Devil Wars

Ephesians 6:10 - 12  "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might,  Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

From the Video:
In all places, locations, races, and times someone evil always emerges. What lies in back of the inclination of the heart? We always choose according to the greatest inclination of the heart at the moment of choice. The proposition "all have sinned " is as inductively verifiable as gravity. Ever .   Dr. Jeremiah's notes:

"I Never Thought I'd See the Day When Christians Wouldn't Know They Were in a War"

Selected Scripture
1 Timothy 4:1
Ephesians 6:12
I. Who Satan Is
A. Satan Is the Great Deceiver
John 8:44
Revelation 12:9
B. Satan Is the Great Divider
James 3:6, 8
C. Satan Is the Great Destroyer
II. What Satan Does
A. The Strategy of Indifference
2 Corinthians 11:14
1 John 5:19
Ephesians 6:12
B. The Strategy of Ignorance
C. The Strategy of Infiltration
Ephesians 4:27
Proverbs 6:27
D. The Strategy of Intervention
E. The Strategy of Intimidation
1 John 3:8

 

STAND FIRM - OVERCOME AND RESIST

As we stand firm in the Faith we must take up the full armor of God. Below is quoted from Charles Spurgeon. Here he instructs us with the verse from 1 Peter 5:9 : But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.”   

HOW WE MAY OVERCOME THIS ADVERSARY

“Whom resist steadfast in the faith.” This is our first means of defense. When Satan attacks us as an angel of light, we need not so much resist by open antagonism as by flight. There are some temptations that are to be overcome only by running away from them, but when Satan roars, we must raise the shout and the war cry. To run then would be cowardice and must entail certain destruction.

 

Suppose now that Satan roars with persecution, or suppose you are slandered, vilified, abused---will you give way? Then are you undone. Will you say, “No, never. By Him who called me to this work, I will see this battle out.” You have done well: you have resisted, and you will win the day. Has he assailed you with some temptation obnoxious to your spirit? Yield an inch, and you are undone, but become more watchful and vigilant over yourself in that particular sin, and resistance must certainly bring victory. Or has he injected blasphemy? Resist. Be more prayerful every time he is more active. He will soon give it up if you find that his attacks drive you to Christ. Often has Satan been nothing but a big black dog to drive Christ’s sheep nearer to the Master. Match Satan by turning his temptations to good account, and he will soon give up that method of warfare.

Resist him. But how? “Steadfast in the faith” Seek to obtain a clear knowledge of the doctrines of the gospel and then get a good grip of them. Be ready to die rather than give up a particle of God’s revealed truth. This will make you strong. Then take hold of the promises of God which are yea and amen in Christ Jesus. Know that to every doctrine there is some opposite promise. Have ready for every attack some strong word commencing with “It is written.”

All the water outside a ship cannot sink it. It is the water inside that perils the ship’s safety. So if your faith can keep its hold and you can say, “Though he slay me yet will I trust in him,” Satan may batter your shield, but he has not wounded your flesh. The conflict may be long, but the victory is absolutely sure. Keep near to the cross, and you are safe. Throw your arms around the dying Savior. Let the droppings of His blood fall on your sins, and even if you cannot see Him, still believe in Him. Then let Satan roar, he cannot hurt; let him rage, his fury is vain; he may only show his teeth, for he certainly cannot bite. “Whom resist, steadfast in the faith.”

 

 

Going against God "Just for fun" by Marsha West

Stand Firm in the Faith has been given permission from Marsha West to reproduce this article below. Please be sure to check out the links and resources within the article as well for further study. As the landscape of Christianity becomes ever increasingly mystical, we must be discerning and stand firm in the faith (Eph 6:10-17) putting on the full armor of God that we do not become deceived.

May 2, 2013
Going against God "just for fun"
By Marsha West
　
Today we're hearing a lot about Spiritism or Spiritualism, not to be confused with spiritual or spirituality, as in "I'm not religious, I'm spiritual," or "I'm into spirituality." The term Spiritism has replaced what was once called animism and other religious practices involving the invocation of spiritual beings.

Some religions meld Spiritualism with Christianity. For example, a blend of Christian and African folk beliefs that originated in Brazil is now practiced in the U.S. Spiritualism is much the same as Spiritism only it has adopted Christian rites and prayers. People visiting Spiritualistic services can be misled into thinking they're Christian churches. The problem is Christianity cannot be melded with any other religion or practice.

