Part 3 Spiritual Warfare Weaponry & Strategies

Part 3 Spiritual Warfare Weaponry-Strategies in Warfare

Joy/Laughter/Weeping/Fasting/Praise

The Holy Spirit will direct us to use specific tools for specific time in battle and for the effectiveness in certain types of battles. I personally can recall times where each tool became useful and more powerful for me. The other night after leaving Church I began to cry and weep uncontrollably. I was convinced that there must be something I was doing wrong since I had just left Church and was now feeling completely attacked by a spirit of depression. But as we all know, satan has many schemes. He attacks us where he believes me might be weakest at that moment. Since I was just nourished and was currently flourishing in the Holy Spirit he attempted to throw a spirit of failure at me. As others shared their success and miracle stories during Church, I began to question what I was doing wrong and why I hadn’t experienced a similar miracle yet. I am sure many of you can relate. I was feeling “less than” and “unworthy” of Gods precious grace and love. He reveals himself to each of us in different ways. So when spirits like this fall over me I have to remind myself of how much love God has for me and that he wants me to battle these spirits and illusions. So I began to weep and cry, although I wasn’t even entirely sure what I was weeping about. After a time I began to pray and the weeping subsided and I again felt the Holy Spirit come over me; I was refreshed. Thank the good Lord that he has equipped us with such weaponry against our adversary. And it’s imperative that we memorize and store these experiences and verses for those times we feel weak. We know that our adversary is right there waiting for the tiniest window to sneak in and take over. I pray these verses fall on open ears and warm hearts. And I pray they help you during the times of those battles for your soul.

Fasting- (examples)

There has been a few times where God told me to fast certain things in my life. Many times it was because something had become an idol- such a certain music group, movies or even something like coffee. As we know, an idol is anything that comes before God in our lives. So fasting can be an incredible way to break the pattern of sin and idolatry in ones life.  A personal experience I had was with a particular band that I deemed to be my “favorite” of course. I pretty much turned them into an idol in my life. They even came first before reading the Bible. Imagine that?! One day God told me, while I was listening to this band that “they were against God” and I was to “stop listening to them immediately.” This was a shocker of course but I later understood. I have never listened to this band again and feel closer to God; which is the hugest blessing one can get! And I haven’t even had the urge to listen to them again. So perhaps there is something in your life you have been putting before God. Perhaps a fast from it will help you see that you are in fact idolizing it and need to reprioritize your list of “important things.” We all know God comes first in our lives over everything and everyone!

Matthew 17:20-21 “And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. However this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.”

Matthew 9:14-15 “Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not? And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.”

Daniel 9:3 “And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:”

Luke 5:33 “And they said unto him, Why do the disciples of John fast often, and make prayers, and likewise the disciples of the Pharisees; but thine eat and drink?”

Matthew 6:16-18 “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

Weeping

2 King 20:5 “Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the LORD.”

Esther 4:1 “When Mordecai perceived all that was done, Mordecai tore his clothes, and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and cried with a loud and a bitter cry;”

Joel 2:12-13 “Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.”

Genesis 37:34 “Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and mourned for his son many days.”

Psalm 30:5 “For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.”

John 11:35 “Jesus wept.”

Jeremiah 9:1 “Oh, that my head were a spring of water and my eyes a fountain of tears! I would weep day and night for the slain of my people.”

Psalm 119:136 “Streams of tears flow from my eyes, for your law is not obeyed.”

Laughter-scornful and joyful

Psalm 2:4 “He that sits in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision”

Proverbs 1:26 “I in turn will laugh at your disaster; I will mock when calamity overtakes you”

Psalm 37:13 “but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming.”

Proverbs 17:22 “A joyful heart is good medicine, but depression drains one's strength.”

Ecclesiastes 3:4 “A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;”

Luke 6:21 “Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh”

Job 8:21 “He will yet fill your mouth with laughter, and your lips with shouting.”

Shouts of Joy

Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

James 5:13 “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.”

Psalm 126:2 “²Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them.”

Psalm 118:15 “The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly.”

Psalm 95:1 “O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.”

Weapon of Praise
Sometimes in our worst and weakest moments, singing some worship songs can lift us higher than we ever thought possible. We are to rejoice in persecution. This angers satan more than anything and I feel it’s one of the most vital weapons as we come into this time of tribulation as Christians.

2 Samuel 22:4 “I will call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.”

Psalm 68:3 “But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice.”

Revelation 5:12-13 “Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.”

Matthew 5:10-12 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

1 Peter 1:6-7 “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”