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Luke 10:18: "And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you." KJV
Ephesians 6:10-20: "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 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. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak." KJV
Ephesians 6:12: "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." KJV
For the most part, Satan appears to Hollywood as a large, fierce demon with red skin, long fangs, and the horns of a water buffalo. He is brought to life by incantations of one sort or another and must be slain usually with a special magic sword. I am immediately reminded of End of Days, a portion of which I saw recently, and Blessed the Child also fairly recent. These depictions harken back to the morality plays of the Dark Ages. The recently reissued The Exorcist gives a similarly distorted view of demonic possesion. In the movie, the possessed child's head is spinning around, she has supernatural strength, and speaks in a booming Darth Vadar sort of voice.
Satan and his minion are not physical and never will be. They cannot be slain with swords or guns. We who live in large cities all see possessed people wandering the streets talking to the shadows, cowering in the corners, or railing against some imagined fault. Satan cannot use the fully disabled to influence others. It is a burning passion here or justification there through which Satan accomplishes untold destruction. Serbia is a recent example of the incredible power of the same passions and justifications that afflict you and I when they gain enough ground on which to build momentum.
We have very clear directions as to the tools needed to fight "against spiritual wickedness in high places." While the image of swords is invoked, the context of the imagery indicates an almost diametrically opposed concept. To slay with the truth. Clearly a marine in the field is unlikely to feel comfortable with a Bible instead of a gun when facing an armed attacker.
When warring in the spirit, our attackers haven't got guns either. Instead they come in devious deceptive ways. They comfort, they entice, they pad the pride, they sap the strength, they trouble the dreams, but rarely do they attack strait on. In that context, a gun or a sword is as ridiculous to one facing a demonic comforter as a Bible at Bull Run.
The protection or armour to safeguard us is not hammered from steel. Let me also strongly emphasize that amulets, charms, magic phrases, and other cult artifice is also ineffective if not damaging to the user. I believe this injunction would also extend to the use of Christian artifacts, (Rosaries, Crosses, medallions, "blessed articles"), for protection. Nowhere in New Testament writings are cult articles suggested for use against the powers of darkness. In Acts 19:19, we see Christians bringing their books on magic, ("curious arts"), worth a great deal of money, to be burned. One instance in which the name of Jesus is used in a cultic way (the seven sons of Sceva; Acts 19:13-16) backfired horribly on the users. They did not stand in the authority of Christ Jesus, and were therefore attacked and abused by the evil spirit.
Ephesians 6:11 &14: "The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light... Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth" KJV
There is nothing as effective for identifying an evil thought, as discernment forged in a well read Bible. The inspired Word of God is a catalog of examples, instructions, prophecies and histories which provide the tools to examine each thought for its righteous content or lack thereof.
The educated mind is a powerful filter which weeds out the mental garbage from truth. The filter needed to protect against spiritual attack through mental garbage is the clear understanding of spiritual truth as presented in the Bible. For this reason it is important to read and reread the entire Bible. Get a one-year Bible. Do Bible studies.
Matthew 8:16: "When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick:" KJV
The more you read, the greater the number of areas in your life are exposed to the light. The application of spiritual understanding and the appropriate word by divine guidance and the power of the Holy Spirit cuts off the hooks by which devils beset us.
John 4:24: "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." KJV
Glorifying God, in praise and worship, or praying to God depends on our ability to "tune in" to those things which are holy. The first enemy to worship is the mind junk that pops up the instance we try. When we sit down to pray, a parade of important "stuff" appears: 'remember to take the car in for service', 'did you pay the electric bill', etc., etc. Remember, life's details will wait.
When confusion strikes, as it does when we are stressed, afraid or conflicted, stop, breath deep and ask God for direction, and apply the Word to the situation and to the answers that appear. God is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33). The enemy presents competing thoughts, deceptions and disruptions, all in a bid to stop us from connecting with God. When we are confused or disoriented, Satan can plant seeds to clarify the situation, leading us down a rabbit trail away from God. Our protection is awareness and confidence in the Word. Quickly discern a deceptive thought and put it away. Never believe that Satan will not jump up with an answer to your problem.
Incorrect focus, especially in prayer deflates or even poisons the prayer. Any self-centered prayer is wicked. These include prayers that focus on selfish wants or desires. This does not mean that praying for your wants and needs are wicked, but that any personal supplication must be offered in humility. Asking for any material item which far exceeds your need, immediately exposes pride. To ask for personal position for which you are not ready or worthy, in order that you might be magnified is sinful. To ask God to support your sin is wicked. God will not listen to those prayers. But you can be sure that Satan is listening and building a base.
Self-centered prayer also include prayers framed in eloquence or effusiveness but that are essentially meaningless, or the prayer is merely a carrier of the supplicants personal display of holiness. These are prayers meant to aggrandize the person praying, not to accomplish the will of God. Very often, public displays of humility fall in this category. False humility is meant to make the practitioner appear to be a devote and humble Christian. This comes from a base in pride or a bandaging of self-image. Prideful Christians often expose their inner core when their devotedness or humility are questioned. Suddenly the quite, gentle soul is angry and judgmental. Someone whose false humility covers self-loathing may react with protective anger or collapse into depression.
Ephesians 6:14: "having on the breastplate of righteousness;" KJV
2 Corinthians 6:4 &7: "But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, ... by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left," KJV
Ephesians 6:15: "your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;" KJV
1 Corinthians 14:33: "For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints." KJV
James 3:16-18: "For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace." KJV
Walk in peace. Take upon yourself the peace of Christ. Peace is fruit of the spirit, (Gal:5:22). Peace is strengthened by self-control, humility and discretion. Pride, impulsiveness and the loss of self-control through drunkenness, anger or fearfulness are all tools of the devil.
The quote from First Corinthians above goes on to conclude, "Let all things be done decently and in order." (1Cor:14:40 KJV). Pride in the smallest amount, the sort of pride often encouraged in the world, can lead to anxiousness and agitation. Agitation leads to the inappropriate pressing of issues. Confusion results. Discord begins with confusion and leads to strife. Many a Church has been split down the middle because it failed to heed this safeguard against the enemy.
Satan must have known, by the time of his third temptation of Christ, that the answer was a resounding no. There is no subtlety or guile left in it. He boldly says, "Fall down and worship me." The more I come to understand Jesus the more I understand that because of his closeness and relationship to the Father, that was disgusting suggestion, likely to provoke a strong reaction. Satan's ploy was to cause Jesus to loose his peace, making him vulnerable. Satan is happy to be the object of wrath and derision, as long as there is sin involved.
Ephesians 6:16: "Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked." KJV
"Above all...", says Paul. Faith is not incidental, but essential. the moment our belief wavers, a hole is opened unto the enemy, through which pour confusion and doubt. All of our defenses collapse.
Ephesians 6:17: "And take the helmet of salvation," KJV
Warfare against the enemy is not possible without the presence of the Holy Ghost.
Ephesians 6:17: "and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:" KJV
Matthew 8:16: "When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick:" KJV
Hebrews 4:12: "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." KJV
Revelations 1:16: "And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength." KJV
2 Corinthians 6:4-10: "But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings; By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true; As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things." KJV
The Whole Armour of God