When you are living in covenant with God, you can stand on the blessings of Deuteronomy 28. One of them deals specifically with spiritual warfare:
“The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated
before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee
before you seven ways” (Deuteronomy 28:7).
In past columns, I’ve explored how to discern demonic strategies against your life, how to break free from the enemy’s stranglehold,what Satan doesn’t want you to know about spiritual warfare, why we don’t really need to scream at the devil, one question every believer should ask before engaging in spiritual warfare, and why the devil sometimes seemingly won’t flee when you resist him.
But let’s go back to the covenant blessing. See, God has promised us that He will cause our enemies who rise against us to be defeated before our faces. He declared that they shall come out against us 1 way and flee before us 7 ways. But, as you’ll discover if you read any of my past columns, we can get in the way of our blessing and leave room for the enemy to stand in our faces rather than fleeing seven ways. With that in mind, here are 7 ways to make the devil flee 7 ways.
1. Diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God. In order to see this blessed promise come to pass in your life, you need to understand it in context. Deuteronomy 28:1 clearly states, “Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today…” This is your foundation. God doesn’t expect us to be perfect. We cannot keep the law, that’s why Jesus came to pay the price of our sin. But we should be seeking perfect obedience. We should diligently listen to God’s voice and obey what He tells us by His Spirit and in His Word. This alone would cause many devils to run for the hills.
2. Repent before you engage in battle. We have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God (see Romans 3:23). There are sins of commission and sins of omission. Many of us think wrong thoughts, say wrong words or take wrong actions over the course of the day. That means we are not fully obeying the voice of the Lord our God. When that’s the case, we need to repent so we aren’t standing on common ground with the enemy. It’s difficult to defeat an enemy that already has you in a corner. Repent for any known sin and run to the battle line!
3. Know that God is on your side. In Exodus 15:3, the children of Israel knew where they stood and where God stood. After the great deliverance from Egypt, they declared in song, “The Lord is a man of war; the Lord is His name.” They knew that, “The Lord shall go forth like a mighty man; He shall stir up His zeal like a man of war. He shall cry out, yes, shout aloud; He shall prevail against His enemies” (Isaiah 42:13). They knew that the battle belongs to the Lord (1 Sam. 17:47). They understood that they were God’s battle-ax and weapons of war (see Jer. 51:20).
4. War from a position of victory. When Goliath challenged the army of Israel, the soldiers were scared witless of the Philistine champion. But David was a covenant man and he understood that victory belonged to Him in God. As believers, we war from a position of victory, knowing that God always leads us in triumph in Christ (see 2 Cor. 2:14). We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us (see Rom. 8:37). And if God is for us, then who can be against us? (see Rom. 8:31)
5. Praise your way through. In the Song of Moses in Exodus 15:2, the children of Israel sang a song to the Lord that went something like this: “The Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him; My father’s God, and I will exalt Him.” Of course, that was after Israel’s deliverance from Egypt. If you want to make the devil flee, praise God before you engage in battle. Praise brought down the walls at Jericho (see Joshua 6) and praise gave Jehoshaphat victory in battle: “Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated” (2 Chron. 20:22).
6. Take up your armor. We all know God has given us His armor, as outlined in Ephesians 6. But how many of us actually put it on before running to the battle line? Get a revelation of the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the Sword of the spirit. Take some time to understand what this really means as part of your covenant with God. Satan cannot defeat the obedient soldier of God who is armored up and ready to fight. He’ll likely flee toward someone who is undressed, unrepentant, or uninformed about our covenant.
7. Pray always and be watchful. At least half the battle is being on the offense—and that demands discernment. There’s an oft-overlooked instruction in Ephesians 6 that allows your spiritual warfare to transcend space and time: “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints” (Eph. 6:18). The enemy is less likely to pounce on the one who is prayerful and watchful because that one is in communion with the Holy Spirit, a power which no foe can withstand.
So go forth, spiritual warrior, with praise in your heart and prayer on your lips, dressed for battle. The battle belongs to the Lord and the devil will flee seven ways.
There is not really a formula for making the devil flee it is a lifestyle.
ReplyDeleteIn Ephesians 6:8- it lays out our armour. Firstly Paul says be strong in the Lord and the power of His Might.
Then Paul begins to share the revelation of Jesus Christ in a manner called the armour of God. The Whole Armour of God.
Because Jesus defeated the devil and stripped him of his power He is our victory.
The Helmet of salvation is wrought through Faith in Christ. The breastplate of Righteousness is trusting in Jesus and His righteousness which makes us righteous before the Lord. Remember our righteousness is as filthy rags.
