This Bible Study is only at the point of somewhat being my personal notes so far. But nonetheless these things below have some extremely useful Bible verses concerning Spiritual Warfare to memorize and always quote in prayer and fighting. Please keep in mind to take these things seriously and be disciplined to especially quote these out loud to violently attack satan during times of prayer, in the morning and the evening.

[Note: If you can think of other Bible verses that could be helpful here, please email me with your thoughts.]

Main Verses On Spiritual Warfare

Mat_10:1 – Jesus gives authority to His disciples (and see Mar_6:7 Luk_9:1; as well as Luk_10:19-20 below)

Mat_28:18 – Jesus has all authority, so we have confidence to go with what He’s given us. (also compare Mar_16:15-18 for “power” authority)

Luk_10:19-20 WEB Behold, I give you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. Nothing will in any way hurt you. 20 Nevertheless, don't rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."

The Keys of the Kingdom: Mat_16:19, Mat_18:18-19;

Pro_28:1 WEB The wicked flee when no one pursues; But the righteous are as bold as a lion.

Mar_5:36 WEB But Jesus, when he heard the message spoken, immediately said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Don't be afraid, only believe."

1Jn_4:18 WEB There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has punishment.* He who fears is not made perfect in love.

*[In other words, fear is for those who have the judgment of God looming over their head, But not for those who have real Love from God]

2Ti_1:7 Jos.Trans. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Rom_16:20 WEB And the God of peace will quickly crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Jesus says about satan:

Joh_12:31 WEB Now is the judgment of this world. Now the prince of this world will be cast out.

Jas_2:19 WEB You believe that God is one. You do well. The demons also believe, and shudder.

↓

Mar_12:29-31 WEB Jesus answered, "The greatest is, 'Hear, Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one: 30 you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment. 31 The second is like this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."

A Declaration to Oppose the Devil

Php_2:5-11 WEB Have this in your mind, which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, existing in the form of God, didn't consider it robbery to be equal with God, [a better translation would be “didn’t consider equality with God something to be held onto”] 7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, yes, the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name; 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Jas_4:7-10 EMTV Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter change into mourning and your joy into dejection. 10 Be humbled before the Lord, and He will exalt you.

1Pe_5:5-9 EMTV ...And all of you...be clothed with humility, because "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares about you. 8 Be sober, be watchful; your adversary the devil walks about as a roaring lion, seeking someone he may devour. 9 Resist him, being steadfast in your faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.

2Co_10:3-6 EMTV For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty by God to the pulling down of strongholds, 5 casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to avenge every act of disobedience, whenever your obedience is fulfilled.

Eph_6:10-18 EMTV Finally, my brothers, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the stratagems of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenlies. 13 Because of this, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having accomplished all things, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking up the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 through every prayer and petition, praying in every season in the Spirit, being watchful to this same thing with all perseverance and petition concerning all the saints--

Tormented vs. Possessed

Explanation

People can often get really confused when you start talking about spiritual warfare, and it can get so bad to the point that they think you are talking about “casting out a demon” every time you resist a demonic temptation. But this is not the case at all.

The Bible does make a distinction between being tormented and being possessed. It is only reasonable from this that we also treat these two different cases as two different types of fights, especially when seeking the freedom for each demonically attacked person in question.

In addition to these common confusions, there are many other misunderstandings concerning how to treat a person when and if they are actually completely possessed.

Here are some verses that we can use to help us see some distinctions that God makes in the Bible for us to use when doing spiritual warfare:

Righteously Hurting from Temptation

2Pe_2:7-8 - Lot in Sodom (καταπονουμενον^G2669)

This Greek terminology speaks of being “laboriously worn down” by “painful toil” due to being around ungodliness.

Tormented

Luk_6:18 - tormented (οχλουμενοι^G3791) by unclean spirits

Act_5:16 - tormented (οχλουμενους^G3791) by unclean spirits

The above word used for “tormented,” [οχλουμενους (ochloumenos)] means this in the sense of being mobbed, or, being jumped and overwhelmed by a crowd, especially seeing that even the primary root for this word means “crowd” (ὀχλέω - ochléō, as in Strong’s G3793: ὄχλος - óchlos, crowd).

