Spiritual Strategies:

A Manual For

Spiritual Warfare

HARVESTIME INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE

This course is part of the Harvestime International Institute, a program designed to equip believers for effective spiritual harvest.

The basic theme of the training is to teach what Jesus taught, that which took men who were fishermen, tax collectors, etc., and changed them into reproductive Christians who reached their world with the Gospel in a demonstration of power.

This manual is a single course in one of several modules of curriculum which moves believers from visualizing through deputizing, multiplying, organizing, and mobilizing to achieve the goal of evangelizing.

For further information on additional courses write:

Harvestime International Institute

3092 Sultana Dr.

Madera, California 93637

U.S.A.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Suggestions For Group Study. . . . . . . . I

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Course Objectives . . . . . . . . . . 5

THE CALL TO ARMS

1. The Invisible War . . . . . . . . . 7

INDUCTION

2. Enlisting In God's Army . . . . . . . 19

BASIC TRAINING

3. The Commander-In-Chief: The Lord Of Hosts . . . . . . 31

4. The Spiritual Forces Of Good: Angels . . . . . . . 52

5. The Enemy: Satan . . . . . . . . . 65

6. The Spiritual Forces Of Evil: Demons . . . . . . . 78

7. Enemy Territory . . . . . . . . . . 88

8. Enemy Strategy . . . . . . . . . . 101

9. God's Battle Plan . . . . . . . . . 107

MOBILIZATION

10. Offensive And Defensive Warfare. . . . . . . 133

11. Defensive Weapons . . . . . . . . . 144

12. Offensive Weapons . . . . . . . . . 157

13. Natural Parallels Of Spiritual Warfare . . . . . . . 165

INVASION

14. Entering The Combat Zone: Battling The World And The Flesh. . . . 177

15. The Battle In The Mind . . . . . . . . . 194

16. The Battle With The Tongue . . . . . . . . 210

17. The Battle Over The Walls . . . . . . . . 230

18. Battles Over Strategic Territory . . . . . . . 240

SPIRITUAL WARFARE ADVANCED TRAINING

19. Transference Of Spirits . . . . . . . . . 256

20. Spiritual Wickedness In High Places . . . . . . . 268

21. Dealing With Demonic Powers . . . . . . . . 283

22. Casualties Of War . . . . . . . . . 311

23. How To Lose A Battle And Win The War. . . . . . 329

FINAL BRIEFING

24. The Final Conflict . . . . . . . . . 341

APPENDIX

Decisive Battles Of The Bible. . . . . . . . 352

Answers To Inspections . . . . . . . . . 380

SUGGESTIONS FOR GROUP STUDY

FIRST MEETING

Opening: Open with prayer and introductions. Get acquainted and register the students.

Establish Group Procedures: Determine who will lead the meetings, the time, place, and dates for the sessions.

Praise And Worship: Invite the presence of the Holy Spirit into your training session.

Distribute Manuals To Students: Introduce the manual title, format, and course objectives provided in the first few pages of the manual.

Make The First Assignment: Students will read the chapters assigned and take the Self-Tests prior to the next meeting. The number of chapters you cover per meeting will depend on chapter length, content, and the abilities of your group.

SECOND AND FOLLOWING MEETINGS

Opening: Pray. Welcome and register any new students and give them a manual. Take attendance. Have a time of praise and worship.

Review: Present a brief summary of what you studied at the last meeting.

Lesson: Discuss each section of the chapter using the HEADINGS IN CAPITAL BOLD FACED LETTERS as a teaching outline. Ask students for questions or comments on what they have studied. Apply the lesson to the lives and ministries of your students.

Inspection: Review the self-tests (Inspection page) students have completed. (Note: If you do not want the students to have access to the answers to the self-tests, you may remove the answer pages from the back of each manual.)

Tactical Maneuvers: You may do these projects on a group or individual basis.

Final Examination: If your group is enrolled in this course for credit, you received a final examination with this course. Reproduce a copy for each student and administer the exam upon conclusion of this course.

MODULE: Deputizing

COURSE: Spiritual Strategies:

A Manual Of Spiritual Warfare

INTRODUCTION

There is a great war being waged in the world today. It is not a conflict between nations, tribes, or government leaders. It is not a rebellion or coup. It is an important invisible battle taking place in the spirit world. The Bible states that God's people are destroyed because of lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6). One of the main areas in which believers are being defeated due to lack of knowledge is in spiritual warfare.

The early Church viewed their spiritual experience in terms of warfare. Military terminology is used throughout the New Testament. Protection was seen in the armor of God. The Word of God was compared to a sword. Satan's attacks were called fiery darts. Faith was the "good fight" and believers were told to "war a good warfare." The early Church knew they were engaged in an intense spiritual struggle.

The same spiritual battle continues today but instead of fighting the enemy, believers are often building great church buildings, producing musical dramas, holding fellowship meetings, and fighting one another while this great spiritual battle wages around them. Satan has even intensified his attacks against a church that has withdrawn from the front lines of battle.

As the end of time approaches it is even more important for believers to understand spiritual warfare than in the early days of church history. The Apostle Paul warned:

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

(II Timothy 3:1)

In order to be properly prepared for these perilous times, renewed emphasis must be placed on the strategies of spiritual warfare. The Christian life is war. The sooner we recognize and prepare for it, the sooner we will experience victory.

Luke 14:31 says, "What king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?" No king ever entered into a battle without a careful examination of his resources and development of battle strategies. In essence, that is what we are doing in this course. We are making a careful evaluation of the strategy, weapons, and power available to us to win the war against our enemy, Satan.

In the military world, "strategies" are the science of forming and carrying out military operations. It is the method or plan which leads to the goal of victory. In this course you will learn to formulate and carry out spiritual military strategy which will bring victory in the spirit world.

THE MANUAL

Each lesson is presented in military terms consisting of the following sections:

THE CALL TO ARMS:

Chapter 1 explains the invisible war and sounds the "call to arms" for all true believers.

INDUCTION:

All armies in the natural world have induction procedures. These are special things you are required to do in order to join the forces. The same is true of God's army. Chapter 2 explains how to enlist in God's Army.

BASIC TRAINING:

After induction into an army, a soldier always receives basic training. Basic training for God's army is presented in Chapters 3 through 9. The battle lines of the invisible war are defined. The forces of good and evil are discussed, including the Lord of Hosts, angels, Satan, demons, the world, and the flesh. Enemy territory and strategy are identified, and a general overview of God's battle plan presented.

MOBILIZATION:

Training is useless unless an army is mobilized. To "mobilize" means to "put in a state of readiness for active military service." In the "Mobilization" section of this course, consisting of Chapters 10 through 13, you will learn about offensive and defensive warfare, how to use the weapons of your warfare, and natural parallels of spiritual warfare.

INVASION:

During an invasion in the natural world, an army enters the actual combat zone to conquer its foes and claim territory. Basic training is useless unless what is learned is put into action. Even a mobilized army equipped with weapons is not enough if it stands inactive on the sidelines. To be effective in warfare, you must actually enter the combat zone. In the "invasion" stage, consisting of Chapters 14 through 19, you will enter the combat zone of the world, the flesh, and the Devil. You will study the battle in the mind, with the tongue, over the spiritual walls, in high places, and over strategic territory. In each of these lessons specific strategies of Satan are identified and counter strategies for overcoming the enemy are presented.

SPIRITUAL WARFARE ADVANCED TRAINING:

After gaining some experience in battle, soldiers usually receive advanced training in specific areas of warfare. This portion of the manual is entitled "Spiritual Warfare Advanced Training," the initials of which spell "SWAT." In military action, a "SWAT" team is a specialized group of soldiers used for difficult missions. In the advanced training offered in this manual, you will learn about transference of spirits, how to assist prisoners and casualties of war, and how to deal with demonic powers. You will also learn how to lose a battle and still win the war.

FINAL BRIEFING:

During "final briefing" in Chapter 26 you will study "the final conflict" which will bring this war of the ages to a triumphant conclusion.

APPENDIX:

In the Appendix of this manual, you will examine the historical record of "Decisive Battles Of The Bible" as you continue to develop your spiritual warfare skills.

THE LESSONS

Each lesson in this warfare manual is organized as follows:

OBJECTIVES:

These are the spiritual warfare goals you should achieve by studying the lesson.

KEY VERSE FROM THE ARTICLES OF WAR:

When a nation declares war, they often issue "Articles Of War". This document explains why they are at war, identifies the enemy, and declares the objectives of the war. The Bible is the written Word of the one true God, the Commander of our spiritual army. The Bible contains our "Articles Of War" for spiritual combat. In each lesson, the "Key Verse From The Articles Of War" emphasizes the main concept of the lesson.

INTRODUCTION:

The introduction provides an overview of the content of the chapter.

LESSON:

This presents the "military briefing" for that chapter. A "briefing" is a time of instruction prior to battle which provides information necessary to wage effective warfare.

INSPECTION:

In a natural army, "inspections" occur regularly to check on the preparation and skills of the soldiers. The "Inspection" section of each chapter is an examination to see if you have obtained the objectives of that lesson.

TACTICAL MANEUVERS:

During tactical maneuvers in a natural army, soldiers apply what they have learned to actual combat conditions. This part of each lesson provides opportunity for you to apply what you have learned and to study other materials related to the lesson.

ARE YOU READY?

The exposing of the enemy and his strategies is one of the greatest revelations of God's Word. Even greater is the revelation that as believers we have power over all the powers of the enemy. This manual is by no means an exhaustive study of the subject of spiritual warfare, but it is an in depth Scriptural analysis. As in natural warfare, skill in spiritual warfare is progressive as you enter the combat zone and begin to fight.

OBJECTIVES

Upon completion of this course you will be able to:

-Identify the two spiritual kingdoms.

-Explain what is meant by "spiritual warfare".

-Recognize causes of this great spiritual struggle.

-Identify the spiritual forces of good.

-Identify the spiritual forces of evil.

-Recognize strategies of Satan.

-Effectively use spiritual counter strategies.

-Apply natural parallels of warfare to war in the spirit world.

-Use both offensive and defensive spiritual weapons.

-Detect demon possession.

-Understand how deliverance from demons is obtained.

-Win the war even if you lose a spiritual battle.

-Describe the final conflict which will end the invisible war.

-Identify spiritual warfare principles in decisive battles in the Bible.

THE CALL TO ARMS

A SUMMONS TO THE INVISIBLE WAR

There is a great battle being waged in the spiritual world. It is a personal battle within between the flesh and the spirit. It is a social battle with the evil forces of the world. It is a spiritual battle with evil supernatural powers.

In Old Testament times a trumpet was used to summons God's people to battle. Today, a spiritual summons is sounding throughout the nations of the world. It is a summons to the invisible war. It is a call to arms.

CHAPTER ONE

THE INVISIBLE WAR

OBJECTIVES:

Upon completion of this chapter you will be able to:

-Write the Key Verse from memory.

-Demonstrate understanding of the natural and spiritual realms.

-Define the word "king".

-Define the word "kingdom".

-Identify the two spiritual kingdoms.

-Determine to which kingdom you belong.

-Identify the spiritual forces of good.

-Identify the spiritual forces of evil.

-Explain what is meant by "spiritual warfare".

-Identify the reason for the invisible war.

-Identify the basic principle of understanding spiritual warfare.

KEY VERSE FROM THE ARTICLES OF WAR:

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Ephesians 6:12)

INTRODUCTION

As you learned in the introduction to this course, there is a great war being waged in the world today. It is not a conflict between nations, tribes, or government leaders. It is not a rebellion or a coup. It is an invisible battle taking place in the spirit world.

This chapter introduces the invisible war in which every believer is engaged. It is a war where no one wears a uniform, but where everyone is a target. The historical and prophetical record of this war is contained in God's Word, the Bible.

THE NATURAL AND SPIRITUAL REALMS

To understand this invisible war, you must first understand the natural and spiritual worlds. Man exists in two worlds: The natural world and the spiritual world.

The natural world is that which can be seen, felt, touched, heard, or tasted. It is tangible and visible. The country, nation, city or village in which you live is part of the natural world. You are a resident in a natural kingdom located on one of the visible continents of the world. You can see the people who are part of your environment. You can communicate with them. You can experience the sights, sounds, and smells around you.

But there is another world in which you live. That world is a spiritual world. You cannot see it with your physical eyes, but it is just as real as the natural world in which you live.

Paul speaks of this division of natural and spiritual:

There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. (I Corinthians 15:40)

All men have a natural body which lives in the natural world. But man is also a spiritual being with an eternal soul and spirit. Man is body, soul, and spirit. Your spiritual being (soul and spirit) is part of a spiritual world just as your natural body is part of the natural world.

SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT

Because spiritual warfare is just that...spiritual...it must be understood with a spiritual mind. In our natural, sinful state, we can not understand spiritual things:

But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (I Corinthians 2:14)

It is necessary to use "spiritual discernment" to understand spiritual things.

Perhaps one of the best examples of natural and spiritual discernment is recorded in II Kings chapter 6. It records the story of a natural battle in which troops of the enemy nation of Syria had surrounded a small town called Dothan where the prophet Elisha was staying. When Elisha's servant, Gehazi, saw the great host of the enemy he became fearful. Elisha prayed that God would open Gehazi's spiritual eyes so he could see the angelic hosts surrounding and protecting them. On this occasion, God actually opened the natural eyes of Gehazi and allowed him to visibly see the superior forces of God aligned for battle.

The story of this battle at Dothan is similar to present spiritual conditions in the Church. There are some, like Elisha, who see clearly into the realm of the spirit. They know there is a conflict occurring, have identified the enemy, and recognize the greater forces of God that assure victory. There are others like Gehazi, who with a little encouragement, will be able to open their spiritual eyes and no longer be fearful of and defeated by the enemy. But sadly, there are many people who, like those in the city of Dothan, are spiritually sleeping. They do not even know that the enemy has surrounded them and is poised for attack.

TWO SPIRITUAL KINGDOMS

Within the natural and spiritual realms of which we are speaking there exists separate kingdoms which are ruled by natural and spiritual leaders.

NATURAL KINGDOMS:

All men live in a natural kingdom of this world. They live in a city or village which is part of a nation. That nation is a kingdom of the world. A natural kingdom is a territory or people over which an actual king or political leader is the sovereign ruler. The Bible speaks of these natural kingdoms as "kingdoms of the world". The kingdoms of the world have come under the power and influence of Satan:

Again, the Devil taketh Him (Jesus) up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth Him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;

And saith unto Him, All these things will I give thee, if you wilt fall down and worship me. (Matthew 4:8-9)

John 5:19 sadly reminds us that "the whole world is under the control of the evil one".

SPIRITUAL KINGDOMS:

In addition to the natural kingdoms of this world there are two spiritual kingdoms: The Kingdom of Satan and the Kingdom Of God. Every person alive is a resident of one of these two kingdoms.

The Kingdom of Satan consists of Satan, spiritual beings called demons, and all men who live in sin and rebellion to God's Word. These, plus the world and the flesh, are the spiritual forces of evil at work in the world today.

The Kingdom of God consists of God the Father, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, spiritual beings called angels, and all men who live in righteous obedience to God's Word. These are the spiritual forces of good.

The Kingdom of God is not a denominational church. Denominations are man-made organizations of groups of churches. They have been established for practical purposes of organization and administration. Denominations are major church organizations like Baptist, Assembly of God, Methodist, Lutheran, etc. The Bible speaks of the true Church which is not a denomination or religious organization. The true Church is composed of all those who have become residents of the Kingdom of God.

At the present time in the natural world, the Kingdom of God exists individually within every man, woman, boy or girl who has made Jesus King of their lives. It exists communally in the true church and wherever people make this world the kind of world God wants it to be. In the future, there will be an actual visible manifestation of God's Kingdom.

THE INVISIBLE WAR

The invisible spiritual war is a battle which involves all men and women. Because the Kingdom of Satan is a spiritual kingdom...

...we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Ephesians 6:12)

Spiritual warfare is not a natural battle between flesh and blood. It is not a battle of man against man. It is not a visible battle. It is an invisible struggle in the spirit world. It is a battle within and around man. It is not a visible war is because spirits are involved and we learn in Luke 24:39 that a spirit does not have flesh and bones.

Spiritual warfare is "multidimensional", which means it is fought in different dimensions. It is...

1. A social battle between the believer and the world: John 15:18-27

2. A personal battle between the flesh and the spirit: Galatians 5:16-26

3. A supernatural battle between the believer and evil supernatural powers: Ephesians 6:10-27

Every person alive is engaged in this battle, whether he realizes it or not. There is no neutral ground. Unbelievers are in bondage to evil and have been taken captive by the enemy forces. They are victims of the war.

Believers have been freed from the enemy through Jesus Christ and are victors, but they are still engaged in the war. The key verse for this chapter indicates that we (all believers) wrestle against evil spiritual forces.

"Wrestling" involves close personal contact. No one is exempt from this battle. No one can view it from a distance. You are in the midst of conflict whether you acknowledge it or not. If you believe it will get better, you are wrong. The Christian warfare never ceases.

WHERE THE BATTLE RAGES

This invisible war is being waged on earth:

The thief (Satan) cometh (on earth) not but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)

Satan fights to maintain control of the kingdoms of the world. He does not want them to come under God's authority. The battle also rages within the hearts, minds, and souls of men and women. Satan blinds the minds of unbelievers and attacks believers in the areas of worship, the Word, their daily walk, and their work for God.

HOW THE BATTLE STARTED

The invisible war started in Heaven with an angel named Lucifer who was originally a beautiful angel created by God and was part of the Kingdom of God. Lucifer decided he wanted to take over God's Kingdom. You can read about his rebellion in Isaiah 14:12-17 and Ezekiel 28:12-19. You will study about it in detail later in this course. A group of angels joined Lucifer (now called Satan) in this rebellion. Lucifer and the rebellious angels were cast out of Heaven by God. They formed their own kingdom on earth:

And there was war in Heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon (Satan); and the dragon fought and his angels. (Revelation 12:7)

And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. (Revelation 12:9)

Lucifer became known as Satan and the angels which followed him in rebellion as demons. Demon spirits can enter, torment, control, and use humans who belong to Satan's Kingdom. They motivate evil acts which are done by men and women. Satan directs his demons in their evil activities. He combines these powerful forces with the world and the flesh to war against all mankind.

REASONS BEHIND THE CONFLICT

Man was originally created in the image of God and for the glory of God (Genesis chapter 2). The invisible war against man started with the first temptation in the garden of Eden (Genesis chapter 3). Satan caused Adam and Eve to sin. This resulted in all men inheriting the basic sin nature and committing individual acts of sin due to this nature:

Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. (Romans 5:12)

It also resulted in the invisible war between man and the forces of evil:

And I will put enmity between thee (Satan) and the woman (mankind), and between thy seed (the forces of evil) and her seed (the forces of good represented by the Lord Jesus Christ)... (Genesis 3:15)

Because of sin, man was separated from God and condemned to death. But God loved man so much that He made a special plan to save him from sin:

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. (John 3:16-17)

Through belief in Jesus, confession of and repentance from sin, men and women can be released from the power of the enemy. The death and resurrection of Jesus not only resulted in salvation from sin. It also defeated the enemy, Satan:

...For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. (I John 3:8)

But if Satan is defeated, why does the war still rage? Following any war there are always pockets of enemy resistance, rebellious troops that will not give up until forced to do so. Although Jesus defeated Satan, we are living in territory which is still occupied by enemy resistance forces. Understanding spiritual warfare strategies gives us the ability to deal with these evil powers.

Satan is trying to keep men captive in sin. Through deceptive methods he is enticing men and women to temporary lusts of sinful living. He aims for the affections of the soul and spirit which rightfully belong to God:

The thief (Satan) cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy; I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)

Satan still wants to be the supreme ruler. He is waging an intense battle for the heart, mind, soul, and spirit of man. His strategies are directed at God, His plan, and His people. The battle will continue until the great final conflict which you will study about in the last chapter of this course.

THE MEANING OF SPIRITUAL WARFARE

Spiritual warfare is the analysis of and active participation in the invisible spiritual war. It includes study of the opposing forces of good and evil, the strategies of Satan, and spiritual strategies for overcoming the enemy. Spiritual warfare is more than a mere analysis of spiritual principles. It includes active participation in warfare by application of these strategies in life and ministry.

One of the most effective strategies of Satan is to keep believers ignorant of his devices. Paul said it is important to know Satan's strategies...

...Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices. (II Corinthians 2:11)

We should learn all we can about Satan's strategies of attack. We must also understand the Scriptural basis of victory over Satan and the forces of evil. We are called to intelligent combat. Basic to the understanding of spiritual warfare is this key principle:

You must recognize that all battles of life, whether physical, spiritual, emotional mental, financial or with human personalities are only outward manifestations of a spiritual cause.

