“Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the victor’s crown, the life God has promised to those who love him.” – James 1:12
Engaging in the Battle
We need tools in spiritual warfare as well. It has been the underlying purpose of this book to provide practical, usable information and insight into the waging of a winning warfare.
The world, the flesh, and the devil will be continuously defeated if we use the weapons of our warfare. The Lord has provided all the tools we need. The Lord Jesus Christ has provided all of our victory. He used the same tools He has provided us in winning the battle. His victory is our victory.
It remains our responsibility to use these weapons so graciously provided in His grace. Every time you use them you’ll thank God for the tools of victory He has provided. Just as I think with fond remembrance of the man who gave me the tool box when I use my carpenter’s tools, so your heart will reach out in an ever deepening gratitude to your Lord.
In previous chapters, importance of doctrinal truth and doctrinal praying was intended to be lifted high. Doctrine, God’s unchanging truth, is mighty in defeating our enemies. This truth must get deep into our souls. This can only come about as we gain understanding of the Holy Word of God and then use that Word aggressively in our lives.
With the permission and approval of Dr. Victor Matthews, professor of theology at the Grand Rapids Baptist Bible College and Seminary, I include here some very fine helps in keeping doctrinal truth in the forefront of your warfare.
“The Daily Affirmation of Faith” was written by Dr. Matthews to provide a concise, clear statement of the truth of the Word of God as it applies to our victory. I commend this affirmation for daily reading aloud on the part of those who are experiencing intense warfare. It will do much to build spiritual foundation into your soul. It will keep the ground of your victory aggressively in action against your enemies. Study the texts of Scripture for your own enlightenment and edification.
The Daily Affirmation of Faith
“Today I deliberately choose to submit myself fully to God as He has made Himself known to me through the Holy Scripture which I honestly accept as the only inspired, infallible, authoritative standard for all life and practice. In this day I will not judge God, His work, myself, or others on the basis of feelings or circumstances.
- I recognize by faith that the triune God is worthy of all honor, praise, and worship as the Creator, Sustainer, and End of all things. I confess that God, as my Creator, made me for Himself. In this day I therefore choose to live for Him (Rev 5:9,10; Is 43:1,7,21; Rev 4:11).
- I recognize by faith that God loved me and chose me in Jesus Christ before time began (Eph 1:1-7).
- I recognize by faith that God has proven His love to me in sending His Son to die in my place, in whom every provision has already been made for my past, present, and future needs through His representative work, and that I have been quickened, raised, seated with Jesus Christ in the heavenlies, and anointed with the Holy Spirit (Ro 5:6-11; 8:28; Phil 1:6; 4:6,7,13,19; Eph 1:3; 2:5,6; Ac 2:1-4,33).
- I recognize by faith that God has accepted me, since I have received Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior (Jn 1:12; Eph 1:6); that He has forgiven me (Eph 1:7); adopted me into His family, assuming every responsibility for me (Jn 17:11,17; Eph 1:5; Phil 1:6); given me eternal life (Jn 3:36; I Jn 5:9-13); applied the perfect righteousness of Christ to me so that I am now justified (Ro 5:1; 8:3,4; 10:4); made me complete in Christ (Col 2:10); and offers Himself to me as my daily sufficiency through prayer and the decisions of faith (I Co 1:30; Col 1:27; Gal 2:20; Jn 14:13,14; Mt 21:22; Ro 6:1-19; Heb 4:1-3,11).
- I recognize by faith that the Holy Spirit has baptized me into the Body of Christ (I Co 12:13); sealed me (Eph 1:13,14); anointed me for life and service (Ac 1:8; Jn 7:37-39); seeks to lead me into a deeper walk with Jesus Christ (Jn 14:16-18; 15:26,27; 16:13-15; Ro 8:11-16); and to fill my life with Himself (Eph 5:18).
- I recognize by faith that only God can deal with sin and only God can produce holiness of life. I confess that in my salvation my part was only to receive Him and that He dealt with my sin and saved me. Now I confess that in order to live a holy life, I can only surrender to His will and receive Him as my sanctification; trusting Him to do whatever may be necessary in my life, without and within, so I may be enabled to live today in purity, freedom, rest and power for His glory (Jn 1:12; I Co 1:30; II Co 9:8; Gal 2:20; Heb 4:9; I Jn 5:4; Jude 24).
