For those of us who study the word, we know our war (struggle) is not against flesh and blood. It is against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. This is a struggle between good and evil.
Ephesians 6:12 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. 13 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.
How do we defeat this evil that comes against us? How do we fight? First thing we are to do stand. We are to put the whole armor of God in which is also called armor of light. Some don’t know that this armor is the Lord Jesus Christ. This is why we are to be in Him in the spirit. You can’t put the armor of God on, which is spiritual, on the flesh. That’s why our victory is from the spirit and not the flesh. If you stay in the flesh, you are in evils play ground, but if you are in the spirit, he won’t come after you as Jesus is your protector.
Ephesians 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Romans 13:11 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.
Galatians 5:16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
The best example we have to learn to fight is Jesus. He did the very thing we are to do when He went into the wilderness. He taught us what to do and how to fight. What did He do before He went into the wilderness? He was born again of water and spirit. He did this to fulfill all righteousness.
Matthew 3:13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. 14 And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” 15 But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him. 16 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. 17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
We see that John baptized Jesus in water and Father baptized Jesus in the spirit. By Father doing this, Jesus now has the armor of God on. Remember Jesus came as a man and faced the devil as a man. The devil didn’t know who Jesus was here on earth. Gabriel came and told Joseph and Mary to name Him Jesus. He wasn’t known as Jesus before this. He was known as the Word of God before.
Luke 1:26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” 29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”
Matthew 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. 20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” 22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” 24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, 25 and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus.
1 John 5:7 For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.
Notice that in 1 John 5 verse 7 it does not say the Son, but the Word as the Word becomes flesh and dwells among us.
John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
Jesus is now led into the wilderness by the spirit as He is the Son of God.
Romans 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
Jesus got challenged if He is the Son of God as we are challenged if we are sons of God. We have our armor on and we stand and resist the devil as Jesus did. Pay attention how Jesus uses the sword of the spirit which is the word of God. Lets look at the first temptation.
Matthew 4:1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. 3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” 4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ”
We see that Jesus stood His ground, used the sword against the devil and resisted him. Let’s look at the second temptation.
Matthew 4:5 Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ” 7 Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’ ”
The devil decided to use the word against Jesus as he does with us. Here is an example for us. 1 John 1:8 does not say you are a sinner, but if you say you have no sin not needing the blood of Jesus. Looking at the verse before talks about the blood of Jesus cleanses us of all sin, but if you say you have no sin, no need for the blood, you deceive yourself and the truth is not in you. Concluding that the truth is in sin. This keeps people in the bondage of sin when the truth came to set you free from sin.
1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
John 8:34 Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. 35 And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. 36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.
1 John 3:7 Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. 8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. 9 Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.
The last temptation, the devil was tempting Jesus with the glory of the kingdoms of the earth. All Jesus had to do is bow down and worship the devil. That didn’t work out to well for the devil because Jesus used the sword again against him.
Matthew 4:8 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ” 11 Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.
All three temptations are summed up by this; the lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh and the pride of life.
1 John 2:15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
I hope you understand the magnitude of this. We are to first seek His Kingdom and His righteousness then we can move forward in taking territory. We also must learn to resist the devil by submitting to God.
Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Hebrews 12:4 You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.
James 4:6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” 7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
1 Peter 5:5 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “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 care upon Him, for He cares for you. 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.
1 John 5:4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.