#10 Why Do Spiritual Warfare?
So why do we do the warfare? There are many reasons. First of all, God told us to in Romans 12:2 when he said to renew the mind. Realizing the truths God has stated through the manual and the lies counteracting those truths should make you righteously indignant toward the evil and what it has done to you. Darkness has stolen so much from us of which we aren’t even aware.
Many still do not even believe the devil and demons are real. I love Romans 7:14-21 where Paul states that he does the thing he does not want to do. He does the evil he does not wish. He understands that he is no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in him. Then he says, “I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wishes to do good.” Evil is a demon.
But the scripture which explained the most to me when I searched about warfare is 2 Corinthians 10:3-5. Paraphrased it says we are walking around in the flesh, but the war is not in the flesh. The weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but divinely powerful for pulling down strongholds (fortresses). We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.
The battle is in the spirit. The weapons are for us because this is our warfare! They are divinely powerful from the Holy Spirit. We are tearing down strongholds, speculations, thoughts. That’s what the enemy uses against us in the mind. A stronghold is a hold that is strong. A stronghold or fortress is a lie or lies believed. The lofty thing raised against the knowledge of God (what God knows) is a being (see King James) or demon which is elevating itself over the truth of God. So we are taking thoughts captive. Wow!! Can you imagine how many thoughts we have each day? And how can we take them all captive? Only through the Holy Spirit! The mind is where the liars do their dirty deeds. That’s where and how the battle is fought for our souls! The purpose is to be filled with the Holy Spirit, free of demonic intrusion and available for God’s will to be done! Jesus said, “He who believes in Me, as the scripture said, from his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.” John 7:38 That is what God wants! That is what I want!! I want to be a vessel for God to pour through to bless others.
