What are the major tenants of the teaching and why do you believe it is important?
Please include scripture. That's the major piece to me. To understand scripturally spiritual warfare
Thanks.
Thank you for writing out such a detailed response.
What is the scripture that supports your understanding? That's what I want to see is both together.
Thanks
I'm glad you're interested in the Word, which if applied properly, provides definitive instruction in righteousness.
Some of the foundation scriptures of spiritual warfare include who your enemy is and what God says about what Jesus did (and who He is) to defeat him. I'll
give you some scriptures here and there so I won't swamp you and the thread all at once. -- AA
“Now
the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made.
And he said unto the woman,
Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? A
nd the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden,
God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.”
Gen 3:1-3
“And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said,
The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.”
Gen 3:13
“And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:
And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”
Gen 3:14-15
“And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through Thy name. And He said unto them,
I beheld Satan as lightning fall from Heaven.”
Luke 10:17-18
“Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for
he is a liar, and the father of it.”
John 8:44
“He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning.
For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”
1 John 3:8
“How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and
healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with Him.”
Acts 10:38
“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”
John 10:10
“Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same;
that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”
Heb 2:14-15
“For He must reign, till He hath put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
For He hath put all things under His feet.”
1 Cor 15:24-27
“Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the Lord. And the Lord said unto Satan, From whence comest thou?
And Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.”
Job 2:1-2
“And when the tempter came to Him, he said, If Thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But He answered and said, It is written,
Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”
Matt 4:3-4
“And the devil, taking Him up into an high mountain, shewed unto Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto Him,
All this power will I give Thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If Thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be Thine. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind Me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.”
Luke 4:5-8
AA - In these scriptures, it is demonstrated that there is a real devil who wars with mankind, but the promised deliverer came in Jesus. We will see that He defeated him at the cross and sits victoriously at the throne of God, with all things beneath His feet. But the victory is contested by the enemy. That victory is enforced by the church through the Blood, the Word, and the Spirit of God. The enemy contests the truth and the church is to live (deliberately) as an overcomer by the power of God. The enemy seeks to keep the chuches eyes diverted, and to behold his deception. I guess I'm simplifying it somewhat, but that is the general theme.
Each passage has a more complete meaning within the entire passage, but don't believe anything is taken out of context.