War Strategies
Main Scope of Tactics:
“Spiritual War”
What War? I don’t see any war.
What casualties? I don’t see anyone hurt or dead.
What weapons? What are you talking about? I don’t see any guns or hear any shooting.
If there are casualties, how do we know who they even are?
“Spiritual War”
What War? I don’t see any war.
What casualties? I don’t see anyone hurt or dead.
What weapons? What are you talking about? I don’t see any guns or hear any shooting.
If there are casualties, how do we know who they even are?
First of all, we all know there is good and evil in the world. We don’t even have to look for it; on any given day, it is right in front of us. When we look over the vast majority of our history, read the wide variety of stories from past eras, or even listen when our legendary tales are recited, they are based on the premise of the ongoing battles between good and evil. Actually, finding casualties is quite easy. All you have to do is read the newspaper or watch the evening news and they report the daily “Casualties” for us. A prime example, as recently as 2003 and since that time, at least 200,000 Darfur people have been victims of genocide in Africa. Do you really think ethnic cleansing is a reason to kill anyone? Let’s use an example from our own country. Take a look at a woman that has been viciously beaten and/or brutally raped. Do you think it is right for a man to do that to a woman? Most people would emphatically say, “Of course not!” The reason I say most is, the people that do these despicable acts often believe they are justified in their actions. In fact they might even say, “It was her fault; she wanted it”. These are just two examples and everyone knows there are many more acts of evil in the world today. So, let’s camp here for a just a minute or two. Now, just for a moment, close your eyes and try to imagine all of the evil acts you can think of. I know, I don’t want to look either, but we must not ignore it. It’s horrific, isn’t it? Okay, you can open your eyes now. Hopefully, you have caught a glimpse of what He sees. Who is He? God. Just in case no one has ever told you, God sees all of it all of the time. The bible says in Proverbs 15:3, “The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good." It also says in Job 34:21, “For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings." In another place, it says, God’s eyes run to and fro through the whole earth. God has got his eyes on everything that is going on and He is the Almighty. Praise Him; He is sovereign. He is not going to let anyone get away with anything. “Judgment Day” is coming but in the mean time, let’s get back to the war. Now, let’s clarify some things. Because there is good and evil, we should identify who the leaders of the two sides are. By the way, there is no third or neutral side. In the bible, Jesus himself says, if you are not for Him, you are against Him. Okay, right off, God is the leader of the “good guys”. So, who’s leading the “bad guys”? Well, that would be the devil. At this point you might say, “How does all of this translate into the meaning of war?" Folks, war simply means: a fight between hostile relations with armed forces. Let me tell you, the devil, and his soldiers are heavily armed but praise God, so are the followers of Christ, Yeshua. To be perfectly clear, doing evil is a decision and evil has its leader, the devil. Evil may seem random, and I am sure some of it is, but don’t be fooled, the “evil one” coordinates his attacks and uses strategy against his enemies. This is definitely a “Spiritual War” with physical and spiritual casualties. This evil isn’t somewhere else; it’s here, it’s there, it’s everywhere; “Evil is Worldwide”. At any given moment put all of these evil acts together. Now, it’s not so hard to understand that it’s a war, indeed, a “War” of epic proportions.
So, where does good and evil come from? How do we even know that the fight is between “right and wrong “or “good and evil”? Were we born knowing these things or did we evolve to these ideas? Where do we even get these ideas of right and wrong?
It all started back when God created the world and everything in it (see: What is the bible about?). God is the Creator which is found in Genesis chapters 1, 2, and 3. He made the man, Adam, and the woman, Eve, then, wouldn’t you know it, they both sinned. This means that God told them what they could and couldn’t do and they decided to go against what He said. When these two sinned, they caused sin to pass down to all of their descendants, including you and me. So, right and wrong is given by God. He is the Maker of all things and has complete authority over all of His creation. In one place, the bible refers to God as the potter and in the analogy it is clear that the He has total control over the clay (us). The clay is nothing but a lump until He begins to mold it. The bible clarifies this by saying, “It is by God’s will that we live and have our being”. Along with breathing life into us, He gives you and me freewill. This “free will”, which is the ability to choose right or wrong, comes with it full accountability for our choices. In reference to Adam and Eve, we saw them exercise their free will and clearly God held them accountable for their bad decision. So, the only stipulation to free will is that we are 100% liable for our decisions and to be completely fair, God has also given us a clear conscience to start out. Be on guard because Satan is fully aware of “free will” and he will stop at nothing to influence our will to go against God just as he did. When I say Satan will stop at nothing, I mean, he has taken this fight to the level of war. I did not say a battle; I said “war”. This is a “Spiritual War” and it is greater than any and all wars ever fought or will be fought. Each day the casualties mount at an alarming rate.
