Spiritual Warfare- Work Hard Stay Humble

What do you do when you have prayed, fasted, and quoted every Scripture you know but there is still no progress in a life or given situation? We must recognise that there is a spiritual war that is ongoing, and there is an enemy that wants to disrupt and derail the purposes of Christ and His church here on earth. We know that sin brings brokenness in lives which affects not only those in the church, but in the world. When believers walk in disobedience, doors are opened to the enemy to infiltrate.

Yet, we must constantly remind ourselves that Jesus Christ has overcome the power of sin, death, and Satan. Believers must learn to walk in obedience to God’s Word and be led by the Holy Spirit. The church (ecclesia) that Jesus is building (Matthew 16:18-19) has been given the keys (authority in Christ) to overcome the schemes of the enemy. While the enemy has no power against believers, he can still cause significant damage in the interim. To counter this highly strategic enemy, believers must mature from the “milk” to the “solid food” of God’s Word. learn to overcome these encounters with sin, and advance the kingdom of God on earth.

In this teaching, we consider one of the schemes the enemy uses very effectively against believers, churches, leaders, marriages, and families. to bring chaos, division, and strife. Mature believers must be able to discern and overcome these ploys by using their weapons of warfare (Ephesians 6:10-18; 2 Corinthians 10:1-6)

Ephesians 6:10,12 “Finally, be strengthened in the Lord and in the strength of His power. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.”

The apostle Paul highlights four levels of a highly strategic army of Satan himself, sent against the church. These are rulers, powers, world rulers of darkness, and forces of evil in the heavens. The NKJV refers to them as “principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (NKJV)

One major evil spirit (not the only one, but a significant one observed in the last days) unleashed against Israel and the church is referred to in the Bible as Leviathan. Leviathan symbolizes chaos originating from Israel’s adversaries. It is sometimes viewed as a real creature (created to play in the sea, Psalm 104:26) and also represents spiritual opposition. Leviathan is often linked to pride, leading to confusion, health problems, and division. In contrast, the python spirit is a coiling force that attempts to crush spiritual life by obstructing finances, causing spiritual and physical lethargy, and severing communication with God. An example of the power available to a believer in Christ over the spirit of divination (python) is found in Acts 16:16-18, where Paul brings deliverance to the slave girl.

It is vital for the church to operate in all the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and especially the gift of distinguishing (discerning) between spirits- 1 Corinthians 12:10. The apostle Paul exhorts the church in Corinth to "earnestly desire the best gifts" (1 Corinthians 12:31) and "to pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts" (1 Corinthians 14:1). As believers, we must first believe these gifts are for us in Christ, and by faith position ourselves to receive and operate in them. Love undergirds the exercise of spiritual gifts. Without love, nothing is achieved in the kingdom of God.

The Leviathan spirit is especially active in Asia, and globally.

God engages in some rhetoric with Job concerning Leviathan:

Job 41:1-2 “Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook or press down his tongue with a cord? Can you put a rope in his nose or pierce his jaw with a hook?”

God will judge Leviathan:

Psalm 74:14  “You crushed the heads of Leviathan; you gave him as food for the creatures of the wilderness.”

Isaiah 27:1 “In that day the Lord with his hard and great and strong sword will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan the twisting serpent, and he will slay the dragon that is in the sea.”

Ezekiel 29:3-5 “speak, and say, Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon that lies in the midst of his streams, that says, ‘My Nile is my own; I made it for myself.’ I will put hooks in your jaws and make the fish of your streams stick to your scales; and I will draw you up out of the midst of your streams, with all the fish of your streams that stick to your scales. And I will cast you out into the wilderness, you and all the fish of your streams; you shall fall on the open field and not be brought together or gathered. To the beasts of the earth and to the birds of the heavens I give you as food.”

 This evil spirit infiltrates and,

1.    Causes prayerlessness Job 41:3

Weapon- dependency on the Lord – Epaphras Colossians 4:12; Romans 12:12

2.    Comes against covenant alignment Job 41:4

Weapon- be in covenantal alignment with God and people- Matthew 22:37-40

3.    Twisting serpent, fleeing serpent that plays with words, brings offense, words taken out of context, half-truths and half lies, insinuations against leaders, believers. Isaiah 27:1

Weapon - gentleness and kindness- Proverbs 15:1; Ephesians 4:29-32

4.    Causes despair, depression, intimidation, fear- Job 41:8-9

Weapon- Boldness- 2 Timothy 1:7; Proverbs 28:1 “The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion.”

 5. He feeds on pride. Job 41:34 “he is monarch over all the sons of pride.”

Psalm 10:4 “The wicked one in the pride of his countenance will not seek, inquire for, and yearn for God; all his thoughts are that there is no God [so He never punishes].

Weapon - Humility -1 Peter 5:5 “Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

It is the duty of every believer in Christ to recognise this spiritual war, and by faith in Christ to use the spiritual weapons to expand and extend the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven. Are you prepared to work hard, and stay humble at this time?