05/09/2026
THE ART OF WAR: WINNING THE BATTLE BEFORE THE BATTLE
Key Scriptures: 2 Corinthians 10:4; Philippians 2:5; Ephesians 6:12; Proverbs 3:5; 1 Samuel 30:8; Hosea 4:6
«“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds.” — 2 Corinthians 10:4»
War is not always won on the battlefield. Many battles are decided long before soldiers arrive at the battlefield. They are won in the mind, in strategy rooms, in preparation, in intelligence, and in the decisions made before the confrontation begins.
The same principle applies to spiritual warfare.
As believers, we must understand that Christianity is not merely a life of attending church services. We are engaged in a spiritual conflict, and therefore we must learn how to fight according to the principles of the Kingdom of God.
The nature of the war determines the strategy of the warrior.
You cannot fight naval warfare with land mines. You cannot fight an aerial battle using weapons designed exclusively for ground combat. Every battlefield requires an appropriate strategy and appropriate weapons.
Likewise, spiritual battles require spiritual weapons.
THE BATTLE BEGINS IN THE MIND
Before you defeat an enemy externally, you must first defeat the enemy internally.
This is why the Bible says:
«“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” — Philippians 2:5»
The mind is one of the greatest battlefields of human existence.
The enemy can attack your body, circumstances, relationships, finances, opportunities, and environment, but one of his greatest objectives is to influence the way you think.
If he can control your thinking, he can influence your decisions.
If he can influence your decisions, he can influence your direction.
And if he influences your direction long enough, he can interfere with your destiny.
Therefore, spiritual warfare is not only about casting something out. Sometimes warfare means renewing your mind, disciplining your thoughts, changing your perspective, and bringing your thinking into agreement with God's Word.
KNOW WHAT KIND OF WAR YOU ARE FIGHTING
Paul gives us a very important revelation:
«“For 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»
This means that our ultimate enemy is not human beings.
People may be involved in a conflict, but we must learn to distinguish between the person and the spiritual forces operating behind the situation.
If you misunderstand the battlefield, you will use the wrong weapons.
You will fight people when you should be fighting in prayer.
You will attack people when you should be seeking God.
You will become bitter toward people when you should be discerning the spiritual dimension of the battle.
The believer must learn to fight intelligently.
OUR WEAPONS COME FROM GOD
The effectiveness of a weapon is connected to its designer.
The person who designs and manufactures a weapon understands its capabilities better than anyone else.
A soldier may be trained to operate a weapon, but the manufacturer understands its original design, purpose, limitations, and capabilities at a deeper level.
In the same way, God knows the weapons He has given us and knows how they are meant to be used.
Prayer is powerful.
Faith is powerful.
The Word of God is powerful.
Praise is powerful.
Obedience is powerful.
Righteousness is powerful.
But we must learn to use what God has given us according to His instructions.
The Creator understands the creation better than the creation understands itself.
That is why we must remain connected to God.
JESUS CHRIST IS THE AUTHOR OF YOUR LIFE
«“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.” — Hebrews 12:2»
Jesus is not merely an accessory to your life. He is the author and finisher of your faith.
Your life finds its true meaning in Christ.
«“For in him we live, and move, and have our being.” — Acts 17:28»
There is an original intention behind your existence.
God did not create you randomly.
He created you with purpose.
He created you with abilities.
He created you with potential.
He created you with assignments.
He created you uniquely.
Therefore, do not spend your life trying to become a carbon copy of somebody else.
There is nothing wrong with learning from people. There is nothing wrong with being inspired by people. But inspiration should not eliminate originality.
You must discover what God placed inside you.
DISCOVER YOUR GOD-GIVEN DESIGN
One of the greatest tragedies is to live an entire life without discovering why you were created.
You cannot operate at your full capacity if you do not understand your design.
A machine performs best when it is used according to the manufacturer's specifications.
In the same way, human beings function best when they operate according to God's purposes.
Ask yourself:
What am I passionate about?
What gifts has God placed inside me?
What do I naturally have an ability to do?
What burdens my heart?
What problems do I feel compelled to solve?
What can I do that brings value to other people?
The answers may help you discover dimensions of your assignment.
«“Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might.” — Ecclesiastes 9:10»
Do not live somebody else's life.
Live the life God designed you to live.
ABIDE IN THE WORD
Jesus said:
«“If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” — John 15:7»
Notice the relationship between abiding and asking.
The power is not simply in asking.
There is power in abiding.
When God's Word lives in you, it begins to influence your desires, decisions, priorities, attitudes, and prayers.
The Word of God is not merely information.
It is divine instruction for human life.
When God speaks through His Word, learn to receive it personally.
Do not always hear a sermon and immediately think about who else needs to hear it.
Sometimes the Word is speaking directly to you.
When the preacher speaks, do not allow his clothing, personality, accent, background, or presentation style to become a distraction from the Word.