Who is this “Satan”? And why is he the bad guy? Well, the devil, Satan, was an angel in heaven but he wanted to be like God and actually above Him, but God obviously disagreed. There is only one God, the Almighty, and He will not yield his position to anyone. This disobedient action, called sin, caused Satan, along with the angels that followed him, to be cast down to the earth. By the way, Satan’s future is to be cast into the “lake of fire” at the end of this spiritual war; Revelation 20:10, “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever." I urge you to consider switching to God’s side if you haven’t already done so. All of Satan’s side will be cast into the lake of fire which includes every non-believer of Jesus Christ. The bible says it this way in Revelation 21:8, “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murders… and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death”. To clarify who the unbelieving people are, the bible says in John 3:18, “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God”. Jesus Christ is the Son of God. So, that means if you avoid choosing, you need to know you are already on the wrong side. Jesus plainly said in Matthew 12:30, “He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad." You only have one choice and God leaves it up to each one of us to decide. Another thing, if you think you can avoid choosing and try to ride this thing out, you might want to reconsider your position. When I said God gives you the one choice, he is offering you to change sides and come over to him before it is too late. (see: Salvation) God is not going to let you plead your case at judgment; He is just going to hand down your sentence which is to be cast into the lake of fire. Please exercise your “free will” and choose Jesus before your ability to choose is no longer available. There is another verse I would like you to ponder and it is in Hebrews 9:27, “and as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." If you notice there is no room for any more free will decisions to be made once a man dies since judgment is next on the list.
Tactics
1. Posture
The most important tactic to learn is how to walk in the Spirit. You can't have love, peace, joy, or any fruit of the Spirit without walking in the Spirit. This is crucial. See the written topic Key to Life. You will be completely ineffective, vulnerable, defenseless, and without understanding in this war unless you are walking in the Spirit.
2. Use the proper weapons and ammunition
a. Weapon: your sword, the bible. Ephesians 6:17
b. Show thyself studied and approved unto God. 2 Timothy 2:15
c. Preach the word, be instant in season, out of season. 2 Timothy 4:2
Prayer is vital for your protection. Don't try and fight in this war without calling on the God of all wisdom and power. He will not always deliver you out of a situation but will always be your strength through it if you call upon Him.
A proper perspective on life and the world is good ammunition. The word of God gives the right perspective and teaches us how to navigate this war. See: written topic Perspective
Planning is a necessary war strategy. Most people are fixated on short-term gratification. This war is like a game of chess where you need to seek long-term gratification, strategy, planning. People seriously hurt themselves by seeking short-term gratification. Be patient, seek the things of others also and God will give it to you in His time. An example of stepping ahead of the Lord and trying to get things now is when we charge on credit cards instead of saving up our money to pay for the item in full. The bible says that the borrower becomes a servant to the lender. This is unwise and against the will of God. With short term gratification, there are always consequences. The ultimate short-term gratification is to love your life unto the end (not receiving Christ as your savior).The ultimate long-term gratification that people need to seek is the afterlife. Set your affections on things above, not on the things of this earth. Don't be entangled with the things of this world.
Unity of the brethren is crucial ammunition. The church needs to be unified in knowledge of the scriptures, in thoughts, and love. Christians come together to form a body, a family. They support and help one another through the trials of this life.
Maturity is good ammunition. We need to grow up. The less mature we are, the more susceptible we are to lies and deceit. With a right perspective, the more mature Christian is less susceptible to Satan’s tactics and less likely to depart from following God.
The word of God gives us perspective, understanding, knowledge of who God is, and what the world is about. We can use the word of God has a weapon against Satan and against others because it is truth and it is sound mind. Even though the unsaved do not have sound mind, we can fight using our sound mind (rational, right, Spirit led thinking).
The only place to get sound mind is through the word of God directed by the Holy Spirit.
3. Use appropriate armor-the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:13-17)
a. Girt your loins with truth
b. Breastplate of righteousness
c. Feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace
d. Shield of faith
e. Helmet of salvation
f. Sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God
4. Keep your composure in the heat of battle
a. Be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to wrath (James 1:19)
b. Stay focused on the task at hand
c. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me (Philipians 4:13)
You must stay organized in battle. If you keep your stuff organized in the heat of battle, you will know right where your things are. The enemy usually does not know where your things are because they do not have that much intel (information) on you. This applies to physical things in many instances but staying organized spiritually is the most important. Satan can ascertain physical things easy. An example might be that if you don't keep your financial and important papers in order such as bank statements, advance directives, credit card interest rates and agreements, etc. it is a an easy avenue for him to start trouble. He can cause mistakes to happen on your accounts that can ruin your credit or at the least take days to straighten out. Of course, even if you're diligent in keeping organized he can still cause trouble and will but organization can keep a lot of problems from happening. Satan can spot your vulnerability in spiritual things as well. An example of the weakness he will prey upon is if you are not organized, prepared, know what you believe and why, he may send someone to you that knows the scriptures but has a wrong understanding of them. If you are not spiritually organized in your beliefs, Satan's messenger could lead you down a wrong and destructive path.
