Spiritual Warfare - A Biblical Perspective: Kingdom War

By Lisa Williams

Spiritual Warfare - A Biblical Perspective by Lisa Williams

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• Language: English
• Publisher: Covenant Books, Inc.
• Release date: Mar 19, 2021
• ISBN: 9781636303642

Lisa Williams

Born in Birmingham, England, Lisa Williams makes her home in Los Angeles as well as in the small town of Redditch in picturesque Worcestershire. She lives with her husband, Kevin, and eight-year-old son, Charlie, who, according to his mom, has already shown an inherited gift for natural healing and talking with spirits.

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Basic Principles

The Bible is full of how to fight, what our weapons are, who we are to fight, and so on. This is because we as believers are in a battle, especially in these last days. A battle we must fight and one in which we ultimately win through Jesus Christ. This battle is not against flesh and blood, but is fought in the heavenly realm.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 6:12)

The following list is by no means exhaustive, but is just some of what the Lord has revealed in His Word on how we are to spiritually fight.

Inquire of the Lord before Going into Battle

Judges 6–7

We see in the account of Gideon that God appointed him to be a warrior. He was appointed as the one to save Israel out of the hand of the Midianites who were oppressing them. The Midianites, Amalekites, and others came and encamped against the Israelites. The Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon, and he blew the trumpet calling forth the Israelites for battle.

Before going into battle, Gideon made two requests of the Lord to make sure that the Lord was going to use him to defeat the enemy. He put a wool fleece on the threshing floor and asked the Lord to let the fleece be wet with dew and the ground around it dry. The Lord honored his request. Then he asked that the next morning the fleece be dry and the ground wet with dew. Again the Lord answered his request.

Approximately thirty-two thousand Israelites gathered to fight with Gideon.

The Lord said to Gideon, You have too many men for Me to deliver Midian into their hands. In order that Israel may not boast against Me that her own strength has saved her. (Judges 7:2)

The Lord had Gideon narrow the men down until only three hundred men were left.

During the night, God gave Gideon another sign. He told Gideon to go near the enemy’s camp. As he did, he heard a man tell of a dream he had of how God had given the Midianites into the hand of Gideon. Gideon again was assured that the Lord would give him the victory.

He went back to the Israelite camp, divided his men into three groups, and gave each a trumpet and an empty jar with a torch inside.

The three companies blew the trumpets and smashed the jars. Grasping the torches in their left hands and holding in their right hands the trumpets they were to blow, they shouted, A sword for the Lord and for Gideon! While each man held his position around the camp, all the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled. When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the Lord caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords. The army fled to Beth Shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath. (Judges 7:20–22)

The Lord caused the Midianites to turn on each other and to flee. Gideon called out for more men and they pursued the Midianites. The Lord gave Gideon the victory.

Gideon did not just inquire of the Lord but asked for a sign. He wanted to make sure that God was going to deliver the enemy into his hand. The Lord was faithful and defeated the enemy.

2 Samuel 5:17–25

The Philistines, enemies of David, went searching for him after they heard he was anointed king over Israel. David heard about it and went into the stronghold. The Philistines came and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim.

So David inquired of the Lord, Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will You hand them over to me? The Lord answered him, Go for I will surely hand the Philistines over to you. (2 Samuel 5:19)

So David went and defeated them. The place was called Baal Perazim, which means the Lord who breaks out, for the Lord indeed had broken out against David’s enemies.

Because the Lord told him that he would defeat the Philistines, David was able to go into battle with full faith and full confidence, knowing that God is true to His Word.

We Must Rely on the Lord to Defeat the Enemy and Win Battles

Joshua 6

Then the Lord said to Joshua, See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. (Joshua 6:2)

The Lord told Joshua to take Jericho even though it was a tightly secured city. He told Joshua to have fighting men go ahead of the seven priests of the Lord who would be blowing their trumpets. The ark of the Lord would be positioned behind the seven priests and lastly more fighting men made up the rear guard. Their instruction was to march around Jericho once a day for six days. Then on the seventh day, they were to do the same but were to march around Jericho seven times.

