“Now I, Paul, myself am pleading with you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—who in presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you. ² But I beg you that when I am present, I may not be bold with that confidence by which I intend to be bold against some, who think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. ³ For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh…”

2 Corinthians 10:1-6

 

That verse three is very, very important in what we are going to be talking about in this piece. Paul said, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.” So, what does that presupposes? In that place, Paul, acknowledge that there is a kind of warfare that is peculiar to us believers. Paul said, “although we walk in the flesh, we do not war...” So that shows us that there is a battle going on. There is a warfare that is going on. It doesn't matter whether you are aware of it or not. If you are a believer and a child of God, there is a warfare that you have been enlisted to partake in. So, Paul said, we do not war according to the flesh.

 

Now look at verse 4-6: “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds…” So, Paul was saying in essence that the weapons with which we use to fight this war he is talking about are not carnal. They are not the kind of weapons that you and I are familiar with. It says the weapons of this kind of warfare, they are not carnal but they are mighty in God. And he says they can pull down strongholds, ⁵ casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, ⁶ and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.”

 

Now, what can we take away from these six verses of the Bible? I want you to settle it in your heart, that there is a spiritual warfare that is going on that you and I have been enlisted to be part of. Now the question we can ask ourselves is, what is spiritual warfare? You know, recently, somebody made me realize that there is a difference between a war and a crisis. So, what distinguishes or brings about the difference is usually in the kind of armory or weapons that is being used. So, the person was trying to explain to me. In this place, Paul didn't say that we are going through a crisis, it says we are fighting a war. So, what exactly is spiritual warfare?

 

Now, while I was meditating, it came to my spirit, that if we are going to understand the subject of spiritual warfare, it is first and foremost important for us to understand that there are two kinds of world. If you're going to appreciate the subject of spiritual warfare, you must first and foremost understand that there are two kinds of worlds. The first kind of world is this physical world. The physical world is this physical realm that you and I dwell. The physical world talks about the seeing realm, it is not the spiritual realm. So, the first kind of world we have is this physical realm. Now David was writing in Psalm 24:1-2. The Bible says:

 

The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness,
The world and those who dwell therein.
² For He has founded it upon the seas,
And established it upon the waters.

 

Now, if you check the synonym for the word earth, it means the soil, or the ground upon which you and I are standing right now. So, when you see the earth in the Bible, it is talking about the ground upon which we walk. It is not a spiritual thing; it is a physical thing. So, David said, “The earth is the Lord's, and all its fullness…” The fullness of the earth talks about the resources that is in the earth. Those things we call natural resources that the Lord has bestowed upon mankind to enjoy. David said, it is the fullness of God. So, this earth is not empty. The Lord made it and made it to be full. Now David said further: “The world and those who dwell therein.”

 

Now what is the difference between the world and the earth? I think it is a question that you may want to raise in your heart. What is the difference between the world and the earth? You see, the world talks about the systems that runs this physical earth. When we are talking about the world, we are simply talking about the systems that govern this earth. Now what are the systems that governs the earth? There are many of them: we have the system of commerce, we have the system of education, we have the system of science and technology. So, when the Bible talks about the world, it is simply talking about the systems of this world, the things that make this earth to be habitable, to be governable.

 

So, the earth is the physical ground upon which we stand, and the world talk about the systems, how things move, how people interact, how businesses are traded, how science and technology are made. These talks about the systems of the world. Now, we're going to talk about that more later. But David said “the world and those who dwell therein.” It says: “For He has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.” So, when we are talking about the physical world, what we are simply talking about is the earth and the systems that governs the earth. And it also talks about the resources in the earth, and you and I, the people that dwell in the earth. So that is this physical world.

