We are all in a constant battle. This battle is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of darkness, against spiritual hosts of wickedness (Eph. 6:10 – 18).
It is Spiritual Warfare. You can’t punch the devil in the face. You can’t shoot him with a gun, or knock his teeth out. He is an evil spirit and you have to fight him in the spirit.
God has given us armor and weapons to fight. With weapons we go after the enemy, and with armor we are protected from the enemy. We need to know how to use our weapons and make sure we are wearing our armor on a regular basis.
Spiritual warfare for spiritual people. How many of you have had it with the enemy and you are ready to win the war? Maybe you have been living in offensive mode. It is time we live on the defense and pray for strategies against the devil through prayer to overcome and attack our enemy. Our biggest defense weapon we have is the Sword of the Spirit.
Eph. 6:17b Amplified Bible
“And take… the sword that the Spirit wields, which is the Word of God.” (furnished by the Spirit, Who inspired the writers of the Word of God.)
Sword of the Spirit
1. Speak The Word With Power?
2 Cor. 10:3 – 5 Amplified Bible
“For though we walk (live) in the flesh, we are not carrying on our warfare according to the flesh and using mere human weapons. For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds, [Inasmuch as we] refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).”
“For the overthrow and destruction of strongholds.” This verse shows that strongholds start in our thought life. Use the Word and resist theories, imaginations, and reasonings.
The NKJV states that verse:
“Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, (II Corinthians 10:5 NKJV)”
We are to cast down any thought, argument or anything that tries to rise above who Christ is in your life! Using Your mouth as a weapon. Your words against the enemy are powerful because Jesus lives inside of each one of us. Jesus spoke with authority and power.
Luke 4:32 Amp
“And they were amazed at His teaching, for His word was with authority and ability and weight and power.”
The Word was in Jesus. He was the Word. He knew the authority He had and wasn’t afraid to use it. Far too often we as Christians are afraid to use our authority. We pull back when it comes to Spiritual warfare.
Listen, we have more power and authority in our little pinky then the devil thinks he has with all his legions of demons. We are the ones who give the enemy power and authority over us when we get fearful. Fear is a big factor in all of us. I know, because I struggle with it from time to time.
Don’t think of yourself as puny or unable to fight. We all can fight. We have to get the mindset that we are “In it to win it!” Retreat or giving up is not an option! Oh, the enemy speaks thoughts like, “You should just give up because you are not going to win.” We have to refuse to listen to his lies. It is a smoke screen. He is trying to give you all this drama of how things will unfold and he doesn’t even know because he is not God. He is not omnipresent. If he was, then he would be like God and he isn’t anything close to being like our Creator.
Wield your sword and speak God’s Word with power in you life. God’s word is powerful!
Hebrews 4:12 KJV
“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
The comparison of the Word of God to a sword is designed to show its power of penetrating the heart.
For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12 AMP)
Ecc. 12:11 GNT
“The sayings of the wise are like the sharp sticks that shepherds use to guide sheep, and collected proverbs are as lasting as firmly driven nails. They have been given by God, the one Shepherd of us all.”
Isaiah prophesied that God has called Jesus from the womb and that God has made Christ’s mouth like a sharp sword and a polished shaft.
Isaiah 49:1 – 2 GNT
“Listen to Me, distant nations, you people who live far away! Before I was born, the LORD chose Me and appointed Me to be his servant. He made my words as sharp as a sword. With his own hand he protected Me. He made Me like an arrow, sharp and ready for use.”
We can also see this in many other verses in Revelations.
Rev. 1:16 NKJV
“He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.”
Rev. 2:12 NKJV
“…These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword.”
Rev. 2:16 NKJV
“Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.”
Rev. 19:15 NKJV
“Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations…”
The idea is that of piercing, or penetrating; and the meaning here is, that the Word of God reaches the “heart” – the very center of action, and lays open the motives and feelings of the person.
It was common among the ancients to have a sword with two edges. The Roman sword was commonly made in this manner. The fact that it had two edges made it more easy to penetrate, as well as to cut with every way and direction.