Anger is self-defeating. It will turn around and bite you. Anger is a good tactic used by Satan. Anger is ungodly and it is generated by fear/pride. Anger puts us working in the enemy’s camp instead of God’s camp. You're not walking in the Spirit if you’re walking in anger. See: Fear, Pride, Control video.
Don't be afraid. It is hard not to be afraid in this war. There are so many horrible and wicked things out in the world. We must remember who our Father is. God is in perfect control. Hebrews 13: 5-6 explains that we don't have to fear what men could do unto us. Unless you are walking in the Spirit, you are walking in the flesh and you will feel fear from time to time. Even though you feel fear, do it afraid. Do what you know is right whether you feel fear or not.
5. Be well supplied with food, water, and shelter
a. Water- "But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." (John 4:14)
b. Bread- "This is the bread which cometh down from heaven that a man may eat thereof, and not die." (John 6:50)
c. Shelter- "And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a cleft of the rock, and will
cover thee with my hand while I pass by." (Exodus: 33:22)
Jesus is our spiritual bread, water, and shelter. For those who are saved, He is everlasting food, water and shelter. Our spirits will never hunger, thirst or be desolate. He provides our spirit refuge here in this life. After we leave this world to be with Him, we receive fulfillment of a new body in a place that we will never experience any want of any kind. During our stay in this world, He promises to feed and clothe us. Seek first the kingdom of God and He will add all these things unto you ( Matthew 6:25-33). By seeking God first, you are ensuring yourself to be supplied with the things you need in this life which helps ensure your efficiency in this war.
In a war, you camp temporarily and move your camp from spot to spot as the General directs. God would be the General and He directs us as we move through this life from camp to camp. Don't be fixated in one place, that is a snare in this war.
Don't get too tired, too confused, or too bombarded in this war. You won't be able to think clearly, be able to achieve much, or be able to effectively fight against Satan, others, or even against yourself (your carnal desires).
Be conscious of the flesh. It wants to feel comfort. It wants food, it wants to feel good, it wants sex, etc. The flesh is a big weakness in this war. The lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, the pride of life. (1 John 2:16)
6. Take a firm position whether offensive or defensive
a. "Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong." (I Corinthians 16:13)
b. "Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle." (2 Thessalonians 2:15)
c. "No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen
him to be a soldier." (2 Timothy 2:4)
Never show your hand to the enemy. Never let them know your assets, what you are thinking or your strategy.
Learn to prioritize. Address the things that are most important first. Look at the forest, and then you can tend to individual trees.
Be prepared to be a witness for God. Know the word of God and be able to witness as opportunity arises. Remember, the blood is on your hands if you don't tell those that are lost (Acts 20:26-27). Be prepared to share the gospel to as many as you can in a tactful manner.
Never deny the Lord. If you deny him he will deny you (in this physical world). The people that do not deny the Lord all the way to death, greatly glorify Him.
With privilege comes responsibility. Whether you have houses, children, a job, whatever you have - responsibility comes along with that. So when you have stuff, becoming entangled with this world to a certain extent is inevitable. You have to spend time tending to those things that you have and can become very ineffective for the Lord. Keep your possessions and ties to this world to a minimum.
Remember, there is no middle ground. You are either for God or against Him (Matthew 12:30). Ungodly actions and thinking are evident of the disconnection with God but we fail to recognize that ambivalence or apathy is also disconnection.
7. Two man teams
a."And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave then power over
unclean spirits." (Mark 6:7)
b."After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come." (Luke 10:1)
Two man teams are a minimum. This tactic allows you to see 360 degrees around staying aware of incoming enemy attacks.
In many situations a witness is needed to protect you. People occasionally lie against you or twist what you have said. When dealing with unsaved people, remember that Satan can toss them about at his will. In other words, he can plant doubt and deceit into their minds. He would enjoy twisting the situation to defraud the Christian. Even if Satan is not the cause of the unsaved person twisting the event and words used, they do not have sound mind and therefore can perceive wrongly and project you as the culprit of the situation. By having a witness, this minimizes this risk.
8. Know how to spot an ambush
a. Don't let the enemy corrupt your mind. "...as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds
should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." "For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus ..., ye
might well bear with him." (2 Corinthians 11:3,4)
b."Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are
gone out into the world." (I John 4:1)
One ambush tactic is projection. Satan will have people project their faults onto you or have things happen in the world to make you look guilty of things that you’re innocent.