Although in the natural world problems may seem to occur through the circumstances of life, the basis of these natural battles is in the spirit world. Read the story of Job (Job chapters l-2) which confirms this principle.

We have tried to correct the evils of this world through education, legislation, and improved environment. It has not worked because the visible evils of the world are the results of an underlying spiritual cause. They cannot be corrected by natural means.

TO WHICH KINGDOM DO YOU BELONG?

In the natural world a king is the sovereign ruler of a kingdom. All the territory and people in the kingdom belong to him. He has the power of life and death over his subjects. The same is true in the spiritual world. You are either part of the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of Satan. Either God or Satan has power over your life.

One of the parables told by Jesus illustrates that all men are either part of the Kingdom of Satan or the Kingdom of God. Jesus compared the world to a field. The good seed in the field were children of the Kingdom of God. The bad seed, which resulted in the growth of tares (weeds), were children of the wicked one:

The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the Kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one. (Matthew 13:38)

People enter the Kingdom of Satan through natural birth. The Bible teaches that all men are born in sin. This means that they have a basic sin nature or the "seed" of sin within. Their natural inclination is to do evil:

Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. (Psalms 51:5)

Wherefore, as by one man (Adam) sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. (Romans 5:12)

For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)

Because we are born with the basic sin nature, we have all at one time been part of the Kingdom of Satan. All who remain sinners remain part of the Kingdom of Satan.

The whole message of God's written Word, the Holy Bible, is the appeal to man to move from this evil Kingdom of Satan to the Kingdom of God. Men are born into the Kingdom of Satan through natural birth. They must be reborn into the Kingdom of God through spiritual birth. Entrance to the Kingdom of God is by new birth experience explained in John chapter 3.

There are only two divisions in the invisible war. Jesus said, "He that is not with me is against me" (Luke 11:23). You cannot be neutral in this war. You are on one side or the other in this spiritual war. Even some believers, because of their fear of confrontation with the enemy, try to ignore the war and form a truce with the enemy. They think if they ignore Satan, he will not bother them. This is one of Satan's main strategies. He tries to render members of God's army immobile by his terror tactics.

But there is no neutrality in this war. You are either a victim or victor. The spiritual "call to arms" is going out...Are you on the side of good or of evil? Are you part of Satan's Kingdom or the Kingdom of God? To which kingdom do you belong? Are you a victim or a victor in the invisible war?

INSPECTION

1. Write the Key Verse from the Articles Of War.

2. What are the two divisions made in I Corinthians 15:44-49?

3. What are the two invisible kingdoms in the world today?

4. List the spiritual forces of evil.

5. List the spiritual forces of good.

6. Define the word "king".

7. Define the word "kingdom".

8. What is meant by the term "spiritual warfare"?

9. What is the reason behind this great spiritual conflict?

10. What is the basic principle for understanding spiritual warfare?

(Answers to tests are provided at the conclusion of the final chapter in this manual.)

TACTICAL MANEUVERS

1. This course, "Strategies of Spiritual Warfare", focuses on the Kingdom of Satan and the spiritual warfare which rages between his kingdom and the Kingdom of God. The Harvestime International Institute course entitled "Kingdom Living" provides a complete study of the Kingdom of God. (If you are enrolled in Harvestime Institute and studying the courses in their suggested order, you have already studied this course.) If you are not enrolled in a Harvestime Institute, you should obtain "Kingdom Living" as a companion course to this one. It is important that you gain understanding of both spiritual kingdoms present in the world today.

2. A good spiritual foundation is necessary in order to wage successful spiritual warfare. If you are a new believer, obtain the Harvestime International Institute course entitled "Foundations Of Faith". (If you are taking the Harvestime courses in their suggested order, you have already studied this course.)

3. Do you feel you have been a "victim" of spiritual warfare? In what areas of your life or ministry have you been losing the battle? Have you been losing the battle in the...

-Spiritual realm?

-Emotional realm?

-Physical realm?

-Mental realm?

-Financial realm?

-With human personalities?

It is important to identify these areas of defeat so you can apply the knowledge you gain in this study to these practical areas of life and ministry.

4. Review the story in II Kings 6 which was discussed in this lesson. Do you know people like Gehazi or those in the city of Dothan? How might you help them?

5. Since spiritual warfare has many dimensions, we must war personally against sin, socially against evil in the world, and supernatural through the deliverance ministry.

6. Study the Bible as a spiritual warfare manual. It is the historical record of spiritual warfare, revealing the victories and defeats of past battles. It is prophetical, showing the course of the warfare until the time of the final conflict.

INDUCTION

BECOMING PART OF THE ARMY OF GOD

All armies in the natural world have induction procedures. These are special things you are required to do in order to join the forces.

Are you ready to become part of God's army?

CHAPTER TWO

ENLISTING IN GOD'S ARMY

OBJECTIVES:

Upon completion of this chapter you will be able to:

-Write the Key Verse from memory.

-Define "repentance."

-Explain the importance of repentance.

-Define "conversion."

-Explain the importance of conversion.

-Define "justification."

-Explain what it means to be "saved."

-Use the parable of the prodigal son to describe repentance and conversion.

KEY VERSE FROM THE ARTICLES OF WAR:

I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. (Luke 5:32)

INTRODUCTION

In the last chapter you learned of the great invisible war in the spiritual world. In this chapter you will learn how to enlist in God's army. In the natural world, armies usually have special induction rituals in which a prospective soldier must participate in order to join the forces. This "induction" makes him part of the army.

God also has a special plan for induction through which you become part of His spiritual army. His plan centers on two important concepts, repentance and conversion, which result in justification.

REPENTANCE

In the natural world, when a soldier joins an army, he must deny any previous allegiance he has had to another army or country. When you join the army of God, you must repent of your allegiance to sin and the Kingdom of Satan. This is done by repentance.

Repentance is "an inward decision or change of mind resulting in the outward action of turning from sin to God and righteousness." Acts 20:21 calls it "repentance toward God." By the act of repenting you turn away from your sin and leave the Kingdom of Satan.

Repentance is a personal decision to change your allegiance from the Kingdom of Satan to the Kingdom of God. This change of mind and turning from sin cannot be done in yourself. It is the power of God which actually brings the change in the mind, heart, and life of a sinner:

Then God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life. (Acts 11:18)

Repentance is a gift of God:

Him [Jesus] hath God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, for to give repentance...(Acts 5:31)

Although emotions may be involved in repentance, true repentance is a decision, not just an emotion. Sorrow for sin and the shedding of tears is not enough in itself. This must be accompanied by an inward decision that results in an outward change.

THE IMPORTANCE OF REPENTANCE:

Repentance is important because:

God Commands It:

...but [God] now commandeth all men everywhere to repent. (Acts 17:30)

It Is Necessary To Avoid Spiritual Death:

...but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. (Luke 13:3)

It Is Necessary For Eternal Life:

Through repentance the penalty of death is removed and eternal life is granted:

When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life. (Acts 11:18)

It Is Necessary For Forgiveness:

God cannot forgive your sins unless you repent:

Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. (Acts 2:38)

It Is God's Desire For All:

God does not want anyone to experience the spiritual death of eternal separation from God in Hell:

The Lord...is long suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (II Peter 3:9)

It Is The Reason Jesus Came Into The World:

I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. (Luke 5:32)

It Is Necessary To Enter God's Kingdom:

From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. (Matthew 4:17)

When you become part of the Kingdom of God, you are enlisting in God's army.

CONVERSION

When you ask for forgiveness of sins you experience "conversion." Conversion means "to turn." When it is used in connection with Biblical repentance, it means to "turn from the wrong way to the right way." You leave the Kingdom of Satan and join the Kingdom of God.

And many of the children of Israel shall He turn to the Lord their God.

(Luke 1:16)

And all that dwelt at Lydda and Saron saw Him, and turned to the Lord. (Acts 9:35)

And the hand of the Lord was with them; and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord. (Acts 11:21)

Conversion is turning from the darkness of sin to the light of God's righteousness:

...to turn them from darkness to light. (Acts 26:18)

It is turning from the power of Satan to God:

...to turn them...from the power of Satan unto God. (Acts 26:18)

It is turning from worldly things to spiritual things:

...Ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God. (Acts 14:15)

It is turning from false gods to the true and living God:

...Ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God.

(I Thessalonians 1:9)

THE IMPORTANCE OF CONVERSION:

Conversion must accompany repentance. You must turn from the wrong to the right because...

It Is Necessary To Enter The Kingdom Of God:

Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. (Matthew 18:3)

It Saves From Spiritual Death:

He which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death and shall hide a multitude of sins. (James 5:20)

It Is Necessary For The Blotting Out Of Sin:

Your sin is written in the records of God until you repent and are converted, then our sins are blotted out:

Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out... (Acts 3:19)

THE PRODIGAL SON

Repentance and conversion are best illustrated by a story Jesus told about the prodigal son. Read the story in Luke 15:11-24. This young man left his father and home, went to a distant land, and through sin wasted all he owned. Eventually this young man realized his condition. He was hungry, lonely, in rags, and tending pigs for a job. Then he made an important decision. He said, "I will arise and go to my father." This inward decision resulted in a change in his outward actions. He went home to his father to seek forgiveness.

REPENTANCE...THE CHANGE OF MIND:

Read Luke 15:17-19. The young man realized his sinful condition. He made a decision to go to his father and repent of his sin. This is an example of repentance, an inward decision which results in outward action.

CONVERSION...ACTING ON THE DECISION:

Luke 15:20 records how the young man arose and left the old life and went to his father to start a new life. This is conversion.

PRODIGAL MAN:

Man is like the prodigal son. In his sinful condition he turned his back on God his Father and Heaven his home. Each step he takes is a step away from God and one step nearer the spiritual death of eternal separation from God. There is a major decision he must make. He must "come to himself" and recognize his spiritual condition. He must make a decision which will result in a change of spiritual direction.

JUSTIFICATION AND SALVATION

There are two other terms used in the Bible which relate to repentance. These terms are "justification" and "salvation." God is the judge of all mankind. When you are living in sin you are condemned before Him:

...but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

(John 3:18-19)

When you repent from sin and make the decision to turn from your sinful ways this establishes a right relationship with God. This right relationship or right standing before God is called "justification":

Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.

Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. (Romans 6:16-18)

When you are justified by repentance and conversion, you are "saved" from a life of sin as well as from the penalties of sin. This is what it means to be "saved" and what the Bible is speaking of when the term "salvation" is used.

SPIRITUAL WARFARE AND THE BIBLICAL WORLD VIEW

The subject of spiritual warfare must be studied within the context of God's total purpose for the redemption of sinful mankind. Study the parables of the sower and the tares among wheat in Matthew 13. Both parables concern the growth of the Kingdom of God which occurs through the planting of God's Word. Both parables picture the warfare between the two kingdoms with the battle centering on the redemptive purposes of God.

Learning spiritual warfare prepares you to enter the arena of this world and fight for the souls of men and women, boys and girls. This is why authority over Satan was given to the disciples before they were sent out to share the Gospel (see Matthew 28:18-20). Satan and his hosts of demons will war against you as you seek to win men to Christ and bring them under the rule of God. Employing Scriptural strategies of spiritual warfare helps you challenge the principalities and powers who rule over individual human lives, societies, and areas of the world.

INDUCTION INTO GOD'S ARMY

Repentance and conversion result in justification and salvation. This is God's plan for induction into His army. If you have not yet been inducted into God's army, the "Tactical Maneuvers" section of this lesson will provide opportunity for you to join. If you are already a member of God's army, the section will assist you in helping others enlist.

Welcome to the army of God!

INSPECTION

1. Write the Key Verse from the Articles Of War.

2. Define "repentance".

3. Explain the importance of repentance.

4. Define "conversion".

5. Explain the importance of conversion.

6. Define "justification".

7. Explain what it means to be "saved".

8. Use the parable of the prodigal son to describe repentance and conversion.

(Answers to tests are provided at the conclusion of the final chapter in this manual.)

TACTICAL MANEUVERS

1. Have you repented and been converted? If not, you need to stop right now in this study and do the following:

-Repent of your sins.

-Ask Jesus to forgive you.

-Accept Him as your Lord and Savior.

-Turn from your sinful ways (be converted).

2. As a believer, when you sin, you must also repent. Study the following Biblical examples:

THE CORINTHIANS:

The believers at a city called Corinth had to repent:

Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance... (II Corinthians 7:9)

For I fear, lest, when I come...that I shall bewail many which have sinned already and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed. (II Corinthians 12:20-21)

THE EPHESIANS:

The believers at Ephesus were told to repent:

Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen and repent and do the first works. (Revelation 2:5)

CHRISTIANS IN PERGAMOS:

God told the Christians in Pergamos:

Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. (Revelation 2:16)

CHRISTIANS IN SARDIS:

Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. (Revelation 3:3)

CHRISTIANS IN LAODICEA:

As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten; Be zealous therefore, and repent. (Revelation 3:19)

HOW ABOUT YOU...

Is there unconfessed sin in your life? Wherever there is sin, there must be repentance:

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (I John 1:8-9)

3. Because repentance is necessary for salvation, God made a special plan to enable the message of repentance to reach everyone. The call to repentance began in the New Testament with the ministry of John the Baptist:

The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way the Lord, make His path straight.

John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. (Mark 1:3-4)

Repentance was the first message Jesus preached:

Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God,

And saying, the time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the Gospel. (Mark 1:14-15)

Repentance was preached by believers in the early Church:

And they went out and preached that men should repent. (Mark 6:12)

...Testifying both to the Jews and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. (Acts 20:21)

Today, believers still have the responsibility to spread the message of repentance throughout the world. Jesus gave final instructions to His followers that...

...repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. (Luke 24:47)

When you preach the message of repentance, you are actually calling others to enlist in God's army. Will you make a commitment to start drafting others into this great spiritual army?

4. If you are responsible to share the message of repentance and call others to enlist in God's army then you must know how men are persuaded to repent. Men repent because of:

THE GOODNESS OF GOD:

The blessings of God in the life of an ungodly person are not to be mistaken as God's approval of his life style. The goodness of God is one way the Lord appeals to men to turn to Him:

Despisest thou the riches of His goodness and forbearance and long suffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

(Romans 2:4)

PREACHING:

The preaching of the Word of God causes men to repent. The preaching of Jonah resulted in the whole city of Ninevah repenting:

The men of Ninevah shall rise in judgment with this generation and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas.

(Matthew 12:41)

CHRIST'S CALL:

As the Word of God is preached, people hear and respond to the call of Christ which leads to repentance:

I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

(Matthew 9:13)

GOD, THE FATHER:

Jesus said no one could come to Him except the Father draw him. God draws men to repentance:

No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him... (John 6:44)

REBUKE:

Rebuke causes men to repent. Rebuke is correction given from the Word of God:

...If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. (Luke 17:3)

GODLY SORROW:

As you learned, repentance may be accompanied by emotion. Natural emotion alone is not true repentance, but Godly emotion leads to true repentance:

Godly sorrow [for sin] worketh repentance to salvation. (II Corinthians 7:10)

BASIC TRAINING

PREPARING FOR WAR

In the natural world no soldier is sent to battle without first receiving basic training. This training prepares him to enter the combat zone.

CHAPTER THREE

THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF: THE LORD OF HOSTS

OBJECTIVES:

Upon completion of this chapter you will be able to:

-Write the Key Verse from memory.

-Identify the spiritual forces of good.

-Identify personalities of the Trinity of God.

-Describe the nature of the Triune God.

-Explain the function of God the Father in spiritual warfare.

-Summarize the functions of Jesus Christ in spiritual warfare.

-Summarize the functions of the Holy Spirit in spiritual warfare.

KEY VERSE FROM THE ARTICLES OF WAR:

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord. (Deuteronomy 6:4)

INTRODUCTION

In Chapter One you learned of a great spiritual battle being waged between the forces of good and evil. This lesson and the next describe the spiritual forces of good. These include God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, the Holy Spirit, and angels. They are powerful spiritual forces which assist believers in warfare.

READ HERE ABOUT THE TRINITY OF GOD

READ HERE ABOUT GOD THE FATHER

READ HERE ABOUT GOD THE SON, JESUS CHRIST

READ HERE ABOUT GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT

SUMMARY

In this chapter you learned of the Triune nature of God and studied about God the Father, the Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. With their combined functions in the realm of spiritual warfare they are a powerful force of good in the universe.

But it is not enough just to recognize that the spiritual forces of good exist. The Bible says:

Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe and tremble. (James 2:19)

The spiritual forces of evil believe in God and are fearful of Him, but they are still evil. To simply believe in God is not enough. You must acknowledge Him as Lord of your life. You must accept the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for your sin, repent, ask forgiveness, and become a new creature in Christ.

You have not yet completed your study of the spiritual forces of good. The next chapter concerns a mighty host of spirit beings known as angels and describes their function in spiritual warfare

INSPECTION

1. Write the Key Verse from the Articles Of War.

2. List the spiritual forces of good.

3. Name the three personalities of the Trinity of God:

4. Summarize the special function of God in the realm of spiritual warfare.

5. Summarize the functions of Jesus Christ in spiritual warfare.

6. Summarize the functions of the Holy Spirit in spiritual warfare.

7. Column One lists some of the attributes of the Triune God. Column Two lists definitions of these attributes, but they are not in correct order. Look at each attribute in Column One. Then find the correct definition in Column Two. Write the number of the correct definition on the blank provided. The first one is done as an example for you to follow.

Column One Column Two

1. _h__ Eternal a. Without flesh and blood

2. ___ Sovereign b. Present everywhere

3. ___ Omnipresent c. Good, kind

4. ___ Holy d. Highest, supreme power

5. ___ Infinite e. All powerful

6. ___ Unchanging f. Knows all things

7. ___ Benevolent g. Sinless

8. ___ A spirit h. No beginning or end

9. ___ Omniscient i. Does not change

10. ___ Omnipotent j. Fair and impartial in judgment

11. ___ Just k. Shows mercy to sinful mankind.

12. ___ Merciful l. Not subject to natural limitations

8. What is the name of God to use when entering into spiritual warfare?

(Answers to tests are provided at the conclusion of the final chapter in this manual.)

TACTICAL MANEUVERS

1. If you are studying the Harvestime Institute courses in their suggested order, you will study " The Ministry Of The Holy Spirit" after completion of this course. The first chapter of " The Ministry Of The Holy Spirit" includes an outline for further study of God the Father and the Son Jesus Christ. If you are not enrolled in the complete Institute program, we suggest you obtain the Harvestime International Institute course entitled "The Ministry Of The Holy Spirit" to study upon completion of this course.

2. Additional studies on the life, ministry, and teachings of Jesus Christ are provided in the Harvestime International Institute courses "Kingdom Living" and "Teaching Tactics."

3. The Harvestime International Institute course entitled "Foundations Of Faith" provides detailed instruction on the basic doctrines of the Christian faith. This course is important in gaining understanding of the spiritual forces of good. You have already completed this course if you are enrolled in a Harvestime International Institute and are studying the subjects in suggested order. If not, we suggest you obtain this course for further study.

4. Are you presently in a spiritual battle? As you pray about your problem, being to call upon the name of the Lord of Hosts.

5. Think about a battle you are presently facing and study again the functions of God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit in warfare. How can God assist you in your personal battle? How can Jesus assist you? What is the function of the Holy Spirit in the problem you are facing?

CHAPTER FOUR

THE SPIRITUAL FORCES OF GOOD: ANGELS (READ ABOUT THEM HERE)

CHAPTER FIVE

THE ENEMY: SATAN (READ ABOUT HIM HERE)

CHAPTER SIX

THE SPIRITUAL FORCES OF EVIL: DEMONS (READ ABOUT THEM HERE)

CHAPTER SEVEN

ENEMY TERRITORY

OBJECTIVES:

Upon completion of this chapter you will be able to:

-Write the Key Verses from memory.

-Define what is meant by the word "world" as it is used in this lesson.

-Identify the prince of the world.

-Explain the reason for the current world system.

-Describe the attitude of the world toward believers.

-Define what is meant by the word "flesh" as it is used in this lesson.

-Explain what is meant by the "lust of the flesh."

-Explain how lust develops.

-Explain the results of unconquered lust.

-Identify a Scripture reference which lists the works of the flesh.

KEY VERSES FROM THE ARTICLES OF WAR:

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

(I John 2:15-16)

INTRODUCTION

There is only one enemy, but as you have learned in previous lessons he works through a mighty force of demons. As the Key Verse of this chapter reveals, Satan not only uses demons but he also works through the evil forces of the flesh and the world:

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. (I John 2:15-16)

The purpose of this chapter is to identify and discuss the enemy forces of evil known as the world and the flesh. Beware! You are entering a hostile grounds. The world and the flesh are enemy territory.

