Spiritual Warfare
Disclaimer: Who is this message for?
Believers of the resurrected and returning Jesus Christ and His living word.
Those choosing to live with spiritual vision.
Those who are spiritually awake.
Those discipling the next generation/raising up children.
***Spiritual warfare is a huge topic. In this sermon, I do not expect to cover all things on spiritual warfare, nor would it be wise to. My hope is to share what I believe God is asking me to speak and encourage you to seek Him on what I share.***
Recently, I was in the book of Revelation and 12:17 stood out to me.
“And the dragon was angry at the woman and declared war against the rest of her children-all who keep God’s commandments and maintain their testimony for Jesus.” Revelation 12:17
After reading this verse, the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said, “The enemy has raised a war against Ezra. He declares Jesus and testifies on His behalf. Be alert and train him to fight this war now.”
Yea...that’s a lot. It is an intense word for sure, but I believe every word of it.
Ezra is a child of promise for those of you who don’t know. He was promised to Joshua and I long before we were actually even together, dating or married.
When he was born, a prophetic word was given to him. His worship would be unlike any generation has ever seen. He would bring breakthrough to his generation that has yet to be experienced.
His brother doesn’t stand behind either. Also, a child of promise and months before he was even conceived God spoke to me and said: “It is time. Ezra needs his partner in ministry”. After a traumatic birthing experience with my first this was hard to hear, but undeniably God as He worked in my heart and healed me both emotionally and physically. Judah, meaning praise because we know why he is here.
If you know Ezra, you know he is a worshipper. The kid is anointed and the older he gets the more evident it has become.
Here is a recent example for those who don’t know this gem of a kid:
At the start of the stay at home order, God began waking Joshua up early in the morning. We are talking “3am early”. Joshua began to feel an urgency to pray for the church (BCF and global). He would stay up all morning praying and interceding. God was speaking and showing him beautiful and powerful things. This urgency to pray would last all throughout the day. His passionate prayer life became contagious. Ezra caught it. Out of nowhere, our almost 3 year old, would stop playing and fall on his knees to pray. It was powerful. He would say things like “Jesus take coronavirus out of the park so I can go play. Jesus you are powerful. You can do anything you want to do. You can ride on tractors and you can ride fast cars. Take coronavirus out. Do it Jesus. Do it now.”
It was incredible to watch.
YET HERE IS THE REALITY: We are not the only ones watching this kid step into his calling. Through his declaration of Jesus, the enemy has raised war against him. And the enemy IS NOT watching our 2 year old singing “Raise a Hallelujah” or “This is how I fight my battles” or praying in the Spirit like this and thinking “ah, so cute I’ll check back in when they turn 18”. He is out to kill, steal and destroy and He will take EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO ATTACK AND IS RAGING WAR NOW AGAINST anyone who is a witness to Jesus Christ.
We need to know how true and real this is.
About a year ago, the guys were away on their camping trip and Lauren Stoy was sleeping over. That night I had not sang a worship song over Ezra. In the middle of the night, Ezra began screaming. I had no idea what was wrong (a mama knows her baby’s cry). When I went into Ezra’s room to check on him, I felt a heaviness in the room. It felt humid and the air was thick. I remember I got angry and said not in my house. I grabbed Ezra and began to pray in the Spirit and worship over him. I declared the blood of Jesus in that room and the heaviness was gone within moments. Before leaving his room, the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said you are never to put Ezra to bed without worshipping with him. He has a worshiper’s anointing and every time you put him to bed I am giving you the opportunity to train him. Joshua and I haven’t forgotten once since then.
We all need to be trained and practice spiritual warfare.
Recently, I had a conversation with Sammi White and she spoke about the importance of raising people up to function in the Kingdom versus raising them up in preparation for the real world. And so here is some food for thought:
What are we training for?
What are we discipling others for?
What are we raising our kids up for?
The kingdom or the world?
As a mom of two boys, I have to admit that I have spent more time training Ezra to sit right at church, instead of teaching him how to participate in church. I have spent more time telling Ezra to be quiet during prayer, instead of teaching him how to pray. I have spent more time reading Mo William’s or Dr. Suess children books to my son, then reading the Bible to my son. And though there is nothing wrong with teaching these skills or reading delightful children’s books, my sons need to be taught the kingdom essentials over all of it because that is of utmost importance. The kingdom is eternal.
Some of you may be thinking, “Raquel, you’re being so extra.”, but you know, either we are about it or not. Either we are for His kingdom or not. Either we are living in light of eternity or not. There is no gray area in the middle. There is a real enemy, a real war and it’s not waiting for us to figure out if we believe it is real or not in order to begin. It’s not waiting on us.
Jesus is looking for a people that is about it. A people that will choose Him over all other things. A people ready to engage in things of the kingdom. A people who are spiritually awake and alert, with spiritual vision and prepared for spiritual warfare.
So where do we start:
We have to take this war seriously. (The dream I had.)
Receiving marching orders/strategy
Using humor, distractions, swayed by emotions to cope with the pandemic. Others downplaying seriousness or allowing deception
God wanted to release a prophetic song/voice to those who were listening (felt the weight, felt the seriousness, gave their attention to God and were sensitive to Him). He was calling them to mourn and lament during this time.
