Spiritual Warfare: Overview of Defensive Spiritual Warfare

This month's Series is on The Gospel According to Matthew. In January, we covered the first seven chapters of Matthew.

Before we continue with chapter 8, we are spending last week and this week covering background information. Last week we covered applications of Jesus Premiere Teaching and the Unaware Brain. This week are covering Spiritual Warfare because the next section of chapters that we will cover from Matthew deals with Spiritual Warfare. The previous post was an overview on the enemy's method of Spiritual Warfare. Here is the conclusion:

1. The goal is to hinder God's Will.

2. The enemy supplies WORDS and SENTENCES (influence) to the heart/Unaware Brain of the individual.

3. Choosing NOT to be intentional builds a stronghold within our thought process.

4. The Enemy creates circumstances that causes us to hit the stronghold during the First Feedback Loop.

5. The result is that our understanding and experience (faith) are weakened so that eventually our imagination and memory (conscious brain) serves the enemy.

The enemy has been partly to completely successful with their method of Spiritual Warfare.

In fact, one of the proofs that the enemy has been successful is that we think the enemy's method is different than what I just presented! How many people do you know that explain the enemy's method of Spiritual Warfare in the same way as this post?

People ACTUALLY believe the enemy can do something AGAINST the will of the individual! EVERYTHING we have seen in this post is ACCORDING to the will of the individual! It is IMPOSSIBLE to do something AGAINST the will of the individual SOLELY through WORDS and SENTENCES.

Today, we will look at the technique the Bible tells us to use to defend ourselves against the enemy's method of Spiritual Warfare.


OVERVIEW OF DEFENSIVE SPIRITUAL WARFARE
Since the enemy is able to do Spiritual Warfare on us, there ought to be a method to DEFEND ourselves from the enemy's method of Spiritual Warfare.

There is an explanation for the method of Defensive Spiritual Warfare. This link: Defensive Spiritual Warfare will take you to one of the three most "googled" posts on this blog...most likely because it is one of the best explanations given for the passage of the Bible that is covered. However, most people aren't looking for an explanation of a passage from the Bible. They want to understand HOW to defend ourselves against the enemy's method of Spiritual Warafe, so they find the presentation boring. Perhaps I ought to make this more palatable...does this help?

"Two intelligent, yet precocious youths, Becky and Marty, uncovered a dusty book from behind their great grandfather's bookcase. In it was an ancient text written in another language that gave the secret on how to DEFEND against the enemy's ability to attack. The ancient text called it "The Whole Armor of God" and explained each part and alluded to how each part worked...just like it was a specific piece of armor! Luckily an enchanted mouse was able to read the text and translate it for Becky and Marty. Here is what the mouse read from the ancient book..."

"Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Wherefore take up the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and, having done all, to stand."

"Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; withal taking up the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one."

"And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: with all prayer and supplication praying at all seasons in the Spirit, and watching thereunto in all perseverance and supplication for all the saints, And on my behalf, that utterance may be given unto me in opening my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak."

"Marty wrote down the parts of The Whole Armor of God:
-Truth
-Righteousness
-Gospel of Peace
-Faith
-Salvation
-Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God
-Prayer"

"Becky said, "Marty, we ought to find out exactly what each of these words mean...and then do them!" Marty agreed."
(Excerpt from "The Very Big Book of Cheesy Stories")

We saw HOW the enemy's method of Spiritual Warfare works. From yesterday's post:

"The ultimate way the enemy wins is for us to allow our faith to deteriorate to the point that we don't use understanding (WHY) and experience (HOW) to think...and the result is we consciously choose to focus on the enemy. The conscious brain then leads the Unaware Brain to destruction. Deception occurs..."


"DECEPTION
The individual doesn't notice it because they consciously state a Right WHAT. A Right WHAT is a fact."

"The way to determine if the individual is at this stage is to focus on their HOW/WHY supporting their Right WHAT. If they don't have a HOW/WHY or they have a Wrong HOW/WHY, they are deceived and/or trying to deceive others. Deception is a Right WHAT with a Wrong (OR NO) HOW/WHY. Truth is a Right WHAT with a Right HOW/WHY."
(Excerpt from "Spiritual Warfare: Overview of the Enemy's Method")

Now we see that it makes sense that Truth, Faith, the Word of God, Gospel of Peace, and Prayer would DEFEND against the enemy's method of Spiritual Warfare. The enemy's method supplies a Right WHAT with a Wrong (or no) HOW/WHY in hopes that we will accept it. Nothing is forced on us against our will. The Bible's method of DEFENSE against the enemy's method is to protect yourself by intentionally understanding the Right HOW/WHY...which involves Words.

"The Whole Armor of God" post is an excellent resource to understand specifically HOW/WHY each piece of armor is effective. I highly suggest reviewing that post for details. However, here is one implication relative to yesterday's post...

An effect of guarding your heart well is that ONLY God's influence makes it through, which is GRACE...and GRACE results in Righteousness...and ultimately Salvation. Remember, The Whole Armor of God spoke of "the breastplate of Righteousness"! This would "guard your heart"! Apparently, the ancient text written in another language DOES give the answer to how to do Defensive Spiritual Warfare!!!! (Would you prefer me to write the rest of the posts plainly or through "Becky and Marty"?)

While you are thinking about that last paragraph, here are some questions for you to answer out loud or in writing so your Unaware Brain knows what YOU believe:

1. Do you believe The Whole Armor of God as a method to DEFEND against the enemy's method of Spiritual Warfare is real?
2. Do you believe this topic is boring?
3. Are you embarrassed to discuss Defensive Spiritual Warfare?
4. Do you think the general public would want to seriously discuss this topic?
5. Do you think individuals in the general public would encourage their friends to talk about Defensive Spiritual Warfare?


Tomorrow, we will look at the technique the Bible tells us to use to do Offensive Spiritual Warfare.

Next Post

Here are the links for background:

The Whole Armor of God
Spiritual Warfare Defense