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June 6, 2025

Is Spiritual Warfare Necessary?

“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.” (Ephesians 6:11-12)

Yesterday, I shared on the subject of spiritual warfare. I want to continue the discussion today.

Spiritual warfare is released in various ways. Worship can be a weapon against satan (Psalm 149), as are acts of love (Romans 12:20-21). Declaring God’s Word is certainly a weapon (Ephesians 6:17). Holy Spirit leads us regarding the manner in which we should release His power. In today’s post, my point is not so much how we wrestle, but that we wrestle!

The word “against” is used six times in Ephesians 6:11-12. The Greek word is pros, which is a strengthened form of pro. Pro means “in front of,”(1) either literally or figuratively (as in superior to). We use the concept today in the English word “professional,” or in its shortened form, “pro.” A pro athlete is one who is “in front of” or “superior to” others. The word pros also has the connotation of stepping forward and facing toward something or someone.(2) The symbolism in this Ephesians passage is of a wrestler stepping forward and facing his opponent. God is saying to us, “Step forward and face the powers of darkness.”

Seizing and Securing Our Inheritance

As we involve ourselves in spiritual warfare, it is imperative that we remember we are not trying to defeat the devil. He is already defeated. We are representing Christ and enforcing His victory at the Cross. We do not re-defeat, we re-present. Everything we do in our intercession and spiritual warfare is simply an extension of what Christ did through His redemption at Calvary. He crushed satan’s head, according to Genesis 3:15. The Hebrew word for “head” in this verse, rosh, is actually referring to headship or authority.(3)

But what Christ accomplished, we must enforce and lay hold of using His authority. What He provided for us, we must seize by faith, and sometimes our spiritual weapons. In 1 Timothy 6:12, Paul told Timothy, “Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” Timothy had already received eternal life, yet paradoxically, he was told to “take hold of” it.

Though it seems like a contradiction, you can own something and not have possession of it. The word translated as “take hold of” is epilambanomai and means “to seize.”(4) Through Abraham, Israel had been “given” their inheritance by God (Genesis 12), yet they still had to “take possession” of it: “Pass through the host, and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the Lord your God giveth you to possess it” (Joshua 1:11). Their “inheritance” was not yet their “possession.” And our inheritance through Christ does not automatically fall into our laps, either. We must “lay hold of/seize” it.

Moffatt translates 1 Timothy 6:12, “Fight in the good fight of the faith, secure that life eternal to which you were called.” Wuest’s translation reads, “Take possession of the eternal life into a participation of which you were called…”

As a nation seizes and secures territory in war, so must we seize and secure our inheritance in Christ.

A Legal Breaking of Headship

Many ask, “But why would spiritual warfare ever be necessary if Christ has already defeated satan and his demons? Didn’t Jesus take away his power? Not yet. Satan’s destruction wasn’t a literal one, but was, as we said, a legal breaking of his headship or authority. Nowhere does the Bible say Christ delivered us from satan’s power. It says He delivered us from his exousia—authority—or in other words, the right to use his power on us:

“For He delivered us from the domain [exousia] of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.” Colossians 1:13

“Behold, I have given you authority [exousia] to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power [dunamis] of the enemy, and nothing shall injure you.” Luke 10:19

Power never was and never will be the issue in God’s dealings with satan. Authority was and is the issue. Satan still has the inherent powers and abilities he has always had. He “prowls about like a roaring lion” (1 Peter 5:8). And, contrary to what some teach, he still has his teeth. He still has “fiery darts” (Ephesians 6:16 KJV). If you don’t believe this, try going without your armor. What he lost at Calvary was the right (authority) to use his power on those who make Jesus their Lord. However, as a thief and a lawbreaker, satan still attempts to use his power and abilities on those who don’t understand this. Understanding and releasing Christ’s authority is the issue, and the key to victory. When we move in Christ’s authority, Holy Spirit backs it up with His power.

This truth is well illustrated in the battle between Israel and Amalek in Exodus 17:8-13. In this famous passage, Moses went to the top of a hill with the staff of God in his hand (authority), while Joshua led the army on the battlefield below (power). As long as Moses held up the rod of God, Israel prevailed; when he lowered it, Amalek prevailed.

