Warrior Bride Arise

2 Corinthians 10:3-6

The greatest threat to the church today is not the enemy or the world. The greatest threat today is comfortable Christianity. Far too many of us are ok with God as long as that means we only have to give him an hour a week on Sunday. But if it requires us to get out of our comfort zone, if God asks more of us, if it means holding an extended time of revival, or holding prayer meetings, or serving at church, or serving the poor, or sick, then we shrink back. When you said yes to Christ, you enlisted in the army of God. When you enlisted, God did not sign off to agree to weekend visits. You agreed to surrender your life to Him for his will. You gave up all your rights to be comfortable.

Comfortable Christianity comes from an ignorance of what is actually happening us that we cannot see. It is not most often a willful ignorance but a result of the lack of teaching on the subject. Where the pulpit is silent, the people will struggle. The Bible says, “My people perish for a lack of knowledge.” I believe when we can realize what is going on around us, it will shake us from our comfort and cause us to become what he has called us to be.

There is a war taking place, not just the war in the Middle East that you see on the news. There is a Cosmic conflict right above our heads in the atmosphere that you cannot see. It is a conflict between two kingdoms. The battle is not for supremacy, to see who wins in the end. Satan has already been defeated when Christ made a spectacle of him on the cross and then went to hell and took the keys of death and hell and rose on the third day victorious for all eternity.

The battle is for you and your eternity. The battle is over your future, your health, your family. Daniel gives us a glimpse of this battle in Daniel 10. Daniel has been praying and fasting for 21 days. Then an angel comes and encourages Daniel. Daniel 10:12-13

Daniel 10:12–13 NKJV

Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia.

The answer to Daniel’s prayer was held up because of the cosmic battle in the unseen realm. God answers every prayer you send up. We get discouraged when we do not see the answer right away. But, sometimes, it is held up in the battle. Don’t stop praying. Don’t stop believing. Don’t give up. Your answer is on the way. There are twice as many angels fighting for you as there are fighting against you.

You have a part to play in this fight. You cannot just sit on the sidelines. The battle will come to you whether you are ready or not.

It is time for the WARRIOR BRIDE TO RISE UP, lace up our boots, put on our backpacks and get in the fight.

2 Corinthians 10:3–6 NKJV

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

Ephesians 6:10–17 NKJV

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

Ephesians 6:10–17 NKJV

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness 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. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;

The Battle is Real

Paul comes to tell the people that you the battle is not with what you see or who you see but with what you cannot see. The battle deals with our minds and our thought patterns. Your enemy is a spirit and you cannot fight a spirit with fleshly weapons. Your own power, your own intelligence, your own abilities cannot win this war. But the first thing you must realize is that the battle is real. Our battle is not against people. It is not against politicians. It is not against people who do not like you. It is not against family members you don’t get along with. Your enemy is one you cannot see.

There is a structure to the enemy’s army: principalities, powers, rulers, spiritual wickedness.

We most often lose our battles because we waste time fighting the wrong enemies. We fight against people when we need to be fighting against the spirits controlling people.

Principalities - territorial rulers (Generals) Principalities are often understood as high-ranking demonic leaders assigned over regions, nations, or systems.

Daniel 10 talks about the “Prince of Persia,” a demon given authority over a specific region. Persia is what we know as Iran. The job of a principality is to influence nations and cultures by establishing a spiritual climate that leads to widespread deception, immorality, idolatry.

Powers - delegated authority - they carry out the desires of the principalities

Rulers of darkness - shape the moral and spiritual atmosphere of a society - defined by “this age” - Each generation has a defining spiritual characteristic