Tortured somewhat Distinguished from Demonized

Mat_4:24 – Being Demonized is distinguished from be tormented

(A) Demonized (by demons)

δαιμονιζομενους^G1139 - (same word as discussed again below)

Luk_8:36 - This word is used to describe the man possessed by the legion of demons

(B) Tortured (by demons)

συνεχομενους^G4912 - to press together or “pressure”, or, figuratively, to torture.

This “torture” word, as used in Mat_4:24 above, is also used for the influence upon the people after the demons of the demoniac were cast out:

Luk_8:37 - these people gave into their fear – “torture”/ pressure

Though these people were not demonized the same way the demoniac was, they did give into the torment of fear since the daemons were still there, having been left over from being cast out of the demoniac.

Real Disciples Cannot be Possessed, but Can Be Tormented

We see from above that Lot was “Righteously Hurting” without any sin being attributed to him, as he lived among very wicked people, which certainly involved many demonic things on their behalf. We can understand from this that there is no inherent sin on our part in the face of the on slot of wickedness against our souls. We too may be in a situation like righteous Lot.

A summary of the Scriptures above (and many others throughout the Bible) can communicate to us that the next level of demonic attack is gaining a strong hold (2Co_10:4-5) in a person’s soul and mind. In this condition, the victim is vulnerable to being “tormented by the unclean spirits,” whether they are a believer or an unbeliever. This is why Jesus said:

Joh_14:30 EMTV …the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.

So also we must ‘pull down strong holds’ (2Co_10:4-5), and resist the devil (Jas_4:7), lest his “painful” opposition to us becomes a condition of “mobbing torment.”

By the time a person gets so wickedly overrun from the unresisted opposition and unsound temptation from the devil (Joh_13:2), that they enter into possession (Joh_13:27), then they are considered “apostate” from the faith (Act_1:25) and disqualified as Jesus’ disciple, until and unless there may be repentance and freedom unto life.

Permanent Disciples Repent of Cooperating with Satan

If a disciple is under the pressure of demons, though not yet demonized, they can directly exhibit satan in different ways. But what must we do if we ever find ourselves in this case? We must repent quickly that our soul may be spared, so that we never enter into the demonization like Judas did!

Mar_8:32-33 WEB He spoke to them openly. Peter took him, and began to rebuke him. 33 But he, turning around, and seeing his disciples, rebuked Peter, and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you have in mind not the things of God, but the things of men."

We see here that Peter was rebuked after having given into the opposition put in his soul directly by satan, and that these very words of satan himself came out of Peter’s mouth, after having previously spoken directly from the Father (Mat_16:16-19). We also see it indirectly implied that Peter repented, in that he continued faithfully walking with Jesus after this, and we know from history that Mark’s Gospel is essentially that of Peter, which means that Mark heard the story we just read from Peter’s own preaching, and that in the end of his life Peter also faithfully obeyed Jesus unto the point of “taking up” his very own literal cross, which he had previously discouraged Jesus from taking in this passage above when speaking by the devil!

So even if we have serious issues, there is hope if we repent like Peter did. But if we do not quickly repent, then there is the very real and fearful possibility of ending up demonized:

Joh_12:4-8 WEB Then Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, one of his disciples, who would betray him, said, 5 "Why wasn't this ointment sold for three hundred denarii, and given to the poor?" 6 Now he said this, not because he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and having the money box, used to steal what was put into it. 7 But Jesus said, "Leave her alone. She has kept this for the day of my burial. 8 For you always have the poor with you, but you don't always have me."

Mat_26:12-16 WEB For in pouring this ointment on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. 13 Most assuredly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of as a memorial of her." 14 Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests, 15 and said, "What are you willing to give me, that I should deliver him to you?" They weighed out for him thirty pieces of silver. 16 From that time he sought opportunity to betray him.

