," Isaiah 58:6-9 4. Casting out unclean spirits living in people (not in thin air) (Matthew 10:1, Mark 6:7,13, 16:17-18, Luke 9:1-2). Sound wisdom, and discernment is required when operating in this spiritual realm. Notice also that this is the only area we have any direct confrontation with evil spirits. It's the only area we have believers' authority over evil spiritual forces. Any other role that works as spiritual warfare involves our focus on God and doing our part of walking in obedience.
*"The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work," 1 John 3:8 *"As the Father has sent me, I am sending you," John 20:21 *"How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him," Acts 10:38 *"Anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father," John 14:12 *"From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it," Matthew 11:12 *"I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you," Lk 10:19 *"Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's," 2 Chron 20:15 "The seventy-two returned with joy and said, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name," Luke 10:17 5. Walking in obedience and consecration -the breastplate of righteousness- (among our weapons of spiritual warfare against sin)
*"Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams," 1 Samuel 15:22. *"Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well," Matthew 6:33-34 *"This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word," Isaiah 66:2 *"You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise," Psalm 51:16-17 "When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place," 2 Chronicles 7:13-15 *"If my people would but listen to me, if Israel would follow my ways, how quickly would I subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes," Psalm 81:13-14 *"Submit to God and be at peace with him… You will pray to him, and he will hear you… He will deliver even the one who is not innocent, who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands," Job 22: 21,27,30. 6. Walking in love, repentance and forgiveness -the shoes of the gospel of peace- (among our weapons of spiritual warfare against curses, sickness and hatred)
*In Love: "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another," Jn 13:35 *"If I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. 1 Co 13:2-3 *"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers," 1 Jn 3:16 "Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law," Romans 13:8 *"Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew, 5:20 *In Repentance and Mercy (to God and to one another):
*"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness …" Lamentations 3: 22-23 *"Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need," Hebrews 4:16 *"Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy," Mat5:7 *"Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors," Mat 6:12 *"Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you…For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you," Luke 6:36-38. Healing through Repentance
*"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed," James 5:16 *"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases," Psalms 103:1-3 7. Walking in fellowship- (among our weapons of spiritual warfare against spiritual unfruitfulness, spiritual weakness, , spiritual poverty, sin, deception) 8. Walking in agreement- (among our weapons of spiritual warfare against division, conflict, unanswered prayers, etc.)
*In Word: "He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity," Pr 21:23 *"The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit," Pr 18:21 *"To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the reply of the tongue," Pr 16:1 *In Deed: "Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them," Mat 18:19-20. *"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work. If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!" Eccl 4:9-10 *Agreement with the Lord makes three cords: "Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken," Eccl 4:11 *"Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses," Deut 19:15, Mat 18:16, 2 Corinthians 13:1 9. Walking in humility- (among our weapons of spiritual warfare against pride, egoism, arrogance, disrespect)
*"The meek (humble) will inherit the land and enjoy great peace," Ps 37:11 *"Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth," Mat 5:5 *"Ask of me, and I will make the nations yourinheritance, the ends of the earth your possession," Psalm 2:8 *"And you will be called priests of the Lord…You will feed on the wealth of nations," Isaiah 61:6 (Nations' wealth is our inheritance for our priestly duties) *"A sinner's wealth is stored up for the righteous," Pr 13:22 (the righteous use it for the gospel) *"Humility and the fear of the Lord bring wealth and honor and life," Pr 22:4 *"Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he shall exalt you," James 4:10 *"God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble," Jas 4:6, 1 Pet 5:5 *"A man's life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps," Jer 10:23. *"This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word," Isa 66:2 *"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise," Ps 51:17 *"Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand," 1 Chron 29:14 10. Walking in submission- (among our weapons of spiritual warfare against self-ambition, self-glory, pride, disrespect, competition)
Submission to God (By submitting to his Word and the His Spirit) *"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you," James 4:7 *"Those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God," Romans 8:14 *"But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control," Gal 5:18, 22-23 *"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; without me you can do nothing," John 15:5 = "Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit," Zec 4:6 *"And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God," Ephesians 5:18-21 "Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live!" Hebrews 12:7-9 Submission to One Another and to those in Authority (Especially to Spiritual Leaders)
"Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ," Ephesians 5:21 "It is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience," Romans 13:5 "Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you," Hebrews 13:17 "Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men," 1 Peter 2:13 11. Holy communion-body and blood of Jesus– (among our weapons of spiritual warfare against all forms of evil, blood covering refuge, abiding in Christ and cleansing oneself)-
a) Holy communion "For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him," John 6:55-56 "The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes," 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding," Ephesians 1:7-8 "They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death," Rev 12:11 "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding," Ephesians 1:7-8 "Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith,"1 John 5:4 "The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!" Hebrews 9:13-14 12. Anointing with oil– (among our weapons of spiritual warfare against sickness, evil spirits, weakness and other burdens) The oil has no divine magical power. It is our faith and obedience to use it when and were necessary that enables God to do the miraculous work.
