SPIRITUAL WARFARE


“For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
2 Corinthians 10:3-6


“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
Ephesians 6:10-12


The Bible tells us in 1 Peter 5:8 that our enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. It is his mission, and that of his helpers, to steal from you and destroy you. (John 10:10) When we fight satan, we fight an enemy that we cannot see. That is because we are fighting a spiritual fight.

God’s Word tells you to resist him, standing firm in your faith. (1 Peter 5:9) How do you do that? How can you, a little kid, fight or defeat a strong enemy like satan?

The great news is that YOU don’t have to! The Spirit of the Living God lives inside you! He will show you how to defeat the enemy. “Greater is He who is within you, than satan, who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4, paraphrased) The weapons that God has given you to fight with are spiritual weapons with God’s power to demolish satan’s plans and his strongholds. When you use God’s powerful weapons, you are sure to win! What are these weapons?


**Weapon #1: God’s Word. God’s Word is called the Sword of the Spirit. When you speak forth God’s Word to your enemy, satan, he is defeated. Do you remember when Jesus was in the wilderness, and satan came to Him? The devil tried to get Jesus to sin, and what did Jesus do? He used the Word of God against the devil. Jesus said, “It is written” and spoke forth God’s written word from the Bible. You can do the same thing. You can open your Bible and use the words of God that are written in it against your enemy, the devil. For example, when satan is trying to get you to disobey your parents, or to have a bad attitude against them, you can open your Bible to Ephesians 6:1. Speak out loud to him: “It is written in Ephesians 6:1 that children should obey their parents in the Lord for this is right. That is what I choose to do. I choose to obey my parents.” Using God’s Word, you can speak forth His will.

**Weapon #2: The Holy Spirit The Holy Spirit that dwells within you is the same Holy Spirit that Jesus had dwelling within Him. He said that through the Holy Spirit you would do all the things that He did, and even more, because He is now with the Father. (John 14:12) The Holy Spirit is your helper to defeat your enemy, satan. Here are some of the ways in which He helps you:

Your Prayer Language Speaking in tongues is a great aid to you in praying against the enemy. Many times we do not know what to pray, as we in our limited understanding do not know how to pray against satan’s schemes and plans. When you use your prayer language, or tongues, to pray, the Holy Spirit is free to pray through you, and He knows exactly how to pray. (Romans 8:26)

Interpretation of Tongues Sometimes when you are using your prayer language to pray against the devil, the Holy Spirit will quicken to your mind the meaning of some of the syllables you are speaking with your mouth. When this happens it gives you an idea of what the Holy Spirit has been praying, and gives you a better understanding of how to continue to pray effectively.

Word of Knowledge Many times when you are praying, the Holy Spirit will give you a word of knowledge to help you defeat your enemy. He will reveal information to you about a person, place, or event that you would not know about. Having this information helps you to better understand what to pray for and against in a specific situation.

Discernment of Spirits There are times when you are in spiritual warfare that the Holy Spirit will reveal to you the true source of what you are fighting against. There are times when satan has so deceived people that He is like a wolf in sheep’s clothing… things are not what they seem. When the Holy Spirit reveals what is truly going on, you are able to attack the enemy with clear understanding and defeat Him.


**Weapon #3: The Armor of God God gives you His armor to stand against the enemy’s schemes and attacks. Satan lies to you and will try to deceive you, making you doubt your worth in God’s eyes, your relationship with God, or God’s love for you. When you put on the full armor of God, you are protected. This armor includes the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, boots of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit. With this armor on, you know God’s truth, and know you are saved and made righteous by the blood of Jesus. Holding up your shield of faith, you remember God’s faithfulness to you, and his loving kindness toward you. Faith rises up within you and you are able to stand against the doubts and fears with which the enemy tries to defeat you. Ephesians 6:10-12


Tug-o'-War Activity The Pickpocket Object Lesson