7 Powerful Weapons of Spiritual Warfare

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. 2 Corinthians 10:4 (KJV)

Weapons of spiritual warfare?  What are these so-called weapons, and how do we use them? I have covered the basics of spiritual warfare in a recent post. If you haven’t read it yet, click here.  I suggest you start there first to learn the foundations of spiritual warfare. In this post, we are going to learn about the weapons we can utilize during warfare. Since our weapons are not of the flesh or of this world, we have to learn the significance of each spiritual weapon in our arsenal.

Weapons of Spiritual Warfare

1. God’s Word-The Bible
2. The Name Of Jesus
3. The Blood Of Jesus
4. Prayer
5. Praise And Worship
6. Thanksgiving
7. Deliverance

1. God’s Word

Without a doubt, the most effective weapon of spiritual warfare is God’s word. The Word of God has everything needed for believers to stand firm in the hour of battle. God’s word is the solid foundation upon which we stand. The truth of God’s word can undo the twisted lies of the enemy that keep us in spiritual bondage.

The Bible guides us in all areas of life therefore, we should have confidence if we study the scriptures. You cannot fight against spiritual attacks without God’s word. Throughout the day you need to come against the lies from the enemy, by declaring the truth of God’s word as a swift rebuke. Ephesians 6: 10-18 instructs believers to put on the full armor of God every day.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.  Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,  and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.  In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;  and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. Ephesians 6: 10-18 (ESV).

2. The Name Of Jesus

Full of power, authority, and dominion over all, the name of Jesus is unlike any other name. Professing Jesus as our Lord and Savior is an act of spiritual warfare in itself. The enemy doesn’t want you believing in Christ, nor does he want you proclaiming it for others to hear. Declaring the name of Jesus and declaring our belief in Him allows us to operate these spiritual warfare weapons. The name of Jesus isn’t a magical incantation, it is the act of faith that puts the power behind the use of the name of the Lord.

Whenever I find myself in warfare, I proclaim Jesus and His victory over Satan. Reminding myself and the spiritual realm that the battle has already been won. When Christ died on the cross, “it was finished”. I get goosebumps just thinking about it.

Believers have a direct line to the kingdom of heaven through accepting Christ as Lord and Savior. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit enables us to do God’s will.  To cast out demons, heal the sick, and to boldly witness to others, all in the name of Jesus. Satan and his demons know exactly who Jesus is and the power He possesses. Jesus is the name above all names, by calling on him we can overcome all kinds of warfare. Our eyes always need to be on Jesus. Even when things seem to be falling apart around you. That’s when you need Him the most, to direct your steps, and to give you the strength to continue. 

In the gospels, we read about Jesus casting out unclean spirits from many people. We find one example that captures the power of Jesus over all things in Mark 5.

They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes.  And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs, a man with an unclean spirit.  He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain,  for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones. And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him.  And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.”  For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!”  And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.”  And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside,  and they begged him, saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.”  So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea.

“Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” Luke 4:34 KJV.

3. The Blood Of Jesus

There is nothing like the power in the blood of Jesus. The blood of Jesus has the power to protect, cleanse, heal, and sanctify. The death of Jesus on the cross was the ultimate play against Satan. The blood that Jesus shed on the cross destroyed all of Satan’s plans, effectively thwarting him. The power of applying the blood of Jesus with the belief to back it up is a mighty weapon of spiritual warfare. The blood of Jesus heals, delivers, and cleanses us of all sin. Just the same, the blood of Jesus when applied in faith can do amazing things.

The story of Passover illustrates the power of the blood of the lamb on the doorposts of all those who in faith applied the blood to protect their families against the angel of death who came upon all of Egypt as the 10^th and final plague. Passover was a representation of things to come, the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.

Revelation 12:11-12.

4. Prayer

Powerful prayers made in faith can influence any situation. When it comes to spiritual warfare, prayer is an essential part of the battle. As soon as the Holy Spirit reveals you are under spiritual attack, get into prayer. There is no time to waste when dealing with a spiritual battle.