The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the people, Shout! For the Lord has given you the city! (Joshua 6:16)

When the people shouted, the wall collapsed and they went in and took the city destroying everyone in it except Rahab and her family, for she had hidden the two Israelites who were sent to spy out the land of Jericho. They gave the spoils to the Lord as they were not to take any for themselves, and they burned the city. Only Achan disobeyed the Lord and took some for himself.

Joshua and the Israelites had to rely on the Lord to fight for them. They had to trust Him and know that He would deliver Jericho into their hand. We must rely on the Lord in our battles against the enemy and do what He instructs us to do whether or not it makes sense to us.

2 Chronicles 16

The king of Israel, Baasha, came against Asa, the king of Judah. Baasha prevented anyone from entering the territory of King Asa.

Asa then made a treaty with Ben-Hadad, the king of Aram. Asa took the silver and gold from the Lord’s temple and from his palace and gave it to Ben-Hadad. Ben-Hadad accepted this treaty and sent some of his men against the towns of Israel. This caused King Baasha to withdraw his attack from Judah.

Hanani the seer confronted King Asa about this.

At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him, Because you relied on the king of Aram and not on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand. (2 Chronicles 16:7)

Hanani further stated that the Lord brought deliverance when Asa relied on the Lord.

Were not the Cushites and Libyans a mighty army with great numbers of chariots and horsemen? Yet when you relied on the Lord, He delivered them into your hand. For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war. Asa was angry with the seer because of this; he was so enraged that he put him in prison. At the same time Asa brutally oppressed some of the people. (2 Chronicles 16:8–10)

Asa became angry and embittered. Later when Asa became diseased in his feet, he sought after the physicians and not the Lord.

To rely on man instead of the Lord is a foolish thing to do. It brought a slight reprieve, but the consequences were not worth it. The cost of relying on man cost Asa monetarily, including what he took from the Lord’s temple, and it cost him peace. He took care of it in the natural realm. He did what seemed plausible, what he could see with his eyes, and did not rely on the invisible, supernatural God.

We Must Stay Close to the Lord in Order to Win Battles

2 Kings 17:1–23

Hoshea became the last king of Israel, the northern kingdom. Like those before him, he did not follow the Lord. He became a servant to the king of Assyria and paid him tribute. Eventually Hoshea stopped paying the king of Assyria and instead paid tribute to the king of Egypt. The king of Assyria came against him and captured Samaria, and the Israelites were deported to Assyria.

The Israelites provoked the Lord because they forsook Him and followed after idols and the practices of pagan nations. They did not heed the warnings of the prophets the Lord sent to them.

But they would not listen and were as stiff-necked as their fathers, who did not trust in the Lord their God. (2 Kings 17:14)

So the Lord removed them from His presence and sent them to a foreign land.

The more we follow worldly ways and customs, the more impotent we become. If we embrace the things of the world, then we can only fight with our natural strength, our natural power.

It is when we forsake the world, embrace our God and the things of God, no longer looking and acting like the world, that we have His divine power to conquer and win battles.

We Cannot War against the Enemy in the Strength of Our Flesh

Numbers 13–14

The Lord led Moses and the Israelites through the desert, bringing them to the land He had promised to give them. As the Lord commanded Moses, he sent twelve men, one from each tribe, to spy out the land. After forty days of exploring the land, they returned to the Israelites. All twelve of the men reported how good and fruitful the land was. Yet only two believed they could take the land by defeating the enemy. The other ten gave in to fear and disbelief, which caused the Israelites to grumble and complain.