PART ONE: THE WORLD

The word "world" has different meanings in Scripture. It can mean the earth or universe in its physical order. It is used to refer to Gentiles which are all nations other than the Jewish nation.

But the word "world" also is used to refer to the present condition of human affairs in opposition to God. It is the system that runs the inhabited earth, a system that is opposed to God and the Lord Jesus Christ. It is this meaning that is used in this lesson. The "world" is the corporate group of flesh-centered individuals who make up the human race. Flesh, in this context, is not referring to the actual flesh of your body. It is a term which describes the basic evil human nature of man which is in willful rebellion against God.

As your enemy, the world is the whole organized system of social, economic, materialistic, and religious philosophies which have their expression through organizations, personalities, and governments. It is not a specific government, organization, or person, but the worldly system upon which these are based. The world system is an extension of man's fleshiness. It provides an atmosphere, environment, and system which promotes fleshly sins. It surrounds man with that which appeals to his fleshly desires.

THE PRINCE OF THE WORLD:

Satan is the "prince" or ruler of the world system:

Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. (John 12:31)

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

Satan is also called the god of this world:

In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believed not... (II Corinthians 4:4)

The kingdoms of the world are presently influenced by Satan. They are guided by Satanic philosophy and principles. They are flesh-centered and flesh-governed:

Again, the Devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth Him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;

And saith unto Him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. (Matthew 4:8-9)

Some day they will become the kingdoms of our Lord:

And the seventh angel sounded: and there were great voices in heaven saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever. (Revelation 11:15)

THE REASON FOR THE CONDITION OF THE WORLD:

Sin is the reason for the present condition of the world. When Adam and Eve were originally created by God, they were given dominion over the world. This meant they had control over the world, to guide its systems and inhabitants according to the plan of God. When they sinned against God, they lost that dominion. (Genesis l-3)

When Jesus was crucified for the sins of all mankind and resurrected from the dead, He reclaimed the world. He pronounced judgment on the spiritual forces of evil:

And having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. (Colossians 2:15)

Although Jesus reclaimed the world from the power of the enemy, Satan does not yet acknowledge that claim. Satan still is at work in the world with his evil powers. Satan will not acknowledge the claims of Jesus over the kingdoms of the world until the final conflict which you will study about in the last chapter of this course.

The present situation is similar to military conditions that often occur in the natural world. A political or military power will take control of a nation but their claims will not be acknowledged by rebel troops within that nation. The rebel troops continue to war throughout the country. They try to take possession of territory not rightfully theirs and overpower the citizens. They often use tactics of terror to accomplish these purposes.

The situation in the spirit world is similar. Jesus reclaimed dominion over the world, the enemy, and his evil forces. But the rebel troops of Satan still war throughout the world. They try to take possession of territory not rightfully theirs and influence men and women for evil. This battle, which is our "spiritual warfare," will continue until the final conflict.

THE STRUCTURE OF THE WORLD:

The world structure is in direct opposition to God, His plan, purposes, and people:

The Evil World System:

The present world system is evil:

Who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father. (Galatians 1:4)

The world system is without God:

...having no hope, and without God in the world. (Ephesians 2:12)

There is much deception in the world to ensnare believers to become part of the world system:

For many deceivers are entered into the world...(II John 7)

The world is already judged and under condemnation by God:

But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. (I Corinthians 11:32)

The Elements Of The World:

The "elements of the world" refer to the elementary principles that govern the world. They lead to spiritual bondage:

Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. (Galatians 4:3)

The Rudiments Of The World:

These are the regulations on which the world structure rests. They are different from the principles upon which God structures His Kingdom:

Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances. (Colossians 2:8,20)

The Spirit Of The World:

The spirit of the world is in direct opposition to the Holy Spirit:

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

(I Corinthians 2:12)

The Philosophy Of The World:

Philosophies are principles of knowledge. Worldly philosophies are not based on Christ:

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. (Colossians 2:8)

The Wisdom Of The World

Worldly wisdom is not God's wisdom:

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. (I Corinthians 3:19)

The Course Of The World:

The "course" of the world is the cycle of the present world, its routine, the way in which it operates:

Wherefore in times past ye walked according to the course of this world,

according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience. (Ephesians 2:2)

The Voices Of The World:

The many "voices" in the world are contrary to the voice of God:

There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification. (I Corinthians 14:10)

The Peace Of The World:

The peace of the world is temporary, fragile, and sometimes deceptive:

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

(John 14:27)

The Sorrow Of The World:

Godly sorrow differs from that of the world:

For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. (II Corinthians 7:10)

The Attitude Of The World:

The world hates God:

...Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

(James 4:4)

The world hates believers:

If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own; but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. (John 15:18-19)

Since the world is made up of flesh centered individuals who hate believers, we need to learn more about this powerful force called "the flesh."

PART TWO: THE FLESH

The world is an evil social force of Satan that works from the outside to attack believers. It is the corporate organization of fleshly individuals. The flesh is an evil force working from within the believer. The same "fleshly spirit" that operates in the world will operate in your life if you allow it to do so. The word "flesh" as used in Scripture can refer to the actual body of man and beast. But this is not what we are talking about when we use the word "flesh" in this lesson.

The Bible also uses the word "flesh" to describe the basic sin nature of man. The flesh is the center of willful defiance and rebellion against God:

For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing; for to will (to do good) is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

For the good that I would I do not; but the evil which I would not, that I do.

Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. (Romans 8:18-20)

The flesh is a compulsive inner force which expresses itself in rebellion through sin. It is this meaning of flesh which is used in this lesson. The words "carnal" and "old man" are also used to describe the fleshly nature of man. All men have this basic, sinful, fleshly nature:

Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. (Romans 5:12)

For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)

THE LUST OF THE FLESH:

This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. (Galatians 5:16)

What is the lust of the flesh? First let us define the word "lust." Lust is "strong desire, soulish emotions, the natural tendency of man towards evil." The Bible warns that we should not lust after evil things:

Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. (I Corinthians 10:6)

Lusting after evil things which will please your fleshly nature is "lust of the flesh". It is how Satan attacks from within. It is like a civil war within a nation, with your spirit and flesh warring against each other.

HOW LUST DEVELOPS:

Lust, or sinful desire, first enters through the natural senses. The eye sees something evil or the ear hears something wicked. A touch, a taste, or even a smell can even foster lust. This is how Satan uses the environment of the world to tempt the flesh. These natural senses trigger an evil thought or desire in the mind. This is lust. The lustful thought is what tempts you to do evil:

Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth He any man.

But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. (James 1:13-14)

Remember, God never tempts you. You are tempted when you are drawn by your own sinful, fleshly lusts. But you do not have to yield to this temptation. God always provides a way of escape:

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: But God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way of escape that ye may be able to bear it. (I Corinthians 10:13)

Since the mind is used to tempt the flesh, Paul warns:

For to be carnally (fleshly) minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. (Romans 8:7-8)

You will learn later how the mind is one of the main battlefields of spiritual warfare.

THE RESULTS OF LUST:

If you yield to lust, temptation results, and if you yield to temptation, it results in sin which leads to death:

Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin, and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. (James 1:15)

The world is corrupt because of lust:

...having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

(II Peter 1:4)

Your flesh is corrupt because of lust:

That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts... (Ephesians 4:22)

THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE SPIRIT TO THE FLESH:

For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary the one to the other; so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. (Galatians 5:17)

When you are saved and filled with the Holy Spirit, that Spirit indwells your spirit. The Holy Spirit in your spirit opposes the lusts of the flesh. Your flesh wars against your spirit and the Spirit of God within you. The flesh entices you to sinful lusts. This is why you often cannot live the way you desire to live.

Paul described this battle between the spirit and the flesh in Romans chapter 7. Read the entire chapter in your Bible. He summarized the battle:

I find then a law, that when I would do good, evil is present with me.

For I delight in the law of God after the inward man (the spirit);

But I see another law in my members (the flesh), warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. (Romans 7:21-23)

THE WORKS OF THE FLESH:

The lusts of the flesh, if not conquered, lead to sinful works of the flesh which result in spiritual death:

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies

Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like; of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such thing shall not inherit the Kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21)

This list can be divided into four categories of sins:

Worship Sins: Idolatry and witchcraft.

Sexual Sins: Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, and lasciviousness.

Personal Sins: Drunkenness and revellings.

Relationship Sins: Hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, envyings, and murders.

Each of these sinful works are defined in detail in the Harvestime International Institute course "Ministry Of The Holy Spirit." They are contrasted to the fruit of the Holy Spirit which should be developed in the lives of believers.

POWERFUL EVIL FORCES

The world and the flesh combine with Satan and his demons to war against believers. These are the spiritual forces of evil. In the following lessons you will learn strategies of spiritual warfare to combat these powerful spiritual forces of evil.

INSPECTION

l. Write the Key Verses from the Articles Of War.

______________________________________________________________________________

2. What is meant by the word "flesh" as it is used in this lesson?

______________________________________________________________________________

3. What is meant by the word "world" as it is used in this lesson?

______________________________________________________________________________

4. Who is the prince of this world?

______________________________________________________________________________

5. Summarize characteristics of the present world system.

______________________________________________________________________________

6. What is the reason for the sinful condition of the current world system?

______________________________________________________________________________

7. What is the attitude of the world toward believers?

______________________________________________________________________________

8. What is meant by the "lust of the flesh"?

______________________________________________________________________________

9. How does lust develop?

______________________________________________________________________________

10. What happens if you do not control lust?

______________________________________________________________________________

11. Give a Scripture reference which identifies the works of the flesh.

______________________________________________________________________________

(Answers to tests are provided at the conclusion of the final chapter in this manual.)

TACTICAL MANEUVERS

1. Study further on the works of the flesh in Galatians 5:19-21.

2. Contrast to these evil works the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 6:22-23.

3. Read John 1:1-15 and chapter 3. Observe God's great love for the world despite its sinful, fleshly condition. What did God do to show His love? What was the response of the world?

4. Study further about temptation.

-Satan is called the tempter: Matthew 4:3; I Thessalonians 3:15

-God does not tempt men to do evil: James 1:13-14

-You are tempted by:

-Men: Matthew 16:1; 19:3; 22:35; Mark 8:11; 10:2; Luke 11:16; John 8:6

-Satan: Matthew 4:1; Mark 1:13; Luke 4:2; I Corinthians 7:5

-Your lusts: James 1:13-14

-Riches: I Timothy 6:9

-You are to pray you will not be led into temptation: Matthew 26:41; Luke 11:4;

Mark 14:38; 22:46

-Jesus was tempted, but did not sin: Hebrews 2:18; 4:15

-You are blessed if you endure temptation: James 1:12

-God can deliver you from temptation: Hebrews 4:15; II Peter 2:9;

I Corinthians 10:13

-Temptation brings heaviness (James 1:2) but you should count every temptation a joy

(I Peter 1:6).

5. Are you experiencing lust which has led to temptation and then to sin? Follow the strategy in I John 1:8-9.

6. It is within the context of describing the warfare between the Holy Spirit and the flesh that Paul identifies the works of the flesh which war within believers. See Galatians 5:16-26.

CHAPTER EIGHT

ENEMY STRATEGY

OBJECTIVES:

Upon completion of this chapter you will be able to:

-Write the Key Verses from memory.

-Summarize the strategy of the enemy in relation to God.

-Summarize the strategy of the enemy in relation to the nations.

-Summarize the strategy of the enemy in relation to unbelievers.

-Summarize the strategy of the enemy in relation to believers.

KEY VERSES FROM THE ARTICLES OF WAR:

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the Devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour;

Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. (I Peter 5:8-9)

INTRODUCTION

This lesson presents an overview of the general strategies of our enemy, Satan. In the next lesson, you will be given an overview of "The Battle Plan" of God. In later lessons, after you have been armed with your spiritual weapons, you will be given more specific counterstrategies to overcome all the evil plans of the enemy. But first, you need to understand the general strategy of the enemy in relation to God, the nations, unbelievers, and believers.

THE ENEMY AND GOD

Satan's original sin was that he wanted to be like God, so his present power and activities are directed primarily against God. All of his other activities and his very nature are viewed as stemming from his original rebellious ambition.

For example, Satan's attack on the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, was really an attack on the character and control of God (see Genesis 3:1-5). Satan also induced Cain to murder Abel in opposition to God (see I John 3:10-12). You can study every attack of Satan recorded in Scripture and you will discover that it is actually an attack on God and His activities and nature.

Satan is in direct opposition to God in every activity and quality of nature. For example, God is love whereas Satan is hateful and promotes hatred (I John 3:7-15). God is life and creates life while Satan promotes death and destruction (Hebrews 2:14).

Satan not only opposes God and His nature, but he also opposes God's program. He denies the existence of God (Psalms 14:1-3), promotes lies (Ephesians 2:2; II Thessalonians 2:8-ll); and is behind false religions, the occult, and cults with their false doctrines and practices. Satan's religious system results in false teachers, prophets, and "christs." You will study more about this later as you study "Spiritual Wickedness In High Places."

Satan will reach the climax of his rebellion against God and His plans during the time of "The Final Battle" discussed in the last chapter of this course. In the end, Satan and his hosts of demonic powers will be brought under the control of the one true and living God.

THE ENEMY AND THE NATIONS

Satan is called the "god of this world" which includes men who are not believers and demonic angels. (II Corinthians 4:4) He offered the nations to Jesus during the temptation of Christ, and our Lord did not dispute the legitimacy of the offer. He simply refused to rebel against God in submitting to Satan's way of obtaining the rule (Matthew 4:8-10).

Satan uses his demons to influence and deceive the nations, leading the leaders and people astray from God. This is why there are cruel dictators and ungodly political systems in many nations. It also accounts for the wars and divisions between the nations.

Satan especially influences leaders against the Church and God's chosen people, Israel. He also works through governments to hinder the spread of the Gospel.

During the tribulation period Satan will actually direct the affairs of a group of ten nations through the Antichrist. After the second coming of Christ, Satan will be bound for a thousand years "that he should deceive the nations no more" (Revelation 20:3). Upon his release, he will deceive the nations one last time to assemble them against Jerusalem and God (Revelation 20:7-10). But in the end, every kingdom of earth and the Kingdom of Satan will become the Kingdoms of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

THE ENEMY AND UNBELIEVERS

The enemy has a very powerful strategy operating against unbelievers. He blinds their minds to the Gospel (II Corinthians 4:3-4) and snatches away the truth of the Gospel when they do hear it so that no response will occur (Luke 8:12). As a result, the Gospel sounds foolish and irrelevant to those who are lost in sin (I Corinthians 1:18).

Satan also snares many unbelievers in false religions (I Timothy 4:1-3) and leads them to walk according to the "course of the world" which is the philosophy of the age. That philosophy may vary from generation to generation and culture to culture, but it is always creature-centered and creature-promoting rather than God-centered. Satan is constantly sowing the seeds of rebellion (sin) in the hearts and minds of unbelievers.

One of the purposes of the Holy Spirit is to war against Satan for the souls of unbelievers. The Holy Spirit works to convict men and women of their sinful rebellion against God (John 16:7-11).

THE ENEMY AND BELIEVERS

When you accept Jesus Christ as Savior, it certainly does not mean the battle is over! You have won one major confrontation when you are saved, but in reality, your intense struggle has only begun.

You will learn many specific strategies of Satan as you continue to studying this course and are armed with your spiritual weapons and mobilized to enter enemy territory. But all of these attacks can be summarized in four major areas. In the life of a believer Satan attacks:

THE WORD OF GOD:

Satan will cause you to question the Word of God and will add to, take from, or distort the Scriptures. Remember that this was involved in the very first temptation of Eve. This is why it is important for you to study and understand God's Word so you will not be deceived by these attacks.

YOUR WORSHIP:

Satan's original rebellion involved his desire to be worshiped, so he especially targets the worship of believers. He will try to prevent you from worshiping or lead you into false or fleshly worship.

YOUR WALK WITH GOD:

Satan attacks your personal walk with God. He accuses and slanders you, tempts you to engage in the works of the flesh, to be occupied with the world, and to rely upon your own human wisdom and strength. If Satan can win territory in your personal walk with God, it will make it easier for him to defeat you in the next area which is...

YOUR WORK FOR GOD:

Satan also attacks your work for God. He will try to deter you from accomplishing God's will by persecution, disaster, discouragement, prayerlessness, and busy involvement with the cares of the world. Satan also tries to affect your work for God by infiltrating the Church with false teachers and disciples (II Corinthians 11:13-15; II Peter 2:1-19; Matthew 13:38-39).

While God sows good seed through your ministry, the enemy sows tares which are the "sons of the wicked one". He promotes division within the Body of Christ trying to affect the work of God and His purposes in your life and ministry.

SO---WHAT CAN YOU DO?

Satan's strategies are certainly varied and powerful as he works against God, the nations, unbelievers, and believers.

Having spent the last four lessons studying the enemy, the spiritual forces of evil, enemy territory, and strategy, you may be a bit overwhelmed at this point. But as you will learn in the next chapter, God has a "battle plan" far greater and more powerful than any scheme of the enemy.

You are now ready to study that plan and then be armed with your spiritual weapons and mobilized for battle.

INSPECTION

1. Write the Key Verses from the Articles Of War.

_______________________________________________________________________________

2. Summarize the strategy of the enemy in relation to God.

_______________________________________________________________________________

3. Summarize the strategy of the enemy in relation to the nations.

_______________________________________________________________________________

4. Summarize the strategy of the enemy in relation to the unbelievers.

_______________________________________________________________________________

5. Summarize the strategy of the enemy in relation to believers.

_______________________________________________________________________________

(Answers to tests are provided at the conclusion of the final chapter in this manual.)

TACTICAL MANEUVERS

1. Analyze the nation in which you live. What strategies of the enemy do you see operative in your nation?

2. Analyze unbelievers around you for whom you are praying. Has the enemy blinded their eyes to the Gospel? Is he snatching away the Gospel message being presented to them? Are they being indoctrinated in false religion? Are they living in the "course of the world" and its lifestyle? Make these items a matter of prayer.

3. Note the fourfold accusations of Satan:

-He accuses God before the believer: Genesis 3:1-5

-He accuses the believer before God: Job l-2; Revelation 12:9-10

-He accuses the believer before his own conscience: Jeremiah 31:34; Romans 8:33-39

-He accuses the believer through other believers: Matthew 16:13-23; Romans 8:33-39.

4. Think about your own life. In the space provided below, analyze how Satan has attacked you in regards to the Word of God, your worship, walk with God, or work for God:

The Word of God:

_______________________________________________________________________________

Worship of God:

_______________________________________________________________________________

Walk with God:

_______________________________________________________________________________

Work for God:

_______________________________________________________________________________

In following lessons you will learn specific counter strategies for winning battles in each of these areas.

CHAPTER NINE

GOD'S BATTLE PLAN

OBJECTIVES:

Upon completion of this chapter you will be able to:

-Write the Key Verse from memory.

-Identify the purpose of God.

-Identify the purpose for which Jesus came into the world.

-Explain the six point battle plan for spiritual warfare.

KEY VERSE FROM THE ARTICLES OF WAR:

He that committeth sin is of the Devil; for the Devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the Devil. (I John 3:8)

INTRODUCTION

This chapter introduces the basic battle for spiritual warfare. It is a strategy resting upon understanding the purposes of our warfare and based upon communication with our Commander-in-Chief by prayer, fasting, and the written Word of God.

When you do not understand God's purpose and plan, you may be tempted to become discouraged in the conflicts of life. This is why many Christian soldiers fail in warfare: They do not understand the divine purpose behind the battle.

...For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men. You will only find yourselves fighting against God. (Acts 5:38-39 New International Version)

THE PURPOSE OF WARFARE

From the beginning of time, every natural battle that has been fought always had a purpose for which it was waged. Before we examine God's battle plan, it is important to understand the purpose of spiritual warfare. This involves understanding the purposes of God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son.

THE PURPOSE OF GOD:

It is God's purpose that...

...in the dispensation of the fullness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in Heaven, and which are on earth... (Ephesians 1:10)

From the beginning of time, Satan has battled against the fulfillment of this purpose. Your own warfare in the spirit world is related to this purpose of God. Satan battles to bring your heart, mind, spirit, and soul into allegiance to him instead of the Lord Jesus Christ.

God works in you to accomplish His purpose:

For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do His good pleasure. (Philippians 2:13)

God also works through your life to accomplish His purposes:

Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. (Romans 6:13)

When you yield yourself to become "instruments of righteousness unto God," it means you bring your life and ministry in harmony with His purpose and plans. By doing this, you become a target for God's enemy, Satan.

THE PURPOSE OF JESUS:

Jesus said:

He that committeth sin is of the Devil; for the Devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the Devil. (I John 3:8)

The reason Jesus came into the world was to destroy the works of Satan. This immediately set Him in opposition to the enemy:

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly.

