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The Art of Spiritual Warfare: Part 2: The Strategy of the Saints
The Strategy is an Offensive One
“… and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” Matthew 16:18
- Our job is not to sit back and wait, it is to look for opportunities to advance the Kingdom of God
- The Advance
- Gates cannot attack
- The implication is that you will “storm” the gates and they will not stand against you
- This is an offensive strategy
Never attack when you will have no chance of victory
Sometimes attack when you have a chance of victory
Always attack when you are guaranteed a victory
The Art of War states that “to win 100 victories in 100 battles is not the pinnacle of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the supreme excellence.”
- The cause of Christ is right. However, the “right” will not be accepted if it is not demonstrated in love.
- Also, fighting many battles will wear you out. Choose your battles!
How do we know when we are guaranteed victory?
Four points in which victory may be predicted
From The Art of War
- He who knows when he can fight and when he cannot will be victorious.
- He who understands how to fight in accordance with the strength of antagonistic forces will be victorious.
- He whose ranks are united in purpose will be victorious.
- He who is well prepared and lies in wait for an enemy who is not well prepared will be victorious.
- When To Fight
- Do not try to do battle before you are ready
- The Holy Bible, King James Version
2 Timothy 2:15
15Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
- How To Fight
- You must understand the strength of the enemy as well as the strength of your God
- The Holy Bible, King James Version
Romans 12:3
3For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
- Why To Fight
- We must be united in purpose.
- To lift up the Name of the Lord
- The Holy Bible, King James Version
- We must be united in purpose.
Matthew 12:25
25And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:
- Prepared To Fight
- The enemy knows your weaknesses, so when you come to the enemy in the power of God, your weaknesses are gone and the enemy will not be prepared for it.
- The Holy Bible, King James Version
Matthew 17:21
21Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.
Varnel Watson
part 2 just for Charles Page If you dont fight the battle someone else wins
Charles Page
I used to be confused about spiritual warfare and it is true that someone else wins.
Now I believe in active spiritual warfare and I am always victorious, I don’t know defeat. I have excellent intelligence to act upon.
Varnel Watson
you either fight it or it fights you
Isara Mo
Troy Day
No middle way
RichardAnna Boyce
Jesus’ parables are teaching how GOD will advance HIS Kingdom at HIS pace and timing. Pentecostals try to use the parables to persuade God to agree to their church growth projects.
Anonymous
//2 Timothy 2:15
15Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.//
No. nobody understands the source words about that verse. What was timothy to study? Whats the word of truth?
Anonymous
its a lot of supposition that circles around a false idea that angels could ever sin or even, want to sin, or that angels would think of sin or consider fleshly desires like pride for example, or that God allowed angels (who are always before His face!!!!!<<<) to.......
Media: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10218804412179967&set=p.10218804412179967&type=3
Anonymous
Pentecostal teaching on spiritual warfare lacks sound biblical exegesis.
Anonymous
If you think as Charismatic being the second wave in 50-70s who came from mainline denominations – maybe, but if you go back to Wagner is very much Charismatic
As already mentioned to Gary Micheal New Apostolic Reformation originates directly from C. Peter Wagner (1930-2016) who took the idea from G12 while in South America and coined the term in 1994 after trying several alternatives such as “Neopentecostal,” “Neocharismatic,” “Independent,” “Post denominational” or “Nondenominational.” and Third-wave” (also a term coined by Wagner)
There are several factors here
1. After stating 1 thing in his Secular City, in Fire from Heaven Harvey Cox expounded on South America exploding for the Gospel while North American churches – in the city – slowly dying
2. Wagner @ Fuller and AG were all seeking an answer for church growth and they found it in
1) charismatic renewal in N America
2) S American revivalism in the 1980s – I think particularly Brazil, though Wagner was in a different area but borrowed a lot from G12 and also Cox, who as a thinker nailed the Pentecostal growth idea
3rd wave IMO was not only Wagner’s term. It was used naturally after the Charismatics and Yes it was more Charismatic theology as most of South American Pentecostals came running straight from the Catholic churches “Independent” and “Post denominational” were also not his terms but he tried them well. “Neopentecostal” and “Neocharismatic” he used both almost interchangeably But the term that stuck was NAR Wagner subsequently wrote of NAR in his books:
The New Apostolic Churches (1998);
Churchquake! (1999);
Apostles and Prophets (2000);
Changing Church (2004);
and Apostles Today (2006).
Now back to Toronto airport revival – there is IMO no other place in hte 90s where NAR was more prominent. Terry Wiles may correct me of course but Toronto had every facet of NAR present within them. This IMO characterizes their theology strictly Charismatic all the way to the time when Wagner (and others) made the curve to post-Trib and in some cases even to post-Mil also borrowed from the very Catholic theology of Augustine spread in S America and in some point even into the Liberation Gospel and Rushdoony’s Christian reconstructionism