The shield of faith is again Faith in Christ alone and not in our own abilities, authority or knowledge. The sword of the spirit is the word of God who is also Jesus Christ Now in mat 4:1-11 Jesus demonstrates how we are to engage the battle and how the enemy will flee from us. It is through not only knowing and speaking the word but standing firmly upon it. Which is also why it is our sandals or what we walk in. But let's examine for a moment mat 4 because in it is total victory for every believer.
Now Jesus was led into the wilderness and after 40 days and nights without food he was hungry. Physically He was weakened. First lesson when the enemy begins to attack he hits you where you are weak. and when you are weak as well.
The first thing the enemy does is say If you are God's son. It is not a new tactic remember in the garden of eden satan again used it. Hath God really said, His only tools are deception and he always plants seeds of doubt just as God sows the seed of the word so the enemy sows doubt sometimes even using the word as we will see. So he says If You are God's son command these stones to be turned to bread.
Jesus counters it has been written man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. Now Jesus did not stand and say you know full well I am God's son and I take authority over you. very important.
Next satan performs some things he takes Jesus to the top of the temple and says jump off or throw yourself down from here for it is written God has given His angels charge over you to bear you up lest you dash your foot against a stone, Lesson 2 the enemy knows the word of God inside and out and uses it though twisted against believers. Jesus counters again using the word of God which He himself is. You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.
The satan shows Jesus all of the kingdoms of the earth, there is an entire teaching on these in and of themselves but we will stick with this for now. satan says I will give you all of this if you bow down and worship me. why is that important? If the devil can get you believing he has something that will benefit you and feed your lusts your heart belongs to him. think about that while we go on.
Jesus stands in the authority given now Begone for it is written you shall worship the Lord your God and Him Only shall you serve. Now let's really get into this. There are 3 categories the enemy lays in wait for every believer the lust of the eyes the lust of the flesh and the pride of life. all of it is focusing on things created rather than the one who created them. Spiritual warfare is a lifestyle is literally standing in and pursuing after Jesus if you look at the lives of the apostles you see the enemy consistently attacking them using people to beat them, they all suffered wherever the gospel of Jesus Christ is preached the enemy will seek to silence it so the warfare is within ourselves and in our minds.
-William
There was a word limit so I will continue .
ReplyDeleteWarfare in and of itself is not something that we do per se it is something that naturally happens walking with God.
For instance the battle I mentioned is in the mind but we are in a war for souls so the enemy has tools or weapons such as blinding the hearts of men to prevent the truth, theft of the word once sowed so that it takes no root. which of course is done through the mind again sowing doubt. Our weapons are truth which is Christ prayer which is done through Christ everything is done through and focused on Christ Jesus our Lord.
So as I said it is a lifestyle. We are told to be ready in season and out of season to give an account for the hope that we have so it is also with the resistance of the enemy.
James makes it very clear that we first submit to God and then resist the devil it is only through Submitting to God as Jesus did when he was in the garden and prayed if you are willing let this cup pass nevertheless not my will but yours. Jesus showed how we submit to God and the relationship we are to have with Daddy our God many times He left the crowds and the disciples and went away to pray. It is only through this walk that we can overcome the enemy because we are in Christ we are clothed in Christ and the enemy is powerless against Him and Him alone.
Many teach of the authority of the believer. The authority however is for the church to equip and empower the body to do the work of the ministry which is to say to preach the kingdom of heaven. Warfare means we are in a battle but the enemy doesn't understand your anointing or authority he only knows and understands Jesus authority which is why Jesus says all authority of heaven and earth is given to Me go therefore.
When we cast devils out it is only through the authority of Jesus that they come out not ours. And people complain actually when asked to fast but fasting and prayer is the life and walk of every believer in fact some demons won't budge without fasting having taken place not because fasting itself is power but because when we are weak God is very strong and our spirit man controlled of the Holy Spirit can move much more freely. that is my opinion of course.
Pastor Kevin and the leaders God puts over you fight war for you as your overseers they are accountable to God for you and this is why we should lift those God places in authority before Him. Our leaders are subject to much attack both from within the fold and without the enemy consistently seeks to take us out and sift us in fact he has a whole blueprint full of your weaknesses and has asked for you by name this is why we must totally rely on Christ and trust Him fully. This is how we overcome the enemy and are able to be clothed in the armour of God day in and day out so that our feet do not stumble it took me a long time to learn this and I hope it brings some encouragement to those who read because God is so very loving and kind towards us but He is not a whacky God and with all the teachings on warfare and what we do and etc I thought it wise to share what I have been taught through my walk concerning warfare and overcoming the enemy of our souls.
I tell you the truth it is a life surrendered to Christ that makes the enemy worry not our giftings, callings or abilities only the authority of Jesus it always is and must remain about Him who paid for us. Jesus Christ the Lord blessed be His name forever and ever
Peace to you
-William