(John 10:10)

From the beginning of His earthly ministry, Jesus set about destroying the works of Satan:

-He revealed the bondage of sin (John 8:34).

-He forgave sins (Matthew 9:1-8; Mark 2:1-12,17; Luke 4:17-32).

-He stressed the heart condition rather than the deception of outward appearance (Matthew

15:16-20; Mark 7:20-23; Luke 6:45; 11:39).

-He healed the sick (Matthew 11:5).

-He raised people from the dead (Mark 5:35-43; Luke 8:49- 56; John 11).

-He released people from demonic powers (Matthew 8:16).

In summary, He destroyed the works of Satan in the hearts, souls, minds, and bodies of men and women:

The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the Gospel preached to them. (Matthew 11:5)

Jesus not only destroyed the works of Satan, He also exposed the devious strategies of the enemy:

-He taught on the deception of Satan which would increase during the last days on earth (Matthew 24-25; Mark 13; Luke 17:22-37; 21:8-36; Matthew 24-25).

-He warned of Satan who was able to destroy the soul (Matthew 10:28).

-He spoke of the necessity of binding the strong man (Satan) before spoiling his goods (Matthew 12:26-30; Mark 3:23-27; Luke 11:17-24).

-He revealed how Satan tries to prevent the Word of God from being effective in the hearts of men and women (Matthew 13:38; Mark 4:15; Luke 8:12).

-He exposed those who were not right with God as being of their "father, the devil" (John 8:44-47).

-He revealed Satan as the "prince of the world" (John 14:30).

THE GREAT DIVISION

Although Jesus came to bring the peace of God (John 14:27; Philippians 4:7), and peace with God (Romans 5:1), His coming also brought division:

Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.

For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.

(Matthew 10:34-36)

Jesus divided all men into two battle camps. It is not possible to be neutral:

No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. (Matthew 6:24)

He that is not with me is against me... (Luke 11:23)

Jesus spoke of this great division in a story about two paths, one which was straight and narrow and one which was broad. He warned of the deception of Satan's broad path which many took (Matthew 7:13-14). Through the account of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31), Jesus removed the veil between life and death. He let men see the end result of choosing the wrong way.

Because He destroyed and exposed the works of Satan, Jesus was under assault throughout His earthly life. The enemy constantly tried to destroy Him or prevent Him from fulfilling the mission for which He had come. The moment He was born, an attempt was made on His life. During His public ministry there were several plots on His life and at least one attempt which was aborted. He met the opposition of demonic powers, religious leaders, His own followers, and Satan.

When you align yourself with the plan and purposes of Jesus by accepting Him as your Savior, you become part of the army that wars against Satan. The purposes of Jesus become your purposes and this sets you in a tactical position of direct opposition to the enemy.

THE BATTLE PLAN

There are many different Scriptural strategies that can be used in spiritual warfare, but the basic battle plan for believers is revealed by observing how Jesus dealt with the enemy. The basic battle plan for spiritual warfare is based on six major points. These are:

-The Word Of God

-Delegated Power And Authority

-Prayer

-Fasting

-Keys Of The Kingdom

-The Name Of Jesus

THE WORD OF GOD

One direct confrontation between Jesus and Satan came during a special period of temptation by the enemy. In this encounter, one of the major portions of our spiritual battle plan was revealed. Before proceeding with this lesson, read the accounts of this temptation recorded in Matthew 4:1-ll, Mark 1:12-13, and Luke 4:1-13.

First Satan tried to get Jesus to turn stones into bread. The power of Jesus which soon was to turn water into wine surely could have turned stones into bread. But to do so in this situation would have been acting independently of God and using His power for personal benefit.

Next Satan tried to get Jesus to cast Himself down from the top of the temple. Note that Satan said "Cast thyself down." Satan could not cast Him down, because the power of Satan is a limited power.

Satan can persuade you to sin, but he cannot cast you down. As you have learned, every man is tempted when he is drawn away by his own lust. He is not forced, but enticed. In this temptation, Satan used God's Word to back up his appeal, but he misapplied it (Matthew 4:6). Misapplication of God's Word is a major strategy of Satan.

In both of the first two temptations Satan said "IF you are the Son of God," do these things. For Jesus to have complied would have been admission that the verification of His sonship by God was inadequate. God had already spoken from Heaven confirming this relationship (Matthew 3:17). Satan always centers his attacks on your relationship with God. The final temptation was an appeal by Satan for worship. In return, Satan would deliver to Jesus all the kingdoms of the world.

In these three situations of temptation you can see the evil forces of the world, the flesh, and the Devil warring against Jesus. Jesus met the temptations of Satan with the Word of God. The Bible is a very important spiritual weapon and part of the armor of God which you will study about later. It is called "the sword of the Spirit." The Word of God is the only divinely inspired manual of spiritual warfare. Other books are useful only as they are in harmony with God's Word.

In meeting the temptations of Satan, Jesus used the Word of God. Jesus quoted specific Scriptures applicable to the immediate battle. He did not quote passages of chronology or history from the Old Testament. Jesus said, "It is written AGAIN..." When you use specific Scriptures, be sure they are in balance with the remainder of the Word of God. They must be viewed in their context and applied in harmony with the total revealed Word of God.

In order to use the Word of God effectively in spiritual warfare, you must know the Word of God. You must study, meditate on, and memorize it. Many defeats in life come because we do not know God's Word:

Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. (Matthew 22:29)

The Word of God is our manual for warfare and reveals God's spiritual battle plan.

DELEGATED POWER AND AUTHORITY

The second part of the battle plan is based upon the power and authority over Satan which Jesus delegated to His followers:

Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. (Luke 9:1)

Authority and power are two different things. Consider the example of a policeman. He has

a badge and a uniform which are symbols of his authority. His authority comes because of the position he holds with the government. But because all people do not respect that authority, the policeman also carries a weapon. The weapon is his power.

Your authority over the enemy comes through Jesus Christ and your position in Him as believers. Your power over the enemy comes through the Holy Spirit:

And behold, I send the promise of My Father upon you; but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. (Luke 24:49)

Like the policeman, you must have both authority and power to be effective. Some believers receive authority through the new birth experience and their position in Christ but they never go on to receive the power of the Holy Spirit, which is to be combined with the authority for effective warfare.

The power Jesus gave is directed power for specific purposes. These include:

POWER OVER THE ENEMY:

Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. (Luke 9:1)

POWER OVER SIN:

And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:

Whosesoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retained. (John 20:22-23)

POWER TO EXTEND THE GOSPEL:

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. (Acts 1:8)

PRAYER

Prayer is the third part of the basic battle plan. Here is a detailed outline to assist you in studying about prayer:

THE DEFINITION OF PRAYER:

Prayer is communion with God. It takes different forms, but basically it occurs when man talks with God and God talks with man. Prayer is described as:

Calling upon the name of the Lord: Genesis 12:8

Crying unto God: Psalms 27:7; 34:6

Drawing near to God: Psalms 73:28; Hebrews 10:22

Looking up: Psalms 5:3

Lifting up the soul: Psalms 25:1

Lifting up the heart: Lamentations 3:41

Pouring out the heart: Psalms 62:8

Pouring out the soul: I Samuel 1:15

Crying to Heaven: II Chronicles 32:20

Beseeching the Lord: Exodus 32:11

Seeking God: Job 8:5

Seeking the face of the Lord: Psalms 27:8

Making supplication: Job 8:5; Jeremiah 36:7

THE PRAYER LIFE OF JESUS:

Prayer was an important strategy of the Lord Jesus:

Jesus made prayer a priority:

-He prayed any time of the day or night: Luke 6:12-13

-Prayer took priority over eating: John 4:31-32

-Prayer took priority over business: John 4:31-32

Prayer accompanied any event of importance:

-At His baptism: Luke 3:21-22

-During the first ministry tour: Mark 1:35; Luke 5:16

-Before the choice of the disciples: Luke 6:12-13

-Before and after the feeding of the 5,000: Matthew 14:19,23; Mark 6:41,46; John 6:11,14-15

-At the feeding of the 4,000: Matthew 15:36; Mark 8:6,7

-Before the confession of Peter: Luke 9:18

-Before the transfiguration: Luke 9:28,29

-At the return of the seventy: Matthew 11:25; Luke 10:21

-At the grave of Lazarus: John 11:41-42

-At the blessing of the children: Matthew 19:13

-At the coming of certain Greeks: John 12:27-28

-Before the hour of His greatest anguish: Matthew 26:26-27; Mark 14:22-23; Luke 22:17-19

-For Peter: Luke 22:32

-For the giving of the Holy Spirit: John 14:1-6

-On the road to Emmaus: Luke 24:30-31

-Prior to His ascension: Luke 24:50-53

-For His followers: John 17

-The prayer Jesus taught is recorded in Matthew 6:9-13.

KINDS OF PRAYER:

Paul calls for believers to pray always with "all prayer" (Ephesians 6:18). Another translation of the Bible reads "praying with every kind of prayer" (Goodpseed Translation). This refers to the various levels and types of prayer.

LEVELS OF PRAYER:

There are three levels of intensity in prayer: Asking, seeking, and knocking:

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. (Matthew 7:7-8)

Asking is the first level of prayer. It is simply presenting a request to God and receiving an immediate answer. In order to receive, the condition is to ask:

...ye have not, because ye ask not. (James 4:2)

We have the powerful spiritual weapon of prayer, and yet many do not use it. They do not ask, and because of this, they do not receive.

Seeking is a deeper level of prayer. This is the level of prayer where answers are not as immediate as at the asking level. The 120 gathered in the upper room where they "continued" in prayer is an example of seeking. These men and women sought fulfillment of the promise of the Holy Spirit and continued "seeking" until the answer came. (Acts l-2)

Knocking is a deeper level yet. It is prayer that is persistent when answers are longer in coming. It is illustrated by the parable Jesus told in Luke 11:5-10. The knocking level is the most intense level of spiritual warfare in prayer. It is illustrated by the persistence of Daniel who continued to knock despite the fact he saw no visible results as Satan hindered the answer from God. (Daniel 10)

TYPES OF PRAYER:

There are various types of prayer illustrated in the model prayer given by the Lord (Matthew 6:9-13). Types of prayer include:

1. Worship and praise:

You enter into God's presence with worship and praise:

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise; be thankful unto Him, and bless His Name. (Psalms 100:4)

Worship is the giving of honor and devotion. Praise is thanksgiving and an expression of gratitude not only for what God has done but for what He is. You are to worship God in spirit and in truth:

But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him.

God is a Spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth. (John 4:23-24)

Praise and worship can be with:

Singing: Psalms 9:2,11; 40:3; Mark 14:26

Audible praise: Psalms 103:1

Shouting: Psalms 47:1

Lifting up of the hands: Psalms 63:4; 134:2; I Timothy 2:8

Clapping: Psalms 47:1

Musical instruments: Psalms 150:3-5

Standing: II Chronicles 20:19

Bowing: Psalms 95:6

Dancing: Psalms 149:3

Kneeling: Psalms 95:6

Lying down: Psalms 149:5

The warrior of God in the spirit world is shown with...

...the high praises of God...in their mouth, and a two edged sword in their hand. (Psalms 149:6)

2. Commitment:

This is prayer committing your life and will to God. It includes prayers of consecration and dedication.

3. Petition:

Prayers of petition are requests. Requests must be made according to the will of God as revealed in His written Word. Petitions may be at the levels of asking, seeking, or knocking. Supplication is another word for this type of prayer. The word supplication means "beseeching God or strongly appealing to Him in behalf of a need."

4. Confession and repentance:

A prayer of confession is repenting and asking forgiveness for sin:

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (I John 1:9)

5. Intercession:

Intercession is prayer for others. An intercessor is one who takes the place of another or pleads another's case. The Bible records that at one time God looked on the earth and saw there was no intercessor:

And He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore His arm brought salvation unto Him, and His righteousness, it sustained Him. (Isaiah 59:16)

When God saw there was no intercessor He supplied the need. He sent Jesus:

For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. (I Timothy 2:5)

...It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. (Romans 8:34)

Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7:25)

My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous.

(I John 2:1)

An advocate in a court of justice is a legal assistant or counselor who pleads another's cause. Intercession in spiritual warfare is prayer to God on behalf of another person. Sometimes this intercession is made with understanding. You intercede in your own native language:

I exhort therefore, that first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men. For kings, and for all that are in authority... (I Timothy 2:1-2)

At other times, intercession is made by the Holy Spirit. It may be with groanings resulting from a heavy spiritual burden. It may be in an unknown tongue. It may be intercession for another or the Holy Spirit making intercession for you. When this happens, the Holy Spirit speaks through you praying directly to God and according to the will of God. You do not understand this type of intercession:

Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities; for we know not what we should pray for as we ought; but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. (Romans 8:26)

This is the deepest level of intercessory prayer and the most effective in spiritual warfare.

THE MODEL PRAYER:

During the earthly ministry of Jesus His disciples once came to Him with an interesting request:

... one of His disciples said unto Him, Lord, teach us to pray... (Luke 11:1)

The disciples did not ask how to preach or perform miracles. They did not seek lessons on how to build lasting relationships. They did not inquire regarding the wonders of physical healing. They asked to be taught how to pray.

What created this desire? It was the visible effects of prayer in the life and ministry of Jesus. The disciples had witnessed the powerful results of this spiritual strategy in action.

Read the model prayer and observe the various types of prayer we have discussed:

Our Father, which art in Heaven, Praise and worship

Hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done in earth, as it is in Heaven. Commitment

Give us this day our daily bread. Petition

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. Confession and Intercession

And lead us not into temptation, Petition

but deliver us from evil;

For thine is the Kingdom, and the power Praise and worship

and the glory, forever. Amen.

(Matthew 6:9-13)

HOW TO PRAY:

Look up each of the following references in your Bible to learn how you should pray:

-Prayer is to be made to God: Psalms 5:2

-Empty repetition is forbidden, but earnest repetition is not: Matthew 6:7; Daniel 6:10; Luke 11:5-13; 18:1-8

-You sin by neglecting to pray for others: I Samuel 12:23

-Pray with understanding (in a known tongue): Ephesians 6:18

-Pray in the Spirit: Romans 8:26; Jude 20

-Pray according to the will of God: I John 5:14-15

-Pray in secret: Matthew 6:6

-Quality rather than quantity is stressed. Prayer is not successful because of "much

speaking": Matthew 6:7

-Pray always: Luke 21:36; Ephesians 6:18

-Pray continually: Romans 12:12

-Pray without ceasing: I Thessalonians 5:17

-Pray to the Father in the name of Jesus: John 15:16

-With a watchful attitude: I Peter 4:7

-According to the example of the model prayer: Matthew 6:9-13

-Pray with a forgiving spirit: Mark 11:25

-Pray with humility: Matthew 6:7

-Sometimes accompany prayer with fasting: Matthew 17:21

-Pray fervently: James 5:16; Colossians 4:12

-Pray with submission to God: Luke 22:42

-Use the strategies of binding and loosing in prayer: Matthew 16:19

WHAT YOU SHOULD PRAY FOR:

-The peace of Jerusalem: Psalms 122:6

-Laborers in the harvest: Matthew 9:38

-That you enter not into temptation: Luke 22:40-46

-Them that despitefully use you (your enemies): Luke 6:28

-All the saints: Ephesians 6:18

-The sick: James 5:14

-One for another (bearing each others burdens): James 5:16

-For all men, kings, and those in authority: I Timothy 2:1-4

-For daily needs: Matthew 6:11

-For wisdom: James 1:5

-For healing: James 5:14-15

-For forgiveness: Matthew 6:12

-For God's will and Kingdom to be established: Matthew 6:10

-For relief from affliction: James 5:13

PRAY THE PROMISES:

Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. (James 4:3)

God answers prayer according to His promises. When you do not ask on the basis of these promises, your prayer is not answered. It is similar to how a father relates to his children. No parent commits to give his youngsters anything they want or ask for. He makes it clear that he will do certain things and not do other things. Within these limits the father answers his child's requests.

It is the same way with God. He has given promises and they form the proper basis for prayer. Learn what God has promised and pray according to the promises of God. One way to do this is to go through the Bible and mark all the promises God has made. Use your Bible as you pray and base your prayers upon these promises.

HINDRANCES TO PRAYER:

-Sin of any kind: Isaiah 59:1-2; Psalm 66:18; Isaiah 1:15; Proverbs 28:9

-Idols in the heart: Ezekiel 14:1-3:

-An unforgiving spirit: Mark 11:25; Matthew 5:23

-Selfishness, wrong motives: Proverbs 21:13; James 4:3

-Power hungry, manipulative prayers: James 4:2-3

-Wrong treatment of marriage partner: I Peter 3:7

-Self-righteousness: Luke 18:10-14

-Unbelief: James 1:6-7:

-Not abiding in Christ and His Word: John 15:7:

-Lack of compassion: Proverbs 21:13

-Hypocrisy, pride, meaningless repetition: Matthew 6:5; Job 35:12-13

-Not asking according to the will of God: James 4:2-3

-Not asking in Jesus' name: John 16:24

-Satanic demonic hindrances: Daniel 10:10-13; Ephesians 6:12

-Not seeking first the Kingdom: It is only when you seek first the Kingdom of God that you

are promised the "other things": Matthew 6:33

-God has a higher purpose in denying your request: II Corinthians 12:8-9

-When you do not know how to pray as you should, prayer is hindered. This is why it is

important to let the Holy Spirit pray through you: Romans 8:26

WHEN NOT TO PRAY:

It is important to learn how to wait before the Lord in prayer for His guidance and direction before acting. But it is equally important to know when not to pray. When God calls you to action, you must act, not continue to pray.

For example, at the bitter waters of Marah when Moses cried unto the Lord, God showed him exactly what to do to sweeten the waters. There was no need to wait further on the Lord in prayer. Moses was to act upon what God had revealed. The same was true of Joshua when he prayed about the terrible defeat of Israel at Ai. God revealed there was sin among the people of Israel. He actually told Joshua...

Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face?

Israel hath sinned...Up, sanctify the people...

(Joshua 7: portions of 10, 12, and 13)

It was not the time to pray. It was the time to act upon the direction given in prayer. Some people use prayer as an excuse to avoid involvement and acting upon what God has told them to do.

Others continue to pray when God has already answered but they did not like the answer. Review the story of Balaam in Numbers 22. Note especially verses 18-19. Balaam had no right to go to God with the same matter for God had clearly forbidden him to have anything to do with it (see verse 12).

FASTING

Fasting is the fourth part of our battle plan. It is combined with prayer to wage effective warfare in the spirit world.

THE DEFINITION OF FASTING:

Fasting, in the most simple definition, is going without food.

TYPES OF FASTS:

According to the Bible there are two types of fasts. The total fast is when you do not eat or drink at all. An example of this is found in Acts 9:9. The partial fast is when the diet is restricted. An example of this is in Daniel 10:3.

PUBLIC AND PRIVATE FASTING:

Fasting is a personal matter between an individual and God. It is to be done in private and not boasted about:

Moreover when ye fast, be not as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance; for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.

But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;

That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

(Matthew 6:16-18)

Leaders may call a public fast and request the whole church fellowship to fast:

Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly.

(Joel 2:15)

THE PURPOSES OF FASTING:

There are definite spiritual purposes for fasting. It is important that you understand these, for if you fast for the wrong reasons it will be ineffective.

Study each of the following references regarding the purposes of fasting. They reveal the great power of fasting in spiritual warfare. You fast:

-To humble yourself: Psalms 35:13; 69:10

-To repent of sin: Joel 2:12

-For revelation: Daniel 9:2; 3:21-22

-To loose bands of wickedness, lift heavy burdens, set the oppressed free, and break

every bondage: Isaiah 58:6

-To feed the poor, both physically and spiritually: Isaiah 58:7

-To be heard of God: II Samuel 12:16,22; Jonah 3:5,10

Fasting does not change God. It changes you. God relates to you on the basis of your relationship to Him. When you change, then the way God deals with you is affected. You do not fast to change God, because God does not change. But fasting does change how He deals with you. Read the book of Jonah for an example of how this happened in the city of Ninevah.

LENGTH OF THE FAST:

How long you fast depends upon what God speaks into your spirit. He may lead you to fast a short or lengthy time. Remember the story of Esau and Jacob? Jacob was originally making a meal for himself but denied himself in order to obtain the birthright. How much better if Esau had fasted that one meal!

KEYS OF THE KINGDOM

Jesus gave to believers the keys of the Kingdom. Those keys include the power to bind and loose and they are the fifth part of our basic battle plan:

And I will give unto thee the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven. (Matthew 16:19)

Jesus taught the importance of binding evil spirits before casting them out. But the principle of binding and loosing is more than casting out demons. You can bind the power of the enemy to work in your life, home, community, and church fellowship. You can loose men and women from the bondage of sin, depression, and discouragement of the enemy.

