Every believer will face spiritual battles. Since the Garden of Eden, satan has sought to enslave mankind and hold each of us captive. And our foe is not of this world:

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12, ESV)

We are facing greater spiritual battles today than ever before. There has been a release of demonic activity on earth during the past few months—unseen in world history. And it should be no surprise that we will undoubtedly witness an even greater release of darkness over the coming months.

These are more than physical battles. It is spiritual warfare. What is happening in the Middle East and throughout the world is spiritual.

Closer to home, we are fighting physical battles, financial upheaval, and a spiritual battle for the souls of family members and loved ones.

So what are we to do? Reel in panic? Crouch in fear? Hunker down in our spiritual bunkers and give in to the gloom and doom?

No!

During seasons like this, believers are called to stand tall, to be a voice calling for victory, and to be in finely-honed spiritual readiness.

We are told in 1 Peter 5:8-9 (TPT):

Be well balanced and always alert, because your enemy, the devil, roams around incessantly, like a roaring lion looking for its prey to devour. Take a decisive stand against him and resist his every attack with strong, vigorous faith.

In addition, may we say with David, “You armed me with strength for battle” (Psalm 18:39, NIV).

Believers must be prepared!

So, how do we get started with our basic training for spiritual battle?

Identify the Enemy

Preparation for holy warfare requires the application of spiritual principles revealed in God’s Word for specific purposes.

Therefore, it’s crucial to begin by understanding who the enemy really is so that we never underestimate the adversary’s capabilities or the deceptiveness he will use in his attempt to defeat and destroy you.

First and foremost:

…we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Ephesians 6:12, KJV)

“Principalities and powers” reveals that satan does not fight alone. In fact, there are five divisions of the enemy’s forces:

• Spirits or demons, for this passage says, “We wrestle not against flesh and blood.”

• Principalities—from the Greek word arche; chief rulers of the highest rank.

• Powers—from the Greek work exousia or authorities. These authorities preside over the chief rulers, executing their will.

• Rulers of the darkness of this world—natural men possessed by demonic powers. This world (our cosmos) binds them to the natural and refers to governments or individuals in high authority in this world who are demon-led or directed.

• Spiritual wickedness in high places—wicked spirits in the heavens; fallen angels.

Now that we’ve identified the enemy, how do we prepare to engage in spiritual warfare against demons, principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness?

Be Strong in The Lord

We prepare for battle and deliverance, not only by identifying the enemy, but also by defining our strength. It’s important to know that strength needed to subdue and defeat the enemy of our souls is not found in the natural; it is found in the Lord. The Bible commands us as believers to “be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might” (Ephesians 6:10).

The Greek infers the command to “be strengthened” in Christ’s might, as is promised to the believer:

“And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power” (Ephesians 1:19).

Strength in the Lord is obtained as you recognize who you are in Christ and acknowledge that He is the real source of your strength. Don’t attempt to fight demonic forces of hell alone, for the power to subdue and defeat them does not rest in your own strength. Luke 10:19 declares:

“I give you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”

What’s next?

Clothe Yourself with the Armor of God

A prepared soldier will not go into battle without the appropriate armor. The potential for victory in a battle hinges upon suitable armor and appropriate weaponry.

A spiritual battle requires spiritual weapons. The Word instructs us clearly:

“Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11).

Then Scripture continues on this theme of armor-wearing by stating:

“Wherefore, take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day” (Ephesians 6:13).

Subsequent scriptures describe essential armor and weaponry for the believer’s use in withstanding and defeating the enemy. It is interesting to note that the first five pieces of armor have a defensive purpose in battle, while the remaining two pieces are specifically used in offensive action.

Defensive armor provides protection for the vital organs of the soldier when facing the enemy. From a spiritual perspective, the whole armor of God, applied and used properly, provides full protection and enables the believer to hold his ground against the enemy until victory comes.

Here is your armor for deliverance and spiritual warfare (Ephesians 6):

• “Loins girt about with truth” (v.14). Your loins deal with your mind. (“Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind,” 1 Peter 1:13 says). Fill your mind with the Word. Reading and meditating on the Bible will protect you in your Christian walk.

• “The breastplate of righteousness” (v.14). The breastplate covers the vital organs and speaks of the heart. The breastplate of righteousness fortifies the heart against attacks of the enemy. Allow the righteousness revealed in God’s Word to influence your mind and penetrate deeply into your heart. When the truth of the Bible touches your life, it brings transformation and renewal (Romans 12:2).

• “Feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace” (v.15). The Word of God must affect your walk or your life. This happens as the Bible fills your mind, touches your heart, and is manifest or seen in your daily routine. It all begins with your mind. You begin to read the Word and hear the Word; it then influences and fills your heart with truth. This affects your actions every day.

• “The shield of faith” (v.16). Faith brings powerful results, for when faith is joined with the Word in your mind, heart, and life, “ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” Armed with the Word of God and faith, we can withstand the onslaught of the enemy and render his fiery darts ineffective.

• “The helmet of salvation” (v.17). In the natural the helmet protects the head from injury in battle. Some mistakenly believe that the helmet deals with the mind. However, the helmet of salvation deals with doctrine. Once the truth enters your mind, touches your heart, affects your life and walk, and is manifest in your actions, it becomes your nature. The helmet of salvation deals with your nature, you character, your doctrine—what you believe is who you are. Application of God’s Word makes you balanced and stable. When proper doctrine is in place in your life, you are not moved by error or taken by false teaching.

