By Gordon M. Swaby
Jesus gave a first-hand account of a story to His Believers in Luke 10:18, in which He said, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.”
To the casual listener, one would wonder if this was the beginning of another great box office drama piece with thrills and spills. However, for Bible scholars, it tells the story of the beginning of a monumental conflict that began in Heaven and which we are still facing the repercussions of even today.
The Bible, which tells this great story, also shares an account of a beautiful place called Eden with its principal caretakers, Adam and Eve, who were part of fledgling humanity at that time. They would subsequently be seduced by a serpent that was under the influence of this same being, Satan, whose name means “adversary.” Such yielding to humanity’s enemy led to them being punished by God and suffering various consequences as a result of their disobedience, including:
- Family (Genesis 3:16 – I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception)
- Work (Genesis 3:18 – In toil you shall eat of it)
- Food (Genesis 3:18 – both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth to you)
- Lifespan (Genesis 3:19 – dust you are, and to dust you shall return)
In short, what started as a “nice time in Paradise” turned into a full-scale nightmare due to disobedience and colossal ignorance of the circumstances that existed in Heaven, which climaxed with the fall of Satan.
Similarly, I do believe that many Believers are ignorant of the “theatre of war,” which we know as “Earth.”
After much ruminating and praying about this, I was led to develop a workbook entitled “The Weapons of Warfare,” which highlights critical matters Believers should be cognizant of in the waging of war so that we do not suffer unnecessary collateral damage, like Adam did.
While the carnal man fights earthly wars using man-made weapons, the children of God must fight by using the relevant kingdom technology given us, which is primarily “the Word of God.” To avoid defeat, one must understand the key lessons from the passage that Jesus shared in Luke 10 above.
The two main lessons are: the battle began in the heavenlies and there it must continue to be fought; and the effect of ensuing battles will have an impact on various aspects of life, just as with Adam’s. So, your health, your wealth, your relationships, etcetera, might get hit in the natural course of war.
Be assured, though, that even if a mortal wound is inflicted, you would have still won the battle as long as your soul is anchored in Christ. – “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matt. 10:28 (KJV)
A PRACTICAL EXAMPLE
Ignorance is costly and can lead to massive losses for the people of the Kingdom of God. Consequently, we must understand what warfare really entails. Warfare is defined as the “process of military struggle between two nations or groups of nations” (source: ww.dictionary.com).
In the workbook, the approach to successfully engaging in warfare is broken down using ten keys, among which you will find maintenance of morale, concentration of force, economy of effort, and flexibility. These principles can help Believers become properly weaponized against the incursion of the enemy.
Let’s remember that when God wants to increase us (as He did in Acts 1:4), He uses various systems. The Believers in the Upper Room were told by Jesus to wait for the “gift my Father promised” (see Acts 1:4), which was the Holy Spirit.
Similarly, the enemy also uses systems, but his are always to ultimately destroy us, regardless of how we may seem to be flourishing. Review the system he used with David as the latter sought to get rid of Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband. David instructed in a letter: “Put Uriah at the front of the fiercest battle; then withdraw from him, so that he may be struck down and killed.” (2 Samuel 11:15)
Today, this would translate to being in the presence of many, gaining many followers, a plethora of invitations to speaking engagements, and sharing platforms with dignitaries, thereby indicating that you are definitely “on the up and up.” While this is happening, Satan will foment strife and disagreement with those whom the Lord has used to carry you (your own ‘tribe’), until you withdraw from them or they withdraw from you. Thereby, you are left uncovered and at the mercy of the wolves, potentially leaving you spiritually or even physically dead.
The Weapons of Warfare (Workbook) exists as a tactical guide to grow the army of God so that they can manage multiple arenas of battle—whether these be family, business, or even ministry—and identify key strategies on how to overcome and win.
The Bible reminds us that “the race is not for the swift nor the battle for the strong,” and as such, we must learn to operate within a higher level of discipline and insight as we engage the enemy on behalf of the King, advancing forcefully and purposefully by taking ground as we await His glorious return.
For a limited time only, The Weapons of Warfare (Workbook) is available for free download at www.gordonmswaby.com
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Contact Gordon M. Swaby (Engineer by profession and a Kingdom Visionary) at [email protected]
