As we continue our Spiritual Soldier Series we have been talking about the strategies and tactics we can use for spiritual warfare. We have just talked about the antichrist and the spirit of antichrist. Now we turn to the next battlefield training on spiritual warfare.
We introduced the Holy Spirit and His roles in spiritual warfare in an earlier battlefield training. Now we want to look at how He helps us in spiritual warfare. The Holy Spirit provides tactics that help us win spiritual battles for God’s Kingdom. Let’s dive in!
- Intercession
The Holy Spirit helps us pray and intercedes for us (Romans 8:26-28). He makes it possible for us to pray God’s will in situations where we are unsure how to pray. In spiritual warfare when we face the enemy we know the Holy Spirit intercedes in our prayers to bring about spiritual victory.
Paul tells us the Holy Spirit acts as an intermediary between our thoughts and heart and God’s thoughts and heart (Romans 8:27). Even if we don’t pray exactly the way we should to see victory the Holy Spirit makes our heart’s general cry specific to the Father.
For instance, if we pray for healing but don’t know exactly how to pray specifically concerning the body’s operation and the exact things God has to do to bring healing we can pray generally for wholeness and wellness. God will do the rest through the Holy Spirit.
In the same way, when we encounter the enemy and don’t know how to pray for the deliverance of a person, especially when the demonic influence refuses to leave at first, we can call on Jesus to do the work exactly how it must be done even though we do not know.
The Bible promises a successful result (Romans 8:28). Often times this verse is taken to mean that God always works everything out in the instant we pray. But that is not what this verse says. We have just seen God’s will be done in Romans 8:27.
So God works all things together for the godly good, for God’s will, to those who love Him. It is not for our good God works all things, although that is a secondary result. He works all things together for the good of His will. God wills people are delivered from demonic spirits, set free to live for Him.
So He will grant our prayers for deliverance and freedom for others. But He will do it His way, not ours. This is why we need the Holy Spirit to intercede in our prayers for others and their deliverance.
We trust as we pray God understands the desire of our heart in prayer and answers those prayers according to His will. Even if we pray for God to do things our way, He will answer our prayers according to His will, His timing, and His way. But the Holy Spirit partners with us in our prayers for the result that pleases God’s will.
- Convicting the World
The Holy Spirit convicts the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8-11). As we preach the gospel and highlight the sin of this world the Holy Spirit does the rest of the work. None of us can save anybody. That is God’s work.
But we can preach the gospel. We can pray for the sick to be healed. We can deliver people from demonic spirits through Jesus’ power. God does miraculous signs and wonders through us. He ministers through us in powerful ways. We must not do His work. Be confident in God’s working through you.
The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin because they do not believe in Jesus. They sin against God without a care. As we confront this sin and darkness, the unrighteousness and injustice of this world we address these situations. The Holy Spirit convicts the hearts of individuals (Acts 2:37).
While we make people aware of their sin through the preaching of the gospel the Holy Spirit convicts them of their personal sins. It is not up to us to point out their sins. They will know of them through the Holy Spirit as the light of the gospel penetrates the darkness in and around them.
Righteousness is not a characteristic of this world system. Jesus has gone to the Father and we will see all kinds of unrighteousness. The Holy Spirit helps us to know righteousness from unrighteousness.
As we fight spiritual battles we know that Satan has been judged by God already. He is a defeated foe and we are not afraid of him. He has momentary authority but everything he does has been under judgment. We have the authority of Christ.
- Wisdom from God
The Holy Spirit also gives us wisdom from God (1 Corinthians 2:6-16). God’s wisdom is not from this world. The devil does not understand it, nor do the evil spiritual forces. The crucified Jesus because they did not understand this wisdom from God.
The Holy Spirit reveals God’s wisdom to us (1 Corinthians 2:10). This helps us in spiritual warfare because evil spiritual forces and the people of this world under Satan’s control cannot understand God’s wisdom. But we can.
The Spirit shares with us the deep things of God. We don’t have the spirit of the world. The Spirit keeps us from the deception that is in this world. He helps us to live the life and fight the battles that please God. What is foolish to the world is the wisdom of God.
- Speaking in Tongues
The spiritual gift of speaking in tongues can be a powerful way to communicate with God (1 Corinthians 12:10). Paul refers to it not only in the public worship service but as a private prayer language between the Spirit through us to God (1 Corinthians 14:2, 4).
Speaking in tongues is unintelligible to us (1 Corinthians 14:9). Some have suggested that because we cannot understand tongues neither can the devil. If this is true, it could be a form of communication between God and us the devil cannot intercept. However, without interpretation we cannot understand tongues either (1 Corinthians 14:14).
Speaking in tongues builds us up professionally. This can be a powerful tool to prepare us for spiritual warfare. Speaking in tongues on its own may not be helpful in casting out demons or the other actions of spiritual warfare. But it helps us in preparation.
Speaking in tongues is not speaking with incantations. It is not the same thing as incantations in paganism and magical practices of the occult. It is communication with God through the Spirit. It does not produce a magical response.
- Testing the Spirits
The Holy Spirit helps us to test the spirits to know which ones are from God and which ones are not (1 John 4:1-6). We test the spirits based on what they say about Jesus Christ. If they speak the truth about Jesus, like the Holy Spirit, we know they are from God.
This means that there are spirits that are from God and spirits that are not from God. If they do not testify that Jesus is from God, or any truth about Jesus, they are the spirit of the antichrist. They are opposed to Jesus and everything He stands for and does in the world.
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth (John 14:17; 15:26; 16:13). He tells us the truth about Jesus, ourselves, and everything that’s happening in the world. He tells us the truth about every spirit we encounter.
- Overpowering Evil Spirits
Jesus gives us the great promise that the Holy Spirit who dwells in us is greater than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4). He is the Spirit of truth who goes with us in every spiritual battle we face. The light of the gospel overpowers the darkness in this world.
We are from God. We see the truth and can expose the deceptions and lies of the enemy. If we face evil spirits or spirits that do not testify to the truth of Jesus the Holy Spirit is greater in us. We do not fear any evil spirit. We carry the light of the gospel. All darkness runs from the light. When we resist the devil he must flee (James 4:7).
The world listens to these evil spirits because they are from the world (1 John 4:5). We listen to Jesus and the authorities in the Church He has appointed. We can discern the spirit of truth from the spirit of error because we listen to Jesus.
Wrapping Up
The Holy Spirit is an invaluable partner on the spiritual battlefield to us. He dwells in us, is the Spirit of truth who helps us discern evil and godly spirits, intercedes for us, speaks in and through us, and overpowers evil spirits.
Let us be grateful for the Holy Spirit. He teaches us how to fight battles in the spiritual realm. He guides us as we fight these battles. What other ways does the Holy Spirit help us in spiritual warfare?
Up Next
We have seen how the Holy Spirit helps us in spiritual warfare. Now we will talk about the power of the postures we use in worship and how these postures are used by the Lord in spiritual warfare..