The victory was not decided by the strength or power of Israel’s army. If this had been the case, they would not have faltered when the staff was lowered. Nor was it a morale thing—they weren’t watching Moses for inspiration while in hand-to-hand conflict! An unseen dynamic in the invisible realm actually decided the outcome on the battlefield. When the rod, representing the rule or authority of God, was lifted by the authorized leader of Israel, Joshua and the army prevailed. In other words, it was not power on the battlefield, though that was necessary, that was ultimately the deciding factor. It was the authority released on the mountain. Authority is the deciding factor when dealing with the spiritual forces of darkness, not power. Honoring and functioning in Christ’s authority will always release Holy Spirit’s immeasurable power.

Pray with me:

Satan is attempting to stir up increased violence in our nation. Let’s “resist” him (James 4:7) and “wrestle against” this (Ephesians 6:12) by declaring Psalm 140 together today:

“Rescue me, Oh Lord, from evil men; Preserve me from violent men who devise evil things in their hearts; They continually stir up wars. They sharpen their tongues as a serpent; poison of a viper is under their lips. Selah.

“Keep me, Oh Lord, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from violent men who have purposed to trip up my feet. The proud have hidden a trap for me, and cords. They have spread a net by the wayside; they have set snares for me. Selah.

“I said to the Lord, ‘You are my God; give ear, O Lord, to the voice of my supplications. O God, the Lord, the strength of my salvation, You have covered my head in the day of battle. Do not grant, O Lord, the desires of the wicked; do not promote his evil device, that they not be exalted.’ Selah.

“As for the head of those who surround me, may the mischief of their lips cover them. May burning coals fall upon them; may they be cast into the fire, into deep pits from which they cannot rise.

“May a slanderer not be established in the earth; may evil hunt the violent man speedily. I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted and justice for the poor. Surely the righteous will give thanks to Your name; the upright will dwell in Your presence.”

Today’s post was adapted from my book Intercessory Prayer, published by Baker Books.

Click on the link below to watch the full video.

Geoffrey W. Bromiley, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament Abridged (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1985), p. 935.
James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. no. 4314.
Ibid., ref. no. 7218.
Joseph Henry Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1977), p. 240.

June 5, 2025

“Then A Problem Arose”

“Resist the devil and he will flee from you!” I declared. “How many of you address demonic spirits occasionally?” I asked in my most anointed preaching voice. I was on a roll, waxing eloquent on the subject of spiritual warfare.

I was fresh out of Bible College and feeling like God’s latest addition to the “Brother Wonderful Fraternity of World Changers International.” I had those people right where I wanted them—hanging on every word.

Then a problem arose.

I was in Guatemala preaching through an interpreter. Unbeknownst to me, my interpreter, a young member of the congregation, did not share my theology. And her convictions ran deep! She looked at me indignantly and insisted in no uncertain terms, “I won’t say that!”

For some reason, her words seemed to interrupt my anointed flow. “Excuse me,” I replied.

“I won’t say that,” she said.

“Why not? You’re supposed to say what I say,” I responded.

“Well, I won’t say it.”

“Why not?” I asked again.

“I don’t believe we should do that.”

“Well, the Bible says to do it.”

“Where?”

“James 4:7.”

Keep in mind that a church full of people was watching this obviously unpleasant exchange between “Brother Wonderful” and his interpreter.

My professors hadn’t prepared me for this in Bible College. No lectures were offered on “What To Do When Interpreters Won’t Interpret.” As I stood wondering what to do next, she opened her Bible and began looking for James 4:7; it took her FOREVER to find it. She then read it to the congregation. At least I think she did; she may have been telling them I was a heretic, for all I know.

I tried to continue my message. “Ephesians 6:12 tells us,” I began.

She, however, wouldn’t allow me to quote the verse. When I mentioned the reference, she stopped interpreting, looked for it in her Bible, and read it. I was planning to use quite a few passages of Scripture. This could take forever, I realized.

I quickly ran through a few options in my mind:

End the message (which probably would have been the smartest thing to do);
Continue, with her taking time to find 20 more verses; or
HIT HER WITH MY BIG BIBLE! None of these seemed acceptable.

