Gwen From Wichita, KS ----- Original Message ----- From: "TruthMedia Mens Devotional" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Gwen" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Sunday, November 02, 2008 6:40 AM Subject: Mens Email Devotional - Sunday November 02, 2008
: : : HOW TO FIGHT SPIRITUAL WARFARE : : : ** Are you experiencing spiritual struggles? Prayer is an effective defense, so please contact a mentor who is ready to pray with you. : : : : "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 : : There are four things we need to do when we are battling spiritual warfare in our lives: : : 1. Acknowledge the adversary. Satan is real (1 Peter 5:8-9). When you're being attacked, it's proof that you're a believer. The more you make an impact for God, the more the Devil is going to fight you. You never outgrow it; it just gets more intense. : : If there were no Devil, why would God send his Son to fight what does not exist? The Bible says in 1 John 3:8, "The Son of God came to destroy these works of the Devil" (NLT). : : : : 2. Accept God-given authority. Most believers are very ignorant about the authority they have to use against the Devil. Matthew 28:18-19 says we have all authority in heaven and earth. Then Jesus says, "Therefore go and make disciples ..." He transfers the authority to you and me. He does that because he's given us a specific mission (2 Corinthians 5:20). : : : : 3. Put on God's armor. When Paul wrote about the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:11-17), he was in prison chained to a Roman guard. Paul used the Roman centurion as a model for spiritual armor. Paul says, just as the Roman soldier is properly dressed to do battle, we also need to be dressed for battle. : : For instance, I will often pray, "Lord, I put on the helmet of salvation that will protect me from the thoughts the Devil will try to give me. I don't want to think the Devil's thoughts. I don't want to think my thoughts. I want to think your thoughts, so that that I may be a voice for you. I put on the belt of truth. Lord, I want to share the truth, not falsehood. I want to lead people into righteousness." : : : : 4. Aim the artillery. The battlefield for spiritual warfare is primarily in your thought life, in your mind (2 Corinthians 10:4-5). Paul says the weapons God gives us to use demolish arguments -- that's the way people think; they pull down pretension -- that's the way people think. : : We take every thought captive. In this battle for thoughts, we have four weapons: humility, faith, truth, and praise. : : Question: According to Ephesians 6:10-18, what is the only offense weapon we have against the Devil's schemes? : : About this Author: Rick Warren : : : Comment on the devotional blog. Interact with others who are reading today's devotional. Visit http://thelife.com/blogs/experience/devotionalformen/2008/11/02/how-to-fight-spiritual-warfare/#comments : : Copyright : This devotional is protected by copyright laws and may not be reprinted or posted to a site without permission from TruthMedia Internet Group. All readers are welcome to forward the devotional to a friend or link to it. If you would like to seek permission to reprint the devotional in full, please see our guidelines: http://tmdevotionals.com/men/reprint-permission/ : : : : ----------End of Newsletter Text---------- : You are currently subscribed to the TruthMedia Daily Men's Devotional as [EMAIL PROTECTED] : To unsubscribe send a blank email to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] or visit http://www.tmdevotionals.com/unsubscribe and fill in the required information. : : Feel free to forward this devotional to a friend. If you received it from a friend and would like to subscribe, visit http://www.tmdevotionals.com/subscribe and fill in the required information. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com Version: 8.0.175 / Virus Database: 270.8.5/1761 - Release Date: 11/1/2008 7:56 PM --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Deaf-Blind Inspirational Life Group" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/DBILG?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