Having confessed that God is worthy of all praise, that the Scriptures are the only authoritative standard, that only God can deal with sin and produce holiness of life, I again recognize my total dependence upon Him and submission to Him. I accept the truth that praying in faith is absolutely necessary for the realization of the will and grace of God in my daily life.
Recognizing that faith is a total response to God by which the daily provisions the Lord has furnished in Himself are appropriated, I therefore make the following decisions of faith:
- For this day (Heb 3:6,13,15; 4:7) I make the decision of faith to surrender wholly to the authority of God as He has revealed Himself in the Scripture to obey Him. I confess my sin, face the sinful reality of my old nature, and deliberately choose to walk in the light, in step with Christ, throughout the hours of this day (Ro 6:16-20; Phil 2:12,13; I Jn 1:7,9).
- For this day I make the decision of faith to surrender wholly to the authority of God as revealed in the Scripture–to believe Him. I accept only His Word as final authority. I now believe that since I have confessed my sin He has forgiven and cleansed me (I Jn 1:9). I accept at full value His Word of promise to be my sufficiency and rest, and will conduct myself accordingly (Ex 33:1; I Co 1:30; II Co 9:8; Phil 4:19).
- For this day I make the decision of faith to recognize that God has made every provision so that I may fulfill His will and calling. Therefore, I will not make any excuse for my sin and failure (I Th 5:24).
- For this day I make the decision of faith deliberately to receive from God that provision which He has made for me. I renounce all self-effort to live the Christian life and to perform God’s service; renounce all sinful praying which asks God to change circumstances and people so that I may be more spiritual; renounce all drawing back from the work of the Holy Spirit within and the call of God without; and renounce all nonbiblical motives, goals, and activities which serve my sinful pride.
— I now sincerely receive Jesus Christ as my sanctification, particularly as my cleansing from the old nature, and ask the Holy Spirit to apply to me the work of Christ accomplished for me in the crucifixion. In cooperation with and dependence upon Him, I obey the command to “put off the old man” (Ro 6:1-14; I Co 1:30; Gal 6:14; Eph 4:22).
— I now sincerely receive Jesus Christ as my sanctification, particularly as my enablement moment by moment to live above sin, and ask the Holy Spirit to apply to me the work of the resurrection so that I may walk in newness of life. I confess that only God can deal with my sin and only God can produce holiness and the fruit of the Spirit in my life. In cooperation with and dependence upon Him, I obey the command to “put on the new man” (Ro 6:1-4; Eph 4:24).
— I now sincerely receive Jesus Christ as my deliverance from Satan and take my position with Him in the heavenlies, asking the Holy Spirit to apply to me the work of the ascension. In His Name I submit myself to God and stand against all of Satan’s influence and subtlety. In cooperation with and dependence upon God, I obey the command to “resist the devil” (Eph 1:20- 23; 2:5; 4:27; 6:10-18; Col 1:13; Ja 4:7; I Pe 3:22; 5:89).
— I now sincerely receive the Holy Spirit as my anointing for every aspect of life and service for today. I fully open my life to Him to fill me afresh in obedience to the command to “be filled with the Holy Spirit” (Eph 5:18; Jn 7:37-39; 14:16,17; 15:26,27; 16:7-15; Ac 1:8).
“Having made this confession and these decisions of faith, I now receive God’s promised rest for this day (Heb 4:1-13). Therefore, I relax in the trust of faith, knowing that in the moment of temptation, trial, or need, the Lord Himself will be there as my strength and sufficiency (I Co 10:13).”
The Warfare Prayer
Another doctrinal tool that has proved of great benefit to me and to many others is the “Warfare Prayer” composed by Dr. Matthews. As a theologian, his unique and thorough way of including sound doctrine in this prayer is most helpful. I would urge anyone facing obvious spiritual warfare to use this prayer daily. It is good to read it aloud as a prayer unto the Lord. Eventually one will be able to incorporate the doctrinal truths expressed into his own prayer life without reading it.
The devil hates this prayer. Usually before working with anyone who has deep demonic affliction, I will request that we read this prayer in unison. Many times the oppressed one can read only with great difficulty. Sometimes sight problems, voice problems, or mind confusion become so intense that the afflicted person can continue only with great effort.
It is the truth of God that Satan cannot resist, and he vigorously fights it being applied against him. Those serious about warfare should daily use a prayer of this type along with other prayer examples shared in this book.
