Chapter Five

Spiritual Warfare

When God delivered the children of Israel out of Egypt He wanted to take them into the promised land by the way of the Philistines. The Philistines were a people of war and enemies of the people of God. The journey that God had planned for the children of Israel was to be a three day journey to Canaan land. However, God knew that they were not ready for war and if they saw it they would retreat and go back to Egypt. Although Canaan was a few days journey, God chose to lead them another way and through the wilderness. The journey to the promised land through the wilderness was a forty day journey; however, they were rebellious and most did not make it through the wilderness. It became a forty year journey. They had much to learn about God. They needed to hear His Word for instruction on how to depend upon Him for protection and learn to respond in faith.

How soon would you like to find your destiny? Would you like to spend your life trying to reach the potential God has for you? God wants his people dependent upon Him. If you find your life in a wilderness then you must know that God will lead you through it. Place your trust in Him and acknowledge your dependence upon Him.

Exodus 13
17 "And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt:
18 But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red sea: and the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt."

Many of us have experienced warfare and sometimes we do not respond as God would have us to respond. Preparation for warfare is so important. How long we spend in the wilderness depends on our faith and reliance on God. I meet many sincere people that start out on a journey to do something for the Kingdom of God. However, I am saddened when I see that their desire and destiny often falls short when they seem to struggle over the battles in their own lives or they become distracted from their calling. How long must we struggle with the same sins and the same fears? It's time for those that want to fulfill their destiny in Christ to win the personal victory over the sin in their own life. Most want an anointing in their life to minister, however, few are prepared to pay the cost. It will cost you everything. It will cost you a life of obedience to the Word of God. Jesus declared that the enemy has nothing in Him. Can you say the same? If you struggle with sin, free yourself through the Word of God that you may enjoy the freedom to free others.

John 14
30 "Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me."

Christians are not defenseless against the enemy. The presence of Christ in your life can be more powerful than any influences that the enemy would use to control your life. Victory is available through your faith in Christ as you allow Him to live His life in you. The protection that God has for us is sufficient. We need to learn to trust and to know our redemption is complete in Him. Begin to walk a life of obedience and enjoy the life He has for you.

Many nights I would walk the streets of inner cities in search of lost souls to lead them to Christ. I have seen many situations that could be dangerous. It seems that at the last second a finger would relax off a gun trigger that was squeezed and the danger would pass. Sometimes I have seen people run at me to hit me then all of a sudden they would take my outstretched hand as I welcomed them to a life in Christ. At times like these I really did not notice the danger but I had an overwhelming desire to help those that were in need of Christ. My battle was not with the people but the enemy. The Lord has placed an overwhelming care and concern in my heart for all people. I will not let danger or darkness of night separate me from those that I am there to minister to. Allow the Lord to have full access to your life and to give you a love for all people. Prepare your life for warfare and follow His leading on this journey of life. We need to be a people of faith, instead a people of fear and posses the land that the Lord has given us.

Numbers 14
9 "Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not."

We can see in Numbers 14 that the children of Israel were clearly not ready for war. They rebelled against God and were afraid. However, Moses and a few others saw through the eyes of faith. The worst threat to the children of Israel was not the enemy but their own fears and disobedience that gave place to the enemy. All along God was prepared to protect and to lead them. He only needed them to trust Him and to go forward with Him. How do you see the enemy?

Psalms 41
11 "By this I know that thou favourest me, because mine enemy doth not triumph over me."
12 "And as for me, thou upholdest me in mine integrity, and settest me before thy face for ever."

Your enemies will not triumph over you. God has promised the same to us that He promised to them. He has sent His Son to atone for our sin. He has taken the keys from the enemy and given them to us. We now have the keys of authority on this earth. He has sent the Holy Spirit to lead us and to speak to us. He has even placed His own nature within our heart that we may know Him and follow Him.

Exodus 14
13 "And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will show to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever."
14 "The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace."

The Lord's instructions are very clear. We are not to fear. He needs to trust us and we need to trust Him. He does not want His people to retreat when engaged in warfare. So many people fight the same battle over and over again. If Christians could learn how to have victory and maintain it, then they could move forward again onto new victories. I wonder if then and only then would this great harvest of souls on this earth be complete. I wonder how much suffering could be eliminated on this planet. Is the Lord waiting upon us to complete the final battle of a war that was won over two thousand years ago by Christ's victory over the enemy?

Let's place our trust in the Hands of God, His Word, and be an instrument of His access into this world. Let Him place His nature inside of you and cause you to walk in His ways as you obey His Word and His voice. Then and only then will you see the nature of God in the very streets in which you live and see lives freed from a lifetime of bondage.

There is a war over who will sit on the throne of your heart. Our adversary, satan, is in pursuit of the authority of mankind by challenging all those that are born into this earth. We cast the deciding vote as to who will be on the throne of our heart. The enemy wants to control and to destroy all of God's creation. The enemy knows his time is limited and he will soon find himself in the very place that he seeks to take mankind. He will find himself in a lake of fire and eternal torment. We need to be serious about this war and prepare ourselves for confrontation. The enemy is looking for those he can destroy and those he can control.

Exodus 15
9 "The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them."

We need to remember that the warfare is in the spiritual realm with the enemy. While the spiritual realm has an effect in the physical realm by seeking to gain access through your flesh. The enemy has chosen to wage war upon us. He seeks to influence the physical realm. He is a created being and therefore, he has limitations. Through the work of Christ we can pursue the enemy and keep him on the move. All that we need to oppose the enemy has been provided through Christ's work on the Cross. To understand the war we need to understand his weaknesses. The future of the enemy is certain as he will be cast into hell itself. His life has been judged for all of eternity. As Christians, we must limit the enemy's access to those in this earth. We must teach and train others that they can be free from the influences of the enemy. Those that are bound should be loosed by those that know and experience the freedom of Christ.

Isaiah 14
12 "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
16 They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms;"

We live in a fallen world with an adversary, however, we are not helpless. We have all that is needed to live a victorious life in this earth. Christ has taken back all the authority over our lives that was possessed by the enemy. No more do we have to yield ourselves as an instrument to satan and obey his wishes. He has nothing to offer a Christian. We have all peace, all power, and all dominion needed to live in this world. Actually our authority in Christ is above our adversary. We can rest in the presence of God and know that we can live and enjoy our lives. However, there is a price to pay and it is to give Christ our life and He will place His in us. Christ wants to live in us and to conquer the enemy of our lives.

Colossians 1
13 "Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

In Psalms 68, we can clearly see that God can deliver those that desire to be free and lead them along life's journey. Although you may find yourself in a wilderness, trust that God will make provision and protect your life from the adversary that seeks to destroy your life. God wants His people dependent upon Him. The Lord even made provision for His people to hear His Word as He sent prophets along this journey in the wilderness.

Psalms 68
6 God setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.
7 O God, when thou wentest forth before thy people, when thou didst march through the wilderness; Selah:
8 The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
9 Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary.
10 Thy congregation hath dwelt therein: thou, O God, hast prepared of thy goodness for the poor.
11 The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it.

Place your life in a position to be dependent upon God. He wants you to present all that you are to Him that He may present all that He is to you. We must deal with the fact we must change to experience all that God has for us. The Lord want so much to speak to His people, but because of certain conditions in our lives, He cannot. I find it so comforting to know that God is not only the destination along the journey but the way. Trust the Lord to destroy every work of the enemy that would come against your life and the lives of others. Trust that He would lead you to help others. As followers of Jesus Christ we are to demonstrate satan's defeat on this earth.