Walking in a Minefield

By Del Bates

Daily the war rages on.

We are in a battle like never before. But the most significant battle you face is for your soul.
Within the pages of WALKING IN A MINEFIELD, learn to identify the bombs raging around you and how to disarm them before they explode.

• Discover Satan's tactics.

• Learn how to pray amid each battle.

• Know how to use your God-given weapons.

• Understand the General of Intercession— the Holy Spirit

• Claim your authority.

In this non-fiction scripture-based book along with true-to-life stories, you will see spiritual warfare in action resulting in battles won in the Spiritual realm.

• Language: English
• Publisher: CrossLink Publishing
• Release date: Jan 7, 2021
• ISBN: 9781393191919

Book preview

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WALKING IN A MINEFIELD

A SOJOURNER’S GUIDE TO OVERCOMING

LIFE'S OBSTACLES

Del Bates

CrossLink Publishing

Rapid City, SD

Copyright © 2020 Del Bates

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed Attention: Permissions Coordinator, at the address below.

CrossLink Publishing

1601 Mt. Rushmore Rd, STE 3288

Rapid City, SD 57702

Ordering Information:

Quantity sales. Special discounts are available on quantity purchases by corporations, associations, and others. For details, contact the Special Sales Department at the address above.

Walking in a Minefield/Bates —1st ed.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2020936166

First edition: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

All Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Published in association with Cyle Young of the Hartline Literary Agency, LLC.

Praise for Walking in a Minefield

It has been my joy and pleasure to know Del Bates for several years. She is a woman of faith in God and His power. Del has written a book of warfare and winning in, Walking In A Minefield. It’s an imperative weapon of our warfare - right up there next to God’s precious Word - for winning our battle with our enemy. It will bless and change your life!

—Rev. Joyce Ostendarp, West Palm Beach, Florida

Del has written a Spiritual Warfare Handbook that every Christian needs to own, study, and share. From admitting that we serve a real God, but we also oppose a real enemy, to understanding the importance of intercessory prayer, to learning how to avert the plans of the enemy—this book is packed with powerful, applicable information. This spiritually mature author shares her knowledge in a real, raw and practical way through anecdotes and biblical backing. This is a must read!

—Michelle Medlock Adams, Award-winning, Best-selling Author of more than 90 books including Platinum Faith (Abingdon Press)

Not all books, not even good books come as a voice from above, but this one does. It does because its author, Del Bates, listens to the voice of the spirit which breathes throughout her newest book, Walking In A Minefield.

—Bishop, Evangelist, Frank Seamster

Every church needs spiritual mothers and fathers to teach the younger spiritual men and women, by example and interaction, what it looks like to trust God and walk according to His Word. Del Bates is a spiritual mother in our fellowship. She has been called to intercede and speak into the lives of the hurting, the wounded and the downtrodden. She takes spiritual warfare very seriously and ministers the Word of God in a way that edifies the body of Christ. I am blessed to be her pastor and friend.

—Pastor Greg Sempsrott, Senior Pastor Vero Bible Fellowship, Vero Beach Florida

Behind the scene of broken homes, drug abuse, an X-rated society, murder and war, there’s an Evil Spiritual Reality! An Enemy who’s defeated the strongest - Samson, the wisest - Solomon, and a man after God's own heart - David. His very name calls forth our worst nightmares - Satan! In Walking in a Minefield, Del Bates masterfully articulates the Weapons and Strategies for us to be Victors in Christ Jesus rather than Victims in this conflict of the ages. Readers will not only discover how to be, more than conquerors through God's Word and Spirit, but experience new dimensions of His love, joy and peace!

—Dr. Philip Krist, D. Min., Lead Pastor of Lakeside Assembly of God

In the many years that Del Bates has been in the ministry, she has walked through numerous trials and tribulations. She with and through the power of the Holy Spirit has purposed to write this book on minefields. What a powerful undertaking because the enemy set all kinds of bombs in her way. Del refused to allow the enemy to stop her from bringing forth this timely message.

Now more than ever we have needed someone like Del to give us insight into the minefields and how to overcome them with the power of God's Word. She gives spiritual insight to believers as she shares the battles from her own walk with Lord. Thank you so much for your personal wisdom and insight into the deliverance God has for each of us.

—Pastor Nancy Hart, New Hope Ministries, Vero Beach, FL

This is one powerful book. Del drew me in from her opening words. She delves deep into so many questions about spiritual warfare that beckoned to be answered. I’m so glad she took on the battle to write this book. I now feel more armed and ready to face my daily mine fields.

—Jill Roman Lord, Award winning, Best-selling author of over 20 children books including That Grand Easter Day (Selah Award)

What at timely book Del has written. Many of us have seen the result of our ignorance in fighting the spiritual war that surrounds us. We didn't engage in the fight and became victims of the plans of the enemy. One of our biggest foes is passivity. Del opens our eyes to the reality of the battle and encourages us to engage. Victory is ours if we do!