To be able to spot an ambush, you must know the word of God thoroughly. Of course, you must be walking in the Spirit also to be able to recognize an ambush. Keep your eyes open for an ambush. Ask God for wisdom and discernment for different situations and people. Start watching people and their actions. Get some subtlety about you.
You must know the word of God thoroughly and understand it. The Scriptures are spiritually discerned. If you're not walking with the Spirit, He will not reveal the understanding of them to you. False teachers come among the church and they know the word of God thoroughly, but they do not understand it. The only way to be able to spot false teachers/Christians is to understand the word of God by walking in the Spirit. You must be able to spot the ambush of false teachers to protect yourself and the church, this is crucial.
Another ambush to be aware of, is that people will be intimidated for you to witness the gospel to them. When a person is guilty, they project their shame, guilt, and anger in your direction. Types of reactions range from a "no thank you, I don't want to hear about that", or accusing you of being a fanatic and unbalanced, and even to violence. Anticipation of a negative reaction causes Christians to fear and inhibits them from witnessing. The best witnessing tactic is to get on a subject that leads to a conversation about God and they will be more willing to listen if it is their own idea and not unsolicited.
9. Do not fall for the propaganda put out by the enemy
a. "And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die." (Genesis 3:4)
b. "And (Satan) saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me." (Matthew 4:9)
c. Don't fall for fairy tales. "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." (2 Timothy 4:3,4)
Propaganda causes contention within the ranks. A well used tactic of Satan is to get the soldiers fighting among themselves. Divide and conquer. Christians can be influenced by Satan or create their own propaganda with gossip, false doctrine, back biting, etc.
One propaganda put out by the enemy is that the pastor is in control of the flock and he is accountable for what he tells you, therefore you are not accountable to God. It is true that the pastor is accountable but it is also true that each individual person is accountable for themselves.
A major propaganda put out by Satan is by changing the Bible. Sometimes even changing the smallest words can change the meaning. When you change the meaning you get a different doctrine and maybe even a different Jesus. Some of the Bibles are very twisted. Many of the new Bibles were written on the premise of making it easier to read and to be understood. Since this society has the “I want it now!” instant gratification thinking, they fall victim to the changing of God's Word. God's word is to be learned precept upon precept, line upon line and not be changed all. The word of God needs to be studied, and searched diligently.
Another propaganda effort by Satan against the word of God is that it is written by man and not by God. But the Bible says that the Scriptures are inspired by the Holy Ghost (2 Timothy 3:16).
Another propaganda put out by Satan is that you have sinned too much for God to want to save you. The truth is that the Bible says that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Even after we’re saved, Satan comes around and tries to fill our heads with memories of things we have done to make us feel unworthy, depressed and ineffective for the Lord. When you are saved in Christ you are a new creature and all your sins are washed away. To reflect on your old sins and feel defeated or unworthy as a child of God is a tactic from Satan and a manifestation of our own pride.
Fairy tales. Don't fall for the fairy tales that the world puts out. One fairy tale is that you can be anything you want to be. That is simply not true. God has given you certain abilities and He has a specific plan for your life. It is unlikely that you will ever succeed beyond the abilities God has given you. Furthermore, it is extremely unwise to step outside of His will and plan for your life by trying to make your fairy tale come true. Another fairy tale is " I want it all, I want it now!" It is extremely unwise to want it all. Many hurtful lusts come upon people who want money and things. You get entangled with this life and become ineffective in the pursuit of money and things. Most of the time, we create our own fairy tales. We create a little box in our mind of what we want in life. We rationalize that God should give us what we want instead of seeking and surrendering to His will of what He wants. You can be your own worst enemy by developing fairy tales in your own mind.
Another propaganda is that truth is subjective or relative. It is popular in the world to just “roll with the flow" and let everyone have their own opinion. Allowing each one to define what is their own truth, simply is not right. Truth only comes from God and is revealed in His word. See the written topic Is truth subjective?
10. Learn to recognize the enemy's tactics
a. Satan uses many different (and ordinary also) people to battle us. Saul said to a sorcerer, "And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to
pervert the right ways of the Lord?" (Acts 13:10)
b. Satan and his demons can look like Godly people. "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness..."
(2 Corinthians 11:13-15)
The enemy examines you in your weak points and attacks in those weak points. That is called reconnaissance.
One of Satan's tactics is to keep you bombarded. He keeps you ineffective for God by being busy with work, play, things happening outside of your control, etc. He keeps you side tracked. You can’t see the forest for the trees. That means that being busy with each individual task keeps you focused on each item at a time and you lose sight that the tree is in a forest. The overall picture of things (the forest) is the most crucial thing to stay focused on.