Then I had another idea. Realizing she didn’t know the Scriptures well, I began paraphrasing verses I wanted to comment on, stating them as though they were my thoughts. After she had translated my words, I would look at her with a smug smile and say, “That was from...” and give the reference, at which time she would bore into me with very unspiritual eyes. I don’t think the people learned anything, but I believe they enjoyed the show.

Controversial though it may be, the Bible does clearly instruct us to resist the devil. It is often not enough to simply ask our heavenly Father to do or give us something, although this is most Christians’ only concept of prayer. Many times it is necessary to use our authority and enforce Christ’s victory, spoken of as “binding” and “loosing” (Matthew 16:19), “warfare” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5), and “wrestling” (Ephesians 6:12). As Arthur Mathews said in his great book, Born For Battle:

“Victory is an accomplished fact, but it does need a man to lay hold of that victory and precipitate a confrontation with the enemy, and resist him.”(1)

Jack Hayford, in his insightful book Prayer Is Invading the Impossible, says:

“To see both sides of Jesus is to see both sides of prayer. It is to see the need for compassion, for care, for concern, for weeping with those that weep, for sympathy, for groaning, for aching deeply because of what you sense transpiring in human lives. And it is to learn the place and time for anger, when we see Satan’s wiles successfully destroying; for indignation, when the adversary’s program violates territory that is rightfully Christ’s; for boldness, when demonic hordes announce their presence; for attack, when the Holy Spirit prompts an advance.(2)

To be sure, extremes do exist regarding spiritual warfare. I once heard someone describe a religious cartoon they had seen. It portrayed the devil with 40 to 50 strands of rope around him and several individuals next to him discussing the situation.

“What do we do now?” one of them asked.

“I say we bind him again!” was the response of another.

Yes, extremes exist, but it is impossible to separate the Hebrew word for “intercession,” paga, from warfare. Fifteen times it is used to describe physical warfare.(3) Violence and warfare are unquestionably included in the meaning of the word. It is translated in various ways when speaking of battle: “attack,” “fall upon,” “strike down,” “impinge,” and others (see Judges 8:21; 1 Samuel 22:11–19; 2 Samuel 1:11, 16). The essence is the same in all of them—people in battle, fighting one another. When applying the word to prayer, we are obviously speaking of spiritual warfare, not physical violence. But the point must be made that paga, the word for intercession, is a word used to describe warfare.

Quoting Jack Hayford once again, he wrote, “But there is a way to face impossibility. Invade it! Not with a glib speech of high hopes. Not in anger. Not with resignation. Not through stoical self-control. But with violence. And prayer provides the vehicle for this kind of violence.”(4)

Although the approach and methods of spiritual warfare are open for debate—certainly it is a subjective area—some facts are indisputable:

We are in a very real spiritual war (see 2 Corinthians 10:4; 1 Timothy 1:18).

We are spiritual soldiers in this war (see Psalm 110:2-3; 2 Timothy 2:3-4).

We are told to “wrestle” against the kingdom of darkness (see Ephesians 6:12).

We are to “resist” the actions of the devil (which would in most situations be his demons) (see James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:9).

We are to “tread on” demonic opposition, which means exercise authority over them (see Luke 10:19; Romans 16:20).

We are to cast out demons (see Mark 16:17).

We have the authority to “bind” (forbid) and “loose” (permit) when dealing with the plans and efforts of satan’s kingdom (see Matthew 16:19).

We have powerful weapons with which to overcome the kingdom of darkness (see 2 Corinthians 10:4; Ephesians 6:10-20).

I am not suggesting that you have screaming matches with demons. Personally, I have no interest in a conversation with demonic spirits. The Greek word for “bind” is first a legal term meaning to forbid based on legal authority.(5) The Passion Translation uses the word “forbid” to translate it, as does the Amplified and other translations. The Amplified also translates it “declare to be improper and unlawful.”

Wielding “The sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God” (Ephesians 6:17) means to declare the Word of God over spiritual battles, just as Jesus did when He was tempted (Matthew 4:1-11). Declare God’s Word over demonic situations, and forbid the actions to succeed.

