Answers Page for Intro to Spiritual Warfare Weaponry Intro Part 2; This page is part of the Spiritual Warfare Bible Study
C. Other Spiritual Weapons
In addition to the armor of God, there are a number of other important weapons for spiritual warfare.
1) Hope
Definition: “to cherish a desire with expectation of fulfillment; trust; to long for with expectation of obtainment; syn = expect” (Webster’s)
Hope is closely linked with faith, as hope expects fulfillment of what we are believing for. Our hope is, or should be, based on the various aspects of our salvation in Jesus Christ. In general, hope is the expectation of the fulfillment of God’s promises.
52. For each scripture below, write down the aspect of salvation that we can hope in:
Romans 5:1: We have peace with God through our faith in Jesus
Romans 8:15-17: We are God’s sons and share in Christ’s inheritance of glory (and suffering)
2 Corinthians 1:10, Psalm 91:14-15: God will continue to deliver us from evil
Colossians 1:27: The glory of Jesus will be manifested in us
Titus 1:1-2: We have eternal life with God
Titus 2:13: Jesus Christ will return to earth (“The Second Coming”)
The story of Abraham gives us insight into how hope functions and what it produces.
53. Please read Romans 4:16-22 and summarize how Abraham hoped and what happened as a result.
Abraham, contrary to hope, in hope believed what God said and became the father of many nations; he didn’t waver in unbelief, but was fully convinced that God would keep his promises; it was credited to Abraham as righteousness
As we see in Abraham’s life, hope is faith in action; it is the employment of our faith.
54. Read Hebrews 6:18-20. How does the hope of salvation affect our soul?
The hope of salvation acts as a secure anchor for our souls
55. Read Romans 5:1-5. What vital benefit does the hope of salvation give us for spiritual warfare?
Our hope of salvation is secure and will not disappoint us. Because of this, it enables us to exult while going through trials and tribulations, knowing that these will bring about perseverance, leading to proven character, leading to more hope. This translates to increased endurance on the spiritual warfare battlefield.
56. Please summarize the additional benefits of hope in the following passages:
Psalm 31:24, Isaiah 40:31: Strengthens us
Psalm 42:5,11: Counters enemy weapons of discouragement and despair
Psalm 146:5: Brings happiness
57. Losing hope can be devastating to us. From the below passages, what are some possible effects of losing hope?
Psalm 42:5: Our soul becomes downcast and our spirit disquieted
Proverbs 13:12: Our heart can grow sick
Acts 27:19-22: We give up
Sources of hope
58. Read Romans 15:13. What is the Holy Spirit’s role concerning our hope? The Holy Spirit helps us “abound in hope” by giving us joy and peace in believing his promises; God is the God of Hope.
59. Read Romans 15:4. What is another source that will encourage us in our hope? The scriptures
2) Praise
Definition:
Praise: “Glorify by the attribution of perfections” (Webster’s)
Praise is more than mere words. Hebrews 13:15 refers to praise as a sacrifice that we should continually offer to God.
60. Read Psalm 34:1. When did David say to praise the Lord? At all times; continuously
61. Who should praise the Lord?
Psalm 117:1-2: All nations
Psalm 150:6: Every thing that has breath
62. How are we to praise the Lord?
Psalm 33:1-2, Psalm 92:1-5: with joyful singing and musical instruments
Psalm 100:4-5: with thanksgiving whenever we approach Him:
“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise”
Isaiah 42:12; Psalm 51:15: by declaration
63. As a spiritual warfare weapon, praise can do many things. Please read the below verses and write what praise did/does:
2 Chronicles 20:21-22: Brought deliverance from the enemy
Psalm 8:2 (NIV): Praise silences evil forces
Psalm 22:3 (AMP): Invites God into our lives, as God literally inhabits the praises of his people.
Psalm 63:3-5: Releases God’s blessing
Isaiah 61:3: Praise counters the spirit of despair/heaviness
Acts 16:25-26: Brings about miracles – Paul & Silas singing praise to God while in jail; an earthquake ensues which breaks open the prison cells; ultimately the jailer and his entire family become Christians.
