SPIRITUAL WARFARE - by Jim Tharp

One Sunday evening several years ago something happened in Russia that we all need to know about. Dr. David Jeremiah tells about this event in the Introduction of his book, “Spiritual Warfare.” Some believers were gathered secretly in a basement to worship the Lord. While they were singing a hymn, the door was suddenly thrown open by two Russian armed soldiers, who screamed these words: “Everyone not willing to die for their faith had better get out.” Some of the people began filtering out. After a few moments, one of the soldiers shouted: “This is your last chance! Turn against your faith in Christ or suffer the consequences.” Only a faithful few remained, huddled together as a soldier shut and locked the door and strode forward. The other soldier then said quietly, “Raise your hands, but raise them in praise to God. We are Christians, too. We just wanted to know who we could trust.” I am sure that those soldiers had never heard such shouts of joy and praise to the Lord Jesus Christ.

I am indebted to this great man of God, Dr. David Jeremiah, for the report of this amazing story. This pastor’s sermons and writings have meant so much to this preacher as I have read his books and listened to his great convicting Biblical sermons he has preached on the radio and over television for the past several decades.

The story above had a positive ending, but if you were faced with a similar situation where your faith was challenged and threatened, what would you do? I believe that we live in “the Last Days,” which Jesus and His apostles predicted. I know it is time to warn American Christians to awaken to the Holy Spirit’s call to SPIRITUAL WARFARE. What I am really concerned about is my discovery during the last 35 years: In my praying and fasting for the last three decades, I am convinced that the Church of Jesus Christ in America has never been weaker and our country has never been more wicked! As a pastor for 46 years and then as an evangelist for the last three decades, I have sought to urge Christians to join God’s armies for spiritual warfare. I do have some concerns that I wish to stress in this message today.

Our Bible tells us that we are at war! The Church is being called to a war in which we are wrestling against demonic powers and rulers of this present darkness. These invisible forces are trained and ruled by Satan to destroy our faith and rob us of the power that God has promised to release on His Spirit-filled believers for these final days of spiritual warfare. Christian brothers and sisters, let us read God’s call to war in Ephesians 6:10-18: “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 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. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.”
The last verse of this passage just quoted (verse 18) will give us the secret to our power in meeting the conditions required for victorious spiritual warfare—to wrestle “against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (verse 12) After rising from the dead, Jesus promised His believers that they were to be filled with the Holy Spirit, who would be poured out upon them preparing them for preaching the Gospel, evangelizing the world, and seeing the church grow. To accomplish such things, the secret to success would be THE ANOINTING AND FULLNESS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. From the beginning, the secret to spiritual power is in the believer’s relationship to the Holy Spirit: “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you . . ..” (Acts 1:8) Every prayer warrior must learn to pray in the power of the Holy Spirit! This means that there must come a time in the believer’s heart and mind that he or she must pray and ask for the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Just as the 120 believers in the Upper Room prayed for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and were all filled with the Holy Spirit, so today every prayer warrior must be hungrily ready to surrender all to Christ and ask in faith to be cleansed, filled, and empowered.

I want to close this message reminding our prayer warriors what we can expect as we are praying for a great spiritual awakening: (1) The Holy Spirit will enlighten our understanding so that we can pray the will of God; (2) The Holy Spirit will energize our spirit to pray and fast to see demonic forces defeated and the will of God to be done in individual hearts. Churches will come alive and communities will be awakened to repent and worship God in Spirit and in truth; and (3) The Holy Spirit will embolden Spirit-anointed prayer warriors to pray for an opening of the Heavens on their communities; it will be known throughout the nation that our gracious and merciful God is still able to resurrect dead churches and redeem wicked nations!

A closing prayer: Our Heavenly Father, please call many more Spirit-filled Americans to hear Your call to spiritual warfare! Help us realize that we must take up the helmet of our salvation to pray against the forces of evil if our churches are to see the great awakening you have promised to give. In this late hour of perilous times, give us burning hearts to see churches come alive and millions to be brought to Jesus before it is too late! I pray this in the strong name of Jesus Christ, who gave His all for us. Now, please help us be willing to give our all for You! Amen!