I am looking for resources dealing specifically with spiritual warfare. With some of the occurrences people are going through in my life group. I am wanting to teach a series on this issue. I want people to realize spiritual warfare can be more than demon possession. I want to show the group biblically how to identify spiritual warfare and how to be victorious when it is happening in your life. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.
To understand dimensions of spiritual warfare, we must first discover what Christ came to accomplish in our life. We have already referred to salvation and God’s plan as salvation history. Also we have referred to justification for our sins and regeneration to newness of life.When we talk of the Christian life we are in the area of sanctification. The word comes from the Greek word hagiasmos, very commonly used in the New Testament. Vine says it refers to a life of separation unto God and the holy life which results from that separation.
Edward F. Murphy, Handbook for Spiritual Warfare (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1996), 61.
I have not read through this book but this may be something to look into.
-Dan
St. Jerome's House † Install
Here is a list of a few of the better resources in my library on spiritual warfare. I hope they are of some help in your desire to teach this important topic.
The Christian Soldier: An Exposition of Ephesians 6:10–20 by Martyn Lloyd-JonesThe Christian Warfare: An Exposition of Ephesians 6:10–13 by Martyn Lloyd-JonesThe Full Armor of God: Defending Your Life From Satan's Schemes by Larry RichardsI Talk Back to the Devil: Straightforward Appeals for Christlike Living by A.W. TozerThe Warfare of the Spirit by A.W. TozerPraying God's Word: Breaking Free from Spiritual Strongholds by Beth MooreThe Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
Using adventure and community to challenge young people to continually say "yes" to God
I like that Bruce included the Screwtape letters, you could do an entire series on that.
I searched my library using title,topic,heading,and large text and found quite a few articles talking about "Spiritual warfare."
Here is the beginning of one:
William Burt Pope, A Compendium of Christian Theology: Being Analytical Outlines of a Course of Theological Study, Biblical, Dogmatic, Historical, Volumes 1-3, vol. 3 (London: Beveridge and Co., 1879), 201.
ethics of the spiritual conflict
The Christian personality is the sphere of a contest between two opposing principles which are variously described. The struggle is between the new man and the old, or the flesh and the Spirit, or the believer and Satan. The peculiarity of this conflict depends upon the doctrine of the probationary union of the regenerate with Christ the Captain of our salvation. It appears in another form in all systems of ethics, which refer to the discord between the worse and the better self; but Christianity alone gives the key to this mystery in human nature. A very large department of the moral teaching of the New Testament is occupied with the detail of virtues and duties which spring out of the spiritual warfare on which our probation depends. These topics must be taken in their order.
Thank you everyone for the assistance.
Understanding Spiritual Warfare: Four Views is a good overview of different approaches to spiritual warfare. It is $19.99 on the Logos store.