We see that Peter repented when he was rebuked for speaking from satan, but Judas hardened his heart and spurned the rebuke he received for his wickedness, and ended up fully demonized. Which destiny will we serve if we find ourselves in such faults?

Canaanite Woman’s Demonized Daughter

Mat_15:22 - Canaanite woman with terribly demonized daughter

terribly: "evil-ly": κακως^G2560- kakos

demonized: δαιμονιζεται^G1139 - daimonízetai

Demonized, “Lunatic” Son

Mat_17:15 - Son called a “Lunatic”

Greek: σεληνιαζεται^G4583 (selēniazetai): “moon struck” – a term for something demonic (compare: Mat_17:18 below).

In English: "Lun-" in the word “Lunatic” is the same stem as used in "Lunar" (pertaining to the moon). We can see that our English word originally retained the same “moon struck” idea, which those in Bible days, including Jesus Himself, understood and applied as something demonic:

Mat_17:18 - Jesus rebuked the spirit in the “Lunatic” calling it a “demon” (δαιμονιον^G1140)

Mar_9:17 - Also called: “Having a spirit...” (lit. “having a spirit unspeaking”: ἔχοντα πνεῦμα ἄλαλον)

Mar_9:25 - ...that unclean spirit

(τω πνεύματι τω ἀκαθάρτῳͅ^G169)

Luk_9:39 - a spirit “takes” the son (λαμβανει^G2983)

Luk_9:42 - called a “demon” (δαιμονιον^G1140), and an “unclean spirit” (τω πνεύματι τω ἀκαθάρτῳͅ^G169)

Willing vs. Unwilling Examples

Most of the examples mentioned above are cases where the victim was unwillingly demonized, but there are also a good number of examples of how to treat people much differently if they are willingly participating and cooperating in their demonization:

Lev_19:31 – demonized people associated with/ similar to wizards (i.e. wizards are people who are willingly demonized); Same affect, but one is willingly participating and the other may not be.

Lev_20:27 – A man or woman with a divining/ familiar spirit, or a wizard (Heb.)/ charmer (Gr.)

Greek: (1) With a spirit: εγγαστριμυθος

ἐν^G1722 (en) + γαστρὶ^G1064 (gastri) + μῦθος^G3454 (muthos) =

In + Blowel-ed + Myth or fig. “fortune” “teacher” (see: G3453), or, “Fortune Teller.”

These first two words (ἐν^G1722 + γαστρὶ^G1064), if left alone, mean “pregnant.” In this case, the person is “pregnant” with a demon which lies about a person’s future.

(Compare: 1Sa_28:7-9; 1Ch_10:13-14; 2Ch_33:6; Isa_19:3-4)

So in the Old Testament, such people were killed, but though we do not kill people at all under the New Covenant, the same principals of opposition are applied:

Act_13:6-12 - Barjesus: willingly possessed

But the unwillingly demonized are set free:

Act_16:16-18 - Slave girl: unwillingly possessed

Girl said to “have a spirit” of “Python” (Πύθων - Púthōn;): “divination” or fortune-telling.

Summary of Willing vs. Unwilling Demonization

Do you see that they treated people differently from Deuteronomy to the book of Acts, depending on weather they were willingly or unwillingly demonized? If we pay attention and consider these things thoroughly, we can see that there is some definite sense where Moses, The Apostles, and a number of cases in-between, treated some “possessions” differently than others.

A Call to Fight

There are countless reasons that we should do spiritual warfare, but below I would like to give a general challenge toward all of these things, temporarily making special use of the temptation of fear as a primary example of all the demons that we must fight.

Repent, Follow Jesus, Do Warfare

In light of the Scriptures given above I would like to exhort the readers to consider the challenge given to us to step out into the extreme walk of following Jesus. This walk will definitely and necessarily take you into the spiritual realm, interacting with spiritual and supernatural things that you never imagined!

This fight is not for the fearful, but for the redeemed who have decided to follow Him who is supremely courageous:

Rev_21:8 But the cowardly, and unbelieving, and sinners, and abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and drug users, and idolaters, and all who are false shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."

