EQUIPPING THE WARRIOR
James 4:7-8
Fighting the Good Fight # 5
Like any battle, spiritual warfare requires preparation and training. Many Christians want to get involved in the action of spiritual warfare without first submitting themselves to the discipline necessary to equip a warrior for battle.
Spiritual warfare should be seen as involving two simultaneous movements: the upward toward God and the outward to invade Satan's kingdom.
SUBMIT TO GOD
Many have never been willing to learn what it means to submit to spiritual authority.
Christians who are not willing to obey God unconditionally are not ready for spiritual warfare.
"We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands" (I John 2:3).
"This is love for God: to obey his commands" (1 John 5:3).
Dietrich Bonhoeffer:
"The tree of knowledge of Good and Evil produced the ability to choose our own good or our own evil." Both choices may take us equally distant from God. We have a third alternative, God's will."
2DRAW NEAR TO GOD
Our personal prayer life is the principal barometer used to measure the quality of our relationship to God.
"Intimacy with God in prayer is a primary goal of the Christian life" (John Wimber).
Drawing near to God requires time and priority.
Time for prayer is scarce only because we give other activities higher priority.
Fasting brings power to the process of prayer.
CLEANSE YOUR HANDS AND PURIFY YOUR HEARTS: HOLINESS!
Cleanse your hands refers to what we do - our willful actions; our intentional conduct.
Purify your hearts refers to how we think and feel - our carnal desires; our motives and attitudes.
Developing holiness (clean hands and a pure heart) is essential for a spiritual warrior - it is the armor of God.
Countless thousands of churches suffer sever cases of "KOINONITES," which is self-centered spiritual interest; self-serving, rather than Christ-centered.
Cleansing has to do with ridding our lives of sinful acts - or OBEDIENCE.
Read Ephesians 4:17-32.
Read Colossians 3:5-17.
Purity the result of allowing the Holy Spirit to rid our lives of sin through cleansing and to fill our hearts with His presence stamping the image of God upon our attitudes and desires.
Read Galatians 5:19-26.
PRINCIPLES FOR SPIRITUAL WARFARE
Be sure you are in a proper relationship to God.
Confess all known sin.
Seek healing for persistent sin patterns.
Allow others to read your spiritual barometer.
The higher the calling the higher the standard of holiness.