64. The Bible has plenty examples of praise in spiritual warfare. Please read the below scriptures and write down the elements of praise mentioned and the results that followed:
Psalm 149: Sing, dance, play music with instruments; praise and the sword of the Spirit will be used by God’s children to execute vengeance on the nations and punishment to the wicked. They will execute God’s judgment including binding “kings” with chains and “noble” with fetters of iron
2 Samuel 6:12-15, 2 Samuel 7:1: David praised God with singing and dancing (vigorously) as the Ark was brought to Jerusalem; the people shouted and played trumpets; David also offered many burnt sacrifices. God blessed David and gave him rest from all of his enemies.
2 Chronicles 20:15-22: Jehoshaphat, King of Judah, appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him as they went out at the head of the army, saying: “Give thanks to the LORD, for his love endures forever.” As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the enemy and they were defeated.
Isaiah 30:31-32: The people’s praises accompany the Lord’s shattering of Assyria: “The voice of the LORD will shatter Assyria: Every stroke the LORD lays on them with his punishing rod will be to the music of tambourines and harps, as he fights them in battle with the blows of his arm.” (NIV)
65. Take a moment to evaluate your efforts at praising God. In what areas can you improve?
3) The Blood of Jesus
66. Read Revelation 12:10-11. What were the means by which the Christians (i.e. “brethren”) overcame Satan and the fear of death?
They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony
Just as the Christians in Revelation did, we too can use the blood of Jesus and our personal testimony of Christ in the spiritual battles we face. The late Derek Prince, a respected authority in spiritual warfare, explained:
“It is when we testify personally to what the blood of Jesus does for us that we can claim all the benefits that God has provided for us through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Our bold, continuing personal testimony becomes the hyssop that applies the blood of Jesus to our lives.”
ref: Because of the Angels, The Climax of the Conflict, Letter from Derek Prince Ministries, February 2001
Note: Hyssop was a plant the Israelites used to sprinkle the blood on their doorposts during Passover.
67. Please read the below passages and write down what the blood of Jesus does for you:
Romans 5:9: Justification – We are made right in God’s sight
Ephesians 1:7: Redemption, meaning we are freed from the captivity of sin and the death sentence sin merits
1 John 1:7: Cleanses us from ALL sin
Hebrews 9:14: Cleanses our conscience from the dead works of sin
Hebrews 10:19: Enables us to boldly approach God’s throne without fear of punishment
Believing in all that the blood accomplishes, we can “pray it” or “speak it” in warfare situations. For example, after God healed me from the compulsion to view pornography several years ago, I continued to be hit with temptations periodically. One of the tactics I learned was to apply the blood when I realized I was being tempted. I would say (audibly or in my mind), “Satan, in the name of Jesus I rebuke you and command you to leave me alone. I am cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ, who died for me and defeated you.” If the temptation persisted, I would then repeat “the blood of Jesus covers me” until it subsided.
4) Love
Using love as a spiritual warfare weapon may seem paradoxical, but it is in perfect harmony with God’s way of fighting battles. Before we attempt to use love as a weapon, we must understand how God loves us.
Jesus said that the greatest love is shown when a person will lay down his life for another (John 15:13). Jesus demonstrated that love, as well as taught about God’s love in several parables.
68. Read Luke 15:11-32. What does this parable tell us about God’s love? It is unconditional, merciful and forgiving
69. Read 1 John 3:1. What manner of love is God’s love described here as? As a father loves his children
When we combine these different pictures of God’s love, it gives us a better idea of how amazing God’s love is. Through Jesus, God laid down his life for us. As the Father of Jesus, God loved us so much that he allowed his Son to undergo a great deal of agony on our behalf. If we should fall into trouble such as the wayward son, we have the picture of a merciful, forgiving Father who will welcome us back when we return.
Following in Jesus’ footsteps, we have the important mission of showing God’s love to people.
70. For each of the below passages, write down the specifics of our mission of love that are mentioned:
Matthew 5:44, Luke 6:27,35: Love your enemies with God’s love; pray for those who persecute you; do good to those who hate you
Luke 10:25-27: Love God with all your heart and soul, and love your neighbor as yourself
Ephesians 3:14-19: Love is to be the foundation for everything we do – we are to be rooted and grounded in it; this will help us be filled with all fullness of God and knowledge of Christ’s love
In short, love is to characterize everything we do (1 Corinthians 16:14). This is a difficult task, especially when we have to deal with enemies. Thankfully, God didn’t leave us on our own to come up with this supernatural kind of love.