The world and Satan promote having fun and being happy as the goal in this life. Seeking fun over seeking maturity, lends to dysfunction and vulnerability. God requires us to mature. We need to mature physically, emotionally, and most of all spiritually. Staying a baby Christian (a person who is new to the Christian life) dishonors God and poses a real threat to the church in this spiritual war. All those who are newly saved start out as baby Christians but we all need to grow. Remaining unlearned in the things of God puts the burden of responsibility on others and makes the ranks vulnerable to false teachers and doctrine. Unlearned Christians are personally open to being manipulated into petty acts against others and causing disruption of unity in the church. Also, through their immaturity, they are easily offended by others.
Satan still uses the tactic of demon possession. Many people today think that it no longer exists and that it was actually mental illness. Mental illness does exist but so does demon possession. Sometimes both are in the same person or independently of each other.
One huge deceptive tactic of Satan is counterfeit Christianity. He leads people to think they are saved (some of those tactics are discussed in the video Salvation). He also has many false religions in the world and he has people fooled into thinking that they are right with God. See the topic “Why are there different religions?”
Satan sends people to irritate you and lose your peace, your walk in the Spirit. Examples: people calling on the phone, solicitors; a bill that is incorrect and takes days to get it straightened out; bad drivers in traffic; someone gossiping about you, etc. Almost every day there are things put out by the enemy that are intended to interrupt your walk with God. Be aware and recognize this tactic so you can cognitively decide to lean on the Holy Spirit for your peace and not let these things affect you.
Don’t be ignorant of Satan’s devices (2 Corinthians 2:11). He tries to pit us against each other. Instead follow the word of God which says, "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." (Ephesians 4:31-32)
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The examples of tactics you can use and those that the enemy can use against you are vast. Keep your mind alert to them at all times in this spiritual war.
So, where does good and evil come from? How do we even know that the fight is between “right and wrong “or “good and evil”? Were we born knowing these things or did we evolve to these ideas? Where do we even get these ideas of right and wrong?
It all started back when God created the world and everything in it (see: What is the bible about?). God is the Creator which is found in Genesis chapters 1, 2, and 3. He made the man, Adam, and the woman, Eve, then, wouldn’t you know it, they both sinned. This means that God told them what they could and couldn’t do and they decided to go against what He said. When these two sinned, they caused sin to pass down to all of their descendants, including you and me. So, right and wrong is given by God. He is the Maker of all things and has complete authority over all of His creation. In one place, the bible refers to God as the potter and in the analogy it is clear that the He has total control over the clay (us). The clay is nothing but a lump until He begins to mold it. The bible clarifies this by saying, “It is by God’s will that we live and have our being”. Along with breathing life into us, He gives you and me freewill. This “free will”, which is the ability to choose right or wrong, comes with it full accountability for our choices. In reference to Adam and Eve, we saw them exercise their free will and clearly God held them accountable for their bad decision. So, the only stipulation to free will is that we are 100% liable for our decisions and to be completely fair, God has also given us a clear conscience to start out. Be on guard because Satan is fully aware of “free will” and he will stop at nothing to influence our will to go against God just as he did. When I say Satan will stop at nothing, I mean, he has taken this fight to the level of war. I did not say a battle; I said “war”. This is a “Spiritual War” and it is greater than any and all wars ever fought or will be fought. Each day the casualties mount at an alarming rate.
Who is this “Satan”? And why is he the bad guy? Well, the devil, Satan, was an angel in heaven but he wanted to be like God and actually above Him, but God obviously disagreed. There is only one God, the Almighty, and He will not yield his position to anyone. This disobedient action, called sin, caused Satan, along with the angels that followed him, to be cast down to the earth. By the way, Satan’s future is to be cast into the “lake of fire” at the end of this spiritual war; Revelation 20:10, “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever." I urge you to consider switching to God’s side if you haven’t already done so. All of Satan’s side will be cast into the lake of fire which includes every non-believer of Jesus Christ. The bible says it this way in Revelation 21:8, “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murders… and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death”. To clarify who the unbelieving people are, the bible says in John 3:18, “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God”. Jesus Christ is the Son of God. So, that means if you avoid choosing, you need to know you are already on the wrong side. Jesus plainly said in Matthew 12:30, “He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad." You only have one choice and God leaves it up to each one of us to decide. Another thing, if you think you can avoid choosing and try to ride this thing out, you might want to reconsider your position. When I said God gives you the one choice, he is offering you to change sides and come over to him before it is too late. (see: Salvation) God is not going to let you plead your case at judgment; He is just going to hand down your sentence which is to be cast into the lake of fire. Please exercise your “free will” and choose Jesus before your ability to choose is no longer available. There is another verse I would like you to ponder and it is in Hebrews 9:27, “and as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." If you notice there is no room for any more free will decisions to be made once a man dies since judgment is next on the list.
