Unmasking Your Enemy: Insights On Spiritual Warfare
Spiritual warfare is real, and most of the issues that affect marriages, companies, ministries, and even nations are associated with demonic activity. A person can go through cycles of attacks from these unseen forces, and all that people may see is a lack of progress. Job in the Bible was affected by a meeting that took place in the heavens, and he did not even contribute a word, yet that meeting impacted his life. How many spiritual events have occurred around you that you were not conscious of, yet greatly impacted your destiny?
In the Bible, there is a man whose desire to rebuild cost him the lives of his two children. All he did was rebuild the walls of Jericho, but he was unaware of a curse that was pronounced, and that curse was fulfilled in his life due to his ignorance of spiritual principles. Life is spiritual, and many battles people go through are because of activities in the realm of the spirits. Some of the failures in marriage and life are caused by demonic forces, yet those being attacked are often not aware of the spiritual nature of their challenges.
If most of the issues in life are caused by demonic systems, there is a need to understand how to deal with these types of forces. First, one must understand the nature of the enemy. The Bible advises us not to be ignorant of the devices of the enemy. Do you know who your enemy is or what is empowering the battles in your destiny? Have you studied your spiritual life and drawn any conclusions? Have you noticed the systems at work in and around your life?
In Luke 14:31, we read of a king preparing for war and how he first sits down to assess if his 10,000 men would be able to defeat an enemy army of 20,000. Similarly, do you know the type of systems at work either in your life, family, or even nation? Have you studied how to overcome them or achieve victory over them?
In the book titled "Needless Casualties of War," the late John Paul Jackson relates a vision he saw of men on raised platforms, throwing machetes at the moon. The on-looking crowd cheered them, but as they grew tired and slept, dark shadows from the moon attacked them. These men were engaged in spiritual warfare but lacked understanding and strength to continue the battle.
Jackson also gave an example of a man fighting the prince of abortion over a certain city. As they prayed against this demon as a church, it was depicted as a man throwing machetes at the moon. Consequently, women in the church started having miscarriages. The church became victims of the system they were fighting; they needed to reevaluate their strategy. How many prayers have you prayed that resulted in worse situations? I am not saying those people lacked power over the demon, but they lacked a strategy to deal with it. Yes, we are called to warfare, but the strategies to defeat each system are different.
Like those men of God, many are victims of the devil and demons because they start battles they have no capacity to finish. Many become needless casualties of war due to a lack of understanding the rules of engagement in spiritual warfare. Demons are real, warfare is real, but attacking an unknown enemy is foolishness.
Spiritual warfare affects every aspect of human life, from the personal to the relational (marriage), professional (companies), spiritual (ministries), and even national levels. Unseen forces shape the destinies of people and cause havoc, and the biggest challenge is that many are unaware of this realm.
To prevail in spiritual warfare, we must first acknowledge the existence and nature of the enemy. Ignorance of the enemy's devices only leads to needless casualties. Understanding the rules of engagement and seeking divine wisdom empowers us to overcome these demonic systems. It is not a matter of blind aggression, but rather discernment, persistence, and reliance on divine guidance. While spiritual warfare is real, it requires a balanced approach. We must engage in the battle but also exercise wisdom and use appropriate strategies. Like the man who unknowingly fought the demon of abortion, we can become victims of battles we lack the capacity to finish. Therefore, let us equip ourselves with knowledge and understanding, recognizing that victory over the spiritual realm lies in knowing the enemy and engaging with wisdom. God bless you