71. Read 2 Timothy 1:7. How does God equip us to love others?
God gives us a spirit of power, love and a sound mind
We have God, the God of love, in our hearts through the Holy Spirit; he gives us the power to love the unlovable.
72. Read Romans 12:19-21. What happens when love is used in spiritual warfare?
When we do good to our enemy (instead of taking vengeance), we cause him or her to be ashamed of their actions against us
73. John described an amazing process of love that results in fear being “driven” from us. Please read 1 John 4:14-19 and describe this process in your own words.
If we believe in God’s love for us, we must live in love, i.e. practice loving one another
Then God lives in us and God’s love is perfected in us
Then fear is driven from us, because we will no longer have to fear punishment on judgment day (because we have peace with God through Christ)
74. Read Romans 8:35-39. What are the things that can separate us from God’s love?
Nothing can separate us from God’s love; specific things that cannot separate us include trouble, hardship, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, sword, death, life, angels, demons, present, future, any powers, height, depth, and anything else in all creation
75. What are some practical ways you can practice love with the people in your life?
Being quick to listen, slow to speak
Attending to the interests of others ahead of your own
Being a generous giver; sharing with others in need
Being courteous
Speaking uplifting words; encouraging instead of criticizing
Praying for people
Restraining the tongue from speaking evil about people
5) The Gifts of the Spirit
Though not always regarded as spiritual weapons, the gifts of Spirit can be instrumental in driving evil back and reclaiming lost territory for God’s kingdom. This is in line with our mandate from the Lord to overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21).
76. What are the nine gifts of the Spirit (or manifestations) mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:7-11?
Word of wisdom
Word of knowledge
Discerning spirits
Gifts of healings
The working of miracles
Faith
Different kinds of tongues
Interpretation of tongues
Prophecy
77. What seven spiritual gifts are mentioned in Romans 12:6-8?
Prophecy
Service
Teaching
Exhortation
Giving
Leadership
Mercy
78. Read 1 Corinthians 12:7. What is the purpose of the gifts of the Spirit?
For the profit or common good of all in the Body of Christ
The gifts are given to build up or edify the Body of Christ. This can range from preparing people for spiritual battle to helping them heal from wounds received in warfare. When used properly the gifts of the Spirit will increase our battlefield endurance and reduce our recovery time from warfare wounds.
79. Read 1 Corinthians 12:11. Who decides what gifts are given to each person? The Holy Spirit
80. What specifics does the Bible give us in the below verses on the attitude we should have toward the gifts of the Spirit?
Romans 12:6-8: We should exercise our gifts
1 Corinthians 12:1, 1 Corinthians 14:1: We should be aware of what our spiritual gifts are and we should eagerly desire them
1 Corinthians 12:12-27: Avoid thinking our gifts make us better than other Christians; we are all parts of Christ’s body
1 Corinthians 13:1-3: Use our spiritual gifts in love; without love the gifts are useless to the Body of Christ
Since love is the foundation for the operation of the gifts of the Spirit, anything that detracts from love can be a possible corrupting influence on the gifts of the Spirit. Some examples include greed, lust, desire for power or control, love of men’s praise and fear.
81. What spiritual gifts do you think/know God has given you?
If you are unsure of what your spiritual gifts are, I encourage you to take a moment to ask God in prayer to reveal your gifts to you and teach you how to use them for his purposes. Here is an example prayer you can use:
Father in heaven, thank you for creating me with special gifts to minister to your people. I ask for wisdom concerning my spiritual gifts. Please reveal to me what my spiritual gifts are and teach me how to use them in the body of Christ. Please help me to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit throughout the day and obedient to your convictions. Please protect me from the enemy’s deception and temptation. Father, I praise you and thank you for including me in your wonderful work on earth! In Jesus’ name, Amen.
6) Anointing with Oil
Anointing with oil is a physical act that we do to symbolize a spiritual dedication or consecration of a person, object or location to God’s purposes. As a spiritual weapon, it is a way of staking claim to a territory for God’s kingdom. Webster’s definition of consecrate is “To devote irrevocably to the worship of God.”