The Lord told Moses that the Israelites who came out of Egypt and who were twenty years old and older would not inherit the land. They would die in the desert and the land given to their children. Only Caleb and Joshua, who gave a good report and believed God would give them the victory, would go into the Promised Land. The Israelites would wander in the desert for forty years, one year for each of the forty days the twelve men explored the land until they died in the desert. The Lord also put to death the ten spies who gave a bad report and caused the Israelites to grumble.

The next day the Israelites acknowledged their sin and said they would go up and take the land. However, Moses warned them not to go, for the Lord would not be with them.

But Moses said, Why are you disobeying the Lord’s command? This will not succeed! Do not go up, because the Lord is not with you. You will be defeated by your enemies, for the Amalekites and Canaanites will face you there. Because you have turned away from the Lord, He will not be with you and you will fall by the sword. (Numbers 14:41–43)

Yet they went anyway and were defeated by the Amalekites and Canaanites who lived in the land. The Lord did not go with them.

We can only war against the enemy in the strength of the Lord. When we try to fight our enemy without Him, we will lose the battle every time.

2 Kings 14:1–20

Amaziah, king of Judah, firmly established his rule over Judah. He killed those who murdered his father. He also defeated the Edomites.

He then challenged the king of Israel to come and meet him in battle. King Jehoash of Israel refused. However, Amaziah would not listen. Therefore King Jehoash attacked him and Judah. He captured Amaziah and took other hostages, damaged the wall around Jerusalem, and took all the gold, silver, and articles found in the Lord’s temple and in the royal palace.

The Lord was not with King Amaziah in his battle against Israel. Because we war not against flesh and blood, but in the spiritual realm, we can never win a battle in the strength of our own flesh.

2 Chronicles 32:1–23

King Hezekiah of Judah was a godly king who did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. He was threatened by the king of Assyria who invaded Judah and used intimidation tactics against them.

However, Hezekiah knew his God and encouraged the people with these words: ‘Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him. With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.’ And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the king of Judah said (2 Chronicles 32:7–8).

King Hezekiah stood firm and cried out in prayer to the Lord. The Lord heard and moved on his behalf.

And the Lord sent an angel, who annihilated all the fighting men and the leaders and officers in the camp of the Assyrian king. So he withdrew to his own land in disgrace. And when he went into the temple of his god, some of his sons cut him down with the sword. So the Lord saved Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib king of Assyria and from the hand of all others. He took care of them on every side. (2 Chronicles 32:21–22)

We Are Not to Fight Wars God Has Not Called Us To

2 Chronicles 35:20–27

King Josiah of Judah was a godly king who walked in the ways of his forefather, King David. However, in the latter part of his reign he engaged Neco, the king of Egypt in battle, even though Neco was on his way to fight against another kingdom.

But Neco sent messengers to him, saying, What quarrel is there between you and me, O king of Judah? It is not you I am attacking at this time, but the house with which I am at war. God has told me to hurry; so stop opposing God, who is with me, or He will destroy you. (2 Chronicles 35:21)

Josiah had his mind made up and would not listen. He disguised himself and went into battle against the king of Egypt. Josiah was wounded in battle. He was taken back to Jerusalem where he died.

The Lord never told Josiah to go to war against King Neco. Furthermore, Josiah never inquired of the Lord at all whether to go to war or not. Josiah’s presumption and disobedience cost him his life.

It is so very important that we do not engage a battle that we are not called to. Fighting an enemy that God has not called us to fight could cost us our lives.

Acts 19:13–16

The apostle Paul did many exploits in the name of the Lord including healings and miracles.

Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out (Acts 19:13)

There was a Jewish chief priest named Sceva who had seven sons. They too were driving out demons.

One day the evil spirit answered them, Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you? Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding. (Acts 19:15–16)

The apostle Paul knew his authority and power in the Lord. The Lord had called and sent him. However, the seven sons of Sceva were not called by the Lord to cast out demons. They went out on their own, fighting a battle they were not to fight and ended up being physically beaten.

We must only fight in the battles the Lord has called us to. For if He calls us, He will equip us, empower us, and supernaturally work through us.

