Ephesians 6:10-12 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Over the decades I’ve been in ministry, I’ve run into so many different attitudes and perspectives people have toward spiritual warfare. Some people feel it’s this dark, spooky, complicated thing. Others dismiss it as not being that important. Still others can make it seem very weird or strange. But none of these mindsets is correct! I think of all the times Paul would write in his letters, “Now, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant . . .” That’s exactly how I feel in regards to prayer and spiritual warfare - I do not want you to be ignorant! Or, if you are a little more seasoned in this area, I do not want you to become stagnant. The enemy is relentless, so we need to be relentless in growing and learning too! Begin to shift to fully embrace the truth that God is calling you to be an overcomer. I challenge you to take this truth and run with it.

2 Corinthians 2:11 so that we might not be outwitted by satan—for we are not ignorant of his schemes.

Genesis 3:1-5 But the serpent was shrewder than any animal of the field that Adonai Elohim made. So it said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from all the trees of the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “Of the fruit of the trees, we may eat. But of the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God said, ‘You must not eat of it and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” The serpent said to the woman, “You most assuredly won’t die! For God knows that when you eat of it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Whether or not we need to realize spiritual forces are at work in every element of our life. Their agenda is to cripple our faith and draw us away from God.

Is it a spirit of fear, a lying spirit, a spirit of infirmity, the leviathan spirit, the spirit of Ahaz or Jezebel, the python spirit. A religious spirit?

The spirits of fear, lying and infirmity are controlling Spirits. The Jezebel spirit uses seduction to distract, Manipulate and deceives. Ahaz is passive and allows Jezebel to operate.

The leviathan spirit twists words, God’s or ours. The python spirit chokes the wind of God out of believers. A religious spirit sows legalism and bondage into the hearts of God’s people

The first step to defeating these spirits is to discern properly identifying which spirit empowers us to break free from it.

Hebrews 5:14 But solid food is for the mature, who through practice have their senses trained to discern both good and evil.

Establish godly boundaries of authority. Don’t be an Ahaz. Use strong spiritual authority. Allow God’s strength to meet in you in your weakness

Be prepared, there will be a power struggle. Don’t Give in, stand your ground. Remember your identity.

Remember your first love, receive His love and Goodness. Remember His promises. Stay in fellowship And don’t isolate yourself.

Galatians 5:1 For freedom, Messiah set us free—so stand firm, and do not be burdened by a yoke of slavery again.

The Pursuit of God

Prayer-daily conversation, reflection, and communication with God is imperative to a vibrant first-love lifestyle. Prayer was Yeshua’s most powerful weapon.

We need times to lean in, be still, and listen. We need quiet times of prayer.

A lifestyle framed by prayer is one of powerful destiny fulfilled

Mark 1:35 Very early, while it was still night, Yeshua got up, left, and went away to a place in the wilderness; and there He was praying.

James 5:16 So confess your offenses to one another and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous person is very powerful.

Worship-this is one of the distinguishing marks of a son or daughter of God. We are born to be worshipers.

Worship is the act of releasing our intimate affections to YHWH, it is the engine of first love.

Worship is a constant act of surrender. It is not Just a few fleeting moments; it is a lifestyle of surrender.

Psalm 103:1 Of David. Bless Adonai, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy Name.

Praise-the distinction between praise and worship, Many times they flow together. To praise is to lift Up. Lifting up the name of Yeshua, the power of YHWH, and His promises above everything else.

Isaiah 61:3 to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they might be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of Adonai, that He may be glorified.

Reading, studying, and meditating on the Word of YHWH-it is a manual strait from the heart of YHWH. It renews our minds, this means we must learn to think differently. This is a process, not a one time thing.

The Word of God is the voice of God in our lives. It is crafted to shape us and to plant us deep in the ways of our Father

2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.