I believe God is calling us into this now. He is wanting to give His church strategy for this season and we need to lay aside the distractions and be ready to receive and act.
Know who you are. IDENTITY ROOTED IN CHRIST. The enemy will have a field day with you if you don’t know and walk confidently in who you are in Christ.
At the start of the year, the Lord gave me a strategy to come against any lie of the enemy and that was to recite scripture. Ephesians has been a gift to me this year. Joshua and I read it together aloud and we highlighted or circled any scripture that spoke to who we are because of Christ. Ladies and gentlemen get those highlighters ready because you will be using it ALOT.
Here is an example: Read Ephesians 1:1-8 and circle and highlight anything that speaks your identity.
Whoo! Come on now! That’s the best pep talk I’ve ever heard. I wouldn’t even be offended if you stopped reading to go finish the book of Ephesians yourself.
WE GOTTA KNOW AND BELIEVE THIS ABOUT OURSELVES and walk in that authority always!
Know your weapons (Joshua is amazing and was a great resource for this sermon)
God is good and has given as weapons to engage in spiritual warfare. A lot of them are spiritual disciplines of our faith that we should be engaging in daily. Use of these weapons will keep us victorious in the fight.
For the sake of time, I am gonna move pretty quickly through this list, but know it is SUPER valuable and I would encourage you to deep dive into these God given weapons. They can be divided into 2 categories, BUT can be used interchangeably.
The two categories are offensive and defensive.
Offensive weapons (taking territory from the enemy/binding up the strong man) (i.e. night I had to war in Ezra’s room (blind the enemy/storm into the enemy’s camp.)
The name of Jesus
Philippians 2:9-11 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
The Blood of Jesus (declaring)
Revelation 12:11 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
11 And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even [a]when faced with death.
The Word of God (recite scripture/memorize)
Jeremiah 23:29 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
29 “Is not My word like fire?” declares the Lord, “and like a hammer which shatters a rock?
Speaking in Tongues
Romans 8:26-34 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
26 In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;
Prayer
Pray with authority (intercession,violently)
From the moment John stepped onto the scene until now, the realm of heaven’s kingdom is bursting forth, and passionate people have taken hold of its power. Matthew 11:12 (TPT)
Psalm 50:15 New American Standard Bible (NASB) 15 Call upon Me in the day of trouble and I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me.”
Praise and Worship
22 When they began singing and praising, the Lord set ambushes against the sons of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; so they were defeated. 2 Chronicles 20:22
Pulling down of strongholds (captive to the obedience of Christ)
2 Corinthians 10:3-6 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but [a]divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. 5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, 6 and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.
Fasting
But this kind of demon is cast out only through prayer and fasting. Matthew 17:21
Defensive weapons (putting the enemy into place when he tries to take your authority/keeps the enemy in his place) (Things I am doing/should be doing/praying everyday to keep my defenses up)
Armor of God
Ephesians 6:11-18
Hedge of protection
Job 1:10 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
10 Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.
His angels (angel of the Lord to encamp around us)
Psalm 34:7 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, And rescues them.
Discernment (real battles and fake battles)
1 John 4:1 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
4 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
The Secret Place
Psalm 91:1 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
91 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
Maintain the RHYTHM:
Here is the key to always winning in spiritual warfare: maintain a rhythm of engaging in the fight through the use of our weapons and engaging in the spiritual disciples.
John Ramirez says it best in his book “Armed and Dangerous”:
“The Christian life is a process, and I have come to understand that it is not getting the “A” in the fight that matters; it is maintaining (the A) through the Holy Spirit...That is where you find your consistency in the rhythm (of engaging with Him). That is the secret of spiritual warfare: to keep the fight, to maintain the “A” and to walk in the consistency of the calling of who you are and who God has made you to be. Keeping the rhythm of your hand clapping with God’s hand.”
Jesus already won the victory so we’re not fighting for it. We’re fighting from victory. Meaning we are walking in and maintaining His victory whenever we war in the spirit.
So church here is my charge to you today:
Take the call, yourself and His kingdom seriously.
Walk in your God given authority
Maintain Rhythms of warfare: use your weapons and engage in the disciplines daily.
Train your spiritual children (biological and those you are discipling)
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I thank you that you have invited us into partnership with you. I thank you for calling and choosing us to work and serve in your kingdom. I thank you for the anointing over our lives. I thank you that you have given us a way to engage with you and that you have equipped us with weapons of warfare to come against any attack of the enemy. I thank you for your covering of protection and the authority we have in you. Right now, I break partnership with any lying spirit that says we aren’t who you have already said we are. We choose to walk in your truth and what you say about us. In Jesus’ name, I declare that we will be a church that walks in our true identity, walks in your God-given authority, maintains rhythms of warfare and engages in daily disciplines of our faith. Lord, I pray that you would help us to train the spiritual children you have given us (biological or those we are discipling or will disciple) to take up their weapons and fight the good fight all the days of our lives. In Jesus’ name, we commit our lives, our time, this fight to you. Have your way in our lives mighty and risen King Jesus. Amen.
