Chapter 2 - Spiritual Strategies
The opening passage in this chapter is Ephesians 6:10-11 that reminds us to don the full armor of God in order to stand against the schemes of the devil. Each piece of the armor has a strong correlation to our Messiah, so another way of saying this is to put on Christ.
Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh. (Rom 13:14)
We are made up of body, soul, and spirit which are intimately connected and effect each other. Satan may attack us in any part, but his primary way is through the mind. To be an effective believer, we must have authority over our mind. We do this by identifying and rejecting thoughts not from God and replacing them with His truth.
A point brought out regarding evil / darkness is how it can grow as more people tolerate or participate in it. This gives the enemy a stronger influence over our lives and can spread from a person, to a household, to a neighborhood, to a city and beyond. John 8:34 says if we practice sin, we are its slave. The fiery arrows of the enemy are lies and deceptions that distract from God’s truth. Our defense is the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Eph 6:17) A key quote from this chapter: “To be effective in spiritual warfare requires partnership with God’s Spirit and His Word.”
For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. (Heb 4:12)
But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. (John 14:26)
I think another important point brought out in this chapter is that our motivation for discernment and shifting atmospheres to spread God’s kingdom should be based on love with the goal of bringing the goodness of God into every aspect of life. It is crucial to have the right heart and motivation. Yeshua (Jesus) is our model for success. Another point of consideration is that to be truly successful takes discipline, prayer, fasting and a strong connection with the Father to help us grow in authority over the enemy. We must avoid taking shortcuts that may be offered by the enemy. Just as in the physical, to excel requires training and practice, so too with the spiritual.
This chapter is about Spiritual Strategies, and I feel that Dawna is showing us a different one in each section. Here is a list to help us remember them:
Identify thoughts--whether they be of God (truth) or from non-God (lies).
- if the thought is not from God it will not lead you to Yeshua; if the thought is from God it will bring us closer to God and his virtues
- discerning what's truth means we have to have truth within us - the Word of God
Technique 1: be grounded in Scripture
- Scripture is truth and having truth in our system gives us discernment
- Scripture is actually a weapon, not just a defense, and it attacks the darkness
Technique 2: prepare for battle
- don't partner or tolerate with sin: this is the opposite of preparing for success in combat
- sin creates open doors to the enemy
- build a personal relationship with Holy Spirit who is our Helper
Technique 3: study the life of Yeshua
- he lived out of love
- “Love, heaven's greatest weapon, covers a multitude of sins; when released, it can crush the enemy's forces no matter how strong."
- cultivate the culture Yeshua started: victory, love, etc.
Yeshua had... steadfast devotion and closeness to the Father
- strong connection allows for our gifts and authority to increase and mature
- surrendering to God allows for God to work miracles
Yeshua had... reliance on Holy Spirit
- allows you to operate with a strong discernment
Yeshua had... an understanding of timing
- he was content to operate in the Father's time frame
- he allowed development to take place in his life (developed character and favor)
- Yehsua was always prepared because of this
- he set time aside to draw close to the Father--spiritual discipline: prayer, fasting, etc.
Yeshua had... submission; he did it God's way even if it meant dying on a cross
- he recognized that victory lies in conforming to God's plan/strategy
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