 

But the other kind of world is the spiritual world. The spiritual world is the unseen world, the unseen realm. The physical world is the seen realm, the spiritual world is the unseen world. Now you've heard this statement over and over again that the spiritual controls the physical, right. It is absolutely true. There is an unseen world that controls this physical world. And that's why we are considering the subject of spiritual warfare. We are just trying to lay this background so that you can understand what spiritual warfare is, and what we are dealing with. Now, if you read Hebrews chapter 11:3, the Bible made us to understand what the unseen world is in passing. The Bible says: “By faith, we understand that the worlds… (not the world) were framed, by the Word of God so that the things which are seeing were not made of things which are visible.”

 

So, in retrospect, it is simply saying that the seeing realm, the physical realm is a product of the invisible realm. So that tells us that the spirit world exists, even though we cannot intrude into it physically, we are to be spiritual enough for us to be able to understand that there is a spiritual world. Now, who are the people that dwell in the spiritual world? The spirits, for example, God dwells in the spiritual world, in an unseen realm. The angels’ dwell in unseen realm, the spiritual world, demons, Satan, all of them dwell in that particular world. But the fact that we don't see them physically does not mean that their world does not exist. So, if you're going to understand what spiritual warfare really entails, it is important for you to understand that the physical world and the spiritual world exists.

 

So, spiritual warfare, who are we fighting? What exactly are we fighting? Because when you say there is a warfare, then your enemy must be clearly defined. You can't say you are in a war, if you don't have an enemy. So, when we're talking about spiritual warfare, who exactly is the enemy? I'm going to show us. Now there are three scripturally documented enemy of the believer. As a believer, there are three enemies that you are constantly engaging in a battle.

 

The first is the enemy called the flesh. The second is the enemy called the world, that system, as we will get to find out later on. And the third enemy you are fighting as a believer is the devil himself. All these three enemies are scripturally documented, and we are going to study around them so that we can understand how they operate.

 

Now, the enemy called flesh is the number one. Now when I was meditating, you will discover that biologically speaking, there is nothing that is wrong with the flesh. You know, I was thinking and I was imagining in my heart, that imagine that we don't have flesh. And then all that we are is our bone structure. How many of us have seen a bony structure walking before and then you are attracted to them. In case you have seen a skeleton before, is it as beautiful as a full-fleshed human being? No, there is nothing beautiful in a skeleton. What gives beauty to your bony structure is simply because it has a flesh. When somebody says “you are beautiful”, they are not talking about your bones. They are simply talking about the physical appearance, and what gives beauty to your physical appearance is simply the flesh.

 

So, there is nothing wrong with our flesh. But at what point does the flesh become an enemy? That is the question we should ask. At what point did my flesh become my enemy? It is at the point where the weakness of the flesh gives expression to the law of sin and death. Paul said, there is nothing wrong with the flesh, but the flesh became our enemies because it is the means through which the law of sin and death is found expression in us. So, what is that telling us? It is simply saying that your flesh allows the trappings of the law of sin and death to find expression in you. Without the weakness of your flesh, sin and death will not find expression in you. It is at that point that the flesh became our enemy.

 

Now look at it: Romans 7:5-6, 13. Paul showed us the vivid picture of when the flesh became our enemy. The Bible says: “For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death. ⁶ But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.” How did sin and death come about? Paul said when we were in the flesh. So, the flesh aids and abet sin. It gives authority to sin and to the law and to death. That is when it became our enemy.

 

Now look at verse 13. Paul said: “Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good…” What is good in this place that he was talking about is the law. The Bible made us to understand that there is nothing wrong in the law, the law is spiritual. The law, the essence of the law was so that men can be able to please God. But it became difficult for men to please God simply because the flesh became the weakness. That is why it was difficult for the people to be able to please God, they were not in the Spirit, they do not have the Spirit of God. They were sensual. They were fleshly. And so, they thought that if they have the law, they will be able to please God. But lo and behold, they could not because the flesh became their enemy.