Over the years, I have noticed a pattern in my walk.  I would get a prompting to get into the word and prayer from the Holy Spirit seemingly out of nowhere. Whenever I failed to obey the prompting, attacks came and overwhelmed me. I was not armored up like I needed to be.  However, when I heeded the promptings given to me in obedience. I was able to stand firm and avoid the attack altogether or witness it play out in front of me, unable to do the damage intended. This revealed to me the importance of being battle-ready.

Staying in prayer during a season of warfare can turn the tables in your favor. However, if you fail to pray during these times, you are not taking advantage of the powerful effect prayer has on our situation.  Prayer can also be a great way to replenish your spirit from the draining effects of spiritual warfare and spiritual attacks.

There are so many types of prayer that can aid us in the spiritual battles we fight. Prayers like; deliverance prayers, prayers of thanksgiving, praying the scriptures, and intercession prayers are all weapons of spiritual warfare. Never underestimate the power of prayer as a weapon of spiritual warfare.

5. Praise and Worship

Every day, we need to be putting on the garment of praise. This is especially important when dealing with any kind of warfare.  I can attest to the power, praise and worship has in spiritual warfare. By putting on the garment of praise, we can change the spiritual atmosphere from heaviness to joy and hope.

Whatever we praise and worship is exalted and glorified. When we glorify God with praise, we are taking control of our mind and the spiritual tone around us. Choosing to set our sights on Jesus, not on our problems or feelings. Satan and his demons do not want to stick around to hear a believer praise and worship God. The enemy much rather go after the individuals who don’t know about the garment of praise or the power of worship.

The Bible instructs Christians to praise and worship even in the midst of tribulation and temptation. No matter the state of worry, sadness, or amount of despair, the power of praise and worship is efficient enough.

What felt like hopelessness and sorrow transforms into the hope and joy we have in Christ. This allows us to magnify Christ, and in comparison, our problems appear a lot smaller and a lot less threatening. Praise and worship are another must-have in our weapons of spiritual warfare.

Isaiah 61:3 (ESV)

To grant to those who mourn in Zion—to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified.

6. Thanksgiving

In order to stand strong against any spiritual attacks directed at us, we need to have our mind in the right place. As mentioned in the “Basics of Spiritual Warfare” post, most warfare takes place in the mind. Because of this, our mental state needs to not only be guarded but rooted in the truth. By viewing things from the lens of thanksgiving, we are able to see the big picture.  Focusing on our inner grumblings and complaints prevents us from seeing the blessings in our lives. An ungrateful heart can close the doors to an intended blessing. This kind of thinking also leaves us wide open and vulnerable to the enemy.

Next time you are having a tough day and struggling with the constant flow of negative thoughts, start listing off things you’re thankful for, out loud. Thanksgiving is a precise weapon of spiritual warfare when dealing with mental oppression and/or depression.

Think about all the people who have it worse than you. Think about the people who don’t know Jesus and have nothing to place hope in. Think back to the awfulness that was your life before coming to Christ. Think about those people who have passed away, never coming to repentance or the Lord. These are just a few things you can use to remind yourself that you have so much to be thankful for.

7. Deliverance

Deliverance is turning to the Lord in His supreme authority over all, to be released from spiritual bondage, influence, attacks, and oppression of Satan’s foot soldiers. Deliverance has been a huge game-changer for me, and it has really advanced my walk and faith. Unfortunately, this weapon of spiritual warfare is often overlooked in many churches, and deliverance ministries are few and far between. 

In the Holy Bible, there are many recounts of God delivering His people during times of trouble. God granted His people deliverance from what manifested in the physical, like enemy armies, enslavement, and persecution. Just the same, God delivered His people out of spiritual troubles and bondage. The best part is, He still does it today!

• Why Do We Need Deliverance?