Oil is the most commonly used substance for anointing. In the Old Testament law, God gave a special, exclusive recipe for holy anointing oil. Under the new covenant, however, we see that other substances may be used for anointing as well. For example, Jesus anointed the blind man in John 9:6 with clay and spit!
82. Read Exodus 40:9-11,13,15. What did God instruct Moses to do with the tabernacle, utensils and priests to prepare them for God’s service?
Anoint them with oil, consecrating them to God
83. Read 1 Corinthians 6:19. Under the new covenant through the blood of Jesus Christ, where is God’s tabernacle / temple?
Our bodies
As living tabernacles through Jesus Christ, we can use our bodies and possessions to honor or dishonor God. By anointing them, we consecrate them to serve God and not evil.
84. Anointing with oil can be a key element in the healing process. What do the following scriptures say concerning anointing sick people with oil?
James 5:14: the church elders should anoint sick people with oil in the name of the Lord and pray for them
Mark 6:13: The disciples “drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them” (NIV)
85. In addition to church leaders and the disciples, who else may anoint people with oil?
2 Samuel 12:20: Ourselves; David anointed himself & worshiped God
Luke7:37-38: Everyday sinners; Mary anointing Jesus’ feet w/fragrant oil
When to anoint
86. Describe the occasions in which anointing was performed in the following verses:
Exodus 40:9-11: Dedicating objects to glorify God (examples: computer, monitor, VCR, eyes, hands, house, bed, etc…)
Exodus 40:13: When preparing to serve the Lord in a special way
2 Samuel 1:21, Isaiah 21:5: Prior to going to battle
2 Samuel 12:20: After confessing and repenting from our sin; rededicating ourselves after a fall
Ezekiel 16:9: After cleansing ourselves
Prior to using oil or any other substance, I ask the Lord to bless it and use it as a holy medium for his purposes. The significance of anointing is not in the substance used, but rather in the spiritual reason behind the anointing.
How to anoint
Matthew 28:19 & James 5:14 instruct us to anoint “in the name of the Lord.” Since we typically express the name of the Lord in the three persons of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, we can say this when anointing:
“I anoint ___________ in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
When I anoint, I lightly wet my fingertip with the oil and make the symbol of the cross on the object while saying the words. I may then follow with a short prayer further expressing my intention. Again, it matters not so much what you do or say when you anoint as much as what your intent is spiritually.
We can anoint people, places and things to consecrate them to God’s purposes. Here are some suggestions of things to anoint:
People (family members, ministry workers, etc.)
Buildings (house, church, office, rooms, etc.)
Objects: Furniture (esp. beds), computer, monitor, TV/VCR, cars, gifts from others, etc.
Pets
87. Anointing is a significant act and should be taken very seriously. What warning was given in Leviticus 21:10-12 to the head priest?
God said the priest “Must not make himself unclean, even for his father or mother, nor leave the sanctuary of his God or desecrate it, because he has been dedicated by the anointing oil of his God.”
Likewise, it behooves us to do our best to ensure that the things we anoint will not be used to dishonor God. We should honor the dedication we have made to the Lord when we anoint.
7) Prayer
We previously examined the benefits of praying in the Spirit. Prayer in general is a powerful weapon for spiritual warfare.
88. Read Luke 5:16. How frequently did Jesus pray?
Often; if Jesus, who was perfect, felt it important to pray, how much more should we!
89. Read 1 Thessalonians 5:17. How often are we to pray?
Without ceasing
90. There are many reasons to pray. The following passages highlight several of them which relate to spiritual warfare situations. Please read each example and then write down the purpose of the prayers that were offered.
Matthew 18:18-20: Bind evil; loose God’s plans
Mark 14:38: Strength in withstanding temptation
John 17:13-15: Protection from evil; Jesus prayed that God would keep his followers from the evil one
Romans 1:9: Intercession; Paul made mention of other Christians without ceasing in his prayers
Acts 4:21-33: The people prayed for protection and boldness in speaking the Word; also prayed for God to heal, perform signs and wonders through the name of Jesus; as a result the place was shaken, they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and they spoke the word of God with boldness and power
Acts 12:1-11: Deliverance; People prayed fervently for Peter’s release from prison; an angel came and freed him
Philippians 4:6-7: Protection/deliverance from fear/anxiety; taking our requests before God in prayer yields the peace of God which guards our hearts and minds
James 5:13-16: help during suffering; healing from sickness; forgiveness of sin
8) Fasting
Christian fasting is primarily a tool by which we humble ourselves before God. Humility invites God to draw near to us and work through us as opposed to pride, which repels God from us (James 4:6-7). By denying our flesh its desires for food and/or water, we fortify our commitment to following God. It is a way of exercising our spirit’s will to serve God over the flesh’s will to serve sin.