 

That's what Paul is saying. He says there is nothing bad in the law. It says that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful. ¹⁴ For we know that the law is spiritual…” God gave it, God gave the law so, it's spiritual. It's not a bad thing. It says: “but I am carnal”, I am fleshly. The law is spiritual, but, negating the positive effects of the law. It says my carnality comes into play. It says: “sold under sin. ¹⁵ For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. ¹⁶ If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. ¹⁷ But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. ¹⁸ For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me…”

 

“Will power.” How many of us have made up our mind that “this thing, I will never do it again” and you still found yourself doing it? The flesh is weak. That is why. “I will never lie again.” And lo and behold you just found yourself lying. It is the will. It says: “nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. ¹⁹ For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. ²⁰ Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.” Who is the me? Don't forget, the flesh!

 

²¹ I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. ²² For I delight in the law of God according to the inworld man. ²³ But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. ²⁴ O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? ²⁵ I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.

 

So, what is the summary of what Paul was saying? Paul was saying that the number one enabler of sin in any believer is the flesh, it is as simple as that. The number one enabler of sin in a believer is nothing but the flesh. So, your arc enemy, so to say, is the flesh. Now, how is it your arc enemy? It is simply because it is with you. There is nothing we can do about your flesh. You have to wait until the redemption of the body. That's what the Scripture says. Romans chapter 8:23 says there is a redemption of the body. But pending the that that glorious body is going to come, you have to deal with this your arc enemy, which is your flesh.

 

What then is the remedy? How do you go about it? Look at what Paul said in Galatians 5 from verse 16-18. Paul said: “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh…” So, what does that tell you? Anytime you leave the domain or the realm of the spirit, automatically, you are in the realm of the flesh. ¹⁷ For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another…” There is a constant battle going on between the Spirit of God and the flesh of man. A constant battle, spiritual warfare, always raging between your spirit and the flesh. so that you do not do the things that you wish. ¹⁸ But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.”

 

So, in this spiritual warfare, your number one enemy is the flesh because it aids and abets the law of sin and death to find expression in you. So, your flesh gives credence, you know to your body. And then they begin to wage battle against the inworld man. The inworld man is the spiritual man. So once your flesh is able to dominate, take over your soul, then t is against the inworld man. Paul said “walk in the Spirit.”

 

Now let's look at the enemy called the world. You will discover that the systems of this world has been hijacked by Satan. Now don't forget we describe the world when where we were coming from that there is the earth. One of the things you must remember from Genesis 1:28, the Bible says God has given us the dominion mandate to rule over the earth. It says: we should be fruitful. And he gave us three spheres of expression where that fruitfulness must take place, that dominion must take place. It says: rule over the fish of the sea. It says rule over the birds of the air, and then rule over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. Those are three spheres of dominion that God has given to man. So, we can rule in the sea, we can rule in the air, and then we can rule on the ground.

 

But when you look at the systems of this world, one of the things you will discover is that it has been hijacked by the devil. Now look at different things that we have in this world that is running this world. Can you please ask yourself; Where is the source or what is the source? Now the devil does not create those systems. God is the originator of those system, because when you look at the systems of this world, it is an idea in the earth of a man. Who gave a man that idea, who put that seed in man to be able to conceive? It is God. But when you look at the systems of this world, the reason why it appears the believers are not dominating that system is because they've allowed the devil to hijack it. For example, look at the media, have you seen all manner of things that is happening in the media? That is a system of the world, and the devil has hijacked it.

 

I was thinking about it using Nigeria as a case study. I was thinking about the political system of Nigeria and asked myself: how come it is difficult or almost impossible for a believer to find expression in the political system of Nigeria, and by and large, even the world? It is simply because that system has been programmed to rule out the believer. You see, it will be almost impossible for you to be a successful politician, if you are not going to join the system. It will be almost impossible for you to trade as a child of God or to do commerce, if you are not going to join the systems of trade that is run by this world. So, the systems of this world have been hijacked by the devil and to what end? It is so that they can attracts the believer, it is so that they can hijack them from God and bring them into that system and corrupt them.

