Romans 8:31-39 (NKJV) ³¹What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³²He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? ³³Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. ³⁴Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

³⁵Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ³⁶As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” ³⁷Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

³⁸For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, ³⁹nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

So, my question is – how’s that working out for you?

Do you feel victorious?

If not, why not?

For some strange reason we think that just because we became Believers in Yeshua/Jesus everything is supposed to be perfect and there are no struggles.  Scripturally that is the furthest thing from the Truth.  Scripture tells us we are going to have struggles, trials and tribulations in this World.

John 16:33 (NKJV) ³³These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

“In the world you WILL HAVE TRIBULATION…”

Let’s look a different version of that scripture – John 16:33 (NLT) ³³I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

According to that we will have MANY trials and sorrows.  The Promise is that He will give us peace during those difficult times; a peace that makes no sense because it goes beyond natural reason and understanding (Philippians 4:7).

A peace that comes from now that you know but WHO you know!

We know from The Bible that the instigator of these worldly trials and sorrows is satan and his angels.  Since Genesis Chapter 3 the enemy of our souls has made it his eternal obsession to bring confusion, deception and calamity into the perfection that the Father intended.  Their goal is to make sure we do not live the life intended for us.  However, it’s up to us to make a choice to walk in the victory given to us on Calvary while we wait for The Lord to come back and finish the good work He began in the world and in us.

How do we do that?

If we know that the supernatural enemy we have has power over the things of the world and therefore over the things of our flesh we must first realize that the war cannot be won from a natural or fleshly perspective.

2 Corinthians 10:3-6 ( NKJV ) ³For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.  ⁴For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,  ⁵casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,  ⁶and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

The motto for SRT, the Supernatural Response Team is “supernatural problems need a Supernatural Solution”.  It’s a succinct to the point explanation of what we do and how we do it.  And, it applies to all supernatural problems.

The title of this blog is “spiritual warfare basics” so let’s keep it simple and stick with the basics of spiritual warfare.

2 Corinthians 10:2-6 ( KJV ) ²But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.  ³For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:  ⁴(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)  ⁵Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;  ⁶And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

Paul is clearly telling us that although we live in the natural world, our battle is with a supernatural one.  Natural power has no effect against Satan and his kingdom.  And, whatever power we do have is not mighty or strong because of us or anything we do.  They are mighty because of our relationship and reconciliation with God the Father through His Son, Yeshua/Jesus.  This relationship indicates an implied authority like a police officer who has the ability to enforce the law because a higher power or authority has delegated to them the right to do so.  We have been delegated authority from the Highest Power and that dispensation allows us to do what He did as He did it for the reasons He did it.

That strength which has been given to us by the Lord Himself allows us to pull down strongholds of power that the enemy has created in us, our lineage and in our geographic surroundings.  The word “stronghold” means a place that is fortified or easily defended and it also means a concentrated area where a particular group or activity is established.

Spiritual Strongholds can be both external and internal.  They can be personal and geographical.  All of these will have an effect on our lives and the way that life is lived.  Sometimes, in very demonically bound situations, all of these strongholds have to be attacked and defeated simultaneously to release the victim from all demonic control or influence.  From that point onward the freedom must be enforced and protected by continuing to live in the manner instructed in the Life Instruction Manual – The Bible.  Any variation in the instructions will only allow the enemy to regain a foothold in our lives and negate the freedom given to us.  And, many times we have to get victory over internal strongholds before the external ones will fall.  We cannot live an outwardly victorious life when inwardly was are in turmoil and bondage.

The next area of power given to us in the supernatural war is to “cast down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God”.

The Old King James Version calls arguments imaginations.

If you read between the lines and see the implications of the wording you will see that this authority is over Satan himself and his kingdom of fallen angels and demonic spirits.

Now, before all the spiritual warfare critics get in an uproar, I will state that this authority is in and through the Name and Person of Jesus Christ, Yeshua HaMashiach, King of kings and Lord of lords.  However, once this authority had been delegated to us (Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15-18)  and we are taught to move in it we must do so with confidence and without hesitation.

I will expound upon this tomorrow in Part 2 and go into greater detail for those who are uncomfortable with this topic.

It’s not good to war in the dark so we are leaving the LIGHT on!

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