SPIRITUAL WARFARE
    An overview:
   One kingdom is pitted against another. The Good kingdom is going about bringing good into all people's lives. The Evil kingdom is going about holding all people in oppressive bondage. When these two opposing forces meet, there is war.
    There are many phases to war. There is recruiting, training, and deployment. There are footsoldiers, artillery people, sailors, supply people, medical people, and various other specialties. When a nation is in war, manufacturing and the whole economy shifts it's focus, resources, and energy toward the conflict. Actually, every citizen is involved, if only contributing their loyalty and support, but every citizen can become more involved by choice.
    An application:
    We can readily see how this applies to the kingdom of God, point-by-point. We need to see that spiritual warfare in the kingdom of God is a total, over-all effort by every person and every segment of the Body of Christ, incorporating every phase, specialty, and loyalty, to be focussed on one thing:

KEEP THE OVERALL PICTURE
Jesus:
    Jesus prayed all night at times, and ministered all day, day in and day out. His preaching and teaching set the captive free. His hands on ministry set the captive free. His signs and wonders and miracles set the captive free. His whole life was a warfare against satan's bondage on people's lives. He spoke and lived the Word, and the captives were set free. He duplicated Himself through the lives of others, and they went about doing all of the same. All phases of warfare were incorporated into his whole life, and in the lives of those in whom He duplicated Himself.  All this is spiritual warfare.

The early church:
    They prayed. They were filled with the Holy Ghost just like Jesus. They preached the gospel with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven (1Pet.1.12). Souls were saved, filled, healed, and delivered--just like they were in Jesus' ministry. Peter was locked up in prison, they prayed without ceasing, and God broke him out. He continued to preach. There were helpers who waited on tables, tended the affairs of the church, and did a few miracles on the side. Others gave themselves wholly to the ministry of the Word and prayer, training and establishing people in the Lord, duplicating the Lord's life into the believers. Others were constantly on the go, heralding the good news everywhere they went. All this is spiritual warfare.

Today:
    There is a lot of activity and stirring in the realm of spiritual warfare. The Word never defines an office of intercession, nor does it define any segment of the Body as intercessors. Every believer is called to be a priest unto God in a kingdom of priests. Every believer is called to be an intercessor and a prayer warrior.
    Prayer combined with preaching and other ministries is what wins the war. That preacher is engaged in just as much spiriutal warfare as that "prayer warrior". "Preacher warriors" are just as important as "prayer warriors". "Ministry of helps warriors" are just as important as "preacher warriors" and "prayer warriors".  If we don't understand this, we will go about thinking we are super spiritual just because we can pray fervently or preach eloquently or perform our helps mininstry wonderfully. It is effective spiritual warfare, for all ministries to be working together, all praying without ceasing, and all witnessing to others of Jesus. This is to be done by all in the context of whatever office or ministry we are given.

Paul:
    The apostle Paul relates a graphic picture of one man in spiritual warfare. Everytime he shared the gospel, people tried to kill him. He was sometimes without proper clothing and without food in his quest to share the gospel with all people everywhere. In carrying out the divine mandate to go and preach the gospel to every creature, he experienced shipwreck, snakebite, and many other adversities.
He carried the burden of making sure all the churches were true in the faith and carrying the torch of His love. After spending a lifetime of laying down his life to preach the gospel to every creature, he ends up in prison with all people having forsaken him--but through it all, and to the end, the presence of the Lord is his rock and his salvation, and the joy of the Lord is his strength. This is spiritual warfare.
    What are the results of Paul's spiritual warfare?
    One example, from his frame of time is this:
    "Paul...spoke boldly...disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God...two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus...and God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul" Acts 19.8-12. He preached and demonstrated the Word until everybody in the region heard. This is effective spiritual warfare.
    Another example, reaching into our frame of time:
    Paul had abundance of revelations, for which satan opposed him bitterly and constantly. Satan's constant opposition was a thorn in the flesh. Satan did not want Paul to "raise oneself over" him (Strong's conc. # 5229 be exalted), and steal multitudes of souls from his grips. Paul understood the unlimited fruitfulness promised to Abraham, and that through Christ, we are the seed of Abraham, having the same promises of unlimited fruitfulness. Paul acted on these promises, throwing his whole life into their fulfillment. The result? Not only did Paul win souls in his day, but Paul is still winning souls today by the millions through his life and writings. Satan could never stop him. Paul fought the good fight of faith, laying hold of eternal life, overcoming, "raising oneself over", all satan's devices and adversities.
    In fact, in the midst of it all, Paul received a revelation of all-sufficient grace that propelled him into total victory for the rest of his life, AND, we have recorded for us, that very account, to let us know, that no matter what satan throws our way, we can overcome all things, and we can live in total victory, more than conquerors, through the all-sufficient grace of our resurrected Lord Jesus Christ. Hallelujah!

CONCLUSION
    Remember the beginning analogy of all the components of modern warfare.
    Spiritual warfare consists of believing the Word, being filled with the Spirit, praying, fasting, finding our place in the Body, faithfully functioning in that place, going, and preaching the gospel to every creature, regardless of our place in the body. (Remember, the ministry of helps in the early church did miracles on the side).
    Spiritual warfare consists of going and pulling down strongholds off people's minds by preaching and teaching the Word of truth, so they can go free from satan's oppressions and bondages.
    Spiritual warfare is incorporating and bringing everything to focus on one thing: Going in the anointing of God with the Word of God to set every person free in every way--forgiveness of sins, healing the sick, casting out devils, raising the dead, freely giving to all so that all can go free from sin, sickness, satan, and even death itself.
    It cannot be over emphasized: Every believer has the commission to go and share Jesus with others, regardless of our particular station, rank, or office.
    "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me...to preach good tidings..." Isa.61.1.
    "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not...heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? Rom.10.14.
    In our soldiers uniform of love, let us be faithful to tell others of the wonderful Captain of our salvation, whose power is available now to every person who believes, so they can go free from every bondage to rejoice in the kingdom of God's dear Son.
    Through true spiritual warfare, every creature can hear the good news of Jesus and have opportunity to go free from the power of satan's kingdom today, in Jesus' name.