CORNERSTONE YOUTH CHURCH: Spiritual Strategies

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Text: II Corinthians 10:3-6

• “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds…”

Spiritual Warfare

• Spiritual Warfare is the war or conflict between the forces of good and the forces of evil in the spiritual or invisible realm;

• It is the active battle between those representing God’s kingdom and Satan’s kingdom.

• Spiritual warfare is a powerful weapon that entails directly addressing Satan and his kingdom in offensive combat against the forces of evil.

The Devil tries to get you close to failing with the “D” grade by instilling the following into your mind:

• Doubt – Provokes you to question God’s Word and His support.

• Discouragement – Pressures you to focus on your problems instead of the Problem Solver/God.

• Diversion – Entices you towards ungodly endeavors instead of righteous matters.

• Delay – Influences you to exaggerate about your full commitment to God.

• Defeat – Makes you feel unaccepted, so you don’t make an effort to succeed.

Satan's War Time Planning Manual

Break Their Will To Fight And We Will Own Them! I Samuel 17 verses 1-11
Wear Down The Saints And We Will Control Them! Daniel 7:25

• Wear the saints down mentally and exhaust them physically

Divide And Conquer Matthew 12:25
Never Press a Child of God Too Hard!

• Exodus 14, II Chronicles 20, Acts 4:23-31

• The devil knows that a desperate foe is a dangerous foe.

• In some cases his tactic is to bring just enough pressure to interfere with the plan of God for your life but not enough to cause you to cry out to God in prayer

• Turn Them Away From God - By Changing The Laws

Key Strategies For Waging Effective Spiritual Warfare

• The Word

• Daily Bible Reading.

• Meditate on God’s Word.

• Pray Often

• Praying in the Spirit

• Binding and Loosing: Matthew 16:18-19

• Angelic Intervention

• Angels are bearers of the miraculous and are greatly involved in the affairs of humanity (Psalm 68:17). They are ministering spirits who minister for the heirs of salvation (Hebrews 1:14). We cannot dispatch angels, but we can pray to God and ask Him to release them to work. They hearken to the voice of His Word/do His commandments. (Psalm 103:20) One angel slew 185,000 men in a battle! (II Kings 19:35)

• Clothe Yourself in Humility. If pride is the armor of darkness, humility is the armor of light. Each and every day, we are all given a choice to act humbly or to express pride. Make it your goal to habitually practice humility and to resist the spirit of pride.

• Cultivate a “Quiet” Mind. Christians have inherited what the entire world is seeking: peace of mind. Our peace of mind comes through being in right relationship with God which was made possible by the redemptive work of Christ. However, some believers have never known true peace because, while their spirits have been redeemed, their minds have never been renewed. As you read and meditate on God’s Word, and give yourself to prayer, your mind will slowly begin to come into line with God’s will. Learn to focus your mind and not allow it to wander all over the place. Your mind can be used for good purposes or for bad purposes. Learn to develop a quietness of mind. It is the quiet mind that can better hear the still, small voice of God.

Key Strategies For Waging Effective Spiritual Warfare

• Knowledge

• Who God is.

• Who is the enemy

• Who you are in Christ

• Our weapons for spiritual warfare

• Resist the devil James 4:7