THE WARFARE PRAYER
Heavenly Father, I bow in worship and praise before You. I cover myself with the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ as my protection during this time of prayer. I surrender myself completely and unreservedly in every area of my life to Yourself. I do take a stand against all the workings of Satan that would hinder me in this time of prayer, and I address myself only to the true and living God and refuse any involvement of Satan in my prayer.
Heavenly Father, I worship You, and I give You praise. I recognize that You are worthy to receive all glory and honor and praise. I renew my allegiance to You and pray that the blessed Holy Spirit would enable me in this time of prayer.
I am thankful, heavenly Father, that You have loved me from past eternity, that You sent the Lord Jesus Christ into the world to die as my substitute that I would be redeemed. I am thankful that the Lord Jesus Christ came as my representative, and that through Him You have completely forgiven me; You have given me eternal life; You have given me the perfect righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ so I am now justified. I am thankful that in Him You have made me complete, and that You have offered Yourself to me to be my daily help and strength.
Heavenly Father, come and open my eyes that I might see how great You are and how complete Your provision is for this new day. I do, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, take my place with Christ in the heavenlies with all principalities and powers (powers of darkness and wicked spirits) under my feet.
I am thankful that the victory the Lord Jesus Christ won for me on the cross and in His resurrection has been given to me and that I am seated with the Lord Jesus Christ in the heavenlies; therefore, I declare that all principalities and powers and all wicked spirits are subject to me in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I am thankful for the armor You have provided, and I put on the girdle of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the sandals of peace, the helmet of salvation. I lift up the shield of faith against all the fiery darts of the enemy, and take in my hand the sword of the spirit, the Word of God, and use Your Word against all the forces of evil in my life; and I put on this armor and live and pray in complete dependence upon You, blessed Holy Spirit.
I am grateful, heavenly Father, that the Lord Jesus Christ spoiled all principalities and powers and made a show of them openly and triumphed over them in Himself. I claim all that victory for my life today. I reject out of my life all the insinuations, the accusations, and the temptations of Satan.
I affirm that the Word of God is true, and I choose to live today in the light of God’s Word. I choose, heavenly Father, to live in obedience to You and in fellowship with Yourself. Open my eyes and show me the areas of my life that would not please You. Work in my life that there be no ground to give Satan a foothold against me.
Show me any area of weakness. Show me any area of my life that I must deal with so that I would please You. I do in every way today stand for You and the ministry of the Holy Spirit in my life.
By faith and in dependence upon You, I put off the old man and stand into all the victory of the crucifixion where the Lord Jesus Christ provided cleansing from the old nature. I put on the new man and stand into all the victory of the resurrection and the provision He has made for me there to live above sin.
Therefore, in this day, I put off the old nature with its selfishness, and I put on the new nature with its love. I put off the old nature with its fear and I put on the new nature with its courage. I put off the old nature with its weakness and I put on the new nature with its strength. I put off today the old nature with all its deceitful lusts and I put on the new nature with all its righteousness and purity.
I do in every way stand into the victory of the ascension and the glorification of the Son of God where all principalities and powers were made subject to Him, and I claim my place in Christ victorious with Him over all the enemies of my soul. Blessed Holy Spirit, I pray that You would fill me. Come into my life, break down every idol and cast out every foe.
I am thankful, heavenly Father, for the expression of Your will for my daily life as You have shown me in Your Word. I therefore claim all the will of God for today.
I am thankful that You have blessed me with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. I am thankful that You have begotten me unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. I am thankful that You have made a provision so that today I can live filled with the Spirit of God with love and joy and self-control in my life. And I recognize that this is Your will for me, and I therefore reject and resist all the endeavors of Satan and of his demons to rob me of the will of God.
I refuse in this day to believe my feelings, and I hold up the shield of faith against all the accusations and against all the insinuations that Satan would put in my mind. I claim the fullness of the will of God for today.
I do, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, completely surrender myself to You, heavenly Father, as a living sacrifice. I choose not to be conformed to this world. I choose to be transformed by the renewing of my mind, and I pray that You would show me Your will and enable me to walk in all the fullness of the will of God today.
I am thankful, heavenly Father, that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, to the casting down of imaginations and every high thing that exalted itself against the knowledge of God, and to bring every thought into obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore in my own life today I tear down the strongholds of Satan, and I smash the plans of Satan that have been formed against me. I tear down the strongholds of Satan against my mind, and I surrender my mind to You, blessed Holy Spirit.
