Spiritual Warfare...

[christianwarrior]

I have been reluctant to post this because I do not fully understand this topic and people might believe I am crazy or insane after reading this. However I cannot remain silent when the reality of spiritual warfare is around me. The evidence of this is the attacks on people recently: A missionary friend faced family problems while he was planning to go back to the mission field, a newly saved friend of mine is facing family problems right now and he was in a depression, another person I know who made a profession of faith also ran into family problems, someone had sudden health problems after his baptism, etc. If you are facing spiritual attacks, remember that if you are in Christ, you have the Holy Spirit dwelling in you which greater than any attack that might come against you.

1. The reality of Spiritual Warfare

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. (Ephesians 6:10-20)

Paul compares a Roman soldier and their equipment as an analogy to spiritual warfare that is going on. http://www.gotquestions.org/full-armor-of-God.html It is important we are not missing equipment in the battlefield. If you lacking in faith you are vulnerable to a flaming arrow attack (v. 16). If you are not guarding your heart and having unrighteous desires that's where you can be attacked (v.14).

One of the things that made the Roman soldiers so unstoppable were their group formations. Their turtoise formation was difficult to penetrate. http://spartacus-educational.com/ROMmilitary.htm http://romanmilitary.net/strategy/legform/ In the battlefield the enemy would attempt to get a split in the formation. In the spiritual battlefield the people who are isolated and out of formation are vulnerable to attack. Are you in fellowship with a group of local believers? You should be reporting to a local battlion (church) and participating in it. Are disputes and conflicts at the local church being handled in Christ-like love?

How are the generals in the local battlion doing (elders, overseers, pastors)? http://www.christianpost.com/news/nearl ... ds-121973/ Are you checking up on them and assisting them? Are they in your prayers? http://www.christianpost.com/news/nearl ... ds-121973/

The enemy also exploits family conflict. https://answersingenesis.org/angels-and ... -the-home/ Examine yourself in your family using Ephesians 5:22-6:4. If you are married wife are you respecting your hushand even when he leaves the toilet seat up or socks on the ground? If you are a husband are you loving your wife as Christ loved the church even when your wife goes through mood swings that seem to defy logic? Children are you honoring your father and mother even when they ask you to clean your already clean room? Fathers are you avoiding provoking your children to anger with blowing a gasket over minor things? https://www.gty.org/resources/print/bible-qna/BQ122012

With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, (Ephesians 6:18) How are the wounded being treated? Are you lifting the wounded in prayer? Is there any way you could assist them? No wounded soldier should be left stranded.
2. How to tell if it is a spiritual attack or not?

This is very tricky. You do not want to be paranoid thinking that everything is a spiritual attack. There are people who blame their fleshly desires and sins on spiritual attacks when the issue is them (this teaching applies to me too). Closely examine yourself. If it is a sin issue from the flesh that you regularly deal with it might not be a spiritual attack. However let's say that you do not struggle with jealousy but when you are preparing to teach Sunday school all of a sudden you have an intense feeling of jealousy it might be spiritual attack. It might also be a spiritual attack if it only happens when you try to do ministry. You are not an lustful person but you go through lust issues everytime you try to read the Bible it might be a spiritual attack. A spiritual attack is usually an ambush. Examine yourself and check if it is a fleshly desire you regularly deal with before blaming it on a spiritual attack. Do you usually have family conflict or is the conflict all of a sudden happening when you are planning a missionary trip? Also the spiritual attack could be based on a sin issue in your life. If you are a new believer who had been dealing with lust issues, and all of a sudden a non-believer who is really attractive that shows interest in you it might be from the enemy. Most spiritual attacks happen at turning points in people's life (new believer, non-Christian who is weighing the evidence for Christian, etc.) It could be an ailment or physical afflication happening before you preach on Sunday. See if the ailments seem to be happening around times where you serve in ministry. Most spiritual attacks are ambushes.


3. Mental illness or demonic oppression?

Again this can be tricky because it might be both. People who abuse drugs and have their brain chemistry altered are more vulnerable to spiritual attacks. People who have depression are more likely to be in a spiritual crisis where they doubt the goodness of God leaving them more vulnerable. The mind, body, and soul are linked together so an issue in one area can cause an issue in another. Demonic oppression usually has a distinguishable origin (witchcraft, Satanic ritual, pagan practices, drug abuse, etc.) If the mental ailments were not caused by engaging in spiritual darkness it is usually mental illness and not demonic activity. http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god/chu ... nd-anxiety On the other hand it could be both. Did the mental illness start when you made a profession of faith or right after you got baptized? Satan can make pre-existing mental issues worse. Is the mentally patient willing to accept prayer and have the Bible read to them? If the mentally ill patient willing to accept prayer then it is usually not demonic possession because a demon possessed person would not want to around the presence of God. Still pray for the mentally ill person but do not assume that it is a demonic possession. If the mentally ill person tells you that they under demonic possession then it is unlikely to be a demonic possession because a demon living in a person would not want to get detected so easily. Another thing that makes the situation complex is that demonic possession and oppression can cause mental illness and chemical imbalances. Again the mind, body, and soul are linked together. Therefore it is important that you do not tell anyone to discontinue their medicine even if you believe that the demon has left the person. Unless you are a mental health professional in general it is not a good idea to give advice about medication.


4. Going on the offensive: prayer and the Word of God

Most of the equipment that Paul lists are for standing firm and are defensive in nature however we are two weapons: prayer and the Word of God.
Daniel 10 talks about the spiritual battle that occurs between angels of God and Satanic forces that we do not always see. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?s ... rsion=NASB

Daniel was in mourning, praying, and fasting for three weeks (v.2). After twenty-four days an angel of God appears before Daniel. No one else sees the angel but the people around Daniel flee because they know that something supernatural is occuring (v. 7). The angel tells Daniel that he had been sent by God on the first day that Daniel prayed to God but for the whole three weeks that Daniel was fasting and praying, the angel was struggling against an evil spirit (v.13). When we pray we are engaging in the spiritual realm and talking part in the battle.

Our second weapon is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17, Hebrews 4:12). We should learn the Word of God, we can equip ourselves to use it more effectively. We should go on the offense by proclaiming the Gospel (Ephesians 6:19-20) this allows us to penetrate into the kingdom of Satan and rescue people from bondage.

[Starhunter]

If spiritual warfare means being up against an enemy which has the power to deceive man and angels, how can you tell if you are not somehow deceived, that you are in a personal belief system which appears to be right for all the good reasons but will surely damn you in the judgement?

[christianwarrior]

I would pray to God and ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes to deception. Anyways Satan can only deceive as much as we allow him to. The fallen angels were not deceived, they followed Satan in his rebellion. http://www.gotquestions.org/God-allow-deception.html The enemy's power is no match for God's power. http://www.wnd.com/2014/11/rising-numbe ... out-jesus/ http://www.reasonablefaith.org/why-does ... ms-deluded God will find a way to reach all genuine seekers and people who are deceived. "You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world." 1 John 4:4 if you have the Holy Spirit in you then you have a power way greater than the enemy.