One of the major tenets of Spiritism is reincarnation. The classic form of reincarnation originated in India in the 9th century BC. Reincarnation has become a hot topic in our post-modern culture.

There are a whole host of beliefs about reincarnation. The most widely touted belief is that upon death one's spirit exits the body in search of another body to inhabit. Believing in reincarnation gives hope for continuing one's existence in further lives to work off one's karma. Karma is broadly defined as the consequences of one's actions.

Ask professing Christians as they flow through the doors of a Sunday worship service if they believe in reincarnation, some will give you a cavalier "Yes," as if it's no big deal for believers to mix Christianity with mystical beliefs. However, believing in reincarnation is a very big deal for the serious Christian. For example, reincarnation is a central tenet within Hinduism, not Christianity!

The thing Christians need to come to terms with is that belief in reincarnation goes against what the Bible teaches regarding the soul's final judgment by a holy God. What Jesus Christ clearly taught is that unrepentant sinners are condemned to an eternity in hell. Jesus never mentioned reincarnation – not once!

Hebrews 9:27 reveals what occurs when human beings die:

And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.

Listen to what Paul says happens when we die:

We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. (2 Cor. 5:8)

It is imperative that serious Christians view mysticism as evil. When Paul came face to face with the Jewish mystic Elymas, he charged him with being a child of the devil and an enemy of righteousness. Moreover, he accused the mystic of perverting the right ways of the Lord. (Acts 13:10) Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Paul caused him to go blind. Not only did he put out the sorcerer's eyes, he also put him out of a job! When it came to confronting evil, Paul never backed down, never hesitated, wavered or vacillated. He had all the subtlety of a sledgehammer when it came to evildoers.

God forbids any sort of participation in paganism for our own protection. His reason is simple: its roots are steeped in pagan idolatry and drug use. The occult world is an open door to Satan's world. Those who enter find themselves on a quest for 'hidden wisdom' or 'deeper truth.' And, not surprisingly, the sought after 'hidden wisdom' is not meant for everyone, it's meant for a select few such as New Age disciples and gurus.

We call those who possess supernatural power (power's what it's all about) shamans, witchdoctors, clairvoyants, trance channelers, spiritists, and the list goes on. So, how does a spiritist go about getting in contact with the spirit world? By receiving radiation, frequencies or vibrations from the dead. "Communication from the spirit world manifests itself in psychical phenomena (e.g., telepathy, clairvoyance, trance speaking, and apparitions) and in physical phenomena (e.g., levitation, automatic writing, and poltergeist and ectoplasmic activities)." (Source)

The Bible tells us that it is God who instigates communication, not man. Generally the Lord will use angels as His envoys to humans. We know very little about angels, either the elect or the fallen. However, the scriptures inform us that on occasion the Lord sent a holy elect angel to Earth to deliver messages. And He also sent angles to minister to people, to protect them, and also to execute His judgment. The angels have one purpose: to glorify God's holy Name and to carry out His will.

There are also fallen angels – the rebellious ones! The most notorious of the lot is Lucifer aka Satan. The Bible refers to the fallen angels as demons, spirits of darkness and evil spirits. The ones that rebelled against God fell from grace. Consequently, they were hurled out of heaven, lock stock and barrel. Bible expositor John MacArthur elucidates what happened next:

At that point, Satan gained the rulership of the world, and the term world took on a third meaning: the evil system opposed to God that now dominates this planet. The system that Satan began will continue to develop up to the time period known as the Great Tribulation.

As I have made clear, Christianity and Spiritism have nothing in common whatsoever. I mean, think about it. Can you trust God and Satan at the same time? Here's what Paul said:

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?

And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. (2 Cor. 6:14-18)

Satan is known as the "father of lies." Even those who are guided by an "inner voice" can be deceived, warns occultist Nicholas Weeks:

Channels such as [Alice] Bailey are sincere and convinced that their inner voices and visions are real Masters. Unhappily, sincerity is no protection from delusion. In 1884 Master KH wrote to a psychic of that time, giving an explanation for the befuddling of a channel or seer. 'Since you have scarcely learned the elements of self-control, in psychism, you must suffer bad consequences. You draw to yourself the nearest and strongest influences "often evil" and absorb them, and are psychically stifled or narcotised by them. The airs become peopled with resuscitated phantoms. They give you false tokens, misleading revelations, deceptive images. Your vivid creative fancy evokes illusive Gurus and chelas [disciples], and puts into their mouths words coined the instant before in the mint of your mind, unknown to yourself. The false appear as real, as the true, and you have no exact method of detection since you are yet prone to force your communications to agree with your preconceptions. (Source)

And to think, many Christians are now engaged in magical mystical practices such as contemplative prayer that can give the practitioner misleading revelations and deceptive images, where the false may appear real. (See a column I wrote on contemplative prayer here.)