The principle of binding and loosing is an important strategy to overcome the power of the enemy. It is a key to the Kingdom of God. In every situation with which you are confronted...every problem, every challenge...there is a spiritual key. That key is in exercising the principle of binding and loosing. When you recognize what to bind and what to loose and act upon this discovery, the enemy will be defeated.

THE NAME OF JESUS

The final part of the basic battle plan is found in the name of Jesus. The Word of God is to be applied in His name, we pray, fast, and use our delegated power and authority and the keys of the Kingdom in His name:

If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. (John 14:14)

...Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, He will give it you. (John 16:23)

And these signs shall follow them that believe, IN MY NAME shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them: they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

(Mark 16:17-18)

And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in Heaven and in earth.

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost;

Teaching them to observe all things, whatsoever I have commanded you; and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.

(Matthew 28:18-20)

You are to teach, baptize, cast out demons, heal the sick, and overcome every power of the enemy through the name of Jesus. It is more powerful than any other name:

Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come. (Ephesians 1:21)

Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name;

That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in Heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11)

A WINNING STRATEGY

Jesus faced every temptation of the enemy which we face, but He overcame these temptations without sin. Because He entered the arena of spiritual warfare, He understands your battles and strengthens you:

For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. (Hebrews 4:15)

Because He emerged victorious, you can also be a victor:

For in that He Himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able to succor them that are tempted. (Hebrews 2:18)

Read the story of the death and resurrection of Jesus in Matthew 26-28; Mark 14-16; Luke 22-24; and John 18-21. The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ was the greatest confrontation that ever occurred between the power of Satan and the power of God.

Through the death of Jesus, Satan thought he had destroyed God's plan. He had killed God's only Son. He had destroyed the King who was to reign over God's Kingdom. But Jesus said:

Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and He shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?

But how then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?

(Matthew 26:53-54)

...My Kingdom is not of this world: if my Kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my Kingdom not from hence. (John 18:36)

...Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above...(John 19:11)

Jesus did not die because His power was less than that of the enemy. His death did not end the plan for God's Kingdom. It was not time for His Kingdom to be visibly established in the world.

The death of Jesus actually fulfilled the plan of God. Men could now be saved from the bondage of sin and the penalty of the "second death" (eternal separation from God because of sin).

Great though it was, salvation from sin was not the only victory gained by Jesus through His death on the cross. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus defeated all the power of the enemy:

...When He ascended up on high (was resurrected) He led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.

(Now that He ascended, what is it but that He also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?

He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all Heavens, that He might fill all things.) (Ephesians 4:8-10 )

And having spoiled principalities and powers. He made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. (Colossians 2:15)

Jesus defeated every power of the enemy, including death. He also passed judgment upon Satan:

Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world (Satan) be cast out. (John 12:31)

Jesus made a way of salvation. He defeated death and the principalities and powers of the enemy. He restored to man dominion over all things. He pronounced judgment on Satan which will be fulfilled in the future.

As you have learned, the present situation is similar to conditions which have existed in certain countries in the natural world. The powers of rebel forces will be overthrown by the government. The rebel leader will be under judgment, but still at large. Resistance forces under his direction still war in the land.

Jesus has conquered Satan and set his judgment. But Satan is still at large and his forces of demonic powers, the flesh, and the world are still at war in the land. They attempt to control territory that is rightfully that of the Conqueror. They try to blind men to the fact Satan has been defeated and is under judgment. They try to control homes, churches, and nations.

That is where the warfare of the believer comes into focus. Jesus has defeated the enemy but Satan remains at large in the world. It is our task to open the eyes of men and women to his deception and regain control of territory that is rightfully ours. Your personal battle will continue until judgment on Satan is executed or until you go to be with Jesus through death, which ever comes first:

To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God. (Ephesians 3:10)

VICTORS, NOT VICTIMS

Through Jesus, your are a victor over the enemy rather than a victim of the enemy:

And hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the head over all things to the Church.

Which is His body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all.

(Ephesians 1:22-23)

All things are "under the feet" of Jesus. This means He has conquered them. He is the head of the Church, and we are the body. It is stated that all things are under His feet, which means under His body, the Church. This means we are victors, not victims. You can be kept from the power of Satan. Jesus Himself prayed for us to be kept from the power of the enemy:

I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word. (John 17:15,20)

You are a conqueror, not through your own power, but through the powers of a greater One:

...In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. (Romans 8:37)

When the spiritual battle gets rough, just remember that the Bible assures that God's purposes will be accomplished:

The Lord of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed so shall it stand. (Isaiah 15:24)

This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth; and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations.

For the Lord of hosts hath purposed and who shall disannul it? and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back? (Isaiah 15:26-27)

The Lord of Hosts has a purpose, and no force of the world, flesh, demons, Hell, or Satan himself will disannul it. The basic battle plan you have studied in this lesson will assure your spiritual victory! Now that you understand the plan, you are ready to be mobilized for warfare and armed for action. You will begin this process in the next chapter.

INSPECTION

1. Write the Key Verse from the Articles Of War.

______________________________________________________________________________

2. What is the purpose of God?

______________________________________________________________________________

3. For what purposes did Jesus come into the world?

______________________________________________________________________________

4. What is God's six point battle plan for spiritual warfare?

______________________________________________________________________________

(Answers to tests are provided at the conclusion of the final chapter in this manual.)

TACTICAL MANEUVERS

1. In this lesson you learned of the importance of the Word of God in spiritual warfare. Harvestime International Institute offers two courses that will increase your ability to know and use the Word of God. Write for information on "Creative Bible Study Methods" and "Basic Bible Survey".

2. In this lesson you learned that Jesus came to destroy the works of Satan. Read more about the purposes of Jesus in the following verses: Luke 4:18-19; 4:43; 19:10; 24:46-49; John 6:38; 9:4; 12:46; 18:37. Read the statement of God's purpose as it relates to Jesus: John 3:16-18; Ephesians 1:9-10.

3. Jesus had many encounters with evil spirits. But evil spirits and temptation by Satan were not the only battles Jesus fought. Satan also used men who were close to Jesus to war against Him:

PETER:

Simon Peter was one of the twelve disciples chosen by Jesus, yet at times Peter was used by Satan to war against Jesus. When Jesus had revealed His forthcoming death, Peter began to rebuke Him for saying such things (Mark 8:32). Jesus said to Peter...

...Get thee behind me, Satan; for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men. (Mark 8:33)

Jesus did not mean Peter was actually Satan, rather that Peter was being used by Satan at that particular moment.

One of the chief strategies of Satan is to use those close to you to try to keep you from doing God's will. As Jesus, you must put their persuasions behind you. Is Satan using someone close to you to try to keep you from doing God's will?

At a later time, when Peter pledged loyalty to the Lord, Jesus said to him:

...Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat;

But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. (Luke 22:31-32)

Jesus knew that when the time of crucifixion drew near Peter would deny Him. He saw how the enemy desired to sift everything good out of Peter's life. But Jesus also could see the great potential in Peter. He realized that someday he would emerge as a great leader of the early church.

JUDAS:

Judas was one of the original twelve disciples chosen by Jesus. Jesus knew from the beginning how the enemy would use this man:

Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?

He spake of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon; for he it was that should betray Him, being one of the twelve. (John 6:70-71)

Read of Jesus' betrayal by Judas in Matthew 26:20-25 and John 13:21-30. Has Satan used close associates to betray and wound you? As Jesus, you cannot let that deter you from the purpose God has set for you.

4. Read Malachi 1:13. The prophet reports that in his time some were so bored with their religious observances that they said, "Behold, what a weariness". Perhaps these people never had learned how to worship?

Study more about worship: Psalms 5:7; 22:27; 29:2; 45:11; 66:4; 86:9; 95:6; 96:9 97:7; 99:5,9; Exodus 34:14; I Chronicles 16:29; Matthew 15:9; Mark 7:7; John 4:23-24; Philippians 3:3.

The Harvestime International Institute Course entitled "Mobilization Methodologies" contains further instruction on the subject of worship.

5. Study more about praise in the book of Psalms. Mark the word "praise" every time it occurs in Psalms then go back and study all the verses you have marked.

6. Here are some more facts about prayer:

Answers to prayer are granted:

Immediately at times: Isaiah 65:24; Daniel 9:21-23

Delayed at times: Luke 18:7

At times, different from our desires: II Corinthians 12:8-9

Beyond our expectations: Jeremiah 33:3; Ephesians 3:20

Different postures may be used in prayer:

Standing: I Kings 8:22; Mark 11:25

Bowing down: Psalms 95:6

Kneeling: II Chronicles 6:13; Psalms 95:6; Luke 22:41; Acts 20:36

Falling on the face: Numbers 16:22; Joshua 5:14; I Chronicles 21:16; Matthew 26:39

Spreading forth the hands: Isaiah 1:15; II Chronicles 6:13

Lifting up the hands: Psalms 28:2; Lamentations 2:19; I Timothy 2:8

Common problems you will need to overcome in order to pray:

Lack of time

Distractions

Tiredness

Lack of desire

Organizing The Prayer Forces:

Prayer is one of the most powerful weapons of spiritual warfare. The New Testament reveals the following structure for organizing prayer forces to wage warfare more effectively:

Personal prayer: Prayer is to be made on an individual basis in private: Matthew 6:6

Two praying together: Praying of two together is the smallest unit of corporate prayer: Matthew 18:19

Small groups: Small group cells consist of more than two individuals joining together in prayer. There is great power when two or three people join together for this purpose: Matthew 18:20

Total congregational prayer: The entire church should join together in times of corporate prayer: Acts 1:14-15

Prayer Promises:

Study the following promises regarding prayer. They reveal the great power of this weapon in spiritual warfare:

-The Father knows what you need even before you ask: Matthew 6:8

-If any two agree in prayer, it will be answered: Matthew 18:19

-All things are possible with God: Matthew 19:26; Luke 18:27

-Prayer combined with faith is effective: Matthew 21:22; Mark 11:24

-The effectual fervent prayer of the righteous availeth much: James 5:16

-If you ask in the name of Jesus, it will be done: John 14:14

7. Study further on fasting:

-Fasting is one of the things that approves us as ministers of God: II Corinthians 6:3-10

-Prayer with fasting was used in organizing the Church: Acts 14:23

-We are to "give ourselves" to fasting: I Corinthians 7:5

8. Jesus said you would have power to tread on "serpents and scorpions". In Chapter Five you studied the natural and spiritual parallels of a serpent. Here are some facts about scorpions that can be applied spiritually:

Scorpions avoid others. A scorpion will fight to the death. It will seize its prey, crush it, and then inject deadly poison from its stinger. If you are stung by a scorpion, you may experience pain, speech difficulties, restlessness, weakness, and numbness.

Scorpions live in dark places and die when exposed to the heat (light). First the scorpion will try to escape, then it begins to strike frantically with its tail. In the natural world, army ants are the main enemy of the scorpion.

Can you apply these truths spiritually as we did with the facts about snakes in Chapter Five?

MOBILIZATION

ACTIVE MILITARY SERVICE IN GOD'S ARMY

To "mobilize" means to put in a state of readiness for active military service. "Mobilization" is the process of being deployed as part of the spiritual forces of God's army.

CHAPTER TEN

OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE WARFARE

OBJECTIVES:

Upon completion of this chapter you will be able to:

-Write the Key Verse from memory.

-Define "offensive warfare."

-Define "defensive warfare."

-Identify the common factor in both offensive and defensive warfare.

-Summarize the role of the Holy Spirit in offensive and defensive warfare.

-Use the natural example of wrestling to explain offensive and defensive warfare strategies.

KEY VERSE FROM THE ARTICLES OF WAR:

Neither give place to the Devil. (Ephesians 4:27)

INTRODUCTION

There are two types of warfare in the natural world: Offensive and defensive. The Bible also teaches both defensive and offensive spiritual strategies. You must learn to fight both defensively and offensively. The only other option is desertion, which is unacceptable.

This lesson provides an introduction to both offensive and defensive warfare. The following two chapters examine in detail your defensive and offensive spiritual weapons.

DEFENSIVE WARFARE

Defensive warfare is battle waged to defend territory. It is warfare that waits for the enemy to strike, then pulls its forces together in defensive response. The defender must respond to his opponent and his decisions are forced on him by the attacker. This type of warfare does not advance into enemy territory. It defends territory already claimed. It is important, however, because the spiritual forces of evil are constantly attacking you as a believer. If you do not know how to defend yourself, you will become a victim of these attacks.

OFFENSIVE WARFARE

Offensive warfare is aggressive warfare. It is not a warfare of waiting and responding in defense. It is warfare which takes the initiative of attack. The enemy is identified, his strategy recognized, and offensive advances against him are made in the spirit world. In offensive warfare the attacker has the advantage of making decisions first. Offensive warfare gains territory rather than defends it.

Offensive advances are the only type of spiritual warfare which will reach the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We cannot remain in our comfortable homes and churches and practice defensive strategies only. The army of God must advance into enemy territory. It must go to the strongholds of Satan with the power of the Gospel message. We must wage aggressive offensive spiritual battle.

THE COMMON FACTOR

There is one thing in common about offensive and defensive warfare. Both involve personal action by the believer. In natural warfare, unused weapons do not inflict causalities on the enemy nor win wars. The same is true in the spirit world. Your spiritual weapons are affected by your will to use them. It is true that God empowers for battle, but you have a personal responsibility in both defensive and offensive spiritual strategies.

In Old Testament battles, the Lord fought for and with His people, Israel. But first, they had to position themselves on the battlefield. When God sees a spiritual weapon being used in His name and a man or woman on the battlefield daring to attempt the impossible, the Lord of Hosts is moved to action.

Read the story of Elisha in II Kings 13:14-19. In this object lesson using the bow and arrows, there are some spiritual parallels that will help you understand your part in the warfare:

1. DEMONSTRATE YOUR INTENTION TO FIGHT:

Elisha told King Joash, "Take up the bow and arrows." Paul said, "Take the sword of the Spirit" and declare war. By taking up your offensive and defensive weapons, you are demonstrating your intention to fight.

2. PUT YOUR HANDS ON THE WEAPON:

Elisha told the king to put his hands upon the bow, then Elisha laid his hands upon the king's hands. The strategy for victory is your hand upon the weapon and His hand over yours.

3. OPEN THE WINDOW:

Open up the window of the place where the enemy is victorious. Israel's foe was to the east, so Elisha told the king to open the window eastward. God wants you to open up the "windows" of every area of your life to expose the failure, defeat, and bondage of the enemy.

4. SHOOT:

Elisha told the king, "Shoot," and the king shot. Then Elisha said, "The Lord's arrow of victory over Syria." The open window is not enough. The weapon in your hand is not sufficient. Even God's hand upon your hand will not win the battle. You must follow the command of the Lord of Host to "SHOOT!" This is your part in the warfare...to actually use the weapon that is in your hand which is guided by the hand of the Lord.

5. KNOW THE OBJECTIVE:

Elisha told the King to take the arrows and hit them upon the ground as a symbol of his victory over Syria. The king did so, but he "smote thrice and stayed (stopped)." Elisha told him that because he limited God by hitting the ground only three times, his military victory would be limited. This happened because the King did not understand the objective of warfare. Elisha had said the Lord wanted to totally consume the enemy (verse 17). By striking the ground only three times, the King settled for only partial victory.

The Lord's objective for you is total victory in every area of your life and ministry. If you fail to understand this objective then your victory will be limited.

6. WIN FIRST IN THE SECRET CHAMBER:

What happened between Elisha and King Joash in the secret chamber that day determined the outcome of the battle with Syria. It is what happens in the secret "chamber" with the Lord that determines your victories in the actual battles of life.

DEVICES OF SATAN

Basic to both offensive and defensive warfare is knowledge of the strategies of Satan:

Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices. (II Corinthians 2:11)

The word "devices" means a scheme, project, plot or underhanded plan of evil character. Satan can gain advantage over you when you are ignorant of his devices and fail to respond in offensive and defensive battle.

THE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Earlier in this course you learned of the spiritual force of good known as the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is important in both offensive and defensive warfare. The Holy Spirit knows the strategies of Satan and intercedes for believers engaged in battle:

Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities; for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered....because He maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. (Romans 8:26-27)

The Holy Spirit gives power to claim enemy territory:

But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. (Acts 1:8)

Gifts of the Holy Spirit are valuable weapons of offensive and defensive battle. The gifts of the word of knowledge and the word of wisdom provide supernatural revelation for spiritual warfare. The gift of discerning of spirits reveals the deception of the enemy.

The special gifts of pastor, prophet, apostle, evangelist and teacher assist in equipping us for battle. The speaking gifts of the Holy Spirit provide special instructions from God and the serving gifts of the Spirit enable the army of God to move forward in spiritual advance.

WRESTLING: A NATURAL PARALLEL OF SPIRITUAL TRUTH

One of the most powerful verses on offensive spiritual combat is...

For we WRESTLE not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Ephesians 6:12)

God's choice of the word "wrestle" is significant. Wrestling is a natural parallel of a great spiritual truth. Wrestling in the natural world is a sport of mastery in strength. To wrestle means "to contend in struggle for power over an opponent."

Consider these facts about wrestling in the natural world as applied to your spiritual warfare:

1. PREPARATION AND TRAINING:

A wrestler in the natural world must train to be successful at his sport. He must practice wrestling. He must have a proper diet. He must learn the rules of wrestling and they must be carefully followed to win the match.

A believer must learn the rules of spiritual warfare in order to be victorious. A proper "diet" of God's Word and prayer is necessary for successful spiritual wrestling. As in wrestling in the natural world, skill is gained through practice.

The primary purpose of training in the natural world is to prepare the wrestler to perform at peak efficiency while experiencing the least amount of fatigue. This is true also in the spirit world. Some people are easily fatigued and defeated spiritually because they are not properly trained for spiritual warfare.

2. THE NATURE OF THE STRUGGLE:

Individual championship wrestling is not a team sport. When a wrestler tires there is no substitute team member to send in. Wrestling involves intimate, face to face, personal contact with the opponent.

The same is true in the spirit world. Believers are involved in intimate, face to face combat with the enemy. No other believer can take your place in this spiritual combat. There are no "time outs" in wrestling as in other sports. There are no "time outs" in the spiritual world either. Satan never rests from this war. The believer must never be off guard.

3. THE STRATEGIES:

There are both offensive and defensive strategies in natural wrestling which are applicable in the spiritual world. Stalling is one technique used in wrestling. Stalling avoiding confrontation with an opponent. Points are lost in the judging system for stalling. You also "lose points" when you "stall" spiritually and do not aggressively wrestle your enemy. Some believers spend their entire lives stalled in confrontation with the enemy. They never aggressively wrestle and gain the victory.

4. UPSET BALANCE:

Another important strategy in natural wrestling is to upset the balance of the opponent. Once an opponent's balance has been destroyed, he is kept struggling to regain it.

The Bible speaks much of the importance of balance or "temperance." One of the strategies of Satan in the spiritual realm is to try to upset balance. Many cults have resulted because of improper balance on doctrinal issues. Homes, church fellowships, and even nations have been defeated because of improper balance by wrong emphasis or lack of emphasis in certain areas.

There are two types of balance involved in wrestling: Physical and mental balance. Before physical balance can be destroyed, mental balance must first be attacked. To accomplish this, a strategy of surprise is used. A move is initiated that is distracting and a surprising. While the wrestler focuses on this, the intended technique is applied. By leading an opponent to believe some move is about to be attempted, he will try to avoid the imagined danger and leave himself open to the actual attack.

How true this is in the spiritual world! Satan upsets balance through the strategy of surprise. He upsets your mental balance by distracting attacks and while you are fearfully focused on these, he launches his intended assault in another area of your life.

5. ANTICIPATION:

Anticipation is important in natural wrestling. A wrestler who can discern when a particular move is going to be made is usually able to block or counter attack. When the intended move is made it is not as likely to be successful since it is anticipated and the wrestler is prepared.

The same is true in the spirit world. If you are not ignorant of Satan's devices and anticipate his strategies then you are prepared. You are not thrown off balance when attacks occur.

6. BAITING:

There are moves in wrestling which are made to "bait" an opponent, to tempt and entice him into making a move which will weaken his position. In the spirit world Satan is constantly tempting you to moves which will weaken your spiritual position.

In natural wrestling, moves are planned to place an opponent in a position that leaves him open to attack. Situations are purposely created to do this and advantage is taken of an opponent's weakened position at the instant it occurs.

Spiritually, Satan creates situations which leave you open to attack Then he immediately takes advantage of your weakened position. But you must remember as you wrestle that it is Satan who holds the weakened position. The power within you is greater than his power. He has already been dealt the final weakening blow by the Lord Jesus Christ. But you must exercise the advantage given you by the Lord in order to win the match.