91. Jesus expected that his followers would fast after he left earth. How do these two examples show that expectation?
Matthew 6:16-17: Jesus taught the people about fasting; he said “when you fast” – it was not a question of “if” they would fast
Matthew 9:14-15: John’s disciples questioned Jesus about why his disciples were not fasting; he explained that they would fast after he left them
Purposes and examples of fasts in the Bible
92. For each of the below Old Testament examples, please summarize the circumstances and the fast that was done.
1 Kings 21:25-29: To humble oneself; King Ahab humbled himself before God by fasting, wearing sackcloth and mourning in. God relented, sparing Ahab of calamity.
2 Chronicles 20:2-4: Petition for God’s protection; Jehoshaphat proclaimed a fast when he learned of a large army coming from Syria to attack
Ezra 8:21-23: Ezra proclaimed a fast to humble themselves, seek guidance and protection; God answered their prayers
Jonah 3:5-10: Repent from sin; appeal to God’s mercy
There aren’t many examples of fasting in the New Testament, but there are some significant ones.
93. Read Matthew 17:14-21. How was fasting linked to the disciples’ failure at casting the demon out of the boy?
Jesus explained that the particular type of demon was only routed through prayer and fasting.
94. Read Acts 13:2-3. How was fasting used in this example and what were the results?
The people were ministering to the Lord and fasting; the Holy Spirit then told them to set apart Paul and Barnabas for their special assignment; Before sending Paul and Barnabas out, the people prayed, fasted and laid hands on them
95. Read Luke 4:1-2. How was fasting involved with spiritual warfare in this example? Jesus, led by the Holy Spirit, fasted for 40 days in the wilderness prior to facing the devil in the temptations
D. Using your spiritual weapons in warfare
1) Proper context for spiritual warfare: submission to God’s will
Now that we’ve examined our spiritual weapons, we should take a moment to explore the proper context for using them.
96. Read John 5:19. What general rule did Jesus use in determining what he would do each day?
Jesus looked to see what the Father was doing – he only did what he saw the Father doing
Jesus completely submitted to the Father’s will. Part of the Lord’s prayer that Jesus taught included the phrase, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10 KJV). Jesus ultimately surrendered his will to the Father to the point of dying on the Cross (Matthew 26:39,42). Likewise, we’ll need to surrender our will to God, especially when it comes to spiritual warfare situations.
97. Considering the below verses, what can happen if we take spiritual warfare into our own hands, using it for our own desires and purposes?
Luke 9:51-56: We risk violating God’s will; we could do the enemy’s will instead of God’s will (i.e. destroy lives)
Acts 19:13-17: We risk personal injury!
Even as redeemed people, we still must daily put off our old self and its sinful desires. Spiritual warfare is likely to generate temptations toward revenge, anger, pride and other destructive desires. If we yield to these destructive desires and attempt to wage spiritual warfare, we’ll undoubtedly be giving the enemy a foothold in us.
As an interesting side note, the occult realm often draws people seeking power and/or knowledge to use for their own purposes. This power and knowledge is real, yet people often don’t realize that it comes with the price of slavery to the devil.
98. Read Genesis 3:1-6. The temptation for power and knowledge beyond what God has given us appeals to our pride of life. How is this similar to Satan’s temptation of Eve in the Garden of Eden?
This is the same type of temptation that Satan used on Eve. He suggested that she could gain knowledge and become like God by eating the fruit. Satan’s temptation perfectly dovetailed with the fruit’s delicious appearance, and Eve ate it.
As we considered earlier, Jesus demonstrated how to live for God’s will and avoid getting ensnared in carnality and pride of life.
