Lesson 02 — Kingdom Warfare (Parts 1 and 2)

“Kingdom” Defined:

1. A realm or region in which someone or something is ___________________.
2. An area or sphere in which one holds a preeminent ________________.
3. The eternal __________________ of God.
4. The realm in which God’s ________ is _____________.

Scripture:
Then the Lord put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me: Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, To root out and to pull down, To destroy and to throw down, To build and to plant.” — Jeremiah 1:9-10 (NKJV)

Timeless Insights
“This is the place of prayer—on the battlefield of the world. It is a wartime walkie-talkie for spiritual warfare, not a domestic intercom to increase the comforts of the saints.” — John Piper

Scripture:
If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God. — 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 (NLT)

Timothy, my son, here are my instructions for you, based on the prophetic words spoken about you earlier. May they give you the confidence to fight well in the Lord’s battles. — 1 Timothy 1:18 (NLT)

Dear friends, I’ve dropped everything to write you about this life of salvation that we have in common. I have to write insisting—begging!—that you fight with everything you have in you for this faith entrusted to us as a gift to guard and cherish. — Jude v. 3 (MSG)

Eight Characteristics of Kingdom Warfare

Timeless Insights
“To define prayer, one must use the language of war. Peace language is not equal to the situation. The earth is in a state of war and is being hotly besieged. Thus one must use war talk to grasp the facts with which prayer is concerned.” — S. D. Gordon

1. Characteristic One: Kingdom Warfare _____________ the Saints.

Scripture:
And the same one who descended is the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, so that he might fill the entire universe with himself. Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. — Ephesians 4:10-13 (NLT)

I am sending what my Father promised to you, so stay here in the city until he arrives, until you’re equipped with power from on high. — Luke 24:49 (MSG)

A final word: Be strong with the Lord’s mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the Devil. For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms. Use every piece of God’s armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm. — Ephesians 6:10-13 (NLT)

Timeless Insights
“The armor is for the battle of prayer. The armor is not to fight in, but to shield us while we pray. Prayer is the battle.” — Oswald Chambers

Scripture:
…May he equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him. All glory to him forever and ever! Amen. — Hebrews 13:21 (NLT)

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. — 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NLT)

Timeless Insights
“This world is a laboratory in which those destined for the throne are learning in actual practice how to overcome Satan and his hierarchy. The prayer closet is the arena which produces the overcomer… God designed the program of prayer as an ‘apprenticeship’ for eternal sovereignty with Christ.” — Paul Billheimer

2. Characteristic Two: Kingdom Warfare _____________ Enemy Strongholds!

Scripture:
Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the devil. — Ephesians 6:11 (NLT)

Key Word: “______________”
From the Greek Methodias (Craftiness; Methods)

Scripture:
Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. — Ephesians 6:11 (NIV)

Key Word: “___________________”

Scripture:
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. — Ephesians 6:11 (NKJV)

Key Word: “____________”

Scripture:
If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes. — 2 Corinthians 2:10-11 (NIV)

Note: “Schemes” in The Message — “sly ways.”

In the New King James Version — “devices.”

Scripture:
This man [Antichrist] will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles. He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them. — 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10 (NLT)

Timeless Insights
“The only force in the world that is contesting Satan’s total rule in human affairs is the church of the living God. If Satan were unopposed, if he were under no restraint because of the Spirit-inspired prayers and holy lives of God’s people… Satan would make a hell out of this world here and now.”— Paul Billheimer

AFTERTHOUGHTS… PONDER AND PRAY

Ponder Points: Discuss (or ponder) what you believe are some of the “tricks” or “schemes” Satan uses in our present culture to keep people from knowing Christ or believers from doing God’s will. How does the armor of Ephesians chapter 6 protect us from these schemes?

Prayer Points: Identify something you believe is a stronghold of the enemy in today’s culture. Then, prayerfully confront that stronghold in prayer. Ask God to reveal details about that stronghold so you can pray more specifically.