If you have been unwilling in the past to follow and obey because of fear, now is the time to repent of fear and your previous ways of life, and take Jesus head on and believe Him to deliver you in the midst of these things.

A Few Saved From Sin

So many people experience so many problems, and all the more do we see this as our foolishness and sin increase in our world and in our churches, and as our sin increases, our social accommodations and sanctions for our sin also increase. We protect the things most that hurt and kill us the most. But out of all this mess, there are a few people who eagerly seek to resolve their guilt with God by repentance, and fight and stand for truth, committing their whole life to obey the extreme mandates of Jesus.

Still Demons, Still Temptation to give into Pressure

For those who come to Jesus, there is still the reality that they often face many problems and conflicts with living, and they struggle to guide their life in a way that is consistent with one who follows Jesus. Now what is a real Christian to do after they have met the extreme call to forsake all to follow Jesus, when they afterward feel themselves pressured and tormented by internal conflict that seems to slavishly compulse them toward unbelief and even disobedience? This is where Spiritual warfare comes in.

Commitment

Among the very first resolutions and commitments needed when facing such ailments, to resist the attacks opposed toward us, is the basic need and resolution to consider such oppositions as spiritual fights, not physical ones. As I have told so many in these cases, you have to commit to never resort to physical means again to sooth spiritual problems. (This includes Anti-depressants, TV, music, other “winding down for the day” entertainments, food, other physical “alternative” means, and all other counterfeits). Such problems are spiritual, and they need to be treated that way. If you treat them as physical, then you basically have no hope of standing in the end when all is said and done.

Counterfeits

Inasmuch as any person ever goes unto a counterfeit to solve their spiritual problems, to this same degree they always forfeit the true. It is certainly true that God is merciful and pities us in our ignorance when we do not realize what we’re doing, but we know that upon the reception of the knowledge of truth, we are all the more held accountable to fight what we previously indulged in, and accepted in our ignorance.

“But I’m Just Sick” or “Stressed” or “I have Psychological Disorders”

Who is the author of fear? It is the same one who authored doubt. Such things weary us unto sin if we give in. But there is no sickness or condition that is morally neutral, which also compulses us toward sinning. And while we humans are prone to go about sinning and being tempted with sin, we absurdly are also prone to go about trying to diagnose such things as Physiological or Psychological problems. We sin and become slaves of sin, and we become so deluded that we deny the personal evil we serve every day!

But the Scriptures are definite on this matter:

2Ti_1:7 EMTV For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Did you notice that God calls it a “spirit”? We have no right to call it or treat it as anything else. I hope you know very well that there are many Scriptures to this effect; fear does not come about apart from Satan and his angels, since he authored it and they are the promoters of it. If fear comes, the Bible calls it a demon and so should we.

Distinguish and Fight Fear Temptation

I hope that it’s clear from this that I would like to distinguish falling into sin sharply with being tempted and opposed by sin. In the case of fear and anxiety attacks, I know very personally the feelings of attack that many face. I also know that a person can resist such attacks with all the strength that they have, and still be overwhelmed and over flooded to the point of helpless despair. I do not describe these attacks as “sin,” because it is the evil attacking a person which is evil, not the broken victim. But such attacks from the evil will be our own evil if we give into them, if we accommodate them, if we agree with them, if we do not resist them. We ought not to welcome, help and own the evil who presents himself to us, but we ought to fight him.

If we pamper such attacks with physical remedies we are agreeing with the lie that opposes us, as though a personal evil were not actually pressuring us to an evil belief. When we fear and describe it as a physiological or psychological condition, then we justify the devil who temps us as though he were not sinful in his work. What kind of agreement is this that we are making? Is this not wrong? Does this not shoot ourselves in the foot by not holding him guilty who seeks our life?

A Return to Redeemed Anger

Perhaps in your lifetime you are familiar with what it means to be angry at a human and to lift ones voice to its height in rage against them. In most every case like this, this is a great evil, and a perversion of right things. But what are those right things which it perverts? Because a perversion can never be stronger or more profound than the right thing that it is twisting, since darkness can never overcome light (Joh_1:5).

