From the Desk of Steve Shultz:
This word is a crucial word for the Body of Christ.
More than 30 years ago, a prophet who was also my friend (he has since gone home to be with the Lord) said to me:
"Steve, you have the 'Family of God' down cold – but Steve, you don't know 'ONE THING' about spiritual warfare.
That stung at the time, but I've since learned to embrace our need to fight. When we accepted Christ, we signed up and were conscripted into the "Army of God," like it or not.
I can't say I like it, but I can tell you that I now accept it as a fact.
Happy fighting. As long as we are all in this battle together, we are brothers and sisters in arms and that can be a very bonding experience. (To Subscribe to the Elijah List subscribe here.)
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Steve Shultz, Founder and Publisher
The Elijah List & Breaking Christian News
elijahlist.com
Life without warfare is impossible in the natural world as well as in the spiritual realm. The Christian is called to a life of war, and victory will come when one is active in the war. We are called to walk in spiritual authority and power, which is necessary to establish the Kingdom of God on the earth. The Christian is called to wage war on three levels.
Three Levels of Spiritual Warfare
1. Face-to-face warfare with satan is where we overcome temptation and the seductions of the flesh and its nature. This is the first level of spiritual warfare, but I must make this point: All spiritual warfare must be done in the power of the Spirit; therefore, all warfare produces real authority, which produces power. Even in this first level of warfare we "...by the Spirit put to death the deeds of the body [flesh]" (Romans 8:13, emphasis mine). Then, we will have overcome by resisting, and we will live in Him in victory, for He always causes us to triumph.
2. The second level of spiritual warfare is "hand-to-hand combat," in which we enter into warfare for others by bringing truth (witnessing and preaching) to them, or through intercession, or by casting out demons, thus fulfilling the Great Commission in Mark 16:15-18. Please note that this type of ministry is only for those who have had victory in their own lives in face-to-face combat. Again, this is done by the authority of the Holy Spirit who is the finger of God. Luke 11:20, "But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the Kingdom of God has come upon you."
And by His commission and authority we cast out demons. Luke 10:18-19, "And He said to them, 'I saw satan fall like lightning from Heaven. Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.'"
3. So now let's talk about the third level of spiritual warfare, and may it be so that the Spirit of the Living God would open the eyes of our understanding regarding warfare in the heavenlies, where the thrones of principalities and rulers of darkness are pulled down.
First, we acknowledge that principalities (satan's princes) do exist. Daniel 10:13, 20 clearly show that there are princes in the heavenly places, and Ephesians 6:12 clearly tells us that we (the Church) wrestle (engage in warfare) with the principalities – rulers of darkness.
With these truths firmly established, the only question that remains is how do we wrestle? The Greek word for "wrestle" is pale, which means "to vibrate or shake." The vibration of prophetic proclamation comes against and causes the thrones of principalities to begin to shake and sway, until they topple over and come down. Again, this type of warfare does not take place in our own strength or power. 2 Corinthians 10:4, "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds."
The weapons of our warfare (in the heavenlies/spiritual realm) are intercession by prophetic proclamation (speaking by the Holy Spirit) – not by bringing a railing accusation but through proclamation that declares the establishment of the Kingdom of God and commands satan to get behind the Kingdom (a place of defeat), and get under the feet of God's rule. As ambassadors for Christ, we must engage the enemy... (continue reading)