99. Read Luke 4:3-12. How did Satan tempt Jesus to act on his own initiative, apart from the Father?
Satan tempted Jesus to turn the rocks into bread
Satan tempted Jesus with authority over the world’s kingdoms in exchange for worship
Satan tempted Jesus to test God’s word by jumping off the temple
Jesus recognized that Satan was the author of these temptations, not God
It behooves us to stay as close to God as possible and continuously look for indications of where he is working and guidance on what he wants us to do. This information may come through prayer, an inner impression, a word of knowledge or wisdom, circumstances, another person or the scriptures. Charging into the enemy’s camp on our own initiative without orders or covering from God could be disastrous for us and our families. Our presumption and pride could give the enemy sufficient footholds to counterattack in a variety of ways.
2) Mindset for Battle
It is very important for us to adopt a “kingdom mindset” if we’re to fully engage our potential as sons of God and be effective in spiritual warfare.
100. Read Matthew 6:25-34. As God’s sons (or children), what is to be our primary focus?
Our Lord commanded us to seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and not to worry about the cares of the world (wealth, food, clothing, etc.); God WILL take care of us!
When we focus on the cares of the world or other carnal interests, our ability to wage effective spiritual warfare for God’s kingdom is diminished. Additionally, when we’re being distracted from God, we’re susceptible to hijack by the enemy.
101. As you consider your own situation, what are some areas of carnal distraction that you need to guard against?
102. Another important area is our attitude toward sin and temptation. What do the following scriptures tell us concerning the attitude we should have?
Romans 6:11-14: consider yourself dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus; don’t let sin reign in your body so that you obey its lusts; present your body as an instrument for righteousness
Galatians 4:7: No longer live as slaves to sin, but as sons of God, empowered to live in righteousness for His glory
103. Since sin and temptation are clearly vehicles of the enemy, what are we to do with the sin that holds us back from living for God?
Romans 13:12: cast off the works of darkness; put on the armor of light
Hebrews 12:1-3: lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles
It behooves us to adopt a “no mercy” attitude toward the sins that entangle us, especially in areas that we’ve dabbled with in the past. We can no longer give pet sin and temptation a place in our lives, especially if we’re planning to wage spiritual warfare for God’s kingdom.
104. As you consider your weaknesses, are there any areas of sin and temptation that you have been tolerating? If so, what radical actions can/will you take to rid yourself of them?
3) Case Studies in Spiritual Warfare
Let’s now look at some key examples of spiritual warfare to see how the weapons can be used. For each example, please answer these questions:
Who was fighting?
What spiritual weapons were employed?
What enemy tactics were used?
What happened?
105. 2 Kings 6:8-23:
Who was fighting? Elisha and the Israelites vs. the Aramean army
What spiritual weapons were employed? Word of knowledge (vs. 12); faith; prayer; love
What enemy tactics were used? Fear/Intimidation
What happened? Elisha, through word of knowledge knew the King of Aram’s secret plans against Israel. The King of Aram sent an army to capture Elisha. Though the city was surrounded by the Aramean army, Elisha believed that God’s army was in control of the situation. Elisha asked God to reveal his armies to his alarmed servant, which he did. Elisha asked God to strike the Arameans with blindness and then escorted them to the King of Israel. Instead of killing them, they showed them kindness (love) by giving them a great feast and then sent them home to their master. As a result, the Arameans never invaded Israel again.
106. 2 Chronicles 20:1-30:
Who was fighting? Jehoshaphat, King of Judah vs. alliance of Moabites, Ammonites and Meunites
What spiritual weapons were employed? fasting, prayer, praise, faith (trust), prophecy
What enemy tactics were used? Fear
What happened? Jehoshaphat proclaimed a fast in order to seek the Lord concerning the alliance that was coming to fight them. He led them in praise and prayer, and God responded by prophecy through one of the priests, giving them instructions on what to do in battle the next day. Jehoshaphat appointed people to lead the army into battle by singing praise and the Lord sent ambushes against the enemy while they sang. The alliance was defeated.
107. Ezekiel 13:17-23: This example shows a rare glimpse of how occult powers can be used against God’s followers, and in some cases even cause death!
