Preparing for Spiritual Warfare

Pastor Jason Armold

• The cause of darkness is not the absence of
light, but the absence of God, who is light.
• We have been delivered out of the authority
or domain of darkness. Colossians 1:13
13 He has delivered us from the power of

darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of

the Son of His love,: but, if we tolerate
darkness through tolerance of sin, we leave
ourselves vulnerable to satanic assault.
• Luke 11:35
35 Therefore take heed that the light which is in you

is not darkness.
• Proverbs 20:27
27 The spirit of a man is the lamp of the LORD,

Searching all the inner depths of his heart.

Your spirit, illuminated by the Holy Spirit, becomes
the “lamp of the Lord” through which He searches
your heart.
When we harbor sin, the “light which is in thee” is
“darkness.”
• Satan has legal access, given to him by God, to dwell in
the domain of darkness. We must grasp this point: The
devil can traffic in any area of darkness, even the
darkness that still exists in a Christians heart.
• Peter’s denial. Luke 22:31-32 31 And the Lord said,
“Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that
he may sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you,
that your faith should not fail; and when you have
returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”
• Satan had demanded and received permission to sift
Peter like wheat. Satan had access to an area of
darkness in Peter’s heart.
How it all began:
• Luke 22:23-24
23 Then they began to question among themselves,

which of them it was who would do this thing.

24 Now there was also a dispute among them, as to

which of them should be considered the greatest.

Peter was lifted up by pride, and satan used that,
with permission to attack him.
• Proverbs 16:18
18 Pride goes before destruction,
And a haughty spirit before a fall.
Let us recognize before we do warfare that the areas we
hide in darkness are the very areas of our future
defeat.
The warfare against Peter was devastating but measured.
It served the purpose of God.
• James 4:7
7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee
from you.
• The greatest defense we can have against the
devil is to maintain an honest heart before God.
• When the Holy Spirit shows us an area that needs
repentance, we must overcome the instinct to
defend ourselves.
• For you to succeed in warfare, your self-
preservation instincts must be submitted to the
Lord Jesus. Christ alone is our true advocate.
• We must go beyond a vague submission to God; we
must submit the exact area of our personal battle to
Him.
• Victory begins with the name of Jesus on our lips, but
it will not be consummated until the nature of Jesus is
in our heart.
• We must appropriate not just the name of Jesus but
His nature as well and the enemy will withdraw.
• Satan will not continue to assault you if the
circumstances he designed to destroy you are now
working to perfect you.