Spiritual Warfare
By John David Hicks
A master of the history of warfare, George Patton has been called the greatest general of World War II. When a German senior officer was captured toward the end of the war, he remarked, “General Patton is the most feared general on all fronts. The tactics of the general are daring and unpredictable. General Patton is always the main topic of conversation. Where is he? When will he attack? Where? How? With what?” General Patton won more battles, took more territory, captured more prisoners and had fewer casualties than any other army general.
Patton was a master of the history of warfare. When Patton faced the German forces under the command of General Erwin Rommel, Patton is reported to have shouted in the thick of the battle, “I read your book, Rommel! I read your book!” And he had. In Rommel’s book Infantry Attacks, he had carefully detailed his military strategy. Patton, having read it and knowing what to expect, planned his moves accordingly and won.
We also have read about Satan’s plans in God’s book; so we “are not unaware of his schemes.” (2 Cor. 2:11). Jesus said that Satan has come to steal every promise, kill your body and destroy your relationships, but He came that we may have life, and have it to the full (John 10:10). Now we can be prepared for spiritual battle.
God could have defeated Satan in the beginning, but he selected mankind to do it. 1 John 3:8, “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.” Jesus has won the victory. His body, the church, is commissioned to expand God’s kingdom by storming Satan’s stronghold and “the gates of Hades will not overcome it” (Matt. 16:18). The “gates of Hades” represents everything that resists God’s loving will for the earth. The church is the vehicle for finishing the work Jesus began. That is why we are called the “body of Christ” (Rom. 12:4-5; 1 Cor. 12:12-27).
According to Paul Billheimer in Destined for the Throne, our prayer life determines our place of ruler ship in God’s kingdom. Jesus’ victory on the cross won the legal right and authority over all that was lost in the fall. Satan is defeated, but God has given the enforcing of this victory over Satan to His church, to you and me. Satan will not give up any of his rights or authority until you, the church, enforce Jesus’ victory.
Like the early church, we need to be bold in our prayers and in our witness. “Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus” (Acts 4:29-30). “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus” (v13). “Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard” (v18-20).
The Lord has promised, “On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them… Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit. (Mark 13:9-11). “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matt. 28:20).
God has given us a very powerful weapon to overcome Satan in Rev. 12:11, “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.” Not only is it Christ’s victory, but the authority of your testimony that will win the battle. A lack of boldness to confront the enemy in the power of the Cross means you have no authority in your testimony. Your faith is feeble.
Paul says that the answer to prayer and witnessing is that “the love of Christ is what compels me” (2 Cor. 5:14). Your faith in God is the source of that victory. In 1 John 4:4, John explains, “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” Let’s boldly by faith take our world for God! “This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith” (1 John 5:4).