![]() As He reveals things to you, ask for His forgiveness and the strength to live according to His plan for you. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge.Īsk God to search your heart and make you aware of ways you might be choosing to be the god of your own life. I truly delight in God’s commands, but it’s pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. It happens so regularly that it’s predictable. He gave us a great picture of what this struggle feels like: The apostle Paul, who helped spread the early church as a missionary and wrote much of the New Testament, struggled with his flesh. Scripture states that to walk closely with God, you need to be alert to the ways you are influenced by the people around you.įor everything in the world - the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life - comes not from the Father but from the world.Īs you pray regularly, ask God if there are ways you are putting something the world values before Him in your life.Īlthough the influence of the world around you is very real, you also need to be aware that the struggle to turn away from God can come from within you - from your own sin and your own desires. In our Western culture, physical appearance, personal success and freedom from responsibility to the wider community are just three examples of things the world encourages you to put before God. The things a culture values - whatever it focuses its attention on - are usually a clear indicator of the position God’s commandments are given in it. Some elements of every society or culture can point you toward Jesus, some are neither good nor bad, and some directly conflict with your ability to follow Jesus and maintain a strong connection with God. Societies and cultures in the world encourage people to think and act in certain ways. ![]() Thankfully, God is stronger than all of them. The Bible teaches that three forces are battling with God for ownership of your heart: the world, the flesh and the devil. But lies - especially subtle ones - are one of the enemy’s favorite tactics. Do you have days when you struggle to believe what the Bible says about God, or about you? That’s completely natural. You might even feel like there is a battle going on inside your mind some of the time. But part of you wants to take back control and continues to put up an internal fight. If you have chosen to begin a personal relationship with God, then you know that you have asked Him to be in control of your life. So what does it have to do with humanity? Spiritual warfare sounds like a battle between God and His enemies. Scriptures That Help You Pray Through Spiritual Warfare What Does Victory Look Like in Spiritual Warfare? The Holy Spirit’s Role in Spiritual Warfare Know Your Enemies: The World, the Flesh and the Devil How Are You Involved in Spiritual Warfare? Here are some essentials we will cover in understanding and praying about spiritual warfare: Whether you feel under spiritual attack right now, you know someone else who might be or you just want to understand spiritual warfare better, below are some resources to help you understand this topic and how to use one of the greatest tools God has given us in our battle: prayer. “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” - 2 Corinthians 4:4, NIV The enemy’s tactics may differ depending on whether someone is already a Christian or not, but his ultimate purpose is always to keep people from experiencing the love of God. Satan is committed to preventing people from knowing God and trusting Him with their lives. ![]() Because he is an enemy to God and God’s people, he is sometimes referred to as simply “the enemy.” However, God has an enemy, who is known as Satan or the devil. ![]() He created you for you to love others as you love yourself and to use your skills and talents for the good of the world - to point people to Him. He created you to know Him and experience His love. Whether you believe in and follow Him or not, God created you for a reason. Spiritual warfare is the battle for control over people’s souls. Historical battles were often about controlling territory for political or economic power. One way to explain spiritual warfare is by comparing it to physical war. “Spiritual warfare” is a phrase you might hear some Christians use, but the truth is many people do not fully know what it is, or what to do about it.
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