 

In other words, the systems of this world corrupt. So, when we are talking about the world being your enemy, we are simply talking about the system that rules this world. Okay, you are a believer, you want to start a business. And they say well, this and this, and these are the things you must do. And this and this, and these that are mentioned are the things that are contrary to the will of God. That is the system of this world. The moment as a child of God, you give in to that system, then you have allowed the enemy called the world to take you.

 

Look at what Paul said in Romans 12:2, it says: “do not be conformed to this world.” He was talking about the systems of the world. Don't be conformed to it. Don't let the system of this world hijack you from God and drench you into it. That is what the devil is looking for. 1 John 2:15-17 says: “Do not love the world.” Jesus said even though we are in this world, we are not of this world. John said “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the father is not in him.” If you love the world, the systems of this world the way it is, it shows that the love of the Father is not in you. If you're going to do business as this world does business, it shows that the love of the Father is not in you.

 

I was listening to the testimony of a woman recently a believer, she's into bread making, she has a bakery that produces bread. So, she said at some point, everything in the production of bread went high. And so, her other colleagues in the same industry, they found their way around the system. So, they started putting chemicals, what they call bromate into bread, it makes the bread to swell, using little resources to produce much bread. But that chemical is inimical to health, is not good for the body. So, she looked at the whole systems and said: “I'm a child of God, I can't join them to do this.” So, she shuts down the bakery, sold all her equipment and all that. And then she closed for several months, until a time when she was praying and then the Lord gave her an idea. And the idea was this: Why not begin to produce bread according to order?

 

In other words, there are people who are known to love her bread, why not reach out to them and ask them if they want bread, they can order ahead and then will have it deliver to them. So, she will collect all those orders, and then go into the bakery and produce the normal bread without bromate but according to order. So instead of mass producing that she was doing before, she was not doing that, again, she was reaching out to people who want her bread. And that was how she came back into the business without having to join them. Now what is the point I'm trying to explain to us? You see the system of this world as been rigged so that the believer can be taken out of the Kingdom of God and join the system of the world. “If you cannot beat them, you will join them.” It's a wrong thing. You're already in the world.

 

John said, “Do not love the word or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father, but is of the world.” Why do you lust? It is because of the things you see. The system is designed to attract you to bring you into it. It says: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, they are of this word, they don't come from the father. Verse 1 says: And the world is passing away and the lust of it, but he who does the will of God abides forever. So, our enemy number two is this world. I would rather stick to my salvation or my faith than join this world and the systems.

 

Why people post all manner of nudity, all manner of things on social media, I will post the knowledge and the word of God; that is how to beat the system of this word. The system of this world wants you to do what they are doing. You know I read something on Twitter recently and a guy, a believer I believe was giving advice to Christian sisters, and brothers. He said: you call yourself a Christian sister and you go to a beach; you wear a bikini and you post it on your social media. He says, are you bringing glory to God or you are bringing glory to the devil? He says you can't call yourself a child of God and do that. That is the system of the world. It has been designed to attract you. You can't call yourself a child of God, a believer, a daughter of Zion, and you dress the way they world dresses. It was also a subtle advice shrouded with the Word of God.

 

There is a way the world runs and they want you to join them to do same. The moment you allow yourself to give in to that system of the world, then you are already gone. John said the love of the Father is no longer in you. So, you are a Christian politician, you want to win an election, and you follow the political system, what they do; bribery, and all of those things, in order for you to secure a seat, that is the system of the world you are already gone. The love of the Father is not in you. So, our enemy number two is the world, the systems of the world.

 

Now let's look at the third one. Our enemy number three is called the devil. He is the chief among the enemies we face as believers. The devil is our arc enemy. God sent him out of heaven. Now I was meditating this and I discovered that all the accounts that the Bible documented about how Satan was sent out of heaven were all account of rebellion. If you read Isaiah chapter 15, If you read Ezekiel chapter 28, and I was reading Revelation Chapter 12 recently and I discovered that it was an account of rebellion as well. So, it came to my spirit. So, the devil is a rebellious being. And the reason why he is your enemy is simply because the Bible says God sent him out of the heaven into the earth and he is waging war against you because he's a rebellious being, he does not want you to do the will of God, he is our chief enemy.