The rage of (vocal) anger against a human being is the perversion of what we ought to be doing instead when it comes to the devil. Do you remember that Jesus dealt vocally with the devil when He was tempted in the wilderness (Mat 4:1-11)? He did not “pray” in His heart against Satan when He was attacked, but as Satan spoke to Him in whatever form the temptations came, Jesus responded to this verbally with great might and authority from the Scriptures.

Mat_4:10 EMTV Then Jesus said to him [the devil], "Get behind Me, Satan!...

Mar_8:33 EMTV But when He had turned and saw His disciples, He rebuked Peter...

Mat_16:23 EMTV ...and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block unto Me, because you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."

Mar_1:24-25 WEB …"Ha! What do we have to do with you, Jesus, you Nazarene? Have you come to destroy us? I know you who you are: the Holy One of God!" 25 Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"

(Also see other examples of Jesus’ strictness with demons: Mar_1:34, Mar_3:11-12, Mar_9:25; Luk_4:35, Luk_4:41)

Mar_1:27 Then they were all amazed, so that they were disputing among themselves, saying, "What is this? What new doctrine is this, that He commands even the unclean spirits with authority, and they obey Him?"

Luk_4:36 And amazement came upon all, and they spoke among themselves, saying, "What is this word! For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out."

Act_16:17-18 This girl, following after Paul and us, was crying out, saying, "These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation." 18 And this she did for many days. But Paul, being greatly annoyed and turning around, said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And he came out in that very hour.

(Notice that the Apostles understood that we were supposed to confront the devil just like Jesus did. Compare: Act_4:13)

Fight!

It is time to fight! No longer are we allowed to play around with the spiritual forces that play with us to seduce us unto their desired end, to bring us to sinful unbelieving destruction. It is time to embrace Biblical Spiritual Warfare, so that we can actually resist the evil that all other humans are allowing to compulse, dictate, and define their lives.

I urge you: Fight! And let us finally see Jesus’ kingdom working again on earth:

Mat_12:28 EMTV But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.

(Also see: Luk_11:20)

Strongholds

Questions and Definitions

- dormant, potential sin

Isa_24:21-22 CAB

Isa_24:21-22 WEB

(also see: Zec_9:12 – LXX vs. MT)

Strongholds Are for War

Dan_11:7 CAB …

Nah_3:14 WEB

If Stronghold Successful

Zec_9:3 WEB

The Weapons of Our Warfare

2Co_10:1-7 CAB

(compare this with test: 1Co_9:27; 2Co_13:5)

1Sa_22:4-5 [but compare 1Sa_24:22; 2Sa_5:17; 2Sa_23:14]

Physical Parable: Agreement Helps!

1Ch_11:3-11 CAB

Think: if two or three of you agree

- we can do warfare for each other

- no conditional agreement

- Pro_10:29

- all enemies under his feet

2Co_1:3-4

Tear them Down!

TSK – on Strongholds

Jos_6:20, Isa_30:25, Jer_1:10, Heb_11:30

Mic_5:9-15 CAB

Punishment

Isa_23:14

Hab_1:9-10, etc. (gathers as sand)

The only reason I put this here is to avoid people misusing this work with bad motives. This is officially copyrighted to protect it from those with money in mind, and to preserve it for free distribution, especially in the unlikely event that someone might think to make money off of it rather than maximizing its distribution. You are permitted and encouraged to freely copy and redistribute this work in its entirety, via standard copy machine or electronic documentation as long as you make no money off of it. If you wish to reproduce this work on any larger scale, please contact me at Josiahs@trueconnection.org. You may also quote this document, by citing the reference as:

“[Name of Bible Study]” By Josiahs Scott, www.TrueConnection.org

PersonalNotes
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Future additions:

I need to add something like:

Discernment

God’s Goodness

Everything that is not sound

Future additions:

Demons -

so...