Jesus showed us that fighting as a Christian isn’t about physical combat or aggression, but it is about spiritual warfare!
Demonic forces and strongholds
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. 2Corinthians 10:3-6
When we live in carnality, instead of trusting God in a situation, our actions and reactions can open us up to demonic spirits These demonic spirits oppress the life of the believer, hindering them from obeying God and experiencing freedom.
For example, if a person has had an unstable childhood, they may struggle with a spirit of fear and distrust. Whenever something occurs that hints at instability and uncertainty, they might respond with fear and distrust, shutting down emotionally. The truth is that demonic spirits cannot be counseled, nor can our understanding help us to manage them. We must fight not to live a life controlled by a spirit that holds us in bondage to something that happened thirty years ago. We need to take authority over those demonic spirits and cast them out in the name and authority of Jesus!
The flesh
Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Galatians 5:19-21
When the above character attributes arise in us, it’s easy to blame someone or a situation, but we cannot fight as we once did. The works of the flesh need to be addressed by crucifying the flesh. We must not allow these dark character qualities to find a safe haven within us. By excusing bad behavior, we allow it to remain.
For example, if a person comes from a background of neglect or excessive attention, they might develop narcissistic characteristics that make everything about them. This selfish ambition drives them to seek validation from others. Over time, this can lead to envy, competition, and anger when one’s goals or desires are not met. They might even manipulate situations in their lives to gain attention or recognition.
Don’t believe the lie that unless you control or manipulate outcomes or relationships, you will be left behind or forgotten. Fight the urge not to dabble in witchcraft to make something happen. When you see any of the above works in your life, recognize you are operating in carnality, which will open the door for demons to enter your life.
Some of the above characteristics have served us so well for so long that they become our best friends. We relied on them consistently to achieve results. Some become so adept at using them that they can even disguise the works of the flesh with spiritual appearances, allowing those traits to remain hidden for a long time. However, as Christian fighters, we cannot continue to tolerate the works of the flesh. We must sever our relationship with these dark habits and completely distance ourselves from them to make spiritual progress. We need to do this by first addressing demonic spirits such as fear, inferiority, and unforgiveness. Second, we need to crucify the flesh and its bad habits.
Lord help us to conquer our flesh and not allow strongholds to form or remain in our lives. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
I will continue with this subject in the next devotional.