Topic: How to Engage in Spiritual Warfare and Win
Text: Ephesians 6:12 – 18
Whether you notice it or not, as a born again Christian, you are in one way or the other involved in spiritual warfare. Apostle Paul reminded us in the Bible that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly kingdoms” (Ephesians 6:12). However, many Christians live and act as if spiritual warfare were nothing more than science fiction. For we can’t see it, it can’t exist. But even we don’t believe that.
You can’t see the wind, but you can see and feel the deadly effects of a hurricane or tornado that devastates your community. You can’t see cancer, but that doesn’t make it less powerful or deadly. Ignoring the spiritual warfare that surrounds you does not make it disappear, it simply ensures that you and your loved ones remain unprotected and defenseless against the attacks of the enemy.
However, is it possible for you to see the effects of spiritual warfare in your personal world? Look at the mental and emotional struggles, addictions, divorce, abandoned children, and the destroyed lives around them. As a believer, you are called not only to participate in spiritual warfare but to operate from a position of victory. Jesus has already won when He defeated death and the grave. When you get involved in spiritual warfare, you apply this victory to your life and your family.
How to Win Your Spiritual Warfare
1. Saturate Yourself with the Truth
The first piece of spiritual armor that Paul gives to the Ephesian Christians is the truth, namely, the “belt of truth that fastens at the waist” (Eph. 6:14). Do not make the mistake of focusing on the pieces of armor, but what they are connected to. The first way to win your spiritual battle is to saturate yourself with the truth. God is true and Jesus calls Satan “the father of lies” (John 8:44). When we surround ourselves with lies, we give the enemy a platform to lie to us, distract us and, finally, defeat us.
When you absorb the media, television and the Internet, this is not necessarily the truth. Everyone has an agenda. Everyone has a story they are trying to sell. Even social networks are not necessarily the truth since people present a filtered version of their lives. What is true in your life? Hold on and saturate yourself with the truth to fight the lies of the enemy.
2. Living Right
The next armor that Paul enumerates is the “breastplate of justice” (Ephesians 6:14), which does not refer only to the justice that Jesus obtained for us. Remember, Paul writes to Christians, and always tells them to bring justice, which is a good life. We often make spiritual warfare more confusing and mystical than it should be.
Every time we sin consciously and commit guilt behavior, we give the enemy a platform to attack us. Then live right. If you participate in addictive or destructive behavior, ask for help. Double your relationships with other strong Christians, let them take you out of the dark place you are in. As you begin to live well and make better decisions, you will find that the enemy’s opportunities to attack begin to diminish.
3. Walk in the Spirit
This next armor is perhaps the most confusing because it is very prolific, “with the feet equipped with the preparation that comes from the gospel of peace” (Ephesians 6:15). The emphasis here is on the word “operational availability.” When a soldier is fighting, it is important not only to be armed properly but to be in the right place at the right time.
The soldier had to be sensitive to the ebb and flow of a battle to make the best possible contribution. Similarly, when we are sensitive to the movement and the warning of the Holy Spirit, we are aware of the attacks to come and how to respond. Being ready means that you are not caught off guard when the enemy attacks. Listen to the Spirit, talk to God throughout the day and seek the movement of God in your world. The Holy Spirit will tell you how to fight victoriously in your spiritual struggle.
4. Actively Choose to Believe in God
The shield of faith is used to thwart the evil arrows of fire (Ephesians 6:16). When the enemy attacks, it will probably attack your faith in God, with accusations like “We can’t trust God, God won’t take care of you, God can’t save you, you’re too far away, I’ve spoiled you too much this time, etc.
To use the shield of faith is to consciously choose to believe in the goodness and grace of God, even if you don’t want or doubt. This determines that your will is stronger than your emotions. It is actively choosing to believe in God, despite the evidence that may seem the opposite. If the enemy can destroy your faith, then he has destroyed you. Wield the shield of faith and fight.
5. Surrender Daily
Again, Paul is speaking here to Christians who have already been saved. So what does it mean to wear the “helmet of salvation” (Ephesians 6:17) if you are already saved? Genuine salvation is ultimately a matter of surrender, and when you continue to put on the helmet of salvation, you are surrendering to God daily.
You can only be victorious in spiritual warfare in as much as you’re fighting in His mighty power (Ephesians 6:10). Pride, arrogance or the functioning of meat is the safest way to overcome. Do you cultivate humility? Do you constantly recognize your inability to win on your own or do you operate as if you only need God in an emergency? Continuous surrender and dependence on God’s power is something we can never leave as Christians.
6. Handle the Word of God as a weapon
For you to win your spiritual warfare, you must know that the offensive weapon given to us is “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17). There is nothing that is more powerful than the word of God. When the enemy attacks you with lies and deceptions, the most powerful counterattack is the specific truth of God’s word.
What do you read in the Bible? What did you memorize? The enemy is likely to attack you when the Bible is not available; therefore, you must have the word of God hidden in your heart. Memorize the word of God and use it as a weapon to claim the victory that is already yours.
In conclusion, spiritual warfare is real, but it shouldn’t be scary. Jesus has already won, and the Bible gives us the means to guarantee that victory in our daily lives. Therefore, you need to saturate yourself with the truth, live properly, walk in the Spirit, actively choose to believe in God, surrender daily and use the word of God as a weapon. You must guarantee the victory that is already yours.