Defensive Warfare

Over the last two weeks we’ve discussed the ten steps to successful spiritual warfare. We’ve defined each step and given practical ways for each step to be lived out in your life. But this is a thirty day guide, so what’s left to discuss? A lot!

Now that we’ve spent time defining each of the ten steps, the rest of this book is going to be spent helping you learn how to implement this armor both defensively and offensively. The next ten days will look at utilizing the armor of God to protect your family, your friends and your loved ones. Because it’s not just you under attack. The enemy is coming after everything you hold dear, and remember the principle of step ten: fight together. So can you extend your armor to those around you? Can your actions have an impact on those you love? Absolutely. Remember, a lie from the enemy is that spiritual warfare is every person for themselves. In Matthew 9 Jesus heals a paralyzed man, but it wasn’t because of this man’s faith. It was because of the faith of his friends: Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” Matthew 9:2

Hopefully by this time you’ve begun to realize that spiritual warfare is not wizardry. It is practical and attainable. Now that you’ve begun to learn how to shield and protect yourself, let’s walk back through the ten steps and learn how to apply them to those that you love. How can you engage in spiritual warfare on behalf of your spouse, children, extended family, friends and coworkers who are under attack by the enemy? Let’s stop giving the enemy a beachhead into our families, friends and churches. Let’s start defending what is ours.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

1. Think of a time when someone else’s faith made a difference in your life. What was the situation? How did their faith impact and transform you?

2. Who are people in your life that you need to defensively protect through spiritual warfare? Who is the enemy coming after? Write their names below.

NEXT STEP

The next step for today as we begin to discuss defensive warfare is to go ahead and start putting step 9 (pray continually) into practice. Utilize the lines below to start praying over every person that you want to begin to protect defensively through spiritual warfare. Pray for them by name on a daily basis.