Eight Characteristics of Kingdom Warfare
(Continuing with characteristics 3 & 4)

3. Characteristic Three: Kingdom Warfare _______________ the Territory!

Scripture:
The Lord said to Moses, “Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. From each ancestral tribe send one of its leaders.” So at the Lord’s command Moses sent them out from the Desert of Paran. All of them were leaders of the Israelites… See what the land is like and whether the people who live there are strong or weak, few or many. What kind of land do they live in? Is it good or bad? What kind of towns do they live in? Are they unwalled or fortified? How is the soil? Is it fertile or poor? Are there trees on it or not? Do your best to bring back some of the fruit of the land.” (It was the season for the first ripe grapes.) — Numbers 13:1-3, 18-20 (NIV)

After Lot had gone, the Lord said to Abram, “Look as far as you can see in every direction—north and south, east and west. I am giving all this land, as far as you can see, to you and your descendants as a permanent possession. And I will give you so many descendants that, like the dust of the earth, they cannot be counted! Go and walk through the land in every direction, for I am giving it to you.” — Genesis 13:14-17 (NLT)

4. Characteristic Four: Kingdom Warfare ______________ Angelic Activity!

Timeless Insights
“Angels are the ministers and dispensers of the divine bounty towards us. Accordingly, we are told how they watch for our safety, how they undertake our defense, direct our path, and take heed that no evil befall us.” — John Calvin

Scripture:
Let those be put to shame and brought to dishonor who seek after my life; Let those be turned back and brought to confusion who plot my hurt. Let them be like chaff before the wind, and let the angel of the Lord chase them. — Psalm 35:4-5 (NKJV)

Hebrew Word for Angel: Mal´ak: “To dispatch as a deputy.”

Scripture:
Hezekiah took the letter from the hands of the messengers and read it. Then he went into the sanctuary of God and spread the letter out before God. Then Hezekiah prayed to God: “God-of-the-Angel-Armies, enthroned over the cherubim-angels, you are God, the only God there is, God of all kingdoms on earth. You made heaven and earth. Listen, O God, and hear. Look, O God, and see. Mark all these words of Sennacherib that he sent to mock the living God… Then the Angel of God arrived and struck the Assyrian camp—185,000 Assyrians died. By the time the sun came up, they were all dead—an army of corpses! — Isaiah 37:14-17, 36 (MSG)

But to which of the angels has He ever said: “Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool”? Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation? — Hebrews 1:13-14 (NKJV)

When the Lamb ripped off the seventh seal, Heaven fell quiet—complete silence for about half an hour. I saw the Seven Angels who are always in readiness before God handed seven trumpets. Then another Angel, carrying a gold censer, came and stood at the Altar. He was given a great quantity of incense so that he could offer up the prayers of all the holy people of God on the Golden Altar before the Throne. Smoke billowed up from the incense-laced prayers of the holy ones, rose before God from the hand of the Angel. Then the Angel filled the censer with fire from the Altar and heaved it to earth. It set off thunders, voices, lightnings, and an earthquake. The Seven Angels with the trumpets got ready to blow them. At the first trumpet blast, hail and fire mixed with blood were dumped on earth. — Revelation 8:1-6 (MSG)

Timeless Insights
“I am convinced that these heavenly beings exist and that they provide unseen aid on our behalf. I do not believe in angels because someone else has told me about a dramatic visitation from an angel, impressive as such rare testimonies may be… I do not believe in angels because I have ever seen one—because I haven’t. I believe in angels because the Bible says there are angels; and I believe the Bible to be the true Word of God.” — Billy Graham

AFTERTHOUGHTS… PONDER AND PRAY

Ponder Points: Discuss (or ponder) what you think it means to “explore the territory” regarding issues for prayer in your community. What would be a practical application of “exploring the territory” regarding praying for a specific nation or people group?

Prayer Points: Ask the Lord to reveal to you more specific details about a need in your neighborhood, our nation or even the nations of the world. As you mentally “explore the territory” concerning that need, pray back to the Lord what you see.