We Are Not to Run from a Battle the Lord Has Called Us to

1 Kings 19

The prophet Elijah had just had a victory. The Lord showed Himself to be the one true God, exposing Baal for what it really was, an idol. The Lord had Elijah put the prophets of Baal to death.

When the king of Israel’s wife, Jezebel, heard that the prophets of Baal were put to death, she threatened to kill Elijah. For Jezebel was a Sidonian, and their god was Baal. It was she who introduced Israel to Baal worship at that time.

Because of this threat, Elijah feared for his life and he ran away. He went into the desert. The Lord supernaturally fed him there. Elijah then went to Horeb, the mountain of God. The Lord asked Elijah what he was doing there. Elijah told the Lord that the Israelites had rejected the Lord, had killed His prophets, and were trying to kill him too. The Lord then brought a strong wind that tore the mountains apart. He brought an earthquake, and then He brought fire, but He appeared to Elijah in a whisper and again asked him what he was doing there. Elijah replied with the same answer.

The Lord said to him, Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him. (1 Kings 19:15–18)

This would assure the total victory over the enemy, as the house of King Ahab of Israel, including his wife Jezebel, were enemies of God.

Elijah personally saw and experienced the power of God, yet he gave in to fear and ran from the battle. He was to stay and finish what God had called him to. He thought he was the only one left who honored God, not knowing there were seven thousand who still followed God. Yet God, in His mercy, took care of Elijah by feeding and strengthening him. The Lord provided three strong reinforcements in Hazael, Jehu, and Elisha to finish the battle.

It is always better to stay and finish the battle God has called us to. We are never to stop fighting due to fear, lack of commitment, or whatever selfish reason we may have. The Lord is more than able to help us finish the battle and be victorious through it. If needed He will provide reinforcements as He did with Elijah so that it is finished and the victory secured.

We Are Not to Give in to Fear and Intimidation

Nehemiah 1–4, 6

Nehemiah was a Jewish captive in Babylon. He was cupbearer to the king there. When some men from Judah came to where Nehemiah was, he questioned them about the remnant in Judah and about Jerusalem.

They said to me, Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire. (Nehemiah 1:3)

Nehemiah wept, fasted, and prayed to the Lord. The Lord gave Nehemiah favor with the king, and Nehemiah was permitted to go to Jerusalem to rebuild the wall.

However, there were certain enemies of the Jewish people who did not want the wall around Jerusalem rebuilt. Sanballat and Tobiah were ones who tried to stop the rebuilding of the wall.

When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble—burned as they are? Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, What they are building—if even a fox climbed up on it, he would break down their wall of stones! (Nehemiah 4:1–3)

However, Nehemiah and the people of Judah continued to rebuild the wall.

When word came to Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left in it—though up to that time I had not set the doors in the gates—Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono. But they were scheming to harm me; so I sent messengers to them with this reply: I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you? (Nehemiah 6:1–3)

Nehemiah saw through their plot. And even after getting the same message four times from them, Nehemiah continued to decline the meeting. The fifth time Sanballat sent his aide, but Nehemiah refuted the lies spoken by the aide.

They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed. But I prayed, Now strengthen my hands. (Nehemiah 6:9)

Then Sanballat and Tobiah hired someone to give a false prophetic word to Nehemiah. Nehemiah did not heed the word but continued the work. The wall was completed.

When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God. (Nehemiah 6:16)

The Lord helped Nehemiah continue what he was called to do. Nehemiah faced intimidation from those in authority; death threats and all types of fear tactics were used. However, Nehemiah stayed the course and finished the task at hand.

When Satan tries to intimidate us and uses fear against us, we are to remember who our God is. We must continue on and finish what God has called us to do.

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7 KJV)

Acts 20:22–38

The apostle Paul, knowing that he could die for the gospel, continued the ministry that God had given him. He knew that death was eminent if