I affirm, heavenly Father, that You have not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. I break and smash the strongholds of Satan formed against my emotions today, and I give my emotions to You. I smash the strongholds of Satan formed against my will today, and I give my will to You, and choose to make the right decisions of faith. I smash the strongholds of Satan formed against my body today, and I give my body to You, recognizing that I am Your temple; and I rejoice in Your mercy and Your goodness.
Heavenly Father, I pray that now through this day You would quicken me; show me the way that Satan is hindering and tempting and lying and counterfeiting and distorting the truth in my life. Enable me to be the kind of person that would please You. Enable me to be aggressive in prayer. Enable me to be aggressive mentally and to think Your thoughts after You, and to give You Your rightful place in my life.
Again, I now cover myself with the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and pray that You, blessed Holy Spirit, would bring all the work of the crucifixion, all the work of the resurrection, all the work of the glorification, and all the work of Pentecost into my life today. I surrender myself to You.
I refuse to be discouraged. You are the God of all hope. You have proven Your power by resurrecting Jesus Christ from the dead, and I claim in every way Your victory over all satanic forces active in my life, and I reject these forces; and I pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ with thanksgiving. Amen.
Excerpt from “The Adversary”, Mark I. Bubeck Reprinted by permission Moody Press.
Dr. Mark I. Bubeck is the founder and president emeritus of ICBC, inc. A pastor for over 40 years, Dr. Bubeck is the author of The Adversary , Overcoming the Adversary, The Rise of Fallen Angels, and Raising Lambs Among Wolves .
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Are you in a battle today, and it’s taking more than just a physical toll on you? Are you finding it difficult to find the words to tell the devil to be gone? Spiritual warfare is crippling, real, and troublesome, but Jesus has already won us the victory! Pray along with these words now and let the Lord break the chains of fear and bondage!
Jesus, sometimes I can almost sense the heaviness of pressure mounting and the ominous presence of darkness around me. I recognize my enemy is at work again. Whether he’s trying to discourage me to get sidetracked, to fall into temptation, to give up, or to take my eyes off you, he’s always hanging around.
I need your supernatural power, Lord, to stand strong and not surrender. Physical force won’t help, because you’ve said the weapons of our warfare are different from those in this world. As believers, ours are powerful and can demolish strongholds and lies. These supernatural weapons originate from you. By your precious name and blood, Jesus, I’m asking you to confuse Satan and cancel his attempts to shut me and my influence down. Help me not to become discouraged or to give in when heavy times of testing come.
When I’m tired and weak, you are strong, Lord, and you are my only source of help. I cannot fight without you. Teach me how to pray and to trust you to pull down those strongholds that keep me or others helpless. Guard me from isolation that leaves me exposed and vulnerable. I believe you destroyed the power of my enemy by your death and resurrection. But like a bad penny, my enemy keeps showing up, whispering lies, twisting truth, and attempting to inflate my selfish pride. He never gives up.
SEE ALSO: Prayers for Strength
I am declaring the devil and his demons liars today, Lord. Through the power of your precious name and blood, I agree with your Word and the truth that you are in me and that you are greater than my enemy who wants to rule the world. You, your Word, and prayer, Lord, are my secret weapons. I belong to you, and that fills me with a powerful God-confidence. I want to constantly dress in the spiritual armor you give me. Help me use it to defend others from Satan’s fiery darts as well. No one and nothing can snatch me away from your hand.
Strengthen my faith, Lord. Forgive my sins, so that I may be clean in your righteousness. Make me brave, so I can stand and fight the spiritual battles in my life and in our world. Give me your wisdom and discernment so I won’t be caught off guard. Together, Lord, we’ll win, because in truth, you already have.
In Jesus’s powerful name before which every knee shall bow, Amen!
What are you praying for supernatural strength to overcome today? Join our large praying community in the comments below and experience the power and hope of bringing your petitions before God!
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Rebecca Barlow Jordan is an inspirational author, speaker, and passionate follower of Jesus who loves to encourage others heart to heart. She has written 11 books and over 1700 other articles, greeting cards, and other inspirational pieces. Her daily devotional Daily in Your Presence is available for delivery through Crosswalk.com. You can find out more about Rebecca at www.rebeccabarlowjordan.com.
