High Level Warfare

[2Tim 4:2; Heb 4:12; James 4:7]

In 2 Timothy 4:2 Paul says, “preach the word; be instant….” The word instant is from an awesome Greek word. It’s from the military and it means to stay at your post. Paul used a military word when he commanded Timothy—and all spiritual leaders—to preach the Word. We must preach the gospel with the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

Paul is talking about speaking the Words of Jesus, proclaiming the Words of the Holy Spirit. As a believer you need to stay at your post and speak the Word, not as a pastor, but to profess words of faith for victory in life. I can’t afford to wait for the pastor to do warfare for me, and neither can you. When God’s Word is spoken, it is the highest level of spiritual warfare.

If we’ve ever lived in a time where we need the Word of God, it is now. We have never lived in a time when there was so much confusion. People don’t know which way to turn. We need to know the answers to a pack of problems. People are determined to look to the news or to the world for another way to conform, instead of renewing their minds by standing up and staying at their post, and hearing and using the Word of God.

People are so conditioned to the government being their source of stability, that now it has failed, they don’t know what way to turn.

The Word of God is sharper than any two edged sword according to Hebrews 4:12. Between the covers of your Bible there are answers to every problem you will ever face. The Bible can bring new life to hearts, establish order to confused minds, and refresh the souls that are being baffled by emotions.

When God’s Word is decreed and is received by a believing heart, that Word has life-changing power. The spoken Word of God penetrates the hearts of people who are in sin. It sets people free who are in bondage. The Word shines so bright that darkness is obliterated. It heals the physical body, and delivers the captive mind. This mighty weapon brings peace to families. It tears down strongholds and transforms the soul. God’s Word will give you a triumphant destiny. The Bible will brighten your future, and give you the power to crush the devil!

We are living in a time when we need to fight against the enemy like never before. It’s time for Christians to take a stand against the anti-Christ spirit of communism. We need to stay at our post—speaking the Word of God.

James 4:7 tells us to submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. The trouble is, resisting the devil is difficult if it’s been years since you were “submitted to God.” The context of this verse is war, and whether or not you are in bed with the world (see James 4:1-6).

The word “resist” in James 4:7 means to oppose something; to stand in opposition. This is to have the attitude of one who is determined to do everything within his power to resist it, to stand against it, and defy its operation.

James, the brother of Jesus, is telling us that we must be aggressively determined to stand against the work of the devil. Closing our eyes and hoping the enemy will go away won’t work. We have to dig in our heels, brace ourselves for a fight, lean into the face of the enemy and drive him out of our lives. Our stand against Satan must be firm, unyielding, and steadfast if we want to successfully resist his bombardment of lies against our minds and emotions.

It is time for you to resist the enemy of your soul. And there is good news! “He will flee from you!” The word flee means to take flight. It’s an old Greek word that describes a criminal who flees in terror from a city or state where he broke the law. The reason he flees so quickly is that he wants to escape the prosecution process. Staying in that area would mean judgment; so rather than stay and face the consequences, the crook flees for his life.

The devil knows that if you resist him by using your God-given authority, in the name of Jesus, speaking the Word of God—it won’t be long until you have him under your feet. Rather than let that happen, the devil starts looking for a way to run.

The devil wants to make your life miserable. That’s why he attacks the mind and tries to convince you that God’s dream for your life will never come to pass. He knows his time is short, and he wants you to settle for less than God’s best in your life.

God has given you the name of Jesus and the promises of His Word, so it’s time for you to stop listening to the devil’s lies and start quoting the Word. Command the devil to leave in the name of Jesus! If you do this, the devil will not only shut up, he will run from you in terror. Start quoting the Word of God and using the name of Jesus today! Begin to build your arsenal of truth from God’s Word by reading, meditating, and speaking the Scriptures. You can use those words like a sword on the enemy! You have the authority.

The truth is, when a Bible believer declares God’s Word to the enemy, it is a high level of spiritual warfare. Jesus is our example in His wilderness temptation when He said, “It is written….”

We have to keep speaking the Word. We have to submit ourselves to God, resist the devil and make him flee from us. The problem is, you can’t resist the devil and make him flee, unless you’ve submitted yourself to God. You have been in charge of your life so much, you need to relearn what submission is about (see James 4:10).

Submission is humility, the opposite of the proud, selfish, and self-centered ambition that is characteristic of this present evil time. All sin is selfishness. Selfishness is the essence of worldliness. So to be a self-centered person is to be at enmity with God. James is calling believers to humble themselves.

Refuse strife and unnecessary argument. Seek to be at peace with others (James 4:1-2). Use godly wisdom (James 3:14-15). Resist the devil and reject all his suggestions (James 4:7; Eph 4:27).

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you (James 4:8). How do we know God better? This verse goes on to answer that question. We cleanse our hands (actions) and purify our hearts. In other words, quit sinning and focus on God. That focus will make it difficult to give place to the devil.

God bless you my friend,

— Dwight Hammond