Who was fighting? Women were oppressing God’s followers, who apparently were not fighting back
What spiritual weapons were employed? none
What enemy tactics were used? Discouragement, grief and death through magic & false prophesy (i.e. lies)
What happened? Women using false prophesy and magic to dishearten righteous people even to the point of death; they were also using their powers to sustain evildoers; God intervened on behalf of the righteous and delivered them; he also judged the evil women
108. Daniel 10:
Who was fighting? Daniel, God’s angels (Gabriel & Michael) and Satan’s angels (Prince of Persia and Prince of Greece)
What spiritual weapons were employed? Fasting and prayer
What enemy tactics were used? Angelic interference
What happened? Daniel mourned the revelation God had given him; he fasted to humble himself before God and to seek additional revelation and guidance; God sent the angel Gabriel in response, who was opposed by the Prince of Persia, a satanic angel (or demon). Gabriel needed the Archangel Michael’s assistance to even get to Daniel and deliver his message. On his return to heaven, Gabriel mentioned that another satanic angel, the Prince of Greece would join the Prince of Persia in opposing him.
109. Mark 5:1-13:
Who was fighting? Jesus and the group of demons called “Legion”
What spiritual weapons were employed? Authority of Christ
What enemy tactics were used? Delay through bargaining (?)
What happened? Jesus commanded the demons to leave the man, and they tried to resist.
Jesus asked them their name, and then gave them permission to go into a nearby herd of pigs, which they did. The man was delivered from the demons.
110: Mark 9:14-29:
Who was fighting? Jesus, the disciples and a mute spirit
What spiritual weapons were employed? Authority of Christ, faith, prayer and fasting
What enemy tactics were used? Intimidation through violent manifestations
What happened? The disciples were unable to cast a mute spirit out of a boy. The boy’s father appealed to Jesus for help. Jesus probed the father’s faith and then answered his request (or prayer) to deliver the boy. Jesus rebuked the spirit, commanding it to come out and forbade it from re-entering him. The spirit left and Jesus explained to the disciples that some spirits will only leave after prayer and fasting has been done. His comments possibly implied that he had done both prior to the engagement.
111. Luke 4:1-13:
Who was fighting? Jesus and Satan
What spiritual weapons were employed? The Sword of the Spirit and fasting
What enemy tactics were used? Misusing scriptures; tempting to test God; doubt; appealing to lust of the flesh, eyes and pride of life
What happened? Jesus fasted during his 40 days of temptation. Satan came to him in three specific instances and Jesus responded in each with the appropriate scripture that refuted the temptation.
112. Acts 13:1-12:
Who was fighting? Paul (Saul) and Elymas the Sorcerer (“Bar-Jesus”)
What spiritual weapons were employed? Discerning of Spirits, Word of Knowledge (?), Prophecy
What enemy tactics were used? Opposing Paul & Barnabas, trying to turn the proconsul away from Christianity through deceit, fraud & false teaching
What happened? Elymas was opposing Paul’s team and trying to turn the proconsul away from the faith. Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, confronted Elymas and described the condition of his soul. He also told him that God’s hand was against him and that he would be temporarily blinded. When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed [in God].
113. Acts 16:16-18:
Who was fighting? Paul and a spirit of divination
What spiritual weapons were employed? Authority of Christ
What enemy tactics were used? Harassment, mockery
What happened? The spirit harassed Paul for days, until finally he rebuked it and it left the woman.
114. Acts 16:19-34.
Who was fighting? Paul and Silas in prison
What spiritual weapons were employed? praise, prayer & love
What enemy tactics were used? flogging and imprisonment
What happened? Paul and Silas were praying and singing praise at midnight in the prison; God responded by sending an earthquake which caused the prison to be opened. Instead of fleeing, Paul and Silas stayed and shared the Gospel with the jailer and his family. All of them believed and were saved.
115. 2 Corinthians 10:3-6:
Who was fighting? People and evil thoughts
What spiritual weapons were employed? Spiritual weapons mentioned as a group – no specifics given; truth (belt of) used to refute lies
What enemy tactics were used? Used lies (arguments, theories & reasonings against the knowledge of God); Used proud and lofty things that set themselves against the knowledge of God
What happened?
The people used spiritual weapons to destroy strongholds, refute the lies and make every thought and purpose captive to the obedience of Christ.
Return to Questions Page