Publication date: September 8, 2015
This article is part of our larger Prayers resource meant to inspire and encourage your prayer life when you face uncertain times. Visit our most popular prayers if you are wondering how to pray or what to pray. Remember, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us and God knows your heart even if you can’t find the words to pray.
SEE ALSO: How to Maintain Our Peace in the Midst of Spiritual Warfare
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Prayer and Warfare (1)
Dr. Allen Barber
June 3, 2010
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints — Ephesians 6:10-18NKJVAs we move closer to the end of this age dominated by both Gentile and Jewish puppets of Satan who want to control the world and its inhabitants, the need to intercede for the Body of Christ in spiritual warfare praying, will become even more mandatory.Perhaps the best work I have read on this subject of spiritual warfare praying is a chapter by Watchman Nee in his book, The Spiritual Man. No book outside the Bible has influenced my spiritual life more than the Spiritual Man. If you truly want to understand the workings of the spirit, soul and body and how the flesh and spirit war against each other for ascendancy, then this book is essential for your spiritual development. I have often said that Watchman Nee was a modern day Apostle Paul for he was devoted completely to the Lord and living by the Spirit. His copious writings are the result of his many spiritual experiences and battles with the flesh and not just some theories about the spiritual realm. Manley Beasley, a Spirit-filled Baptist evangelist (there are some believe it or not) said that he carried a copy of the Spiritual Man in his brief case and read several chapters before preaching at a conference or Church revival. It is sad that few denominational and evangelical Christians know of Watchman Nee or ever read his writings. I have perhaps 40 or 50 of his books in my library and they are true spiritual food. While I don’t agree with all of his positions on eschatology (he was a partial Pretribber and highly influenced by John Darby who formalized pretribulationism in 1830), his writings on spiritual issues are without equal in my opinion. Though I have been a believer in the Lord Jesus for 40 years as well as a Minister of the Word and a former pastor, I am not worthy to untie the shoe laces of Watchman Nee. He gave his life for the work of the Lord and died a solitary death in one of Mao Te Sung’s prison camps. When I read his biography, I wept and realized how very weak is my spiritual life compared to brother Nee. When the Kingdom of our Lord comes and all the saints are gathered into it, after the Lord Jesus and a few others, the person I want to see is brother Nee. The chapter on prayer and warfare begins with the statement that all prayer should be spiritual, which probably few Christians know the difference between carnal (flesh) and spiritual prayers. Most prayers are of two kinds – intellectual (originating in the mind) and emotional (originating with feelings). Of course unless believers have learned to train their spirits in the spiritual laws of God and have overcome the flesh, they have no knowledge of whether their prayers are of the flesh or the Spirit. Flesh prayers accomplish nothing in the kingdom of God. Watchman Nee says, “Fleshy prayers are far too numerous and nowadays (he wrote the Spiritual Man in 1927 from Shanghai, China, but it is like reading a modern commentary) Christians seem to treat prayer as a means to accomplish their aims and ideas. If they possessed just a little deeper understanding, they would recognize that prayer is but man uttering to God what is God’s will.”I once taught spiritual praying/spiritual warfare to a home Bible study (mostly Southern Baptist) and they had no clue to what I meant, even after explaining it in great detail with personal experiences, they never grasped the concept. Why? Denominations are not taught anything about the spiritual realm and even the Charismatics attempt to promote the baptism falls short of the real spiritual realm. The spiritual realm has nothing to do with either intellectual or emotional worship. It is all about living by faith based upon the Word of God and in the influence and power (control) of the Holy Spirit. Everything about a true believer’s relationship to God including prayer and preaching is of the Spirit and has nothing to do with the flesh. Then again, the majority of believers do not know what their flesh is so how can they overcome it and walk by the Spirit if they do not recognize the flesh in themselves. I once taught or tried to teach a series to a church I pastored on how to identity the flesh in the saved and the Holy Spirit used it to bring strong conviction to the Church including this preacher; however, several who were not comfortable with the message, rebelled and attacked the message and the messenger. The result was not pretty. The Church ended up fighting against the truth and God eventually removed its candlestick and it no longer exist. Jesus said in his messages to the seven churches in Revelation that unless they repented, He would remove their candlestick (spiritual influence or lack of it).The flesh in the saints must be crucified before the saints can pray spiritual prayers. Again, Watchman Nee says the flesh is not permitted even in prayer. All spiritual prayer emanates from the Holy Spirit via the Word of God for how can we know the will of God if we do not know His