Keep in mind that the spirits that speak through the mouths of the willing are demons. People who get themselves into a mind-altering trance with the purpose being to channel a benevolent spirit may end up becoming demon possessed! Granted, some channelers are really nothing more than convincing actors who write the script as they go along. These are the charlatans who do it for money or fame – or both. However, there are many dupes that allow their bodies to be used by spirit entities that use the occasion to spew anti-Christian propaganda!

The Bible tells us to, "Prove [test] all things; hold fast that which is good." (1 John 4:1). We're also told to flee (run like a maniac) from the devil who "walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." (1 Peter 5:8) Now, picture a lion hiding in the brush to pounce on an unsuspecting wildebeest. The devil's like the hungry lion, only he's waiting to pounce on Christ's sheep! Unfortunately many Christians fail to obey God's command to resist the devil, which is one of the reasons Christianity's in the sorry state it's in today.

Far too many followers of Jesus Christ are unaware that our Lord quite literally detests all forms of sorcery. There are no exceptions! Sorry to be a wet blanket, but even astrology is banned. And it doesn't matter if it's done "just for fun." One cannot be a Presbyterian on Sunday and a spiritist the other six days of the week.

This brings me to two blogs I stumbled on. Both male bloggers declare their love for Christ and state that the Bible is the standard by which they live their lives. One studies apologetics; the other is a youth pastor. They both have their Zodiac signs on display. That way if you land on aspiring apologist's blog, you'll know that he's a Gemini; likewise, if you land on youth pastor's blog, you'll discover that he's a Virgo. One can only assume that these young men have not yet read Leviticus 19:26, Deuteronomy 18:9-12, Exodus 22:18 and other similar passages where God commands His people to steer clear of sorcery. And yet these so-called Bible believers find time to read up on astrology?

Christians who are confronted with an evil practice must lace up their trusty running shoes and high tail it out of there, pronto! Keep away from horoscopes (astrology), numerology, séances, tarot cards, tealeaves, palm reading, crystal balls, talking boards, omens or signs. Moreover, do not get involved in wizardry, witchcraft, the study of Kabbalah, nature religion (Wicca), and the practice of yoga (its sole purpose is purely spiritual). Believers must flee from any and all pagan customs and practices. Those who are currently involved in any of the above must bring it to an end today!

Since dabbling in sorcery is a sin against God, repentance is of paramount importance. So if you've been dabbling, repent! And never return to any sort of evil practice – even if it's "just for fun."

Bear in mind that the demonic powers operating in the realm of the occult are very real. These spirits are stronger and more dangerous than people realize. The Bible warns us to "regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God." (Lev. 19:31).

The Apostle Paul understood all too well that evil forces are ever present in the "heavenlies." Hence, he admonished followers of Christ to wear the "armor of God" to protect against familiar spirits that prey on gullible humans. He even gave specific instructions to the Church in Ephesus:

Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 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. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour 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 6:1-12).

Christian – take Paul's instructions to heart and daily put on the full armor of God to protect against the rulers of the darkness of this world.

Recommended:
The Old Serpent and the Slacker – an allegory on the "Armor of God" By Marsha West

Are You Armed for Battle? By Marsha West

Occult – On Solid Rock Resources

Angels – On Solid Rock Resources

New Age Movement – On Solid Rock Resources

Contemplative Prayer – On Solid Rock Resources

Christian Yoga? – On Solid Rock Resources

© Marsha West


Marsha West is a religious/political writer and owner of EmailBrigade.com. She is also the founder and editor of the Email Brigade News Report, a biweekly news resource for people of faith that is chock-full of critical news and information. Marsha is dedicated to restoring a more common sense approach to our nation's governance by encouraging people to thoroughly understand the issues that impact American lives... (more)

THE FULL ARMOR OF GOD - Stand Firm in the Faith

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
EPHESIANS 6:10-17

See Video
Full Armor of God
http://youtu.be/hsRm8rnmdLw
 


 

The Warfare and the Armor of God

SEE Video link: http://youtu.be/zNK7RToBVXI

“We are talking about warfare today. Sabotage, subversion, innuendo, snipping, It is a war between light and darkness, good and evil, heaven and hell, Christ and Satan, and rather you realize it or not, you are in that warfare. You can not afford to be ignorant and you can not be neutral. Eph 6: 10 - 20 “

