Believer's Guide to Spiritual Warfare

Tom White

Description

People who are in trouble must discern the source of the problem. A correct assessment of the problem's origins is the first step toward responding well and resolving the situation. Is the issue explainable by natural causes? If not, it is likely that the believer is under spiritual attack. The Believer's Guide to Spiritual Warfare is a practical guide to overcoming the forces of the world, the flesh, and the devil that come against believers' personal lives, families, vocations, and ministries. The Holy Spirit is ready and willing to free Christians from spiritual attack, and this essential handbook will help readers access that power. They will learn to discern the source of an attack, free themselves and others from spiritual bondage, and pray effectively to protect their homes, businesses, churches, and ministries from the forces of evil. The Believer's Guide to Spiritual Warfare goes beyond theory to equip believers with simple, effective tools and techniques for winning victory.

Sujets

• Philosophie et théologie
• Christian theology
• Christianity

Informations

• Publié par: Baker Publishing Group
• Date de parution: 27 avril 2011
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781441269096
• Langue: English

Extrait

© 1990, 2011 Thomas B. White
Published by Chosen Books 11400 Hampshire Avenue South Bloomington, Minnesota 55438 chosenbooks.com
Chosen Books is a division of Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan. www.bakerpublishinggroup.com
Chosen edition published 2014
ISBN 978-1-4412-6909-6
Previously published by Regal Books
Ebook edition originally created 2011
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
All Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version® . Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2010 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.
PRAISE FOR
The Believer’s Guide to Spiritual Warfare

Tom White believes that prayer changes things—and it does! In this helpful book, Tom gives valuable insights on how to pray in situations where the oppressive activity of the enemy is present.
Clinton E. Arnold
Professor and Chairman, Department of New Testament Talbot School of Theology (Biola University)
When anyone wants to get serious about advancing God’s kingdom, our adversary is certainly going to put up a fight. Tom White’s insights and teaching on how to effectively discern and deal with spiritual conflict are invaluable, effective and, best of all, practical.
John Boyd
President and CEO of Mission Aviation Fellowship
The Believer’s Guide to Spiritual Warfare provides important practical materials and guidelines that will assist all believers to stand stronger in the victory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Dr. Mark I. Bubeck
Founder and President Emeritus of the International Center for Biblical Counseling, Inc. Author of The Adversary, Overcoming the Adversary and The Rise of Fallen Angels
Tom White’s ministry experience equips him to speak on this subject with credibility. I have used his materials in my ministry and am delighted to see them in book form. They are required reading for anyone who is serious about obeying the biblical command to resist the devil.
Timothy Warner
Senior Vice President for International Ministries of Freedom in Christ Ministries
Dedication
The labors that have gone into this book, and any fruit that emerges from it, are dedicated to Paul W. Dekker, a gentle giant of a man who fathered and mentored me in the early days of my spiritual formation in San Diego, California. Paul patiently provided fertilizer for my young tree, enabling me to grow in grace, sharpen my discernment and learn the way of Jesus’ love.
Over the 20 years since this book was first published, many who have found themselves in spiritual battles have received great benefit from its insights and instructions. I credit Paul and his faithful wife, Donnie, for modeling courage in facing our common foe and for standing in the gap to help others break free of darkness and walk in the light of truth.
Contents
Acknowledgments
Foreword by Bruce Wilkinson
Preface