 

Now if you read that Revelation 12:7-12. The Bible says: “And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, ⁸ but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. ⁹ So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world…” he has the systems of this world in his hands and what he uses it for is to deceive.

 

he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. ¹⁰ Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. ¹¹ And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. ¹² Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”

 

The devil will not leave the believers alone because he has a short time. And what is his assignment? His assignment is to get us deceived. His assignment is to get us out of the way of God and bring us into his bondage. Somebody who is a rebel is also looking for co-rebels. He has but a short time and so, he is your number one enemy. Do you know why he's fighting you? The Bible says “God has put him under your feet.” That's why he is our greatest enemy. He is not at par with us. He is below us; he is under us. You know if you read Luke 10:18-19, the Bible says, “Jesus was saying to the seventy disciples that they should rejoice. He says, I give unto you power to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the powers of the enemies and they shall by no means ought you.” The devil is under our feet and that is why he is our enemy. You can't be trampling somebody under your feet and you expect that person to be your friend, he will be your enemy. That's why he's our enemy. Apostle Peter called him “our adversary”. He is not our friend. The devil is not a friend of any believer, the devil is your adversary. Peter said further that he moves about like a roaring lion looking for whom to devour. It says: “Therefore, resist him steadfastly in faith.” So, the devil is not our friend, the devil is our enemy.

 

In conclusion, I want to read this Scripture and then we tidy up everything together. The instrumentality of prayer, faith, and the Word of God in spiritual warfare. Ephesians 6:10-18, there is something I want to show us there and it is going to help our understanding. It is a familiar Scripture but I just want you to follow the reading carefully. Paul said:

 

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. ¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace…”

 

The gospel of peace talks about the Word of God. Did we see that? If you're going to overcome in this spiritual warfare, you have to arm yourself with the gospel of peace. The gospel of peace. Verse 16 says: “Above all, taking the shield of faith…” Did we see that? The first one is the the gospel of peace. So, you cannot do without the word of God in winning this spiritual warfare, it is not a physical battle. So, you need the word of God, the gospel. It says: “taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. ¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 1⁸ praying always…” Not sometimes, praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—

 

How do you win these enemies? How do you overcome in this spiritual battle? It says you need the word of God, the sword of the Spirit, arm yourself with it. It says you need the gospel of peace. Be ready to preach about the Kingdom of God. Be ready to evangelize, be ready to tell your world about God. it says you need the shield of faith; you need to believe. The Bible says “faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.” And then it says you need to pray always. You cannot give your prayer life to chances if you're going to win in the spiritual warfare. Pray always and Jesus spoke a parable unto them unto this end saying men ought always to pray and not to faint. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says: “Pray without ceasing.” If you and I will overcome in this spiritual warfare, we need to pray.

 

Praying always, not once a week. Not once in a while, always. Anywhere the prayer meets you is where you should pray. Paul wrote to Timothy saying “I wish that men lift up holy hands everywhere…” He didn’t say in the tabernacle alone or in the church alone, anywhere. Praying always. How do you walk in the Spirit? By praying always. How do you develop your faith? By listening to the Word of God and praying always. “Praying always with all prayer supplication in the Spirit and being watchful.” As a soldier, you are not to be distracted. You are in a battlefield.

 

There are battles you fight, battles of the mind, battles in the flesh; battles in the spirits, both seen and unseen. How do you overcome? By praying always. It says “being watchful to this end with perseverance.” Then while you pray, you need to be patient. And supplication for all the saints. You cannot afford not to be a prayer warrior. If you're going to overcome in this spiritual warfare, you cannot afford not to be a prayer warrior as a believer and as a child of God, praying always with all prayers.

 

Amen!

Thanks for the gift of your time, We are Obayomi Abiola Benjamin and Gboyega ADEDEJI!

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