Tactics
1. Posture
The most important tactic to learn is how to walk in the Spirit. You can't have love, peace, joy, or any fruit of the Spirit without walking in the Spirit. This is crucial. See the written topic Key to Life. You will be completely ineffective, vulnerable, defenseless, and without understanding in this war unless you are walking in the Spirit.
2. Use the proper weapons and ammunition
a. Weapon: your sword, the bible. Ephesians 6:17
b. Show thyself studied and approved unto God. 2 Timothy 2:15
c. Preach the word, be instant in season, out of season. 2 Timothy 4:2
Prayer is vital for your protection. Don't try and fight in this war without calling on the God of all wisdom and power. He will not always deliver you out of a situation but will always be your strength through it if you call upon Him.
A proper perspective on life and the world is good ammunition. The word of God gives the right perspective and teaches us how to navigate this war. See: written topic Perspective
Planning is a necessary war strategy. Most people are fixated on short-term gratification. This war is like a game of chess where you need to seek long-term gratification, strategy, planning. People seriously hurt themselves by seeking short-term gratification. Be patient, seek the things of others also and God will give it to you in His time. An example of stepping ahead of the Lord and trying to get things now is when we charge on credit cards instead of saving up our money to pay for the item in full. The bible says that the borrower becomes a servant to the lender. This is unwise and against the will of God. With short term gratification, there are always consequences. The ultimate short-term gratification is to love your life unto the end (not receiving Christ as your savior).The ultimate long-term gratification that people need to seek is the afterlife. Set your affections on things above, not on the things of this earth. Don't be entangled with the things of this world.
Unity of the brethren is crucial ammunition. The church needs to be unified in knowledge of the scriptures, in thoughts, and love. Christians come together to form a body, a family. They support and help one another through the trials of this life.
Maturity is good ammunition. We need to grow up. The less mature we are, the more susceptible we are to lies and deceit. With a right perspective, the more mature Christian is less susceptible to Satan’s tactics and less likely to depart from following God.
The word of God gives us perspective, understanding, knowledge of who God is, and what the world is about. We can use the word of God has a weapon against Satan and against others because it is truth and it is sound mind. Even though the unsaved do not have sound mind, we can fight using our sound mind (rational, right, Spirit led thinking).
The only place to get sound mind is through the word of God directed by the Holy Spirit.
3. Use appropriate armor-the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:13-17)
a. Girt your loins with truth
b. Breastplate of righteousness
c. Feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace
d. Shield of faith
e. Helmet of salvation
f. Sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God
4. Keep your composure in the heat of battle
a. Be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to wrath (James 1:19)
b. Stay focused on the task at hand
c. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me (Philipians 4:13)
You must stay organized in battle. If you keep your stuff organized in the heat of battle, you will know right where your things are. The enemy usually does not know where your things are because they do not have that much intel (information) on you. This applies to physical things in many instances but staying organized spiritually is the most important. Satan can ascertain physical things easy. An example might be that if you don't keep your financial and important papers in order such as bank statements, advance directives, credit card interest rates and agreements, etc. it is a an easy avenue for him to start trouble. He can cause mistakes to happen on your accounts that can ruin your credit or at the least take days to straighten out. Of course, even if you're diligent in keeping organized he can still cause trouble and will but organization can keep a lot of problems from happening. Satan can spot your vulnerability in spiritual things as well. An example of the weakness he will prey upon is if you are not organized, prepared, know what you believe and why, he may send someone to you that knows the scriptures but has a wrong understanding of them. If you are not spiritually organized in your beliefs, Satan's messenger could lead you down a wrong and destructive path.
Anger is self-defeating. It will turn around and bite you. Anger is a good tactic used by Satan. Anger is ungodly and it is generated by fear/pride. Anger puts us working in the enemy’s camp instead of God’s camp. You're not walking in the Spirit if you’re walking in anger. See: Fear, Pride, Control video.
Don't be afraid. It is hard not to be afraid in this war. There are so many horrible and wicked things out in the world. We must remember who our Father is. God is in perfect control. Hebrews 13: 5-6 explains that we don't have to fear what men could do unto us. Unless you are walking in the Spirit, you are walking in the flesh and you will feel fear from time to time. Even though you feel fear, do it afraid. Do what you know is right whether you feel fear or not.
5. Be well supplied with food, water, and shelter
a. Water- "But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." (John 4:14)
b. Bread- "This is the bread which cometh down from heaven that a man may eat thereof, and not die." (John 6:50)
c. Shelter- "And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a cleft of the rock, and will
cover thee with my hand while I pass by." (Exodus: 33:22)
Jesus is our spiritual bread, water, and shelter. For those who are saved, He is everlasting food, water and shelter. Our spirits will never hunger, thirst or be desolate. He provides our spirit refuge here in this life. After we leave this world to be with Him, we receive fulfillment of a new body in a place that we will never experience any want of any kind. During our stay in this world, He promises to feed and clothe us. Seek first the kingdom of God and He will add all these things unto you ( Matthew 6:25-33). By seeking God first, you are ensuring yourself to be supplied with the things you need in this life which helps ensure your efficiency in this war.