Ever hear the saying, “Tongue lashing?” It expresses how the tongue can rebuke and hurt. The tongue is powerful. Who can tame the tongue? But in this case, the Sword of the Spirit is our tongue declaring the Word of God, which is empowered by the Holy Spirit, to cut like a two-edged sword to pierce deep and hard against the enemy.
2. Fight against fear.
Fear is the devil’s biggest weapon he uses against us. If he can place fear in our hearts through thoughts in our mind, he knows it will paralyze us or even make us turn in retreat, or worse, give up all together.
Are you fearful? Are you afraid of failure? Afraid of what people think of you? Afraid of not measuring up? Afraid that you won’t have enough money to pay bills? Afraid of getting in trouble? We all have fears but we must remember fear ONLY comes from the devil.
2 Tim. 1:7 NKJV
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
This verse tells us that fear is a spirit and that God doesn’t give this spirit of fear to us. What does God give to us? He gives power and love and a sound mind. These are all good things God gives us and much more. Fear can paralyze us if we let it.
Some fears or sources of our fear:
-Anxiety
-Burdens
-Heaviness
-Horror movies
-Superstition
-Irrational concerns
-Phobias
-Worry
Fear: “a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid” (dictionary.com).
Courage: “the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear; bravery.”
Fear is eliminated when we wield our sword of the Spirit! Use your weapons against the enemy because those weapons are constantly available for our use daily.
Fear is often False Evidence Appearing Real. Sometimes it is Real evidence appearing real. Either way we can’t be shaken by our fears. We have a Mighty Warrior fighting for us in this battle. We will do our part and He will for sure do His. Our part is to stand firm in the face of our fears and press forward. Learn how to encourage yourself in God and conquer your fears. Sometimes we do things afraid, but in essence we are conquering our fears and overcoming them!
3. Weapons of our warfare.
Along with the Sword of the Spirit we have many more weapons we can use agains the enemy. I want to list them quickly and briefly talk about each one.
Some Weapons of our Warfare
Sword of the Spirit – Word of God (Luke 4:1 – 13)
Praise – Silences the enemy (Psalm 8:2)
Blood of Jesus (Rev. 12:3)
Prayer – to not pray is to surrender to satan (James 5:6)
Your Testimony (Rev. 12:13)
Power of the Holy Spirit expressed through His gifts (Eph. 5:18, 1 Cor. 12:8 – 10)
a. Discernment of gifts
b. Word of knowledge
c. Word of wisdom
d. Faith
e. Miracles
f. Healings
g. Tongues
7. The name of Jesus (John 14:13 – 14, 1 Cor. 6:11, Acts 4:30)
8. Fasting (Mark 9:28-29, Matthew 17: 21)
9. Walking in love (1 Cor. 13, Prov. 10:12, 17:9, 1 Peter 4:8)
10. Forgiveness (Matt. 6:14-15, Matt. 18:18-35, Matt. 20:28, Matt. 26:28, John 20:23, Eph. 1:7, Col. 1:14, 1 Peter 1:19-23, 1 John 1:9)
4. Arsenal or Ammo to use against the devil.
This is the fun part; sharing some powerful Scriptures that will help in overcoming the devil and living a victorious life! I will put them in categories to help you at a quick glance.
Authority over the Enemy:
Isaiah 54:17 NKJV
“No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, And their righteousness is from Me, Says the Lord.”
Isaiah 55:11 NKJV
“So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”
Isaiah 59:19 NKJV
“So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, And His glory from the rising of the sun; When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.”
Matthew 10:8 NKJV
“Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.”
Matthew 16:19 NKJV
“And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
Mark 6:7 NKJV
“And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits.”
Luke 10:19 NKJV
“Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”
Eph. 1:19 – 21 NKJV
“And what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.”
Eph. 6:10 – 18 (Armor of God)
Colossians 2:15 NKJV
“Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.”
Rev. 1:18 NKJV
“I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.”
For Strength and declaration of victory:
1 Sam. 17:45 NKJV
“Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.’”
2 Sam. 22:33, 35, and 40 NKJV
“God is my strength and power, and He makes my way perfect. He teaches my hands to make war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. For You have armed me with strength for the battle; You have subdued under me those who rose against me.”
2 Kings 6:16 – 17 NKJV
“So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, and said, “Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”
Psalm 18:29 NKJV
“For by You I can run against a troop, by my God I can leap over a wall.”
