The Weapons of our Warfare

PREFACE

These studies were born in that battle and others which have followed. We are far from saying there are only twelve weapons. There may well be a hundred or more. But we are persuaded that these indeed are weapons. And if you find yourself forced into the warfare, we know that you will agree.

And, we believe, regardless of the problem and its complexity, these weapons are tools that put the Church on the offensive and bring the victory. Literally, they are the lessons we, along with others, learned when a teenager was delivered from LSD.

You will note also that each weapon relates to Christ. This is not contrived. It is real and basic. If these are our weapons then He is our Victory. As we so well know, without Him we can do nothing.

Finally, we wish to express appreciation to Mr. Ross Blatchford for his help on the study on Faith, and to the Rev. Duane S. Morscheck for his assistance an the study of Oneness.

K. Neill Foster
Evangelistic Enterprises Society
Beaverlodge, Alberta

INTRODUCTION

Paul's classic description of the Christian warrior in Ephesians 6 makes it clear that in the Christian's warfare against spiritual darkness, the believer fights from victory, not for it. Close observers of the passage point out that the armour of .the Christian soldier is mainly defensive. Yet the scriptures as a whole abundantly attest that the offensive weapons exist as well. Satan gains many victories by default because many Christians are not thoroughly acquainted with their arsenal.

Prayer is a mighty spiritual weapon, and thank God, there are a few who have an attentive ear for heaven's impulse. This minority costs the devil a lot of real estate. The Word of God is generally recognized as a spiritual weapon, and most believers can quote Hebrews 4: 12 with some accuracy. There are not so many who are adept at using the sword. Praise is a weapon that is not entirely forgotten - just unrecognized. Praise can be the artillery barrage that softens up the enemy for the frontal assault of the Word. "There is power in the blood," we often sing. Pleading the blood is not a pathetic cliche handed to us from a generation of uneducated saints. The blood is the crimson creed of God's children.

We are reminded in Revelation 12:11 that the foe is vanquished by testimony as well as the blood. Testimony is irrefutable fact. "Indeed a notable miracle hath been done, . . . and we can not deny it." The defense of the enemy always crumbles before the prosecution of testimony.

The Name of Jesus has been the rapture of many hymnwriters, and properly so. Though the religionists of the New Testament era did not like the apostle's preaching, they openly objected to their use of the Name. Paul, the mighty warrior, was "in fastings often." In his many years of triumphant warfare he found that he could not neglect fasting. Faith is a defensive and offensive weapon. As the shield of faith deflects the fiery darts, so the word of faith dares to command the mountain and to dislodge the usurper.

Unity is also a mighty weapon. Pentecost itself was only possible because the disciples were of "one accord." And in the spiritual warfare there is no substitute for unity and no progress whatsoever without it.

Perhaps the least understood and among the most potent of the spiritual weapons is believer's authority. Forbidding, allowing, healing and delivering are as much the believer's prerogatives as asking. We know to ask in prayer, but our hands tremble at the throttle of omnipotence and we fear to boldly "bind the strong man."

The gifts of the Holy Spirit, so often maligned or misused, are also weapons of the warfare. Satan's refuge has frequently been in our ignorance of the gifts of the Spirit. By His manifested presence, the Holy Spirit is as sure to adorn the doctrine of Christ as He is to sweep away the liar's lair.

Love alone, among these mighty weapons, gently threatens to dwarf all the others. Charity is not a fetish to be pursued at the expense of the rest of the weaponry. Yet it is the not-so-secret super-weapon of a crippled and cranky church. There are hardened hearts and impossible situations that will succumb to love when all else has failed.

Our Master has equipped us well. There is no stronghold of Satan which can not be thrown down. The Bible stands. "The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, . . . but mighty through God."