—Sherry Anderson, FL State Leader of Aglow International and author of Rising from Defeat, the Overcomer's Handbook.

To my husband Jon, who has spent many nights

alone as I’d hideaway…to type away.

Thank you for your love, support, and encouragement.

"The gospel is like a caged lion. It does not

need to be defended, it simply needs

to be let out of its cage."

—Charles Spurgeon, 1878

Contents

FOREWORD

PREFACE

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

CHAPTER I: THE BATTLE IS REAL

CHAPTER II: TICK - TOCK BOMBS GOING OFF

CHAPTER III: THE POWER OF PRAYER IN THE FIELD

CHAPTER IV: KNOW YOUR WEAPONS

CHAPTER V: THE GENERAL OF INTERCESSION—THE HOLY SPIRIT

CHAPTER VI: KNOW YOUR AUTHORITY

CHAPTER VII: WORDS ARE WEAPONS

CHAPTER VIII: THE MIND FIELD

CHAPTER IX: THERE’S A CHANGE COMING

CHAPTER X: WHEN IT HITS HOME

CHAPTER XI: VICTORY IN THE BATTLE

CHAPTER XII: SHOW ME YOUR GLORY

CHAPTER XIII: THE THREE Ps: PRAISE, PRAISE, AND MORE PRAISE

CHAPTER XIV: WHEN YOU NEED TO GO IN ALONE

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ENDNOTES

FOREWORD

W e’re living in a war zone, I told my daughter recently during a phone call.

We were not really, but it certainly felt that way. Our bathrooms were under renovation, and one of those bathrooms included a large closet, which meant all our clothes had to be evacuated before work could begin. The master bath is also a large room, complete with artwork and furniture. All that had to be evacuated as well. The rest of our home was now strewn with clothes, furniture, items from all the bathroom cabinets and drawers . . .

We were living in chaos. Everywhere we stepped, something was in the way. I dodged shoes and wayward trash cans and the runners the workers had laid so that they didn’t track on our carpet. I tripped over rolls of toilet paper (How did they get there?). And, in the midst of all of this, I read Del Bates’ book, Walking in a Minefield, thinking yep. I get it. I get it.

The problem with most American Christians is that we have never truly lived in a war zone. Since the mid-1800s, our country has not seen the destruction of brother fighting against brother. We have experienced dust bowls and tornados, hurricanes and earthquakes, out-of-control fires, and most assuredly, the COVID-19 outbreak of 2020. But, other than Pearl Harbor and 9-11, we have not experienced the devastation true war leaves behind in our own backyard. Therefore, we find it difficult, I believe, to understand the battleground we face every day on a spiritual war zone.

Years ago, I visited several of our Civil ar battlefields, including Antietam, where I stood with hands-on hips and declared, They were sitting ducks. No wonder this was our bloodiest single-day battle to date. The Battle of Antietam left a river of blood, with 22,717 dead, wounded, or missing. Why? Perhaps that is too complicated to explain, and this is certainly not American History 101, but the bottom line is this: the men on the battlefield were over-exposed—enemy to enemy. The South was outnumbered, and the North experienced a surprise-attack. And, I think, they were just too ill-prepared for what they were about to face.

As Christians, we face a battle such as the one fought at Antietam, and not just one day. Every single day, the enemy has one goal: to kill, steal, and destroy us (see John 10:10). As a dear friend of mine once said, Satan doesn’t have many tricks in his bag, but those he has, he knows well how to use.

But we serve a God who is greater than any of those tricks and He has given us the weapons of warfare we need to become victorious in the both the battles and the overall war. In the book you hold in your hand, Del Bates explains it all in such detail, you will feel equipped for whatever Satan pulls out of the bag to use against you. You will understand your role as your fight behind your General. You will read story after story from the Bible as well as from Del’s life and the lives of those she knows and loves. And you will be blessed by someone I have known for nearly twenty years . . . someone I have watched live out everything she has written about in these pages. She is a true prayer warrior. Her exterior is lovely to behold. Her voice is soft and kind. But do not be fooled. When this warrior for Christ goes into fight-mode, she is not to be messed with! She is a true soldier for Christ, and I am blessed beyond measure to call her my friend.

You will be, too.

Eva Marie Everson

Multiple award-winning author & speaker

President, Word Weavers International

PREFACE

Welcome, and thank you for taking a lunge into learning how to avert the bombs of the enemy.

What you hold in your hands today is a compilation of blood, sweat, and years! Gotcha, didn’t I? You thought you knew what I was going to say, but as my grandson says, I tricked you!

First, it’s all about the blood—the power we have in the precious blood of