1. The Christian warrior and his adversary - Ephesians 6:11

We must know our enemy. We must stand against the wiles of the devil. The devil is no joke. He is a decided fact. He is a destructive foe. Satan is Strategic - he is working destruction in your life and on your home. He is spiritual - Eph 6:12 - Test the spirits to see if they are of God. He is strong. We are no match for our adversary. Remember that we wrestle not against flesh and blood. Satan is sinister. There is nothing that the devil will not do to destroy your life, but he is a defeated foe. Eph. 6:10 “Be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might.” Satan has already been defeated by our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 John 4:4 - “You are from God little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.”


2. The Christian warrior and his armor We need not only to recognize our enemy, we need to prepare for the battle. We need to put on the armor of God. Put on the whole armor.
Put on the whole armor of God -

1. The girdle of truth - Integrity Eph 6:14

Truth stands for integrity The belt of truth is integrity. You are to believe the truth, you are to tell the truth, to defend the truth, preach the truth or your life will come apart. You cannot be apart of this battle without the belt of truth. Satan is a liar! And Satan WILL come against you with lies! Jesus is the Truth. Satan’s attack is lying. His attack upon you is to bring about a lack of integrity on your life.

 

2. The breastplate of righteousness: Eph. 6:14

Righteousness is the believer’s purity. No unconfessed sin. Righteousness is purity. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. Matt. 5:8 What the enemy wants to do is not only attack you with lies, but wants to attack you with impurity. Satan knows your weaknesses, so put on the Armor of God. Keep your heart with all diligence. Keep your heart pure. Is your heart pure? Satan fears a holy Christian.

 

3. The shoes of peace - Tranquility

A soldier needs good shoes. You need a place to stand and have good footing. Be at peace with God, with others and in your heart. Satan comes against your tranquility by putting stones in your path, doubts and discouragement. Whatever he can to cause your peace to be disturbed. Do you have peace right now? Psalms 119: 165

 

Put on the preparation of Peace - the gospel . Put on the shoes of peace so you have somewhere firm to stand.

4. The shield of Faith - Certainty Eph. 6:16 Satan’s attack is doubt. Take the shield of faith - Satan is always firing the darts of doubt. Satan wants to get into your mind with some kind of doubt. Put on the shield of Faith and extinguish every dart of Satan. Remember the word of God. Don’t forget those who taught you.

 

5. Put on the Helmet of Salvation - Sanity Eph. 6:17. A warrior uses a helmet to protect his head. If the head is wounded nothing else works. A helmet represents deliverance - salvation. It is represented by a mind that is controlled by God. Have the mind of Christ. A believer needs to keep his head so he can fight., this speaks of the believer’s sanity. Thinking with the mind of Christ.

 

Each piece of the Armor represents Jesus.
Each piece is put on with prayer

3. The Christian warrior and his attack - We must join the battle.

It’s not enough to put on the armor - we must get into the fight.

What will guarantee our victory:

The place of our stance: Eph 6:13-14   Stand Firm, Stand Firm therefore.,… We STAND in the victory that Jesus has won. Verse: 10 - We do not fight FOR victory, We fight FROM victory. Rev. 12:11

The power of our sword - Eph 6:17 You need to get into the battle. God has given us a sword and the power of the spirit. Hebrews 4:12 It is written: the word of God.

 

 

The provision of the Spirit - Pray Eph 6:18  The supply , pray to our heavenly commander. God knows what the enemy is doing! We need always to pray for God assures our victory.

 

 

The Christian warrior and his allies - Eph 6:18,19 We must unite forces. For all saints. You do not fight alone. We are not a one man army. Deut 32:30. We are in this battle together. We must lock arms and fight together. Church is a place to be fortified for the battle. You can not be neutral. It saddens me that “Many of our soldiers are AWL. Many Christians think they can be neutral.

 

1. choose sides carefully - if you don’t follow Jesus than you are on the losing side.

2. Examine your heart - make sure you have all the armor of God on.

3. Don’t try to be Neutral - you can’t do it. This is a fight to the finish Jesus said: He that is not with me is against me.

4. Rejoice in the Victory - Thank God you are walking in victory.

You are in a fierce fight to the end for JESUS! Hear Pastor Dr Adrian Rogers show you how to Stand Victorious against the attacks of the enemy. Unless you put on the Complete Armor of GOD at all times, you will not stand.