In a war, you camp temporarily and move your camp from spot to spot as the General directs. God would be the General and He directs us as we move through this life from camp to camp. Don't be fixated in one place, that is a snare in this war.
Don't get too tired, too confused, or too bombarded in this war. You won't be able to think clearly, be able to achieve much, or be able to effectively fight against Satan, others, or even against yourself (your carnal desires).
Be conscious of the flesh. It wants to feel comfort. It wants food, it wants to feel good, it wants sex, etc. The flesh is a big weakness in this war. The lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, the pride of life. (1 John 2:16)
6. Take a firm position whether offensive or defensive
a. "Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong." (I Corinthians 16:13)
b. "Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle." (2 Thessalonians 2:15)
c. "No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen
him to be a soldier." (2 Timothy 2:4)
Never show your hand to the enemy. Never let them know your assets, what you are thinking or your strategy.
Learn to prioritize. Address the things that are most important first. Look at the forest, and then you can tend to individual trees.
Be prepared to be a witness for God. Know the word of God and be able to witness as opportunity arises. Remember, the blood is on your hands if you don't tell those that are lost (Acts 20:26-27). Be prepared to share the gospel to as many as you can in a tactful manner.
Never deny the Lord. If you deny him he will deny you (in this physical world). The people that do not deny the Lord all the way to death, greatly glorify Him.
With privilege comes responsibility. Whether you have houses, children, a job, whatever you have - responsibility comes along with that. So when you have stuff, becoming entangled with this world to a certain extent is inevitable. You have to spend time tending to those things that you have and can become very ineffective for the Lord. Keep your possessions and ties to this world to a minimum.
Remember, there is no middle ground. You are either for God or against Him (Matthew 12:30). Ungodly actions and thinking are evident of the disconnection with God but we fail to recognize that ambivalence or apathy is also disconnection.
7. Two man teams
a."And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave then power over
unclean spirits." (Mark 6:7)
b."After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come." (Luke 10:1)
Two man teams are a minimum. This tactic allows you to see 360 degrees around staying aware of incoming enemy attacks.
In many situations a witness is needed to protect you. People occasionally lie against you or twist what you have said. When dealing with unsaved people, remember that Satan can toss them about at his will. In other words, he can plant doubt and deceit into their minds. He would enjoy twisting the situation to defraud the Christian. Even if Satan is not the cause of the unsaved person twisting the event and words used, they do not have sound mind and therefore can perceive wrongly and project you as the culprit of the situation. By having a witness, this minimizes this risk.
8. Know how to spot an ambush
a. Don't let the enemy corrupt your mind. "...as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds
should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." "For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus ..., ye
might well bear with him." (2 Corinthians 11:3,4)
b."Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are
gone out into the world." (I John 4:1)
One ambush tactic is projection. Satan will have people project their faults onto you or have things happen in the world to make you look guilty of things that you’re innocent.
To be able to spot an ambush, you must know the word of God thoroughly. Of course, you must be walking in the Spirit also to be able to recognize an ambush. Keep your eyes open for an ambush. Ask God for wisdom and discernment for different situations and people. Start watching people and their actions. Get some subtlety about you.
You must know the word of God thoroughly and understand it. The Scriptures are spiritually discerned. If you're not walking with the Spirit, He will not reveal the understanding of them to you. False teachers come among the church and they know the word of God thoroughly, but they do not understand it. The only way to be able to spot false teachers/Christians is to understand the word of God by walking in the Spirit. You must be able to spot the ambush of false teachers to protect yourself and the church, this is crucial.
Another ambush to be aware of, is that people will be intimidated for you to witness the gospel to them. When a person is guilty, they project their shame, guilt, and anger in your direction. Types of reactions range from a "no thank you, I don't want to hear about that", or accusing you of being a fanatic and unbalanced, and even to violence. Anticipation of a negative reaction causes Christians to fear and inhibits them from witnessing. The best witnessing tactic is to get on a subject that leads to a conversation about God and they will be more willing to listen if it is their own idea and not unsolicited.
9. Do not fall for the propaganda put out by the enemy
a. "And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die." (Genesis 3:4)
b. "And (Satan) saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me." (Matthew 4:9)
c. Don't fall for fairy tales. "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." (2 Timothy 4:3,4)
Propaganda causes contention within the ranks. A well used tactic of Satan is to get the soldiers fighting among themselves. Divide and conquer. Christians can be influenced by Satan or create their own propaganda with gossip, false doctrine, back biting, etc.