"When (not, if or in case) you fast, put oil on your headand wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you," Matthew 6:17-18 "They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them," Mark 6:13 "Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord," James 5:14 "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he hasanointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed," Luke 4:18, Isaiah 61:1 "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him," Acts 10:38 "And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing," Isaiah 10:27 (KJV) "He (Moses) poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron's head and anointed him to consecrate him," Leviticus 8:12
"Take the anointing oil and anoint him by pouring it on his head. Bring his sons and dress them in tunics and put headbands on them. Then tie sashes on Aaron and his sons. The priesthood is theirs by a lasting ordinance. In this way you shall ordain Aaron and his sons," Exodus 29:7-9 "And take some of the blood on the altar (now done by taking Holy communion) and some of the anointing oil and sprinkle it on Aaron and his garments and on his sons and their garments. Then he and his sons and their garments will be consecrated," Exodus 29:21 "Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them so they may serve me as priests. 31 Say to the Israelites, `This is to be my sacred anointing oil for the generations to come. Do not pour it on men's bodies and do not make any oil with the same formula. It is sacred, and you are to consider it sacred. Whoever makes perfume like it and whoever puts it on anyone other than a priest must be cut off from his people.'" Exodus 30:30-33 "You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever," Psalm 23:5-6 "He allowed no one to oppress them; for their sake he rebuked kings: Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm," Psalm 105:14-15
13. Praise and thanksgiving– (among our weapons of spiritual warfare against ingratitude, murmuring, complaining, a comparison attitude, doubt, doubt, fear, the "spirit of despair" (Isaiah 61:4)). This includes listening to praise and worship music, prayers of thanksgiving for answered prayers, prayers of praise and worship, and maintaining a thanksgiving lifestyle.
*"May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands, to inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples, to bind their kings with fetters, their nobles with shackles of iron, to carry out the sentence written against them. This is the glory of all his saints," Ps 149:6-9 *"Since my youth or God you have taught me and this day I will declare your marvelous deeds" Ps 71:17 (As spiritual children we can reflect on the time since we got saved and how God has kept us since our spiritual youth. Our physical age has little and no relevance to our spiritual lives) *"O come let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation: Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving," Ps 95:1-2 "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say rejoice. Let all men know your forbearance (patience). The Lord is at hand. Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4: 4-7 "I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be made for all men," 1 Tim 2:1 "Do not be grieved for, the joy of the Lord is your strength," Nehemiah 8:10 14. Positive confession and guarding the tongue –(among our weapons of spiritual warfare against pessimism, self-proclaimed calamities (spiritual, social, physical, material, etc.) and weapon for creating desired matters)
(Luke 6: 45), mountains (obstacles in life which may be physical, circumstances, emotional, spiritual, social, financial -Matthew 17:20, 21:21), calamity (Proverbs 21: 23, 13: 3), loosing problems (Matthew 16:19) death (spiritual, physical, social, material, financial-Proverbs 18:20-21), withholding God's blessings, ruining destiny (James 3: 3-6), Proverbs 13:2, Proverbs 18:7 15. Generous giving to the work in the body of Christ – (among our weapons of spiritual warfare against greed, selfishness, insufficiency, poverty)
*"Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine," Proverbs 3:9-10 *"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse…and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops…says the Lord Almighty," Malachi 3:10-11 (NB. Tithing not required in New T but the biblical principles of giving to God's kingdom interests still apply today. See section on financial healing in chapter on Deliverance and Healing) *"Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up (in heaven) treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life, | 
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