7. ATTACK AND COUNTERATTACK:

In natural wrestling, every move you make sets you up for a response from the opponent. The same is true in the spirit world. When you make a move for God, Satan will always counterattack with a move of his own.

8. MOBILITY:

In wrestling, a mobile opponent is considered dangerous. This is why you want to pin your opponent down. In the spiritual world, Satan is a mobile opponent. He goes "to and fro" as a lion seeking to devour. You must be on guard for his constant mobility. Satan also recognizes the effectiveness of your mobility. He wants to prevent you from being on the move for God. This is why he strives to throw and pin you down spiritually.

9. RECOVERY:

Any error made in wrestling results in an action that can be taken advantage of by the opponent. How true spiritually! Any error you make in spiritual wrestling is quickly taken advantage of by the enemy. It is important in wrestling to learn how to recover from a fall. It is necessary to be able to convert the bottom position into an advantage. There are moves of escape and reversal which will enable this.

In spiritual wrestling you may at times experience a fall and be temporarily pinned by the enemy. But you do not have to remain in this position. God has given strategies in His Word which, if followed, will convert your disadvantage into an advantage. He has provided strategies for escape and reversal spiritually just as are used in natural wrestling.

The life of Joseph is an excellent example of this. He had the disadvantages of being sold into slavery and put in prison. But he converted disadvantages to advantages. In the end, he triumphed over the enemy.

There are other moves in wrestling which result in taking an opponent down from behind, dragging, pinning, throwing, and pulling him. Can you recognize similar moves by the enemy spiritually?

10. THE OBJECTIVE:

The objective of wrestling in the natural world is to defeat the opponent by causing him to fall or pinning him to the ground. This results from a series of strategic moves and/or by wearing the opponent down.

Satan constantly wars against believers trying to wear them down. His objective is to cause believers to fall, "throw" them, and trap in the bondage of sin. His goal is to destroy your supportive points, just as a wrestler does to his opponent in the natural world. The goal is to make you prostrate spiritually.

11. SCORING:

Victory in natural wrestling also comes through a process of scoring by the judges. The wrestler with the highest points for the most effective strategic moves wins the match.

Your spiritual opponent has already been judged. Satan was overcome by the most effective move in all history, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. You wrestle with an enemy who is already judged as a loser in the match. Because of this you do not need to be afraid of his power or strategies in the wrestling match in which you engage. You do not have to fall or be pinned by the bondage of sin. You can stand confidently in the wrestling match of spiritual warfare and resist him steadfastly in the faith.

12. MENTAL ATTITUDE:

Mental attitude is very important in wrestling. In a study on the subject, the following attitudes were said to be necessary for championship wrestling in the natural world. These attitudes also are true in the spiritual realm:

Desire: To wish and want to win is not enough. The championship wrestler must have a burning desire to win. Desire is an emotion which transcends all else in life.

Persistence: Sustained effort is required for championship wrestling. A champion wrestler will not accept defeat.

Purpose: The champion wrestler must have a will to win. Winning is the goal and purpose. To achieve this goal he must not only know he is master of the situation, but he must also let his opponent know.

INSPECTION

1. Write the Key Verse from the Articles Of War.

_______________________________________________________________________________

2. What is defensive warfare?

_______________________________________________________________________________

3. What is offensive warfare?

_______________________________________________________________________________

4. What common factor exists in both offensive and defensive spiritual warfare?

_______________________________________________________________________________

5. Summarize the role of the Holy Spirit in offensive and defensive warfare.

_______________________________________________________________________________

6. Summarize what you learned about offensive and defensive warfare from the natural example of wrestling.

_______________________________________________________________________________

(Answers to tests are provided at the conclusion of the final chapter in this manual.)

TACTICAL MANEUVERS

1. You are not to trust in "chariots" (natural weapons) of men: Psalms 20:7. But God has "spiritual" chariots. Read about them in Psalms 68:17; 104:3; Isaiah 19:1; and II Kings 2:11.

2. You need to wage both offensive and defensive warfare because Satan is a destroyer: John 10:10; I Corinthians 10:10; Matthew 10:28.

-If you obey God, He will not let the destroyer come in: Exodus 12:23

-God keeps you from the destruction of Satan: Psalms 17:4

-Satan is your adversary, the one you fight against: I Peter 5:8. You are not to give him room to speak against you: I Timothy 5:14. If you obey God, He will be an enemy to your adversaries: Exodus 23:22.

3. You do not have to be defeated by Satan. Study the following references:

YOU CAN CHASE THE ENEMY: Leviticus 26:7-8; Deuteronomy 32:30; Joshua 23:10

YOU CAN HAVE VICTORY: Deuteronomy 7:21; I Chronicles 29:11; Psalms 5:11; 18:29; 24:8; 91:1; Isaiah 49:19; I Corinthians 15:57; I John 5:4

THE LORD IS YOUR FORTRESS: II Samuel 22:2; Psalms 18:2; 31:3; 71:3; 91:2; 144:2; Jeremiah 16:19

YOU HAVE DOMINION OVER THE ENEMY: Psalms 8:6; 49:14; 72:8; 119:133; Daniel 7:27; Ephesians 1:21

SAFETY COMES FROM THE LORD: Proverbs 18:10; 21:31; 29:25. Read Psalms 91, the Psalm of safety.

GOD DELIVERS YOU FROM DISTRESS: Psalms 25:17; 107:6,13; 19:28

YOU CAN CAPTURE ENEMY THOUGHTS: II Corinthians 10:5

GOD LOOSES BONDS OF THE ENEMY: Psalms 116:16; Romans 8:15-21; Galatians 5:1

4. When Paul speaks of wrestling, he is talking about wrestling with the enemy not with God as did Jacob. Be sure when you are wrestling it is not God grappling with you to break the spirit of self-sufficiency in order to transform you from a "Jacob" to an "Israel".

5. Review Chapter Three of this manual and list the functions of the Holy Spirit in both offensive and defensive warfare:

Ministry Of The Holy Spirit

In Offensive Warfare In Defensive Warfare

CHAPTER ELEVEN

DEFENSIVE WEAPONS

OBJECTIVES:

Upon completion of this chapter you will be able to:

-Write the Key Verse from memory.

-Describe your defensive spiritual weapons.

-Give a Scripture reference that lists the armor of God.

-Identify each piece of the armor of God.

-Explain the function of each piece of armor.

KEY VERSE FROM THE ARTICLES OF WAR:

Put on the whole Armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil. (Ephesians 6:11)

INTRODUCTION

You have learned that the great spiritual battle in which you are engaged cannot be fought with natural weapons. It must be fought both offensively and defensively with spiritual weapons. You already studied "God's Battle Plan" in Chapter Nine. You learned the basic battle strategy includes:

-The Word of God

-Delegated power and authority

-Prayer

-Fasting

-Keys of the kingdom

-The name of Jesus

In addition to these basic warfare strategies, the Bible reveals that you have a whole arsenal of spiritual weapons. In this chapter you will learn about your defensive spiritual weapons. In the next lesson you will study offensive weapons.

DEFENSIVE STRATEGIES

The Bible teaches the following defensive actions which must be taken by the believer:

SUBMIT AND RESIST:

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7)

Note the order in this verse: First submit, then resist. Many people skip over the first step of submission and try resisting the Devil, only to discover it does not work. Defeat results when you act independently of God. It is the humble, not the arrogant and self-confident, who overcome the enemy. You will be able to resist Satan only as you submit to God. To "resist" means to "stand firm against and oppose the enemy at every point." The Scripture does not teach us to go looking for demons, but to resist them when they approach us.

RESIST STEADFASTLY IN THE FAITH:

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the Devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.

Whom RESIST steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in you brethren that are in the world. (I Peter 5:8-9)

To resist "in the faith" means to resist on the authority of God's Word.

NEITHER GIVE PLACE:

Do not leave room for Satan to operate in your life:

Neither give place to the Devil. (Ephesians 4:27)

RECOVER YOURSELF:

You must recover yourself from Satan's snare by applying Biblical strategies:

And that they may RECOVER THEMSELVES out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will. (II Timothy 2:26)

ABSTAIN FROM FLESHLY LUSTS:

To "abstain" means to keep yourself from something and refuse to do it:

Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul. (I Peter 2:11)

For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication. (I Thessalonians 4:3)

Abstain from all appearance of evil. (I Thessalonians 5:22)

SHUN:

To "shun" means to avoid or turn away from. You should avoid every evil thing related to the enemy:

But shun profane and vain babblings; for they will increase unto more ungodliness. (II Timothy 2:16)

STAND:

Wherefore take unto you the whole Armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand...Stand therefore..(Ephesians 6:13-14a)

When you "stand your ground" you are defending that which is rightfully yours.

BEWARE:

Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, BEWARE lest ye also being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness. (II Peter 3:17)

TRY THE SPIRITS:

Trying the spirits prevents deception.

Beloved, BELIEVE NOT every spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. (I John 4:1)

To "try" means to "test." You are not operating in unbelief when you try the "spirits" of those with whom you come in contact or in operation in and around you. If they are true, they will pass the test.

SHUN FALSE TEACHERS:

When you receive false teachers into your home you become partakers of their evil. Defend your home from enemy attack:

If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, RECEIVE HIM NOT into your house, neither bid him God speed;

For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.

(II John 10-11)

LAY ASIDE:

You are to lay aside worldly affairs which prevent you from being a good soldier. To "lay aside" is defensive action you must take.

Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. (II Timothy 2:3-4)

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. (Hebrews 12:1)

Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

(James 1:21)

PUT OFF ALL EVIL:

Study Ephesians 4:17-32. The "putting off" of all the evil behavior listed there is defensive warfare.

PUT ON THE ARMOR OF GOD:

PUT ON the whole Armor of God, that ye may be able to STAND AGAINST the wiles of the Devil. (Ephesians 6:11)

"Put on" indicates action you must take. The basic description of the armor of God is given in Ephesians 6:10-17. Read this passage in your Bible.

Paul introduces the subject of warfare by emphasizing that the battle is not a natural one and natural weapons are ineffective. Spiritual battles must be fought with spiritual weapons. Paul describes the armor to be used in spiritual warfare:

Wherefore take unto you the whole Armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

And your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace.

Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. (Ephesians 6:13-17)

The purpose of the armor is to be able to stand against the wiles (deceit, cunning, craftiness) of the enemy, Satan. It is your responsibility to put on the armor:

Put on the whole Armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. (Ephesians 6:11)

But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof. (Romans 13:14)

The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the Armor of light. (Romans 13:12)

The phrase "put on" means to "put on once and for all". Your spiritual armor is not like a athletic uniform you put on at game time. You put on the armor once and for all and leave it on the rest of your life. Just as a soldier on the battlefield does not take his armor off and on, you will not lay down your armor until you go to be with the Lord. If you do not have your armor on at all times, you are vulnerable to the enemy. It is wise to check often that each piece of your spiritual armor is still in place.

The first division of armor covers three things you have done in the past. "Having put" indicates something you have ALREADY done if you are a believer.

-Having your loins girt about with truth (verse 14)

-Having on the breastplate of righteousness (verse 14)

-Having your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace (verse 15)

The second division includes things which are to be put on in the present:

-Taking the shield of faith (verse 16)

-Take the helmet of salvation (verse 17)

-Take the sword of the Spirit (verse 17)

In Ephesians 6:11 Paul emphasizes putting on the "WHOLE" armor of God. Some of us are preoccupied with but one piece of God's armor to the extent that others are neglected. You must have on the whole armor or you may find yourself being an expert in the use of the "sword of the Spirit" and still defeated because you have forgotten the shield of faith.

The Belt:

The first piece of armor to be buckled on is the girdle or belt of truth. In the natural world, a suit of armor was attached to the belt which held the other pieces of armor in place. The truth of God's Word is the spiritual belt to which all other pieces of armor are attached. Satan's first attack on man was on truth:

And the woman said unto the serpent...God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die.

(Genesis 3:2-4)

The truth will protect you from lies and doctrinal errors of the enemy. Truth is the undergirding of your spiritual armor. You are to have your loins (your spiritual vital organs) girt (covered) with truth:

Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth... (Ephesians 6:14)

What is the truth?

-Jesus said, "I am the truth." John 14:6

-The Holy Spirit is the "Spirit of truth." John 14:17

-God is truth. Romans 3:4

-God's Word is truth. Psalms 119:151

-The Gospel is truth. Colossians 1:5

The Breastplate:

In the natural world, the breastplate covered the upper body of the warrior to protect his vital organs such as his heart, lungs, etc. The spiritual breastplate of righteousness does not refer to your righteousness, but the covering of the righteousness of Christ:

And be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith. (Philippians 3:9)

You do not stand on your own merits. You stand in Christ. You can not face the enemy without the protection of the righteousness of Christ:

By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the Armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left. (II Corinthians 6:7)

The righteousness of Christ protects your spiritual "vital organs" from the attacks of Satan and from unrighteousness. The breastplate of righteousness must be buckled on to the belt of truth.

The Shoes:

There are many types of shoes for different purposes. Some are for walking, others for specific sports activities. A soldier's shoes are another kind...They are shoes designed for warfare. A soldier who cannot advance on the battlefield is disabled in warfare.

"Feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace" indicate a readiness to advance in the spiritual realm. These spiritual shoes protect your will from the temptation of the enemy who would lead you in wrong paths. They indicate your willingness to do every good work and to spread the Gospel to all nations. These spiritual shoes will also enable you to "stand" against the enemy as Paul encourages you to do (Ephesians 6:14).

The Shield:

In the natural world, the shield was used to provide protection to the warrior's entire body. Your spiritual shield is called the "shield of faith."

There are several types of faith mentioned in the Bible. There is saving faith, the gift of faith, and the spiritual fruit of faith. But the word "faith" when used in relation to the "shield of faith" speaks of defensive faith. This faith is a firm trust and confidence in God which protects your whole being. It protects you from flaming missiles of doubt and unbelief sent by the enemy. This shield of faith is a calm and confident trust in God which deflects all the fiery arrows of the enemy from their target.

The shield of faith is the constant application of God's Word to the issues of life. It is a faith that enables you to overcome the evil forces of the world:

For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world; and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. (I John 5:4)

Combined with love of God, faith is most effective:

...putting on the breastplate of faith and love...(I Thessalonians 5:8)

It is faith based on truth:

He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust: His truth shall be thy shield and buckler. (Psalms 91:4)

It is faith based on salvation:

Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great. (Psalms 18:35)

Without faith, you have no grasp of truth. Without faith you cannot receive salvation. Without faith you cannot go forth with the Gospel of peace. Without faith you cannot claim the righteousness of Christ and effectively use the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God.

Faith is not an assumption or presumption. It is a fact based upon God's Word. You can increase your faith by hearing God's Word (Romans 10:17), acting upon your present faith (Romans 1:17), and by seeking God (Hebrews 12:2).

The Helmet:

The helmet of salvation is not something you put on when you get saved. Remember, we are dealing with spiritual armor here, and it is assumed that you are a believer and a member of God's army before you start putting on the armor.

The helmet of salvation represents a regenerated mind. It represents a transformed and renewed thought life. You will learn later in this course that Satan desperately fights for control of the mind. An undisciplined mind makes the Christian warrior easy prey to sinful deceptions of the enemy.

Paul speaks of the helmet as the "hope of salvation" in I Thessalonians 5:8. Salvation, when properly experienced and understood, protects your mind. Salvation embraces the past, present, and future. You have been saved from the guilt and penalty of past sin. You are being saved from the power of sin in the present. The "hope of salvation" refers to salvation in the future tense. It is final salvation from the presence of sin when Jesus returns. The hope of this future salvation strengthens your mind against the attacks of Satan. You have a confident hope in the future because God is working out His purpose:

...according to His good pleasure, which He hath purposed in Himself;

That in the dispensation of the fullness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in Heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him. (Ephesians 1:9-10)

The Sword Of The Spirit:

The "sword of the Spirit" is the Word of God. It is both a defensive and offensive weapon. You already learned how Jesus used the Word in defense against the attacks of Satan. In the next lesson you will learn how this weapon is used offensively.

Prayer:

After describing the Christian soldier's armor, Paul comments:

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints. (Ephesians 6:18)

As you learned when you studied "Gods Battle Plan", prayer and its associated practice of fasting are also powerful spiritual weapons. These two weapons can be used both offensively and defensively.

Check out the summary of the armor of God and its purposes on the next page...

THE ARMOR OF GOD

Ephesians 6:10-18

TRUTH (girdle)

Protects from...

DECEPTION ➴ ← Sword of the Spirit

RIGHTEOUSNESS (breastplate)

Protects from...

UNRIGHTEOUSNESS ➴

PEACE (shoes)

Protects from...

CONFUSION ➴

FAITH (shield)

Protects from...

UNBELIEF ➴

SALVATION (helmet)

Protects from...

BONDAGE

-The girdle or belt of truth protects from the deception of Satan which can lead to unrighteousness (sin).

-The breastplate of righteousness protects from unrighteousness (sin) which leads to confusion.

-Feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace protects from spiritual confusion which results in unbelief.

-The shield of faith protects against unbelief which results in bondage. The helmet of salvation protects from bondage.

-The sword of the spirit, the Word of God, is used as both an offensive and defensive weapon.

-Note the downward progression of one not protected by the armor of God: Deception leads to unrighteousness (sin) which always results in confusion. Confusion results in unbelief, and unbelief always results in spiritual bondage.

INSPECTION

1. Write the Key Verse from the Articles Of War.

_______________________________________________________________________________

2. Summarize what you learned about your defensive spiritual weapons:

_______________________________________________________________________________

3. Give a Scripture reference which lists the armor of God.

_______________________________________________________________________________

4. List each piece of the armor of God and briefly define its function.

Piece of Armor Function

____________________ ____________________________

(Answers to tests are provided at the conclusion of the final chapter in this manual.)

TACTICAL MANEUVERS

1. Read Psalms 45:3 and Isaiah 59:17. Both passages describe God putting on spiritual armor. What two pieces of armor does God put on that are not included in our spiritual armor? (Isaiah 59:17)

2. David mentions spiritual armor as he recalls how God has helped him in battle. Study Psalms 18:29-50.

3. It is important that you have experience using your spiritual armor. In I Samuel 17 read about what happened when David tried to use armor with which he was not familiar.

4. The Lord uses spiritual armor to protect you from your enemies: Psalms 35:1-3

David had much to say about his enemies: Psalms 5:8; 6:10; 8:2; 9:3; 11:2; 15:5; 17:9; 18:3, 17, 20, 26, 34, 37; 27:2; 30:1 31:23; 44:5-6; 56:9; 60:12; 61:3; 95:6; 108:13.

Read what God says about your enemies: Exodus 15:6; Matthew 10:36; 13:39; Luke 1:11; 10:19; Acts 2:35; I Corinthians 15:25-26; Colossians 1:21.

5. God is your shield. See Genesis 15:1; Psalms 3:3; 5:12; 28:7; 33:20; 59:11; 84:9,11; 115:9-11; 119:114; 144:2.

6. Read Exodus 17. Israel was under attack and God told Moses to stretch forth his rod. Previously, Moses had used the rod as a shepherd's staff and to provide water for God's people. Now, for the first time, he stretches forth the rod to resist the principalities and powers of the hosts of wicked spirits responsible for the Amalekite attack. There is a great spiritual lesson in this story. The leaders of God's people are not only responsible to shepherd, feed, and water the flock, but when an attack from the enemy comes it is their responsibility to use the "rod of God" to defend God's people.

7. How do you respond to these fiery darts of Satan? Think about how you would use the shield of faith to defend yourself from each of these attacks. Record your answers to use them in the next attack:

Selfishness:

Covetousness:

Pride:

Doubt:

Fear:

Depression:

Discouragement:

Lust:

Greed:

Anger:

8. Examine yourself: Is all your spiritual armor in place?

9. Study how the Lord is revealed as a shield in the book of Psalms:

-He is surrounding shield: Psalms 5:12

-He is a saving shield: Psalms 18:35

-He is a personal shield: Psalms 3:3

-He is a shield to those who trust in Him: Psalms 18:30

-His shield is a gift: Psalms 18:35

-He is a tested shield: Psalms 28:7

-He is a trusted shield: Psalms 144:2

-He is a victorious shield: Psalms 59:11

-He is a protecting shield: Psalms 84:11

-He is an anointed shield: Psalms 84:9

-He is a sheltering shield: Psalms 119:114

-He is a helping shield: Psalms 116:11

-His truth is our shield: Psalms 91:4

CHAPTER TWELVE

OFFENSIVE WEAPONS

OBJECTIVES:

Upon completion of this chapter you will be able to:

-Write the Key Verse from memory.

