Spiritual Warfare:
Act 19:13-16: Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Yahshua, saying, We adjure you by Yahshua whom Paul preacheth. And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, Yahshua I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
Most of us are familiar with this story. In Ephesus, there was a priestly family of Jews, consisting of seven sons. Their father, Sceva, had occupied high position among the various courses which in turn served the Temple, just as Zacharias, the father of the Baptist. These men observed the power with which St. Paul dealt with persons who were possessed with evil spirits, using for that purpose the sacred name of Yahshua. They wished to use similar powers , and tried to do the same but could not succeed. The man possessed by the evil spirit did not recognize their presumptuous efforts, but attacked them, and did them serious bodily injury, so that they were forced to run away, naked. The evil spirit recognized the sons of Sceva as imposters, trying to pass off as genuine ministers of Elohim. It leaped on them, overpowered them and chased them away.
We see here an instance of spiritual warfare by some imposters who probably thought that the name of Yahshua was a magical incantation to work miracles. Eph 6:12 says, ’For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.’
To understand the idea of spiritual warfare, we must go back to John.18:36, where Yahshua told Pilate,’ my kingdom is not of this world.’ The Jews expected a king who would come and defeat the Roman government and establish his earthly kingdom. But the kingdom of Elohim is not of flesh and blood, it is spiritual. It is an evil power that Yahshua came to fight, not the Romans. His dominion was over the heart, subduing evil passions and corrupt desires, and bringing the soul to the love of peace and unity.
It is purely spiritual and Divine.
Eph.6:12 defines spiritual warfare as warfare against powers that are not “of the flesh,” meaning powers that are not physical in nature. Since the spiritual and physical realms are connected, things that happen in the spiritual realm can have physical consequences and vice versa. Obedience to Elohim in your earthly life strengthens your spirit. Going against Elohim's law in your earthly life will weaken your spirit.
You must fully rely on the power of Elohim to do spiritual warfare. Let go of any pride you have concerning your own power. As the Bible says, "Lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."(Prov.3:5). . Often, you must exercise great self-control in order to achieve such a level of obedience. As James 4:7 says, "Submit yourselves to Elohim. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." You have to first submit to Elohim in order to resist the devil. When you rebuke the devil, you must do so in Yahshua' name while relying on Elohim's authority over evil. Even the archangel Michael says in Jude 9 "The Lord rebuke you" when fighting with the devil over the body of Moses. When even angels have to rely on the name of Elohim to rebuke evil, how much more we, mere mortals, must rely on the name and power of Messiah to do so.!
Only by Elohim's power can you hope to win against the enemy. Relying on Elohim's power requires you to accept the salvation offered to you by Messiah. You must also understand that each victory belongs to Elohim. We should also understand that the name of Messiah alone does not do the work. It depends on the relationship we have with Messiah that matters. The Apostle Paul instructs believers to "be strong in the Lord" (Ephesians 6:10). It is not enough to rely on Elohim's power to win your spiritual battles for you. Instead, you must be in fellowship with Messiah, fighting alongside Elohim in the battles you face. To do this, obedience and self-control are necessary.
How should we be equipped for this spiritual warfare? – By putting on “the whole armor of Elohim” - Elohim has equipped us for the spiritual battles we face by giving us His armor. This armor is listed for us in verses 14-17. Every piece of “the armor of Elohim” is designed to protect the people of Elohim from the attacks of the enemy.
The word “armour” refers to the equipment that Elohim has provided for us to wear in the day of battles. There is “truth” to wear as a belt. There is “righteousness” to protect the heart. There are “shoes” to protect the feet. And our Lord commands his disciples to be shod with sandals, that they might be ready to go and publish the Gospel, as the Israelites were to go to possess the promised land.. There is a “shield” to deflect the arrows of the enemy. There is a “helmet” to protect the head. There is a “sword” to use to engage the enemy. All of this has been provided to every believer so that we might walk in victory. The word “whole” suggests that every piece of the armor of Elohim is essential to endure our victory over the enemy. We can’t put on a few pieces and leave a few pieces off and expect to achieve success. We must wear every piece all the time. If we do not, we will be attacked, and we will be defeated when we are.
The phrase put on suggests that when we put on the whole armor of Elohim, we put it on once for all. When we put on the armor of Elohim we are to leave it on all the time. We are to be constantly dressed for spiritual warfare. There are no vacations in this war. Every day is to be spent on the front lines of battle, engaging with the enemy in vital, spiritual combat.
1 Peter 5:8 says, "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." Know that an attack may come when you least expect it. You must remain aware of the spiritual battleground, and you must also continually guard yourself against potential attacks.
Treat the battle seriously. The enemy is always ready to attack, so you must always be ready to defend yourself. When you wake up each morning, take the time to prepare yourself spiritually through prayer and meditation. Ask Elohim for His help each day. A good prayer to pray is "Elohim I can't do this, but you can."