We need deliverance from spiritual strongholds because Satan is really good at enticing humanity with sin. He will distort the truth, and dress up a lie. This is how Satan gets so many of us to open doors to sin in our lives. At first glance, what appears to be harmless or beneficial, quickly becomes the greatest detriment to your life and your soul. Case and point being addiction. The pills that seemed to “help” you quickly betray you when you miss a dose. 

Satans ultimate goal is to get us to hand over legal rights to him, so his footsoilders can build up demonic strongholds within you and your life. Satan wants to corrupt you and lead you into sin, so your sin will cause separation from God. Then Satan can whisper incessantly in your ear all the things that keep a person from seeking God in repentance. A toxic concoction of persecution and condemnation. Satan knows very well if the person doesn’t repent, he shall remain in that bondage.

Our spiritual condition before coming to Christ is in dire need of transformation. We come to him broken and riddled with spiritual bondage, demonic strongholds, familiar spirits, and soul ties to name a few.  So then, how are new Christians supposed to leave their life of sin behind when much of it is still dwelling within them? This is where deliverance comes in. 

Say you have been walking with the Lord and you are seeking Him, repenting, praying, and learning His word daily. But you’re dealing with a particular sin you cannot overcome, or maybe you’re battling depression or anxiety. Anything that continues to hinder you, distract you, or tempt you. Anything that comes to steal the peace of the Holy Spirit or prevents you from being obedient to the Lord.  If this sounds familiar, deliverance may be the spiritual umph you need.

I added deliverance as the 7th and final weapon of spiritual warfare because it is a powerful, supernatural weapon we have access to through our relationship with Christ. When the enemy has his foot soldiers dwelling within you, or influencing you, he automatically gets the upper hand. It’s much easier for Satan to manipulate the marionette strings of his soldiers when they are already positioned where he needs them.

The good news is we can cut the strings, effectively tipping the scale in our favor. We do not have to be enslaved by the enemy. We are called to be slaves for Christ.

Ephesians 6: 5-8 (NIV)

Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people,  because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free.

I only covered 7 weapons of spiritual warfare, but there are many more. This post has already become much longer than I intended. We all have a million things to do, places to go, and people to see, and our time is valuable. So feel free to do a further study into this topic to uncover more weapons of spiritual warfare in the believers’ arsenal. Below are links to amazing books that helped me so much in the beginning of my walk and through my deliverance. I cannot recommend these books enough!

Fervent: A Woman’s Battle Plan for Serious, Specific, and Strategic Prayer By Priscilla Shirer / B&H Books Satan isn’t your enemy in an impersonal way; he specifically wants to destroy you! In her book, Fervent, author Priscilla Shirer brings her recent debut role in War Room into the lives of real women to show them how to renew their passion, refocus their identity, deal with regrets, defeat temptation, weather fears, and uproot bitterness. Fervent is a woman’s battle plan for serious, specific, and strategic prayer.

Pigs in the Parlor: The Practical Guide to Deliverance By Frank & Ida Mae Hammond / Impact Christian Books This book contains a wealth of practical information for the person interested in, planning to engage in, or actively engaged in the ministry of deliverance. It is a practical handbook, offering valuable guidance on how to determine: how demons enter if deliverance is needed how deliverance is accomplished for others and self how to retain deliverance groupings of demons The book also includes a chapter presenting a revelation on the problems of schizophrenia which could revolutionize the way this subject has been traditionally viewed by the medieval profession.

Deliverance and Spiritual Warfare Manual: A Comprehensive Guide to Living Free By John Eckhardt / Charisma House The best-selling A-to-Z resource on deliverance and spiritual warfare is updated! Accessible and comprehensive, Eckhardt’s alphabetically arranged guide equips you with the knowledge and strategies you need to successfully confront and defeat the enemy. Discover the vital roles of fasting, prayer, and intercession; specific tactics for destroying demons, spirits, and manifestations; and more. 256 pages, softcover from Charisma.

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