Call to Arms: Faith, Fasting, and the Sword of the Spirit (Spiritual Warfare in 2026)
- The Love Church
- Jan 12
- 5 min read
Updated: Feb 2
We’re in Battles… Aren’t We?
We’re in battles, aren’t we?
Last week we looked at 1 John 3:8—that Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. And let’s be real: the devil’s been “working overtime.” He’s on the overtime plan. Maybe you’re saying “amen,” or maybe you’re saying, “Oh my… oh me.”
But here’s the truth that steadies us: Jesus came. And when Scripture talks about Jesus destroying the works of the devil, it’s not just “destroy” like a dramatic word we toss around. It also carries the idea of undoing, unraveling, and loosing what the enemy has wrapped around people’s lives. Praise God.
And listen—saying amen to a preacher is like holding up a piece of meat to a hungry dog. You’ll bring something out that you didn’t even know was in there. 😄 So work with me!
What Are the Works of the Devil?
They’re everywhere. All around us.
And I want to say something that matters when life gets heavy:
Jesus did not come to help us manage ourselves in the middle of crisis.He came to give us strength, victory, peace, and joy in the midst of the storm.
Even if you serve God, it’ll happen. Even if you give God everything, it’ll happen—because we have an adversary who wants to destroy. But the Destroyer named Jesus came to destroy the destroyer named the devil. Guess who comes out on top? Hallelujah.
Jesus Is Still the Same (Yes, in 2026)
The Bible says Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever—Bible days, today, 2026, and whatever’s down the road. He’s still:
Savior
Healer
Deliverer
Liberator
So if you want to see what it looks like when Jesus destroys the devil’s work, let’s go to the Word.
A Picture of Freedom: The Woman Loosed After 18 Years (Luke 13)
In Luke 13, Jesus is teaching in the synagogue, and He sees a woman crippled by an evil spirit.
Now listen—I love doctors. We love nurses. We respect the medical community. But Jesus points out something important: some things you’ll never find on an X-ray. Some things you’ll never find on an MRI.
This woman had been bent double for 18 years—not halfway, double. Head almost to her toes. Unable to stand up straight.
“Woman… You Are Loosed.”
Jesus calls her over and says, “Woman, you are healed”—and the word the transcript highlights is loosed.
That’s the language of spiritual freedom. That’s “undo.” That’s “unravel.” That’s “the devil can’t keep this anymore.”
Jesus touches her—instantly she stands up straight. And she praises and thanks God.
The Source, the Solution, the Result
Here’s the clarity the Bible gives:
Source: Satan
Solution: Jesus
Result: Freedom 2026-01-11
And when the religious complainers start griping because it happened on the Sabbath, Jesus says:
“Wasn’t it necessary… to free this dear woman from the bondage which Satan had held her for 18 years?”
Then the text says something I love: it shamed His enemies—and the people rejoiced at the wonderful things He did.
The Cross: Where Jesus Shamed the Devil Publicly (Colossians 2:14–15)
That shaming didn’t stop in the synagogue—it culminated at the cross.
Colossians says Jesus canceled the record of charges against us and nailed it to the cross. Like an ordinance, like a rap sheet, like a bill you didn’t even know was coming—except this one was spiritual, and it was heavy.
And then it says Jesus:
disarmed spiritual rulers and authorities
shamed them publicly
did it by His victory on the cross
That’s not defeat. That’s victory wearing a crown made of thorns.
Jesus Isn’t a Rebel—He’s the Legitimate Authority
The transcript goes after something important: people call Jesus a rebel or revolutionary.
But a rebel defies legitimate authority—and Jesus is the highest legitimate authority there is.
Now, if you want to call Him a disruptor? Okay—because He absolutely disrupted:
hell’s illegitimate agenda
dead religious systems
wrong priorities
allegiances that didn’t belong
He didn’t come to turn the world upside down.
He came to turn it right-side up.
We Can’t Fight This Casually (Acts 1:8 + Matthew 11:12)
Here’s the call to arms:
We can’t attack the works of the devil casually.
Our vision verse is Acts 1:8—we need Holy Spirit power to witness, to press forward, to take the gospel outward like a full-court press.
And then Jesus says in Matthew 11:12 something people don’t quote often:
“The kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.”
That’s not talking physical violence. It’s talking about a strong response—spiritual intensity. Faith that refuses to fold.
Because the enemy is a thief—steal, kill, destroy—but Jesus came to give life. And sometimes you need a little “oomph”… dunamis power… dynamite power… from the Holy Ghost.
The Battle Isn’t Flesh and Blood (Ephesians 6:12)
This part matters because it keeps us from fighting the wrong enemy.
It’s not your neighbor. It’s not your boss. It’s not your spouse. It’s not your kids.
“We’re not fighting against flesh and blood… but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world…”
So what do we do?
How We Fight Back: Armor Up + Pick Up the Sword (Ephesians 6:13–18)
The Word says:
“Put on every piece of God’s armor… so you will be able to resist the enemy.”
The Armor of God (Scannable + Practical)
Belt of truth
Body armor of God’s righteousness
Shoes of peace from the Good News
Shield of faith (to stop the fiery arrows)
Helmet of salvation
Sword of the Spirit (the Word of God)
Don’t Forget This Weapon: “Pray in the Spirit”
After listing the armor, Scripture says:
“Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion.”
Because talking about your problems won’t change them.
But talking to God about your problems—and talking to your problems about God—will change things.
The transcript explains praying in the Spirit like this: it doesn’t sound like praying in English. It’s a Spirit-enabled prayer—communing with God beyond your natural language. And yes… the devil doesn’t “decode” it the way he does when we only pray at the surface level.
Faith + Fasting: Don’t Leave Your Weapons Idle (2 Corinthians 10:4–5)
The weapons of our warfare aren’t worldly. They’re mighty through God.
They pull down strongholds—especially the strongholds of human reasoning and false arguments that keep people from knowing God.
So we fight back:
on our knees
in prayer closets
in “war rooms”
with praise and worship
with the Word (the sword)
with the anointing of the Holy Spirit
And yes—fasting keeps your spirit sharp. Praying with fasting is powerful. We’ve left these weapons lying idle for too long.
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