If the food is good, you do not reject it because you dislike the person serving it.
Your spirit needs nourishment.
Do not starve your spiritual being because you are distracted by the vessel carrying the Word.
OBEDIENCE IS PART OF SPIRITUAL WARFARE
Knowing the Word is not enough.
We must obey it.
There are battles that are not won by shouting louder but by obeying more accurately.
God's instructions may sometimes challenge your feelings, preferences, assumptions, and understanding.
But faith requires trust.
«“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” — Proverbs 3:5»
You will not always understand everything God is doing.
But you can still trust the One who knows everything.
WHEN YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO, INQUIRE OF THE LORD
There are some battles where experience is not enough.
David was an experienced warrior. He had fought battles before. Yet when Ziklag was attacked, David did something very important:
«“And David inquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them?” — 1 Samuel 30:8»
God answered:
«“Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.” — 1 Samuel 30:8»
David knew how to fight, but he still asked God for direction.
Experience is valuable, but experience must never replace divine instruction.
Sometimes the greatest wisdom is knowing when to move.
Sometimes it is knowing when to wait.
Sometimes it is knowing when to pursue.
Sometimes it is knowing when to retreat.
And sometimes the wisest thing you can do is simply inquire of the Lord.
There are giants you cannot identify by merely looking at the battlefield.
You need spiritual discernment.
KNOWLEDGE IS A WEAPON
One of the most dangerous things in warfare is ignorance.
Hosea declared:
«“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” — Hosea 4:6»
Ignorance can make a person vulnerable.
A soldier without intelligence about the enemy is fighting at a disadvantage.
Likewise, a Christian who refuses to learn God's Word is spiritually vulnerable.
You need knowledge.
Read.
Study.
Listen.
Ask questions.
Find materials that edify your spirit.
Learn from people who have travelled further than you.
Seek wisdom from those who are where you desire to be.
You cannot conquer what you refuse to understand.
ASSOCIATION CAN ACCELERATE OR DELAY YOUR DESTINY
Who you associate with matters.
Your environment influences your thinking.
Your conversations influence your beliefs.
Your relationships influence your habits.
Your habits influence your direction.
And your direction ultimately affects your destination.
The Bible says:
«“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.” — Psalm 1:1»
Association is therefore not a minor issue.
Association can determine how long it takes you to arrive where God is taking you.
There are people who will help you discover your purpose.
There are people who will sharpen your thinking.
There are people who will challenge you to grow.
And there are people who will continuously discourage you.
Some people are “dream undertakers.”
They do not necessarily destroy you physically; they bury your dreams through constant negativity, criticism, doubt, and discouragement.
You must learn to recognize them.
GUARD YOUR ASSOCIATIONS
The Apostle Paul warned:
«“Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.” — 1 Corinthians 15:33»
Notice the first words:
“Be not deceived.”
Wrong associations can appear harmless.
A conversation can appear harmless.
A friendship can appear harmless.
But repeated exposure has influence.
You may think you are influencing someone, while eventually discovering that the association has influenced you.
Therefore, choose your relationships wisely.
Not everyone who has access to you deserves access to your destiny.
You need people who will challenge you to become better.
You need people who will tell you the truth.
You need people who will encourage your faith.
You need people who will sharpen your spiritual understanding.
You need people whose lives give you something worth learning.
YOUR DESTINY IS IN CHRIST
Ultimately, your destiny is not in people.
People can assist you.
People can mentor you.
People can open doors.
People can teach you.
People can encourage you.
But your ultimate source is God.
Your destiny is in Christ.
Do not become so dependent on people that you forget the God who created you.
People may change.
People may leave.
People may disappoint you.
People may misunderstand you.
But God remains faithful.
Therefore, keep your eyes on Christ.
CONCLUSION: WIN THE WAR BEFORE YOU ENTER THE BATTLEFIELD
The art of war is not merely knowing how to fight.
It is knowing when to fight, how to fight, what weapons to use, who you are fighting, and who is giving you the strategy.
As believers, we are engaged in spiritual warfare.
But we have not been left without weapons.
We have the Word of God.
We have prayer.
We have faith.
We have the Holy Spirit.
We have divine wisdom.
We have spiritual discernment.
We have the mind of Christ.
And above all, we have Christ Himself.
Therefore, do not enter every battle emotionally.
Enter with understanding.
Do not fight every person.
Discern the real battlefield.
Do not depend only on experience.
Inquire of the Lord.
Do not remain ignorant.
Acquire knowledge.
Do not allow every voice into your life.
Guard your associations.
Do not imitate everybody.
Discover your God-given design.
And do not live according to the world's blueprint.
Live according to God's purpose.
The greatest battles are often won before the first shot is fired.
Prepare your mind.
Know your weapons.
Know your enemy.
Know your God.
Know your purpose.
And when God says, “Pursue,” move forward with confidence, because the God who sent you into the battle already knows how the battle will end.