One propaganda put out by the enemy is that the pastor is in control of the flock and he is accountable for what he tells you, therefore you are not accountable to God. It is true that the pastor is accountable but it is also true that each individual person is accountable for themselves.
A major propaganda put out by Satan is by changing the Bible. Sometimes even changing the smallest words can change the meaning. When you change the meaning you get a different doctrine and maybe even a different Jesus. Some of the Bibles are very twisted. Many of the new Bibles were written on the premise of making it easier to read and to be understood. Since this society has the “I want it now!” instant gratification thinking, they fall victim to the changing of God's Word. God's word is to be learned precept upon precept, line upon line and not be changed all. The word of God needs to be studied, and searched diligently.
Another propaganda effort by Satan against the word of God is that it is written by man and not by God. But the Bible says that the Scriptures are inspired by the Holy Ghost (2 Timothy 3:16).
Another propaganda put out by Satan is that you have sinned too much for God to want to save you. The truth is that the Bible says that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Even after we’re saved, Satan comes around and tries to fill our heads with memories of things we have done to make us feel unworthy, depressed and ineffective for the Lord. When you are saved in Christ you are a new creature and all your sins are washed away. To reflect on your old sins and feel defeated or unworthy as a child of God is a tactic from Satan and a manifestation of our own pride.
Fairy tales. Don't fall for the fairy tales that the world puts out. One fairy tale is that you can be anything you want to be. That is simply not true. God has given you certain abilities and He has a specific plan for your life. It is unlikely that you will ever succeed beyond the abilities God has given you. Furthermore, it is extremely unwise to step outside of His will and plan for your life by trying to make your fairy tale come true. Another fairy tale is " I want it all, I want it now!" It is extremely unwise to want it all. Many hurtful lusts come upon people who want money and things. You get entangled with this life and become ineffective in the pursuit of money and things. Most of the time, we create our own fairy tales. We create a little box in our mind of what we want in life. We rationalize that God should give us what we want instead of seeking and surrendering to His will of what He wants. You can be your own worst enemy by developing fairy tales in your own mind.
Another propaganda is that truth is subjective or relative. It is popular in the world to just “roll with the flow" and let everyone have their own opinion. Allowing each one to define what is their own truth, simply is not right. Truth only comes from God and is revealed in His word. See the written topic Is truth subjective?
10. Learn to recognize the enemy's tactics
a. Satan uses many different (and ordinary also) people to battle us. Saul said to a sorcerer, "And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to
pervert the right ways of the Lord?" (Acts 13:10)
b. Satan and his demons can look like Godly people. "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness..."
(2 Corinthians 11:13-15)
The enemy examines you in your weak points and attacks in those weak points. That is called reconnaissance.
One of Satan's tactics is to keep you bombarded. He keeps you ineffective for God by being busy with work, play, things happening outside of your control, etc. He keeps you side tracked. You can’t see the forest for the trees. That means that being busy with each individual task keeps you focused on each item at a time and you lose sight that the tree is in a forest. The overall picture of things (the forest) is the most crucial thing to stay focused on.
The world and Satan promote having fun and being happy as the goal in this life. Seeking fun over seeking maturity, lends to dysfunction and vulnerability. God requires us to mature. We need to mature physically, emotionally, and most of all spiritually. Staying a baby Christian (a person who is new to the Christian life) dishonors God and poses a real threat to the church in this spiritual war. All those who are newly saved start out as baby Christians but we all need to grow. Remaining unlearned in the things of God puts the burden of responsibility on others and makes the ranks vulnerable to false teachers and doctrine. Unlearned Christians are personally open to being manipulated into petty acts against others and causing disruption of unity in the church. Also, through their immaturity, they are easily offended by others.
Satan still uses the tactic of demon possession. Many people today think that it no longer exists and that it was actually mental illness. Mental illness does exist but so does demon possession. Sometimes both are in the same person or independently of each other.
One huge deceptive tactic of Satan is counterfeit Christianity. He leads people to think they are saved (some of those tactics are discussed in the video Salvation). He also has many false religions in the world and he has people fooled into thinking that they are right with God. See the topic “Why are there different religions?”
Satan sends people to irritate you and lose your peace, your walk in the Spirit. Examples: people calling on the phone, solicitors; a bill that is incorrect and takes days to get it straightened out; bad drivers in traffic; someone gossiping about you, etc. Almost every day there are things put out by the enemy that are intended to interrupt your walk with God. Be aware and recognize this tactic so you can cognitively decide to lean on the Holy Spirit for your peace and not let these things affect you.
Don’t be ignorant of Satan’s devices (2 Corinthians 2:11). He tries to pit us against each other. Instead follow the word of God which says, "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." (Ephesians 4:31-32)
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The examples of tactics you can use and those that the enemy can use against you are vast. Keep your mind alert to them at all times in this spiritual war.