Let’s do so now, resisting the powers of darkness in their attempts to hinder the advancement of God’s Kingdom in America.

Pray with me:

Father, thank You for giving us the authority to resist and overcome demonic actions against us. We are told in Your word that demonic spirits produce infirmities, induce temptations, generate strife and division, and even initiate false doctrines. Grant us increased levels of discernment to know whether we are dealing with natural or spiritual causes. And when we discern that we are dealing with a spiritual cause, give us the boldness to use Your Word, the sword of the Spirit, and resist the demonic activity.

Father, several spiritual leaders have discerned that spirits of hatred and murder are working to stir up violence in our nation. We know the antisemitism occurring is demonic at its core. Much of the hatred toward our president is demonically inspired. Racism is demonic. We bind these demonic plans and strategies that are bringing hatred and division, in the name of Jesus. We forbid the strategies to generate riots and murder in our land from succeeding.

We ask You, Father, to cause a movement of love and kindness in our nation. You said love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8). We ask You to tear down walls of division and uproot seeds of hatred. We ask that You stir up the church to pray against the violence and also to operate in the opposite spirit (Matthew 7:12), doing good and loving others. We ask these things in Jesus’ name.

Our decree:

We decree that the spirits of violence in our land are being stopped by the power of Holy Spirit and His angel armies.

Today’s post was adapted from my book Intercessory Prayer, published by Baker Books.

Click on the link below to watch the full video.

R. Arthur Mathews, Born for Battle (Robesonia, PA: OMF Books, 1978), p. 113.
Jack W. Hayford, Prayer Is Invading the Impossible (South Plainfield, NJ: Logos International, 1977; revised edition, Bridge Publishing, 1995), p. 45. 1977 edition.
R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer Jr., and Bruce K. Waltke, Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (Chicago: Moody Press, 1980; Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., revised edition, 1991), p. 715.
Hayford, Prayer Is Invading the Impossible, p. 5.
James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. no.1210.

June 4, 2025

Finish Well!

The Summer of Love

In the 2020 “summer of love,” 574 “mostly peaceful” riots occurred across our nation. Two dozen innocent people were killed, and upwards of $2 billion in property damage occurred. Kamala Harris famously said they wouldn’t and “shouldn’t” stop.(1)

“On June 2, 2020, David Dorn, a 77-year-old retired police captain, was fatally shot after interrupting the burglary of a pawn shop in The Ville, St. Louis. The incident took place during riots in St. Louis, Missouri, following the murder of George Floyd. Stephan Cannon, who was 24 years old at the time of the incident, was convicted of his murder on July 20, 2022.”(2)

We may be headed for another “summer of love.” Violence is amping up again, this time not stemming from anger toward police, but Jews… and Americans who support them:

“On January 1, 2025, at around 3:15 A.M. CST (UTC–6), Shamsud-Din Jabbar drove a pickup truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, Louisiana, then exited the truck and engaged in a shootout with police before being fatally shot. Fourteen victims were killed, plus the perpetrator, and at least fifty-seven others were injured, including two police officers who were shot. The attack occurred during New Year celebrations in the city, which was scheduled to host the 2025 Sugar Bowl later that day.”(3)

Then on Sunday, April 13, 2025, a man named Cody Balmer, 38, was charged with attempted murder, terrorism, aggravated arson, and other crimes after allegedly setting fire to Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s residence. The fire occurred early on a Sunday morning while Governor Shapiro and his family were asleep inside. Balmer had broken into the mansion after jumping a fence and was reported to have planned to assault Governor Shapiro with a sledgehammer. While authorities have not officially stated a motive, Balmer reportedly said he targeted Governor Shapiro (who is Jewish) over Palestine, according to a search warrant. Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident, and Governor Shapiro and his family were safely evacuated.(4) 

On May 21 of this year, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim were savagely gunned down as they exited the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. The gunman showed no mercy, firing shot after shot, and shouting, “free, free Palestine.”(5) Then, on Sunday evening, June 1, in Boulder, CO, illegal alien Mohamed Soliman targeted Jews with a homemade flamethrower while shouting, “Free Palestine.” Twelve of those targeted were injured.(6)