• The sword of the Spirit (v.17). All the armor up to this point has served a defensive purpose, intended for use in facing the enemy. And although the Bible is connected to each element of God’s armor, the sword of the Spirit is specifically the Word of God, for it used as an offensive weapon against the enemy.

As your life becomes strong and established in the Scriptures, the sword of the Spirit becomes an offensive weapon against the enemy. Unmovable, unshakable, and because of the truth within, you are able to stand victoriously against the evil one and his army.

In three consecutive instances, Jesus Christ Himself used the Word of God as He resisted satan’s temptation, saying, “It is written…” (Matthew 4:4-7). Armed with the sword of the Spirit, you can take back the territory that belongs to you, including your family, your finances, and your health. God’s strength is sufficient for you, enabling you to win every battle.

• Prayer and supplication (v.18). The final weapon is what keeps and sustains you, and that’s prayer that covers and clothes you like a mantle! The Bible declares, “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit.”

Seven pieces of armor—seven weapons of war!

We must understand and master our weapons, just as surely as infantry soldiers during basic military training learn to disassemble, assemble, and operate weapons and field equipment under the most pressurized conditions—until it becomes second nature and instinctive.

No matter what happens, we must be thoroughly prepared!

And as you go through basic training to prepare for spiritual battle against the forces of hell, the Living Word must be ever-present in your mind. The Bible must be in your heart. The Word must be reflected in your walk. The Scripture must be in your faith and actions. The Word must be in your character. The Bible must be in your mouth—the sword of the Spirit; prayer must be a primary weapon.

Unfolding Events

Make no mistake—we are at war! The battles are sure to spread and increase. Yet it is important to know that as the news unfolds every day, God is breaking forth His glory.

Today, the Spirit of God is ready to invade city after city, region after region, nation after nation. Again and again, we are told that God desires for us to triumph, and these are our rallying cries:

• Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:57, NKJV)

• If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31)

• In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. (Romans 8:37)

Yet our time is short! We must work now, as the Word declares, “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work” (John 9:4).

Jesus said these sobering words:

Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. (John 4:35-36)

The life-changing, miracle-filled Gospel of the blood of Jesus Christ must be preached now! Now! NOW!

The trumpet sound signaling the second coming of Jesus Christ is quickly approaching:

“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first” (1 Thessalonians 4:16).

Scripture after scripture points to this bright hope for believers, yet we also know that we have only a short window of time to share God’s message of salvation with those who have not accepted Christ as Savior.

God will hold us responsible in heaven for what we do with the historic opportunity He has given to us right now!

Be part of what God is doing!

Be Strong in The Lord

Just as basic training and preparation are crucial for each of us who are called to serve in the Lord’s army, it is also vital for us to prepare for the coming months as we take the message of Christ to the nations.

Especially urgent is the blistering speed that is changing the electronic landscape. When this ministry was birthed 46 years ago, personal computer ownership was non-existent. Cell phones were still a fantasy. Traditional television was the only way to reach a mass audience.

Today, everything is moving to smartphones and notebook computers that pack dizzying capability into a small hand-held package. Meanwhile, people in droves are “cutting the cord” of cable television and simply watching anything they want, any time they choose, and anywhere they decide.

With the information technologies available, we can touch hearts with the Gospel around the clock, every day, from the hurting teenager in Chicago to the lost soul in the most desolate outposts around the world!

But what is effective today will undoubtedly be obsolete tomorrow! What we’ve done together so far has been remarkable. Few have done more for less than anyone in ministry or commercial broadcasting. But we must change to survive, and change is always expensive. However NOT changing is not only more expensive in the long run, but falling behind would be devastating to our mission to reach the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

Will you consider taking a moment to plant your seed into the fertile soil of this worldwide ministry?

As you sow, you take the Living Word of God to a world that is sinking deeper and deeper into danger and darkness…and you give toward fulfilling the Great Commission!

Unless they hear and receive the Gospel, too many of the 7.8 billion souls alive today on Planet Earth may spend eternity separated from our Lord. Together, we can make an eternal difference.

May God bless you to be a blessing. And may He shower you with an unprecedented overflow for everything you do to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ!

Plant Your Seed Today

As we move strongly through 2020, your financial seed goes toward preaching the Gospel to multitudes around the world through any means.

I have two requests of you today, heart to heart:

• I ask for your prayers for wisdom as we move boldly into the future. We are re-doubling our efforts, expanding our internet presence, and excited about what God has planned for the future through such ministries as the Benny Hinn Institute. It’s crucial that we join together in agreement for God to move mightily into souls during the days, weeks, and months ahead. There are so many opportunities. God has so much planned for us to do. May we truly echo the apostle Paul’s desire to be “all things to all men, that I might by all means save some” (1 Corinthians 9:22). What we do, we must do quickly!

• I also ask for your much-needed support. The current financial upheavals are affecting everyone…so it is with this ministry. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is free, bought with the blood of the Lamb, yet taking that Gospel to the ends of the earth becomes more expensive than ever. Even during these difficult times, I’m asking for God to place our ongoing, critical needs on the hearts of my precious partners. Will you plant your most sacrificial gift today?

As you sow your generous seed today for the cause of Christ, you can expect a supernatural outpouring in your own life.

We have this promise:

“He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness” (2 Corinthians 9:10).

So plant your seed today with living and expectant faith and watch God “open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it” (Malachi 3:10).

Open your heart as you send your offering to bring precious souls into the kingdom of God for all eternity!

Jesus is coming soon, and He has sent you and me to the nations to share the Gospel.

I eagerly await hearing from you!

With great expectation for you,