1. Getting Perspective
2 A Reasoned, Seasoned Approach to Spiritual Warfare
3. Understanding Principalities and Powers
4. Engaging the Battle
5. Common Scenarios of Oppression 1-4: The Battle from Within
6. Common Scenarios of Oppression 5-7: The Battle from Without
7. Am I Oppressed? A Checklist for Testing Spiritual Bondage
8. Discernment: Toward a Biblical Definition
9. Establishing Your Home as a Spiritual Refuge
10. Warfare Prayers for Specific Situations
11. Understanding and Practicing Intercessory Prayer Warfare
12. What Everyone Seems to Want to Know About Spiritual Warfare
Epilogue: Tips from the Trench—Words to the Wise
Acknowledgments
In view of the numerous spiritual warfare skirmishes I have faced, I will often say of my wife, Terri, “Her prayers have kept me alive.” As my life partner and co-laborer, her faithful intercession has also enabled me to thrive in the Lord’s empowerment as a teacher, spiritual counselor, and now as a consultant to city movements of unity, prayer and Kingdom collaboration worldwide. Terri has been and continues to be a cheerful conduit of wise counsel and constant encouragement. Her contribution to the fruit of my labors is immeasureable and invaluable. She is my answer to Solomon’s question: “A wife of noble character who can find?” (Prov. 31:10).
Foreword
We are at war. There is a real enemy. Although our victory has been secured, we are called to fight until that final consummation. The Believer’s Guide to Spiritual Warfare , by Tom White, is a truly insightful manual on how to stand firm, guarded and victorious , with deep-rooted spiritual authority and the support of heaven.
To navigate a reader through the mysteries of spiritual warfare is a sensitive and commendable undertaking, and I applaud Tom’s endeavor. He uses a balanced approach to address age-old questions such as, What is the interplay between the kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness? How does it affect our daily life, prayer and ministry? What are the effects of Christ’s liberation in the spiritual, unseen dimension? How do we operate as the redeemed while we await the consummation of Christ’s final victory, when all enemies will be placed under His feet (see Heb. 10:13)?
Throughout many years of friendship with Tom, I have witnessed a man of deep, anchored and proven integrity. He is a leading voice in the national and citywide prayer movement. His ministry—and the book in your hands—has been forged out of years of experience on the front lines of spiritual warfare, and Christian organizations worldwide have sought his expertise. It seems that among the many who love Christ, there are few who hold experiential discernment about standing against the true enemy of heaven. This is an enemy whom Christ spoke freely and often about, but one who is far too often misunderstood by the Body of Christ. As in any battle, misunderstanding an enemy or his tactics always proves detrimental. There are not many people to turn to for sound, informed advice on spiritual warfare, but Tom is one of the few.
Tom has an authentic and straightforward writing style. His words will powerfully confront areas and dimensions of your life that may knowingly—or unknowingly—be under the influence of the enemy. His perceptive words of truth will reawaken a desire in you to know Christ and become skilled in the use of the spiritual weapons that have been forged for your resistance against the evil of this present age. Tom’s instruction within this book is grace-infused, direct, humble and authoritative.
Regardless of your theological bent, truth reverberates from these pages—hope-filled, empowering and much-needed truth . The contents of this book will transform and widen your understanding of the unseen realm. You will gain knowledge of the subtleties of the enemy’s attacks in ways that will increase your spiritual authority in personal and ministry contexts. Above all, this book will serve as a beautiful reminder of the power rendered through the cross and resurrection of Christ. It will challenge your faith and spiritual influence to expand, all while being undergirded by what Tom refers to as a deepening, “preoccupation with the person of Jesus.”
As you read these pages, I hope you are again held in awe at the truth and power of God’s redemptive activity. And I hope that your heart is stirred wildly to stand, armed and alert, and take your place in the kingdom of light. May you be encouraged as you continue Christ’s mission to “shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide [your] feet into the path of peace” (Luke 1:79).
Bruce Wilkinson
Author of The Prayer of Jabez
Preface
I am a graduate of the ill-famed high school class of 1965. If ever there was a period of American history that could be explained in terms of spiritual warfare, the mid-1960s qualifies. More was happening during those years than meets the analytical eyes of sociologists and political scientists. Social violence, an unwinnable foreign war, a radical shift in values, and an influx of philosophies and gurus from the East entered our culture through music, media and mind-bending drugs.
New openness to the teachings of spiritualism, astrology, Zen Buddhism and Hinduism prepared the way for the current popularity of New Age religions and practices. A line from one popular song conjured up images of the shift in the collective consciousness: “This is the dawning of the age of Aquarius.” It was apparent to me then, and it is clearer to me now, that there indeed were invisible spiritual forces at work.
During the early 1960s, growing up in the suburbs of Rochester, New York, my life was relatively “normal” until five untimely deaths crashed into my world, three personal, two cultural. By age 14, my best friend was my cousin Larry, a brilliant, promising student at the University of Rochester. We hiked together, went to movies, did archery and talked honestly about deep things. But I recall my parents talking about Larry being “depressed, confused.” Well, genetic “roulette,” schizophrenia, had landed on my friend. Of course no one talked openly about psychiatric illness back then. It was misunderstood and embarrassing. Then, one morning, I was awakened by agonized sounds outside my bedroom door. Larry had taken his life. My world would never be the same. Where did he go? How does God deal with people who kill themselves? Was he in purgatory? Was he at peace?
Soon after this trauma, I was sitting in the last row, third seat from the left, in my Introduction to Biology class at the Harley School, when news of John Kennedy’s assassination came over the loud speaker. As with everyone, a c