Matthew 12:27-29 ESV And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can someone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house.
Spiritual warfare is a mysterious concept for many Christians. Some believe it is the milieu of Charismatics/Pentecostals but according to the Bible, spiritual warfare should be an important aspect of everyday Christian life. Spiritual warfare simply means fighting against spirits and that should be a daily occurrence for every Christian (Ephesians 6:12).
There is a war being fought in the spiritual realm and human souls are the battlefield. The war is not between God and the devil. There is no contest there. The devil is no match for God and in fact the devil is already a defeated foe. The war is between the kingdom of hell and the people of God, and we are the aggressors.
Jesus promised that the gates of hell will not be able to stand against us (Matthew 16:17-19). Gates are defensive. Jesus was saying that the kingdom of hell will not be able to withstand our onslaught if we fight with the power of God. Satan is the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4). He rules on this fallen world and the world’s systems follow his depraved lead. Christians are the invasion force advancing the Kingdom of God one soul at a time.
In the verses above Jesus tells us that in order to take something that belongs to the devil, we must first overpower him through the power of God. This is done through prayer and the preaching of God’s Word. Committed and fervent prayer is like artillery that pounds away at the devil’s defenses and the Word of God cuts the bonds that hold souls captive.
Too many Christians are hunkering down just trying to survive. They allow the devil to choose the time and place for the battles by passively waiting for his counter-attack. It is when we are on the offensive that we are the most effective. When we keep up the pressure the devil regularly loses ground. He cannot stand against us! When we take defensive positions, we lose momentum and generally get pushed back ourselves.
Onward Christian soldiers! Attack the gates of hell! Put the fear of God into the devil and his minions!
Almighty King, Your reign is eternal! Grant Your people the courage to get on their knees and fight! Let us advance Your kingdom throughout the world.