-Identify your offensive weapons.

KEY VERSE FROM THE ARTICLES OF WAR:

The Lord hath opened his armory, and hath brought forth the weapons of his indignation: for this is the work of the Lord God of hosts... (Jeremiah 50:25a)

INTRODUCTION

Now that you have learned how to defend yourself spiritually, you must also learn how to wage offensive warfare which will help you advance into Satan's territory. With offensive weapons, you will be able to claim new ground as you spread the Gospel and bring deliverance to those held in enemy bondage.

To "war a good warfare" it is evident that you must take offensive action:

This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare. (I Timothy 1:18)

Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and has professed a good profession before many witnesses.

(I Timothy 6:12)

You are to fight this battle intelligently with purpose:

I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air. (I Corinthians 9:26)

Knowing your offensive weapons can give you the ability to fight with purpose instead of uncertainty.

OFFENSIVE STRATEGIES

Here are the weapons you use to wage offensive spiritual warfare:

PRAYER:

You already studied prayer and fasting as part of "God's Battle Plan" in Chapter Ten and as a defensive weapon in the last lesson. But prayer is also a powerful offensive weapon. When you use it to wage offensive warfare you do not just pray only for your own personal wants, needs, and problems. You intercede for people, leaders, and nations, pulling down strongholds of Satan and his demonic forces.

All Christians are to intercede at times, but there is a special calling to intercession for some. This powerful ministry brings the intercessor before the Lord to wage mighty battles in the unseen realm.

The value of praise and worship was also mentioned in Chapter Ten. Praise and worship are powerful offensive weapons. In II Chronicles 20 when Israel faced a mighty enemy, they began to sing and praise God and He set an ambush to defeat their army. When you praise and worship God, you are actually setting "ambushments" in the spirit world.

THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT:

Wherefore TAKE unto you the whole Armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day...(Ephesians 6:13)

To "take" something is to get hold of it, grasp it, to draw it to yourself. To take hold of God's armor implies offensive action on the part of the believer.

You studied about the defensive parts of the armor in the last lesson. These included the belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, helmet of salvation, shoes of the preparation of peace, and the sword of the Spirit.

The "sword of the Spirit," which is the Word of God, is a weapon that can be used both defensively and offensively. The Word is a defensive weapon when you use it to defend against the attacks of Satan. It is offensive when you use it to claim territory for the Lord by sharing the Gospel message and deliverance with others.

There are two different words used in Scripture for the "Word of God." One word is "logos" which refers to the total utterance of God. This refers to the complete revelation of what God has said. The second word, "rhema," refers to a specific saying of God that has special application to a specific situation. This is the word used in this passage calling the "sword of the Spirit" the Word of God.

You will remember that Jesus used specific ("rhema") sayings of God, applicable to the immediate temptation. To be able to do this implies familiarity with the total Word of God. If you are to use specific Scriptures applicable to immediate battles, you must have knowledge of God's total revelation.

THE MIND OF CHRIST:

Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, ARM YOURSELVES likewise with the same mind...(I Peter 4:1)

LET THIS MIND BE IN YOU, which was also in Christ Jesus.

(Philippians 2:5)

To "let" means to permit or embrace. You are to arm yourself with the same mind that Jesus had, a mind set to wage aggressive warfare:

...For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the Devil. (I John 3:8)

You must "let" or permit this mind to be developed. You must take aggressive action to "arm yourself" with a similar mental attitude:

And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:2)

To be "transformed" means to experience a complete change which will be expressed in

character and conduct. Renewing and arming your mind with Christlikeness results in such a transformation.

PULLING AND CASTING DOWN:

The goal of offensive warfare is to pull and cast down the strongholds of the enemy:

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God, to the PULLING DOWN OF STRONG HOLDS;

CASTING DOWN imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. (II Corinthians 10:4-5)

To "pull down" means to take down by effort or force. To "cast" means to throw or hurl. You are told to cast off the works of darkness (Romans 13:12) and cast out demon powers (Matthew 10:8).

When you pull and cast down strongholds of Satan you are waging offensive warfare. You are not waiting to defend against an attack of Satan but you are attacking strongholds of the enemy's power.

BINDING AND LOOSING:

You have the power to bind the forces of evil and loose the forces of good:

And I will give unto thee the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven. (Matthew 16:19)

Through delegation of power and authority from Jesus, you can bind and loose spiritual forces. Note that this weapon works together: It is binding and loosing. Whenever you bind something, you should also loose something. For example, if you bind the spirit of lying you should loose the spirit of truth to operate in its place.

THE BLOOD OF JESUS:

When Jesus died on the cross of Calvary, He loosed us from the dominion of sin and the power of the enemy. His blood secures our access to God and release from the bondage of Satan. The Word of God indicates that "they (believers) overcame him (Satan) by the blood of the Lamb (Jesus Christ)" (Revelation 12:11).

Salvation, healing, and deliverance are all available because of the blood of Jesus. His blood enables you to wage offensive warfare for the souls of men and women and bring deliverance in deliverance and healing in the name of Jesus. Your power to "overcome" the enemy is because of the "blood of the lamb."

YOUR TESTIMONY:

Revelation 12:11 indicates the enemy is defeated by the "word of your testimony." The word "testimony" means "evidence or record" like that used in a legal case in a court of law.

You will recall that Jesus often commanded people who had been delivered to go and tell others what God had done for them. As you "testify" or give evidence to the power of God in your life, you wage offensive spiritual warfare. To be effective, your testimony must be based upon the testimony of the Word of God, just as a lawyer in a court bases his arguments on the law of the land.

THE NAME OF JESUS:

You already learned that the name of Jesus is part of God's basic battle plan. The name of Jesus is a powerful offensive weapon also. Jesus said that "in My name" you will cast out demons, heal the sick, and overcome all the power of the enemy (Mark 16:17).

Review the various names of Jesus on pages 38-40 of this manual to see how many of His names reflect offensive action against the enemy. Also read through the book of Acts and note the miracles done "in His name."

The name of Jesus is not some magical phrase with which we conclude our prayers. It is a symbol of the authority and power He has given us.

You had better be authorized to use His power an authority before you start using His names to war against Satanic powers. Review the story in Acts 19:13-17 and note what happened to the sons of Sceva.

INSPECTION

1. Write the Key Verse from the Articles Of War.

_______________________________________________________________________________

2. Summarize what you have learned about your offensive weapons:

_______________________________________________________________________________

(Answers to tests are provided at the conclusion of the final chapter in this manual.)

TACTICAL MANEUVERS

1. Study these references on the offensive action of "casting":

Matthew 5:29-30; 7:5; 8:16; Mark 16:17; Romans 13:12; II Corinthians 10:5; I Peter 5:7

2. Study these references on the offensive action of "putting":

Romans 13:12, 14; I Corinthians 5:13; 13:11; Galatians 3:27; Ephesians 4:22-24; 6:11; Colossians 3:8-14

3. Study these references on the offensive action of "taking":

I Corinthians 3:10; 8:9; 10:12; Galatians 5:15; Ephesians 6:13,17; I Timothy 4:16; Hebrews 3:12.

4. As you learned in this chapter, you must participate in aggressive warfare to defeat the enemy. You must "let" or permit certain things in your spiritual life if you are to be victorious. Study the following references and complete the chart by recording what the Bible says you are to "let" or permit in your life:

Reference What We Are To "Let"

Matthew 5:16

John 4:1,27

Romans 13:1,12-13

Romans 14:5,13,16,19

I Corinthians 3:18-21

I Corinthians 10:8-9

II Corinthians 7:1

II Corinthians 10:17

Galatians 5:26

Ephesians 4:26-31

Ephesians 5:3,6,33

Philippians 1:27

Philippians 2:,3,5

Philippians 3:15-16

Philippians 4:5-6

Colossians 3:15-16

Colossians 4:6

I Thessalonians 5:6-8

II Timothy 2:19

Hebrews 4:1,14,16

Hebrews 6:1

Hebrews 10:22-24

Hebrews 12:1

Hebrews 13:1,5,15

James 1:5-9

James 3:13

James 4:9

James 5:13

I Peter 3:3-4,10-11

I Peter 4:11,15,16,19

I John 2:24

I John 3:7,18

I John 4:7

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

NATURAL PARALLELS OF SPIRITUAL WARFARE

OBJECTIVES:

Upon completion of this chapter you will be able to:

-Write the Key Verse from memory.

-Explain why "warfare" is used to describe the conflict between good and evil.

-Summarize natural principles of warfare applicable to spiritual warfare.

-Apply natural principles of warfare in the spiritual realm.

KEY VERSE FROM THE ARTICLES OF WAR:

This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare. (I Timothy 1:18)

INTRODUCTION

The early Church viewed their spiritual experience in terms of warfare. Protection is described as the "armor of God." The Word of God is compared to a "sword." Satan's attacks are fiery darts and faith is the "good fight." Believers are told to "war a good warfare."

Why did God choose the example of natural warfare to describe what is happening in the spirit world between the forces of good and evil? The answer is found in a basic Biblical principle: Natural principles of spiritual truth. God uses natural principles to explain what is happening in the spirit world. We can understand what we see in the natural world. When parallels are drawn between something in the natural world and the spiritual world, then we can understand the spiritual because of the natural.

Jesus used this principle often. He used the example of a natural harvest to illustrate the great spiritual harvest to which He was calling laborers. There are many parallels between natural harvesting and harvesting in the spiritual world.

The same is true in relation to warfare. There are many principles of natural warfare which have been studied and applied by experts at physical war. These natural principles are applicable in the spiritual world. This chapter presents principles of natural warfare and applies them in the spiritual realm. It reveals why God used natural warfare to describe the ongoing spiritual war in which believers are engaged.

NATURAL PARALLELS OF SPIRITUAL WARFARE

Here are the natural principles of warfare that are parallels of spiritual battle:

THE DEFINITION OF WAR:

A simple definition of war in the natural world is "an act of force intended to compel our opponent to fulfill our will." This definition is applicable also in the spiritual world. Satan is constantly using the forces of evil to compel you to fulfill his will.

A WARTIME LIFESTYLE:

When a nation is at war, the life-style of that nation is affected. Men give up their jobs to fight for their nation. They spend hours in preparation and training. Funds are drawn from the economy to aid in the battle. Residents are alert to invasion and extra guards are posted at national borders.

In the spiritual world many believers are totally unaware of the warfare raging around them and have not adopted a wartime lifestyle. Church fellowships plan programs and parties but they do not have a battle plan. They live in luxury and ease while the enemy is claiming the souls of unnumbered men and women without Jesus Christ. Members of the fellowship are discouraged, depressed, and living in fleshly sins. They are victims of a war they do not even know exists.

You must understand: We are at war! We should adopt a wartime life-style in the spirit world. Spiritual warfare should become the focus of our lives. We should spend time in preparation and training. We should learn of and put to use our spiritual weapons.

We should designate material wealth to extending the Gospel message to claim nations being threatened by Satan. We should be alert to invasion from the enemy and post extra guards at the borders of our heart, mind, tongue, soul, spirit, home, community, and church fellowship. We are at war, and our life-style in the spirit world should reflect it.

THE OBJECTIVE OF WAR:

The main objective of warfare in the natural world is victory over the enemy. This is also the main objective in the spiritual world. To achieve victory in natural warfare, there are many short-range objectives that must be met. Individual battles must be won and separate territories claimed. Each of these individual battles contribute to the final goal of victory.

The same is true in the spirit world. Our long-range goal is victory over the enemy. But we must break down this long-range objective into more specific objectives. We must know the objectives God has for us in spiritual warfare in our family, church fellowship, community, and nation. We must identify the specific territory assigned to us for conquest.

Each soldier in a natural army has a different position and responsibility in the battle. The same is true in the spiritual world. You must identify personal objectives which will contribute to the overall goal of victory. The battle commander assigns objectives to soldiers in the natural world. God is your spiritual battle commander and He has set specific spiritual objectives for you as a Christian soldier.

BASIC TRAINING:

Knowing the objectives for war is not enough. A soldier must receive basic training on how to achieve these objectives. In the natural world this training includes learning about the enemy, his tactics, how to use the weapons of warfare, and the battle plan.

In the spiritual world believers often enter the battlefield without this basic training. They do not understand the tactics of the enemy. They are not aware of their spiritual weapons and how to use them and they have not studied the battle plan (God's written Word).

In the natural world, to send a soldier to the battlefield without basic training results in defeat. The same is true in the spirit world. You must be trained in spiritual warfare if you are to experience victory. When a soldier enters basic training in the natural world, he leaves civilian life behind. He is no longer entangled with civilian affairs but is concerned with the army in which he has enlisted.

In the spiritual realm, in order to war a good warfare we must not be entangled in the affairs of life. We are not civilian citizens of this present world. We are warriors of the Kingdom of God:

Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please Him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. (II Timothy 2:3-4)

PROPAGANDA:

Enemy nations always spread false propaganda (information) about each other. Satan also injects false propaganda into your mind if you allow it. You will learn more about this when you study "The Battle In The Mind" in Chapter Fifteen.

DIPLOMATIC PROPOSALS:

One of the strategies of nations at war is to weaken the enemy by diplomatic proposals. These are suggestions of compromise. Through such proposals each nation tries to gain advantage over the other. In spiritual warfare, Satan attempts to make believers compromise with sin. He knows such "diplomacy" will result in spiritual weakness.

INTELLIGENCE:

When nations are at war, there is always an intricate organization of intelligence. Each side has intelligence forces dedicated to gathering information about the other. The intelligence forces collect and analyze all available information on the enemy. They communicate what they have learned to the soldiers engaged in combat.

In spiritual warfare your knowledge of the enemy and his tactics are vital to victory. The Bible is your "intelligence manual" which reveals information on the enemy. As you learn of Satan's strategies and the Scriptural counter strategies, you should communicate these to other Christian soldiers. Satan gathers information on you too. He learns your points of weakness and targets them with offensive attacks.

OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE WARFARE:

Armies in the natural world use both offensive and defensive strategies. As you have learned, offensive warfare is an aggressive advance against an enemy. Defensive warfare is when the enemy attacks and you must defend your territory.

You have learned that parallels of both offensive and defensive warlike situations exist in the spiritual world. When Satan attacks you must use defensive spiritual warfare. When you are claiming new territory for God, such as sharing the Gospel with those who have never yet heard it, you are conducting offensive warfare. You are claiming new territory in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

A great general in the natural world once told his troops, "We are not going to dig foxholes and wait for the enemy to come shooting at us. We are going to move ahead, and move fast." (A foxhole is a hole in the ground in which a soldier can hide). The general said, "When you dig a foxhole, you dig a grave. When you are in that foxhole and fire at the enemy, he knows your exact location...We will keep moving and the enemy will always hit where we have been and not where we are." This general did not believe in defense. His theory was that if the enemy was constantly under attack, there would not be any need to defend. He realized that the force moving in offensive warfare had advantage over the defending forces. He said, "We will fight on our terms and we will win."

In spiritual warfare, he who understands the objective of warfare as the defeat of the enemy will not easily be reduced to a defensive position. To gain total victory, offensive fronts are required.

WEAPONS:

In every war there are weapons which are used. They may be simple weapons such as a spear or bow and arrow, or they may be complex weapons such as a missile system. The soldier must know what weapons are available for use and how to use them. Some weapons are specifically designed for defensive warfare while others are for offensive warfare.

This is also true in the spiritual world. As a Christian soldier you must be aware of your spiritual weapons and know how to use them. As you have learned, there are both defensive and offensive spiritual weapons. The difference is that your weapons are spiritual weapons. Never be reduced to trying to use ineffective natural weapons to fight spiritual battles.

SURPRISE ATTACKS:

Terrorism, sabotage, and ambush are all surprise attacks and are methods used by natural armies at war. These methods have two things in common: First, they are violent offensive methods. Second, they all have an element of surprise. The target at which such assaults are directed is caught unawares and is unprepared. Confusion and defeat usually result.

As terrorists who sabotage and ambush, Satan also uses the methods of violent, offensive, surprise attacks. He will attack when you least expect it in areas of your life left unguarded. Do not assume the enemy will furnish you with warning of his attacks. This does not happen in the natural world of war. Neither will it happen in the spiritual world.

DECISIVE BATTLES:

In every war there are "decisive battles." These are battles which determine the outcome of the entire war. Decisive battles are important because of the territory involved in the fight. If an army wins control of a certain strategic territory he can gain control of surrounding territories. In spiritual warfare there are also decisive battles. For example, if you fail in the battle of the mind and tongue it will affect your soul, spirit, heart, and possibly your entire body.

In the natural world, the greatest concentration of troops are sent to a decisive battlefield. In the spirit world this should be true also. Concentration of your spiritual resources in strategic locations is necessary for successful warfare. This is true also in terms of the spreading of the Gospel. There are times when the spiritual harvest is ripe in key geographic areas of the world and evangelistic forces should be concentrated in that field.

Unfortunately, this is not always so. The greatest concentration of ministers at present is in the United States of America where there is a church in most every community and Christian radio and television programs readily accessible to every home. In the remaining nations of the world there is the greatest concentration of population and many people groups beyond the reach of an effective Christian witness. There are very few trained ministers there to reach them. The enemy is staging decisive battles in many of these nations, warring for the hearts, minds, and souls of men and women. Meanwhile, our spiritual forces are concentrated elsewhere.

COMMUNICATION:

Communication is very important in natural warfare. The troops must be able to communicate with their commander to receive instructions and encouragement. The enemy will try to sever communication between the front line troops and their leader, knowing this will result in failure on the battlefield.

In spiritual warfare, Satan wants to destroy your lines of communication. He will try to prevent you from praying and reading God's Word, as these provide instruction and encouragement for spiritual warfare. If you are so busy at war that you neglect communication with the Commander, you can be easily defeated. Christian ministry is a legitimate means of fighting the enemy. But if you run out of spiritual power, it ceases to be effective. Your power on the front lines comes from communication with the battle Commander. You must constantly receive His instructions and encouragement through prayer and study of His Word.

TARGETS:

In warfare in the natural world there are two kinds of targets: Moving targets (such as a boat, airplane, tank, or troops) and stationary targets (such as a weapons depository, troop headquarters, etc.). The moving targets are the greatest threat in natural warfare because they are offensive. They are on the move to conquer territory.

In the spiritual world, Satan is most concerned about moving targets. He targets the man and woman who is aggressively moving into the battlefield of spiritual warfare to conquer enemy forces. Satan will attack stationary targets also (believers who are not engaged in offensive warfare). But remember, when you are on the move for God, you are a prime target for Satan. He wants to defeat your advances into his territory to claim the souls of captive men and women.

ATTACKS AND COUNTERATTACKS:

In natural warfare when one side attacks, the other side counterattacks. A counterattack is an attempt to stop enemy forces from advancing and to regain lost territory. Satan counterattacks every offensive move made by believers. When you decide to pray more, read the Word of God, or enter a ministry, he will immediately stage a counterattack to prevent you from advancing. If you are aware of this strategy of counterattack you will be prepared and not caught off guard.

In military terms, there are basically three forms of attack. Similar attacks are launched by the enemy in the spiritual world.

1. A frontal attack: These are direct, frontal attacks. The temptations of Satan are like a straight forward frontal assaults in the natural world. These direct spiritual assaults should be met by resisting Satan which causes him to flee.

2. A siege or blockade: A siege or blockade in the natural world is when the enemy takes control of territory not belonging to him. Spiritual bondage is similar to a siege or blockade in the natural world. The enemy breaks through your spiritual walls and part of your life is brought under his control. He does not actually possess the area, but he prevents you from functioning properly for God's glory. The way to deal with spiritual siege or blockade is by using the powers of binding and loosing learned in this course. The enemy should be bound and the area of life under his control loosed from his power.

3. Invasion and occupation: When an enemy invades in the natural world, he occupies and controls a territory. This is similar to demonic possession in the spirit world. The unsaved or backslidden person is under the control of an evil spirit which has entered to possess them. The way to deal with this type of attack is to bind the enemy and cast him out.

MOBILITY:

In order to be effective in natural warfare, an army must be mobile. The forces must be able to move to the place where offensive action is to be taken. If they are trapped and held immobile by the enemy, they are ineffective.

Mobility is a requirement in the spiritual world if you are to carry out the orders to "go into all the world and preach the Gospel." Are you a Christian soldier that has been immobilized by the enemy or are you actively pursuing the command to advance with the Gospel message?

A soldier does not put on armor and take up his weapons just to sit comfortably at home in front of a fire. He not only prepares for battle, he goes to the battlefield. Some Christian soldiers prepare for battle, but never leave the security of their home or church fellowship to go to the battlefield. The war is going on in the streets of our cities. It is going on in villages yet unreached with the Gospel message. No matter how prepared we are spiritually, we will never win the battle unless we are mobile for the Lord Jesus Christ.