Word. If you want to know God’s will in a matter, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the Word of God to your spirit, then pray that will in the Spirit, which is your re-born spirit in union with the Holy Spirit uttering what He has shown you about the will of God. No mixture of man’s flesh can enter into spiritual prayers. If believers attempt to pray in the spirit (little “s” – their spirit) by exercising the flesh (high thoughts or strong feelings), then how great is the damage to their spirit and their prayers. God will never follow what man has initiated. “God will do no work which originates with man, no matter how much man may pray. He condemns such praying as fleshly.”One evidence that believers have entered the spiritual realm (not automatic at salvation) is they immediately realize how inadequate they are in themselves to do anything for God much less Him performing His will through them. The life of the Spirit is one of an emptying process, that is, emptying one’s self of all fleshy pursuits in the work of the kingdom and in daily living. Nothing in us, not one thing, can rescue a single soul, including ourselves, from the jaws of Satan. We must humble ourselves daily to the influence and control of the Holy Spirit and especially in warfare praying or Satan will intensify the attack against our prayers and render them useless. May I also say that the Holy Spirit’s control of our lives does not mean He thinks and acts for us for that is passivity and gives the enemy ground to work in our lives. Many saints have been invaded by demons in the soul area (mind, will and emotions) via passivity – blindly waiting on God to act for them. The Holy Spirit will never act for us rather He guides us to walk in the truth of God’s Word. Remember, the Holy Spirit guides and the devil drives. Satan via his demons wants to control our lives and deceive us into thinking what we are doing is by our will when in fact he has captured the will and ensnared us to obey him rather than God.Watchmen Nee is right on when he says, “True prayer uncovers the emptiness in the petitioner but the fullness in the petitioned. Unless the flesh has been reduced to a vacuum by the cross, what use is prayer and what can it possibly signify. Spiritual prayer does not proceed from the flesh nor the thought, desire or decision of the believer; rather does it follow purely from that which is offered according to the will of God. It is prayed in the spirit (little “s” – one own spirit), that is to say, spiritual prayer is made after one has discerned the will of God in his intuition (the intuition is one of the faculties of the re-born spirit).” All of God’s thoughts and His Word is given to the believers spirit not his soul. At the new birth, believers received a brand new spirit from God, that is, God by the Holy Spirit woke up the dead spirit of man lying in darkness and depravity, and brought it back to life where it can now communicate with God via the Eternal Spirit. We did not receive a new mind or a new soul when we were saved. The sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit after initial salvation is to submerge our soul and bodily functions in the re-born spirit. His presence in our spirits makes that possible, but even then it is not automatic. We must yield our total being to the control of the Holy Spirit (see Romans 6) in order to walk and live in the spiritual realm (Note: the spiritual realm is not the same as the supernatural realm in which both God and Satan operate; Satan has no part in the spiritual realm for he is a fallen creature void of the Spirit of God).Spiritual prayer that wars against the kingdom of darkness begins with the believers spirit in union with God and in harmony with His will via His Word. In the passage of Scripture above, we are commanded (not an option) to pray in the Spirit (large “S”, which means the Holy Spirit) at all times for the saints who are engaged in warfare against the enemy and are themselves under His constant attack. You want to know another way that you have entered the spiritual realm in your life and prayers? The attacks of Satan will increase, that is, he will attack your peace, your environment, your body and as well as your spirit with his blocking tactics and the only way you can defeat him is by warfare praying in the Spirit. Our posture toward Satan should never be defensive, but offensive, that is, we should take the fight to him by standing on the Word of God and using it against him calling him what he is a murderer and a liar. It is especially important in warfare praying to apply the blood of Jesus against Satan. Remind him of the shed blood whereby forgiveness of all sin was atoned for, actually blotted out, and therefore, there is now no condemnation for the saint who walks in the Spirit (carnal saints have much condemnation in their spirits and consciences because they allow sin in their lives). One of Satan’s chief tactics is to get the saint to sin and thereby wounding the conscience. A saint with a guilty conscience cannot engage in spiritual warfare praying due to a heavy or oppressive spirit. The spirit of the believer must be light and buoyant, otherwise Satan can block or hem it in by accusation.We must put on the whole armor of God (spiritual armor) and stand against all the wiles of the devil before we can enter into spiritual warfare praying for the saints and ourselves.There will be many more articles on this subject in future days, God willing.
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