The Holy Spirit had the Apostle Paul to write these words: 2nd Corinthians 10:4 “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.”
Paul wrote in 1st Timothy 6:12 to “fight the good fight of faith.” God desires for His children to fight and live an overcoming life in the Spirit. To do this, I believe that every child of God must know and be able to use the seven weapons of spiritual warfare.
1. The Word of God is the first weapon of spiritual warfare. Hebrews 4:12 declares, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Ephesians 6:17 reads, “And the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Oh yes, don’t forget, Romans 10:17 “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” . When a believer has truth and walks in truth, he or she will be able to discern and know the correct responses to the many challenges of life. The Word defeats the enemy and changes confusion into triumph. The Word is our offensive and defensive weapon. It is a two-edged sword.
2. The second weapon of spiritual warfare is the power of the Holy Spirit. Acts 1:8 declares, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost (Spirit) is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Jesus said in Luke 24:49, “But tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.” Christ said in Luke 10:19, “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy.” 1st John 4:4 declares, “Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” When a believer is baptized in the Holy Spirit, that believer has a resource like no other to defeat the enemy. Satan has no weapon that can withstand the power of the Holy Spirit. The power of the Holy Spirit makes available the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
3. Another great weapon of spiritual warfare is the authority to use the name of Jesus. Do you recall reading about Peter in Acts 3:6 when he said to the lame man, “Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk”? What happened? Verse seven says, “Immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.” WOW! That’s a miracle. Hebrews 13:8 reads, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” John 14:14 says, “If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.” We should ask in His name. We should pray in His name. We should expect miracles in His name. Luke 10:17 reminds us that “even the devils (demons) are subject unto us through thy name.”
4. There is awesome power in the prayer of agreement. In Luke 10:1, Jesus, our Lord, sent his disciples out two by two. In James 5:14, it reads, “Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church” to anoint and then to pray. In Matthew 18:19, Jesus taught, “Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.” Oh, brother or sister, there is awesome power when you get others praying in agreement with you. The prayer of agreement can bring down the strongholds of the enemy. It is time for brothers and sisters to form prayer groups of faith to see miracles of healing and deliverance.
5. I believe in the awesome ministry of angels. Hebrews 1:14 refers to angels in declaring, “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?” Psalm 91:11 reads, “For He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.” Angels are mentioned 194 times in the Bible, with 99 times being in the New Testament. Angels helped Jacob when he was in great despair. Elisha would never forget the angelic intervention. An angel strengthened Daniel in the midst of great trial, and they showed up in the fiery furnace to help three Hebrew young men. How about apostle Peter? He would never forget the angel that showed up while he was in Herod’s prison and is written about in Acts 12. Angels were revealed to Saint John many times in the book of Revelation. Thank God for the ministry of angels to the body of Christ. We need our guardian angels. Psalm 34:7 reads, “The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them.”
6. Dearly beloved, we must not forget the power of praise. In Psalms 119:164, it says, “Seven times a day do I praise Thee because of thy righteous judgments (ordinances).” David wrote in Psalm 34:1, “I will bless the LORD at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” I must remind you of what happened in Acts 16. Paul and Silas had been beaten severely for preaching the gospel. They were locked in prison in Phillippi, Greece. Luke wrote in verses 25 and 26, “And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God; and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.” You can’t tell me that there is not power in praise to our God.
7. The most powerful weapon of all is the power of the blood of the Lamb. We know from scripture that everything God does to bring favor and blessing to His church is by and through the awesome power of the blood of Jesus. Salvation comes by the blood. Sanctification comes by way of the blood. Healing and deliverance come through the blood. The baptism of the Holy Spirit comes after the blood has been applied to the heart. John the Baptist cried out, speaking of Christ, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” 1st Peter 1:19 proclaims that we are redeemed “with the precious blood of Christ,” and Paul said in Ephesians 2:13 that we are “made nigh by the blood of Christ.” John wrote in Revelation 1:5 that Jesus washed us and made us clean by the blood. In Revelation 12:11, the church “overcame him (Satan) by the blood of the Lamb.” I remember that when I was a child growing up, I would watch my dear mother walk the floor and pray these words, “I plead the blood, I plead the blood.” She understood that the greatest weapon of spiritual warfare was focusing our faith on the cross and in the shed blood of Calvary—for our salvation, our sanctification, our healing, our deliverance, our peace, and our joy. With a full understanding of God’s Word, total faith in the shed blood of Calvary, and reliance on the Holy Spirit, you and I can enjoy a life of victory, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
Written by Dr. Don Paul Gray