A soldier does not gain skills as a warrior by just studying the books on warfare. He advances in skill through experience on the battlefield. Study of your spiritual warfare manual (the Bible) is important, but the battle will never be won unless you put what you have studied into practice. Skill in spiritual warfare comes through experience and application, just as it does in the natural world.

COOPERATION:

War is a team effort. Soldiers must cooperate with one another in their effort to defeat the enemy. They must come under the direction of one commander. They move forward as a united front. They do not fight in their own name, but on behalf and in the name of their country. Believers must learn to cooperate in the arena of spiritual warfare. Instead of fighting each other, we need to concentrate our attack against the enemy.

In the natural world when a soldier is wounded, his friends make every effort to rescue him. When the troops move forward, they move as a unit. They do not leave the weak behind, but place them in the center with strong warriors ahead and behind until the weak have recovered from their wounds.

The Christian army tends to shoot its own wounded. When a believer falls in battle we gossip about him or give up on him. Instead, we should rescue these spiritually wounded and surround them with our strength. The forces of God should move ahead as one united front, not as a straggling group trailed by wounded warriors who fall and die by the wayside.

We are not fighting in our own name. We are fighting in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are not fighting in our own behalf. We are fighting on behalf of our spiritual nation, the Kingdom of God.

OBEDIENCE:

A soldier on the battlefield in the natural world does not do as he pleases. He follows orders from the commander. Total obedience is required. There is nothing in war of greater importance than obedience. The same is true in the spiritual realm. If you are to be effective in spiritual warfare, you must follow the instructions of your Commander. You must be in total obedience to Him.

COURAGE:

A great general in the natural world once said, "If you are afraid of being shot at, you are whipped before you start...Fear kills more people than death." Do not fear failure in spiritual warfare. If you are afraid of being shot at by the enemy, you are defeated before you start.

The brave general also said, "There can never be defeat if man refuses to accept defeat. Wars are lost in the mind before they are lost on the ground. No nation was ever defeated until the people accepted defeat."

As in the natural world, there can never be defeat if you refuse to accept it. Spiritual battles are lost in the mind first. Refuse to accept defeat in your mind.

CONQUERING THE LEADERSHIP:

One important general frequently expressed his personal wish that he could fight the highest enemy leader and the victor of the personal fight would settle the war. This has already been done in the spiritual realm by our Commander. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus conquered the power of the enemy. The final outcome of the war is already revealed in God's Word. But the rebel forces of resistance are still in the land. Jesus conquered the leadership, but to us is given the task of overcoming these pockets of resistance.

COMMITMENT:

In speaking about commitment, a famous general said:

"We are lucky people. We are at war! We have a chance to fight and die for something. Many people never get that chance. Think of all those poor people you know that have lived and died for nothing...Total lives spent doing nothing but eating, sleeping, and going to work..."

As believers, we are at war in the spirit world. We have an opportunity to fight and die for something. We do not have to spend our lives in routine monotony of eating, sleeping, and working. We fight for a Kingdom to which there will be no end. We fight for a Commander who has already conquered the enemy forces. Our victory is assured. We have something worth living for, fighting for, and if called upon to do so, worth dying for.

INSPECTION

1. Write the Key Verse from the Articles Of War.

_______________________________________________________________________________

2. Why is the example of warfare used to describe the conflict between the spiritual forces of good and evil?

_______________________________________________________________________________

3. Summarize what you learned in this chapter regarding natural warfare principles which are applicable to spiritual warfare.

The definition of war.

A wartime lifestyle.

The objective of war.

Basic Training.

Propaganda.

Diplomatic proposals.

Intelligence.

Offensive and defensive warfare.

Weapons.

Surprise attacks.

Decisive battles.

Communication.

Targets.

Attacks and counterattacks.

Mobility.

Cooperation.

Obedience.

Courage.

Conquering the leadership.

Commitment.

(Answers to tests are provided at the conclusion of the final chapter in this manual.)

TACTICAL MANEUVERS

1. To learn more about objectives of warfare in the spiritual world, read Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15-18; Acts 1:8; Ephesians 3:9-11 and Colossians 1:24-29. Find the answer to these questions:

-Who has assigned our objectives?

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-What are the objectives assigned to us as a local church fellowship?

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-What are the objectives assigned to you personally?

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2. It is not enough to learn natural principles of warfare parallel to those in the spiritual world. You must apply these principles in your own spiritual battles. Knowledge without application of that knowledge is ineffective.

Review what you learned in this chapter, then write a paragraph summarizing how you plan to apply what you have learned about natural principles to your spiritual battles.

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INVASION

ENTERING THE COMBAT ZONE...

During an invasion in the natural world, an army enters the combat zone to conquer its foes and claim territory. Basic training is useless unless what is learned is put into action. Even a mobilized army equipped with weapons is not effective if it stands inactive on the sidelines. To be effective in warfare, you must actually enter the combat zone.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

ENTERING THE COMBAT ZONE:

BATTLING THE WORLD, THE FLESH, AND THE DEVIL

OBJECTIVES:

Upon completion of this chapter you will be able to:

-Write the Key Verses from memory.

-Define the word "strategy."

-Define the word "counterstrategy."

-Explain the strategies of Satan which combine the evil forces of the world and the flesh.

-Identify spiritual counterstrategies for victory over the world and the flesh.

KEY VERSES FROM THE ARTICLES OF WAR:

Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

For he that is dead is freed from sin. (Romans 6:6-7)

INTRODUCTION

You have answered the call to arms and been inducted in God's army. You have studied about enemy strategy and territory. You learned about God's battle plan and been armed with defensive and offensive weapons. With this lesson, you actually enter the combat zone and begin to fight!

This chapter is the first in a series which focus on Satan's strategies and Scriptural counterstrategies for overcoming his deceptive tactics. "Strategies" are the science of forming and carrying out military operations. They are the methods or plans which lead to victory.

SATAN'S STRATEGIES:

Satan has organized methods aimed at gaining victory over believers. This is what Paul means when he refers to the "wiles" of the Devil:

Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil. (Ephesians 6:11)

The word "wiles" means crafty or deceitful. Satan's "wiles" are his crafty, deceitful strategies of attack.

GOD'S COUNTERSTRATEGIES:

The believer is not left defenseless in the face of enemy attack. In His written Word God has provided a manual of strategies for spiritual warfare:

Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices. (II Corinthians 2:11)

The word "devices" means thoughts or purposes. The Bible contains counterstrategies for overcoming all the power of the enemy.

The word "counter" means "to act in opposition to, to hinder, defeat, or frustrate." In the spirit world, a counterstrategy is an organized plan and method of opposition to Satan. It is designed to hinder, defeat, and frustrate his "wiles" and "devices."

The next few chapters are organized by strategies and counterstrategies. The strategies of Satan in specific areas of spiritual warfare are discussed first in each chapter. Specific spiritual counterstrategies for victory are then presented. In this lesson you will study how the world and the flesh function together in spiritual warfare and counterstrategies for overcoming these evil forces.

STRATEGIES OF SATAN: THE WORLD AND THE FLESH

You learned in Chapter Seven that the world and the flesh are enemy territory:

SATAN WORKS THROUGH THE WORLD:

And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness. (I John 5:19)

Satan is the prince of this world and as its prince he influences the governments of nations. He is described as a "deceiver of nations" in Revelation 20:3 and 7. Daniel chapter l0 identifies a demonic power over the nation of Persia working to prevent Daniel's prayer.

Satan is as a roaring lion in the world:

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the Devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. (II Peter 5:8)

The picture of a roaring lion illustrates the open terror tactics Satan uses. But Satan is also described as "an angel of light":

And no marvel for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

(II Corinthians 11:14-15)

This describes Satan as alluring and appealing in a more subtle, secret type of attack. So Satan works both openly and secretly in the world.

Satan's activities are varied in the world, but they are always directed against God, His plan, and His people. Satan opposes God's work in the world. This is quite evident in his rebellion and fall from Heaven which you already studied (Ezekiel 28:12-19). Satan opposes the work of Jesus in the world. He is behind the "anti-Christ" spirit of the world:

For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

(II John 7)

Satan also opposes the work of the Holy Spirit in the world. One of the purposes of the Holy Spirit is to guide men and women into the truth of the Word of God. Satan tries to keep the Word of God from influencing the hearts and lives of men and women:

In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. (II Corinthians 4:4)

Satan afflicts and tempts believers in the world:

For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labor be in vain.

(I Thessalonians 3:5)

And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power...

(Job 1:12)

Satan deceives the world through "spiritual wickedness in high places." This is how he works in the religious structure of the world. He deceives through false doctrine, ministers, teachers, apostles, and religions.

Satan also wages warfare against believers who are in, but not of, the world. You can read about this warfare in Ephesians 6:l0-l8. Satan accuses and slanders believers:

And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

And I heard a loud voice saying in Heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the Kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ; for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. (Revelation 12:9-10)

He plants doubt in the minds of believers. This was part of the first temptation of man in the Garden of Eden (see Genesis 3:1-5).

Satan incites persecution of believers by the world:

Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried... (Revelation 2:10)

Satan tries to prevent the believer from effective Christian service:

Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us. (I Thessalonians 2:18)

Satan uses the appeal of the world to entice believers to sin. He tempts through the worldly atmosphere, environment, and system around you. He encourages a love of the world in your heart:

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. (I John 2:15-16)

Satan wars against the mind, the tongue, the spirit, the body, and the spiritual walls of believers. He attacks through family and associates, finances, and circumstances. You will learn more about each of these specific areas of attack in other chapters.

The names of Satan also reveal his strategies in the world. You studied the names of Satan in Chapter Five of this course. Review these and think about how each name reflects strategies of Satan in the world today.

SATAN WORKS THROUGH THE FLESH:

The body, soul, and spirit of man are closely related. Because of this, Satan accesses the soul and spirit through the flesh. This strategy is evident in the first temptation of man. Eve "SAW the tree was good for food (TASTE), and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be DESIRED to make one wise" she took of it and gave it to her husband also (Genesis 3:6). Satan used fleshly senses and desires to gain access to Eve's soul and spirit.

If Satan cannot "blind your mind" and keep you from accepting the truth of the Gospel, then he tries to keep you in bondage to the flesh after you receive the Gospel. Fleshly lusts war against the soul:

...Abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul. (I Peter 2:11)

Satan uses the flesh to affect the mind:

But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. (Romans 7:23)

"My members" refers to the flesh. Satan uses the flesh to affect the spirit:

Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

(II Corinthians 7:1)

Satan uses the flesh to cause you to reap corruption (rottenness, perversion) in your life:

For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption...

(Galatians 6:8)

In Ephesians 4 where Paul deals with the sins of the flesh in the context of the old man and the new man, he inserts this warning:

Neither give place to the Devil. (Ephesians 4:27)

This warning indicates that when you commit these fleshly sins, you give place (literally a claim) to Satan in your life. Continued willful indulgence in fleshly sins can result in bondage to Satan:

And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the Devil, who are taken captive by him at his will. (II Timothy 2:26)

SATAN WORKS THROUGH DEMONS:

As you will learn later in this course, a born-again believer cannot be "possessed" by Satan as long as he remains a true believer. Possession by Satan involves control of body, soul, spirit, conduct, and thought. But if a believer continues to practice fleshly sins there comes a time where the practice may move from a sin of the flesh to a sin controlled by Satanic, demonic activity.

HOW THEY WORK TOGETHER

The world, the flesh, and the Devil with his demons combine their evil forces to war against believers. Each force can operate independently against the believer, but these forces of evil are most often combined in their attack upon believers.

Satan uses the world, with its illusions, charms, philosophies, and ungodly systems, to gain access to the flesh. He uses the flesh to gain access to the soul mind, and spirit. Then he tries to conform you to the world rather than to God.

SPIRITUAL COUNTERSTRATEGIES: OVERCOMING THE FLESH

The world, the flesh, and the Devil certainly create a threatening combat zone! But here are some powerful scriptural counterstrategies for overcoming these forces:

PRESENT YOUR BODY AS A SACRIFICE:

In the military forces of the natural world, a man who enlists for service comes under the complete control of his superiors. They give him instructions on how to conduct himself, how to dress, and how to combat the enemy. To be effective in spiritual warfare the same type of control must be put into action:

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Romans 12:1-2)

You must present yourself to God as an act of your own will. In the Old Testament when a sacrifice was given to God, the person who offered it had no further control over it. It was given totally to the Lord. Instead of conforming to the world and the flesh, you must be transformed (changed) by the renewing of your mind. You will study more about the battle in the mind in Chapter Fifteen.

ARM YOURSELF WITH THE MIND OF CHRIST:

The renewing of your mind is done by "arming" yourself with the same mind as Jesus.

Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for He that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;

That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh, to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. (I Peter 4:1-2)

DEVELOP THE PROPER ATTITUDE TOWARDS YOUR FLESH:

We are told that we should "hate even the garment spotted by the flesh" (Jude 23). You should understand that the lust of the flesh is not of the Father but of the world:

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. (I John 2:16)

You should have no confidence in the flesh:

...and have no confidence in the flesh...(Philippians 3:3)

You must understand that life in the flesh brings corruption, while life in the spirit brings life:

For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. (Galatians 6:8)

REALIZE YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE IN BONDAGE TO THE FLESH:

In times past, you were in bondage to the flesh when you were a sinner:

Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath even as others. (Ephesians 2:3)

For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.

But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. (Romans 7:5-6)

Study Ephesians chapter 2 and Romans 8. You will discover you no longer have to be in bondage to the flesh. Your freedom comes through Jesus Christ:

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:2)

TRAIN YOUR FLESH TO OBEY:

In the military world, the soldier must obey all orders. He goes through basic training to learn the rules of warfare. He is given trial situations where he must put these strategies into action and he learns through failure and success. He is in training for war.

This is also true in the spiritual world. You must train your flesh to obey. You must learn God's rules. Through trials God permits in your life you will have opportunity to put these rules into action:

Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you. (I Peter 4:12)

And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold all that he hath is in thy power...

(Job 1:12)

In the natural world, a soldier learns the right and wrong responses in military strategy through repeated troop exercises. You can train through study of your warfare manual, the Bible. As you exercise or train your spiritual senses, you will learn to discern between good and evil:

For every one that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.

For strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. (Hebrews 5:13-14)

You must train your flesh to obey God's Word. You do not conquer your flesh by giving in to it. As God reveals fleshly areas of your life, you must take action:

...abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul. (I Peter 2:11)

Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

(II Corinthians 7:1)

But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof. (Romans 13:14)

Note that YOU must take action. YOU must abstain from fleshly lusts. YOU must cleanse yourself of filthiness of the flesh. YOU must not make provisions for the flesh.

PUT OFF THE OLD MAN:

The "old man" refers to the flesh nature. Paul writes:

That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. (Ephesians 4:22-24)

PUT YOUR FLESH TO DEATH:

The flesh must be crucified. It will not die a natural death. You must crucify it by refusing to be controlled by it:

Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. (Romans 6:6-7)

For I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)

And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and

lusts. (Galatians 5:24)

WALK IN THE SPIRIT:

Your daily walk (how you live) can be controlled by Satan working through your flesh, the world, or demon powers if you permit it. You do not have to be controlled by the world, the flesh, or the Devil. You can learn to walk in the Spirit:

This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. (Galatians 5:16)

If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. (Galatians 5:25)

To walk in the Spirit means to let God's Holy Spirit control your conduct and life.

The flesh is not more powerful than the spirit. If you let the Holy Spirit manifest His power in you, He will quicken your mortal body of flesh. To "quicken" means to endue with life.

You do not have to live in the death of sin. God can quicken your spirit to new life:

And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you.

Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.

For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. (Romans 8:10-14)

To be led by the Spirit you must have the Holy Spirit within you. You must be born again by the Spirit:

That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. (John 3:6-7)

You must also be filled with the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who gives you power to walk in the spirit rather than the flesh. An entire Harvestime International Institute course is devoted to the Ministry of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. If you are studying the Institute courses in suggested order, this is the next course you will take when you complete this manual. We cannot emphasize enough the importance of the Holy Spirit in overcoming the world, the flesh, and the Devil. Through the Holy Spirit you can be led by the Spirit instead of the flesh.

LET YOUR SPIRIT SPEAK BY THE HOLY SPIRIT:

God communicates to your spirit by the Holy Spirit:

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. (Romans 8:14)

The Holy Spirit can also communicate directly to God from your spirit:

For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries. (I Corinthians 14:2)

When you speak in the unknown language, which is the physical evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2), your spirit is communicating directly to God. When this happens, one of the important functions of the Holy Spirit is to pray according to the will of God:

Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities; for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is in the mind of the Spirit, because He maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. (Romans 8:26-27)

DEVELOP THE FRUIT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT:

In contrast to the works of the flesh, develop the fruit of the Holy Spirit. This includes...

...love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith. Meekness, temperance... (Galatians 5:22-23)

The fruit of the Holy Spirit is discussed in detail in the Harvestime International Institute course "Ministry Of The Holy Spirit."

DO NOT LIVE IN CONDEMNATION:

Satan uses the weaknesses of the flesh to make you live in condemnation. But Paul said:

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (Romans 8:1)

If you fail and engage in fleshly conduct, do not remain in condemnation. Repent and ask forgiveness:

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (I John 1:9)

SPIRITUAL COUNTERSTRATEGIES: OVERCOMING THE WORLD

Here are some guidelines for overcoming the world:

DEVELOP A PROPER ATTITUDE TOWARD THE WORLD:

Recognize you are not of the world:

I have given them thy word: and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. (John 17:14-16)

If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.

If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. (John 15:18-19)

Understand that you will experience tribulation in the world:

These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)

Realize that gaining the world is not worth losing your soul:

For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul. (Mark 8:36)

For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? (Luke 9:25)

Realize that if you love the world, you are an enemy of God:

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. (I John 2:15-16)

...know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

(James 4:4)

Recognize the temporal nature of the world:

And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: But he that doeth the will of God abideth forever. (I John 2:17)

...for the fashion of this world passeth away. (I Corinthians 7:31)

Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness. (II Peter 3:11)

RECOGNIZE YOU ARE NOT IN BONDAGE TO THE WORLD:

As a believer, you do not have to be in bondage to the world system. Although in the past you were governed by the present world (Ephesians 2:2), you are no longer in this bondage:

Wherein in times past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

Among whom also we had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind: and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God. (Ephesians 2:2-3,13,19)

Romans 12:1-3 teaches that you no longer need be conformed to the world. You can be transformed (changed). You are part of a new kingdom now. You are a resident of the Kingdom of God. You are no longer under the power of the world:

Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God. (I Corinthians 2:12)

Study more about your liberty in Galatians 4:1-7.

GUARD AGAINST THE WORLD:

Now that you are free from the world, set a guard against its influence in your life. Do not pattern your life after the rudiments or basic principles of the world:

Beware lest any man spoil you...after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. (Colossians 2:8)

Do not love the world:

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world... (I John 2:15)

Do not let yourself be spoiled by the philosophies of the world:

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. (Colossians 2:8)

Deny worldly lusts:

Teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world. (Titus 2:12)

Keep yourself unspotted from the world:

Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this...to keep himself unspotted from the world. (James 1:27)

Crucify the power of the world:

But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world. (Galatians 6:14)

Crucifixion is an unnatural death. Like the flesh, the power of the world in your life will not die a natural death. You must forcibly crucify it.

RECOGNIZE YOU CAN OVERCOME THE WORLD:

You are not to be overcome by the world. Do not let the cares of the world destroy the work of the Word in your life (Matthew 13:22; Mark 4:19). This "wearing away" with the cares of the world is one of the strategies of the antichrist spirit (Daniel 7:25). Jesus said:

...but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)

You can overcome the world because Jesus dwells within you:

Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than He that is in the world. (I John 4:4)

You can escape the corruption of the world:

Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. (II Peter 1:4)

You overcome the world by the new birth and your faith:

For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. (I John 5:4)

You overcome the world by the blood of Jesus and your testimony:

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony... (Revelation 12:11)

UNDERSTAND YOUR MISSION IN THE WORLD:

You are not to be affected by the world, but you are to affect the world. The believer should be a light in a world of darkness, reflecting the glory of God and sharing the good news of the Gospel:

Ye are the light of the world... (Matthew 5:14)

The impact of the early believers on the world was so great that it was said of them that they "turned the world upside down" (Acts 17:6).

As soldiers in an army sent on a mission in a foreign nation, believers are on a special mission of God in the world. They have been instructed:

...Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature.

(Mark 16:15)

INSPECTION

1. Write the Key Verses from the Articles Of War.

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2. Define the word "strategy".

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3. Define the word "counterstrategy".

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