Spiritual Warfare by Jeffrey Moore

You and I are at war! In fact, we are engaged right now in the “mother of all battles.” No war in history can compare with the battle you and I are fighting. It can either be the cause of your greatest joy as a Christian, or of your deepest pain.The war I am talking about is the spiritual warfare that you became a part of the day you trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior.This war affects every area of your life. There is no way you can avoid the conflict. There is no bunker or foxhole you can crawl into that will shield you from the effects of this battle between the forces of God, and the forces of Satan.A lot of Christians don’t even know they’re at war. But others can see the results of the battle in their lives, because they have become casualties of spiritual warfare. They are discouraged, depressed, down-trodden, and defeated. Others suffer marital and family casualties. Divorce, conflict, and abuse are some of the battle scars these believers bear.Since we are at war, and since there is so much at stake both here on earth and in eternity, we’d better find out what spiritual warfare is about and how to fight the battle successfully.
It’s hard enough to fight an enemy you can see. It’s much harder to fight someone you can’t see. In his classic statement on spiritual warfare, Paul wrote: “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places”(Eph 6:12).
This verse identifies the enemy, Satan and his demons. People can be bad, no doubt. But as bad as people can be, they are merely conduits for this greater battle. Satan has been successful in getting us to fight people rather than fighting that which is causing people to be the way they are.All of us have tried to change people who are not doing right. What we need to understand is that what happens through people, including you and me, has at its root something much larger. This fact does not excuse the wrong things people do. They are still responsible. But it helps us focus on the real enemy.
Even though the battle we are talking about is spiritual in nature, it has very definite effects in the visible, physical realm. You know you are in a battle when you get shot and start bleeding. We are seeing the “bleeding,” the result, of spiritual warfare in at least four areas of life today. 
Many believers are seeing the wounds of spiritual warfare in their personal lives. This doesn’t mean these people are doing something really bad. It could be that they have a problem such as uncontrolled anger.Our emotions can give the devil an entry into our lives. To see the relationship between your emotions and spiritual warfare, look at several familiar verses in Ephesians: “Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth, each one of you, with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity.” (Eph. 4:25-27)Please notice that failing to control anger grants the devil an opportunity to get a foothold in your life. Then he can use it as a base of operation to launch more intense spiritual attacks against you.Many Christians are suffering today because of anger that was not resolved yesterday—and anger is just one of an assortment of human emotions. If Satan can seize our emotions, he can destroy our function by crippling us emotionally or leading us into all manner of destructive and addictive behavior.
Spiritual warfare also has an impact on church life. Paul told Timothy to watch out for “doctrines of demons” that will infiltrate the church (1 Tim. 4:1). The church is being undermined in many places today by teachers who claim to teach the Bible, but are teaching doctrines from hell. Anyone can quote the Bible. But we need to be like the Bereans, who checked out what Paul and Silas were teaching them to see whether their teachings agreed with Scriptures (Acts. 17:11)
According to passages like Daniel 10, entire nations are influenced by the invisible battle in the angelic realm. Satan is called “the prince of the power of the air” with good reason (Eph. 2:2)There is no place we can go to escape the effect of spiritual warfare. We need to learn how to fight. Our ability to deal with the spiritual realm will determine whether we win or lose in the physical realm.Satan’s job is to get us to ignore the spiritual realm or give it low value. If he can divert us from the spiritual realm, he can divert us from finding spiritual solutions.
We are surrounded by our spiritual enemy, but the battle is not for land or anything physical. This battle is for glory. The issue is who is going to get the glory in the universe? Who is going to be worshiped? Satan essentially said to God, “You cannot have all the glory in creation. I want some of the glory for myself.”God’s response was, “My glory I will not give to another.” (Is. 48:11)Satan said, “You are going to share glory with me. Let’s go to war.”The battle is for glory, for the thrown of creation. Praise God the outcome has never been in doubt, but the battle goes on every day in our personal, family, church, and community lives as to who will get the glory by what we do.That’s why Paul told us, “Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1Cor 10:31)
What is Satan’s battle strategy in spiritual warfare? Paul outlined the strategy of the devil. Speaking to this carnal church, the apostle wrote, “I am afraid, lest as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds should be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.” 2 Cor 11:3Satan’s battle strategy is simple. He is out to deceive us, to trick us into believing his lies and temptations. He’s been at his plan for countless years, and he’s good at it.Paul even said that Satan can disguise himself as an “angel of light” 2 Cor. 11:14
Folks the battle is real and around us every day.  SANA is doing a great thing for the kingdom of God.  Satan is angry that we are banding together.  He will do anything to kill, steal, and destroy this group.  We as leaders must focus on our mission and give all glory to God.  We will at times have attacks against the group as a whole and individuals, but we are united together in Christ.  We are one voice, one heart, one love.  Mary Smith and I lead the respective prayer teams for the SANA community.  We are not only here for you individually but the group as a whole.  Mary is one of the most anointed intercessors for the Kingdom I have ever met in my life.  She is in tune and walking with the sprit like no other.  We have witnessed how the enemy tried to destroy this group.  We band together and unite when these type of attacks occur.  Today, I call on each of you to be in prayer for the group and each of its members.  Our time on this earth is short.  We see prophecy occurring around us daily.  We will not be silent, we will stand boldly for each of you; we will stand in the gap for Jesus.  The time is NOW!  Put on the armor of God, raise the shield of faith, pull the sword of the spirit and fight!