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Understanding Spiritual Warfare Sue Bohlin October 22, 2002

6 Understanding Spiritual Warfare

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UnderstandingSpiritual Warfare

Sue Bohlin

October 22, 2002

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The Goal: Balance

• Two equal errors: ignoring it, and beingpreoccupied with it

• Like watching nothing but the FoodChannel

• 1 Corinthians 4:6 - “Do not go beyond

what is written.”  

• Jesus’ proportion of time dealing withspiritual warfare

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 Animism

• Sacred things (crystals, trees, animals)

• Sacred actions (sacrifices, blessing a

person who sneezed)

• Sacred words (oaths, curses, blessings)

• Sacred persons (witches, shamans)

• Sacred rituals (throwing salt overshoulder, wearing garlic)

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 Animism + Christianity• Sacred things (wearing a cross, Miraculous

Medal, blessed rings, St. Christopher’smedal/statue)

• Sacred actions (making the sign of theCross, blessing of throats, food baskets)

• Sacred words (“In Jesus’ name, Amen”, “Asfor me and my house…” by door) 

• Sacred persons (pastors)

• Sacred rituals (saying grace before meals)

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 Animism or Christianity?

• Motivation makes the difference

 – God-centered or control-oriented?

 – Power in words/actions or power in God?• We memorize and recite Scripture NOT

as a magical incantation but because

it’s true and divinely powerful • We say grace NOT to protect ourselves

from bad food but to give thanks

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 Animism in Spiritual Warfare

• Believing that our “scripts” have power inthemselves

• “I rebuke you in Jesus’ name!”   –  But even the archangel Michael, when he was

disputing with the devil about the body of 

 Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous

accusation against him, but said, "The Lord 

rebuke you!” (Jude 9) 

• Binding and loosing

 – We are to resist the devil, not bind him

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 Animism in Spiritual Warfare

3. Assigning a personal spiritualpower to everything that happens

• Not everything that happens to us is spiritualwarfare.

• Sometimes it's just the consequence of livingin a fallen world

• Response is the same: trust God and staystanding!

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 Animism in Spiritual Warfare

• Sometimes what we attribute to the devil is just man’s fallenness showing in his flesh 

 –  Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are:immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery,

enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes,

dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness,

carousing, and things like these... (Galatians 5:19-21)

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Godly vs. Ungodly Spirits

Spirit of wisdom

Spirit of understanding

Spirit of counselSpirit of power

Spirit of knowledge

Spirit of the fear of theLord

Spirit of justice

Spirit of grace 

Spirit of foolishness

Spirit of misunderstanding

Spirit of bad counselSpirit of weakness

Spirit of ignorance

Spirit of arrogance

Spirit of injustice

Spirit of legalism

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Ungodly Spirits to Banish

• Spirit of criticism

• Spirit of anger, animosity, revenge

• Spirit of harassment, humiliation• Spirit of lust

• Spirit of rebellion

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed Me to bring good news to the

afflicted; He has sent Me to bind up the

brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and 

 freedom to prisoners (Isaiah 61:1) 

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Generational Sins/Curses

Then the Lord passed by in front of (Moses) and 

 proclaimed, "The Lord, the Lord God,

compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and 

abounding in lovingkindness and truth who keeps

lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives

iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no

means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting theiniquity of fathers on the children and on the

 grandchildren to the third and fourth

 generations.” (Exodus 34: 6 -7)

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Generational Sins/Curses

• Spirit of criticism and judgment

• Spirit of rebellion and opposition

• Spirit of fleshly indulgence – Alcoholism

 – Overeating

 – Sex addiction

• Spirit of unforgiveness

• Spirit of depression / suicide

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Generational Sins/Curses

• We can start generational sins/curses

• Secret sins still impact families

 – Cross-dressing fathers  – Porn addiction (masturbation)

 – Various sexual sin (such as topless bars)

 – Adultery (of the heart or body)

• They invite the enemy into theirhomes and families 

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Breaking Generational

Sins/Curses• …Let us therefore cast off (renounce) the

works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light (Romans 13:12)

•  If the Son sets you free, you shall be free

indeed. (John 8:36)

• Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law,

having become a curse for us--for it is written,

"CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON 

 A TREE” (Galatians 3:13) 

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The 3-Step Program of 

Spiritual Warfare• “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil 

and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7) 

• Submit (“set oneself under”) to God

 – Yielded heart

 – Put on the armor of God; put on Christ

• Resist (“set against”) the devil…

 – Stand against his lies and deceptions

• …And he will flee from you.