Psalm 149:6 – 9 NKJV
“Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand, To execute vengeance on the nations, and punishments on the peoples; To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; To execute on them the written judgment—This honor have all His saints.”
Isaiah 41:15 NKJV
“Behold, I will make you into a new threshing sledge with sharp teeth; You shall thresh the mountains and beat them small, and make the hills like chaff.”
Isaiah 50:7 NKJV
“For the Lord God will help Me; therefore I will not be disgraced; therefore I have set My face like a flint, and I know that I will not be ashamed.”
Jeremiah 23:29 NKJV
“Is not My word like a fire?” says the Lord, “And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?”
For those in Authority:
Psalm 37:23
Proverbs 21:1
1 Timothy 1:1, 2
For the nations:
Joshua 1:3
Psalms 2:8, 68:32 – 35, 108:1 – 5
Jeremiah 1:10, 15:19 – 21, 51:21
Daniel 12:3
Micah 4:13
For Guidance:
Psalms 34:19, 37:23 – 24, 123:1 – 2
Proverbs 3:5 – 6
Isaiah 30:21
2 Cor. 5:7
For Peace of mind:
Duet. 33:27
Psalm 31:24
Isaiah 26:3
John 14:27
1 Cor. 2:16b
2 Cor. 10:5
Eph. 2:14 – 15
Phil. 4:7 – 9
For protection:
Duet. 28:6 – 7
Isaiah 54:17
Psalm 5:11, 17:7 – 9, 91:1 – 7, 10
Proverbs 2:8
For restoration and security:
Joel 2:18 – 32
Psalms 31:8, 32:7
Proverbs 10:30, 12:3, 21, 18:10
For healing:
Exodus 15:26
Psalms 103:3
Proverbs 3:7 – 8, 4:20 – 22
Isaiah 53:5
Matthew 4:23, 9:28 – 29, 15:26 – 28
Luke 9:11
1 Peter 2:24
1 John 3:8
3 John 2
For dealing with an abusive husband:
Leviticus 26:3 – 13
Duet. 8:7 – 10
2 Chron. 15:7
Psalms 31:20 – 21, 32:7, 91, 144:11, 145:18
Ezekiel 28:24 – 26
For Sleeplessness:
Matthew 11:28 – 30
Job 11:18 – 19
Psalms 4:8, 127:2
Proverbs 3:24
Mark 4:37 – 39
For provision and finances:
Duet. 8:18
1 Kings 17:2 – 4, 8 – 9
2 Chron. 32:8
Prov. 3:2, 10:3, 11:23 and 25, 12:12, 13:21, 22, 25
Isaiah 54:5
Malachi 3:10 – 11
Matthew 6:25, 32
Luke 6:38
For a new job:
Deut. 28:3 – 14, 31:8
Joshua 1:3, 5 – 9
2 Chron. 15:7
Psalms 1:3
For weariness and depression:
Palms 28:7 – 9, 30:11 – 12, 42:5, 55:18
Isaiah 40:28 – 32, 41:10, 43:4, 18 – 19, 45:2 – 3
For children:
1 Kings 4:29
Psalms 127:3 – 5, 144:12
Isaiah 11:2, 43:5, 49:25, 54:13, 59:21
Jeremiah 29:11 – 14, 31:16 – 17
Daniel 1:9, 20
Eph. 1:17, 6:4
Phil. 4:19
Col. 1:9 – 12
James 1:2
For wayward family members:
Psalm 140:1 – 2, 4, 8
Isaiah 59:1
Jeremiah 33:26
2 Cor. 4:3 – 4
2 Tim. 2:25b – 26
To receive Jesus as Lord:
John 3:7 – 8, 16; 6:37, 10:10b, 14:6
Romans 3:23, 10:9 – 13
1 John 1:9
There are so many more scriptures for arsenal and weapons. One thing is for sure we, as the Army of God, are equipped, powerful, and well able to take the enemy because of Who we are in Christ.
Don’t be afraid to wield your sword. Be aggressive at the enemy. He is out to destroy you so don’t hesitate to use your weapons on him.
Your fellow comrade,
Pastor Kris Belfils
Pastor Kris Belfils 