Biden’s Insane Open Borders

Millions of illegal aliens are now in our nation, some of them very evil and violent people. During Biden’s reign of open borders, millions of illegals entered America. Some say 10 million, while others contend that it is closer to 20 million. An estimated 2 million of them were “gotaways,” those who did not want to greet Biden’s and Mayorkas’ welcoming committee at the border. One has to wonder why an illegal migrant would try to sneak into America when they could have walked right in, stopping temporarily to receive money, a cell phone, medical care, free transportation wherever they wanted to go, and free food and lodging when they arrived. The answer is not complicated. They were rapists, murderers, spies and terrorists, many of them on the terrorist watch list. Only a fool would deny that there are thousands of these evil individuals in America, now waiting to perform their heinous acts.

The Left wanted them here. Do not allow them to get away with hypocrisy by now “condemning” the violence that illegals are performing. They are the ones who defended letting them in. Not one Democrat in Congress had the backbone or decency to raise a voice in protest. To the contrary, they promoted it. Innocent blood is on their hands.

We now have leftist judges who do not want these criminals deported. The sad truth is that America is filled with leftists and Marxists who do not want the strong and free America that many of us once knew. This new breed of Americans was formed by educators, is funded by globalists, and fed by many in the media who also want to see America weakened. These leftists harming America are not stupid; they are deceived.

As always occurs when the Left sees the need for another season of uprising, they are now working overtime on America’s campuses. Using the conflict in Israel and Gaza, they foment rage and violence. This has been ongoing in the Middle East for millennia, and if not stopped quickly, it will intensify in America.

Predictably, efforts to restore America by President Trump and his administration, along with allies in Congress, are being resisted in every way possible, including violent rhetoric. The Left is willing to tolerate a few deaths to accomplish their goals, just as they did in 2020. They are fomenting anger and violence, with the goal of creating fear, unrest, polarization, and delays to Trump’s efforts.

Nevertheless, President Trump’s team and conservative members of Congress are doing their best to oppose the traitorous activities taking place. However, they will not succeed without us. We must continue to pray fervently for them and for an intensification of the revival that has begun. The changing of millions of hearts through salvation will produce heightened levels of common sense, love, self-control, and peace. It will also weaken the powers of darkness that orchestrate much of the conflict and insanity from the invisible realm. Though this revival has begun, we must not grow complacent. It is expedient that we pray with more fervency than ever. We must finish well!

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” (Edmund Burke)(7)

Pray with me:

Father, over and over in Judges chapter 1, You indicted the Israelite tribes for not finishing the task of possessing their inheritance. After achieving great victories under Joshua’s leadership, they grew complacent. This resulted in sin, compromise, and idolatry leavening itself into their lives and culture. Judgment followed.

We ask You to do whatever is needed in the American church to keep this type of complacency from occurring in our day. Raise up the right voices, bring the right messages, and fan the flames of revival and awakening - both in the church and among unbelievers.

We realize that restoration in America will not result from a restoration of earthly possessions and power. It must begin with a spiritual restoration that turns the hearts of millions to You. This will heal our land, bringing peace, strength, and prosperity. Therefore, we ask for the fires of revival to intensify. We ask for these fires to burn until they blaze with more strength and intensity than any revival in history. Shake the earth with this outpouring. Let the power released be unprecedented, the harvest unparalleled.

Stir the hearts of leaders in the American church. Wherever necessary, break off complacency, lukewarmness, passivity, and fear. Restore vision, reawaken hunger, renew first love, and fan the flames of destiny that once burned in their hearts. Let a cry go up from the earth that heaven cannot resist, causing rains of revival to fall that earth cannot repel.

Give our righteous and honorable government leaders wisdom. Give them renewed determination and zeal. Keep them from the effects of weariness and hope deferred that would cause their hearts to weaken. Give them strategies born in heaven, strategies that cannot fail. Please protect them. We ask that You remove from influence those who refuse to honor You and refuse to walk in truth. Stop them!

All of these things we ask in the name of Jesus. And since we are asking according to Your will, we know we will receive that for which we are asking (1 John 5:14). Amen.

Our decree:

We declare that the praying church in America and around the world will now step into its finest hour.

Click on the link below to watch the full video.

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