Spiritual Conflict 12 Review and Points of Practice

Spiritual Conflict 12
Some review and points of practice

1. Refuse to focus on demons, focus on Jesus and fight Jesus’ battles
Hebrews 12:1-2
2. Beware of extremes and misuse of the biblical text by some
2 Corinthians 10 & 11
A. Demons are not “hiding behind every tree”
B. “Strongholds” are not bad habits they are doctrinal heresies
2. Draw near to God
James 4:7
A. Be a student of the word and not a student of the latest Christian celebrity
B. Develop sensitivity to the work of the Holy Spirit
1. Get a good systematic theology and study
2. Pray
3. Listen
4. Respond when appropriate
5. Don’t be afraid of the gifts of the Holy Spirit
3. Make no opportunity for the flesh
World, Flesh, Devil: These three in concert fight against us used by the enemy
Romans 13:13, 14
A. 1 Thessalonians 5:22 Abstain from every form of evil
B. Proverbs 6:27-28 Be wise contextually and personally for each person’s sake and
the sake of the Gospel
4. Know who you are in Christ
Ephesians 1:3-14
A. Blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places
B. Chosen in him before the foundation of the world
C. Predestined for adoption
D. Redeemed by his blood, forgiveness of our trespasses
E. The riches of his grace are lavished on us
F. Know the mystery of his will according to Christ (unite all things in him)
G. We have obtained an inheritance
H. Sealed with the Holy Spirit
5. Deal with Satan and his demons ground of attack
A. Repent of ungodly involvement
B. Recognize and repent of habitual activity learned from your family, work or social
environment
1. The refrain of 1 Kings: “…he walked in the ways of his father…”
a. Lust
b. Un-biblical role of women (demanding and domineering)
c. Un-biblical role of men (weak, foolish, domineering instead of leading)




6. If necessary deal directly and forcefully with the demonic spirit
A. Train your Spirit given discernment to know when a problem is demonic or something
else.
1. Hebrews 5:14 Prayer, Study of Scripture, Fellowship, Discipleship
2. Jesus assumes we, by his Spirit and word, can discern evil from good
B. Know that we have been given authority over Satan and his demons
1. Luke 10:20
7. Beware of Satan’s use of Scripture
A. Matthew 4:1-11 (4:5,6); Psalm 91 (91:11,12)
1. How does one deal with how Satan uses Psalm 91?
a. “The person who wrote the psalm, those who included in the Psalter
and the canon just got it wrong.
b. The person who does die in battle or get a disease or does not live
long did not make the Lord their refuge or walk by faith.
c. The writer means that God does in fact rule the flight of the arrow,
the spread of disease and length of life. God can and does in fact give
safety and health and life to whom he pleases so that it is always a free
gift of God. But he does not mean for us to presume upon the promises
as guarantees that God will not permit us to fall by an arrow, succumb
to disease, or die at an early age. In other words, the promises have
exceptions or qualifications.
1. "What the psalmist means for us to understand is the unspoken
qualification that these difficulties will not approach without God’s
permission or design.” (quoted from John Piper "A Godward Life"