What is Spiritual Warfare?: My personal journaling of my journey learning about this topic on 03.28.2016.

Welcome to a new blog post series.

The title of the new blog post series is:
What is Spiritual Warfare?: My journey of learning this topic

Today's blog title: 
What is Spiritual Warfare?: My personal journaling of my journey learning about this topic on 03.28.2016.

Welcome to a new blog post series where I will share my personal journaling as I journey through the Holy Bible.

It is of a larger series in which I plan to learn about the Bible and it is called:

"Learning the who, what, where, when, why, and how of the Holy Bible today"

This is a series I can work on full-time for the rest of my life, if I so desired. And I desire to do so right now, that is for sure. Or, more specifically, full-time for at least the next ten years approximately. At that time, my husband, B plans on retiring so I will move to writing part-time instead... maybe. We shall see in ten years or so.

At any rate, I will make it my full-time job as a normal, everyday, average gal to, learn all about the who, what, where, when, why, and how of the Holy Bible. This is my goal of this new blog post series... to learn everything I can about the sacred word of God.

My goal for this specific blog post series is on spiritual warfare.

It hit me yesterday how I think our world is under a major spiritual warfare attack. And, so is the United States.  And so is my state, county, city, neighborhood, our home, my husband, our work individually and together, and me.

For all of us to have fallen so short of biblical values proves my point. Yes, each of us has individual responsibility for our fall, but spiritual warfare certainly adds to this.

But, am I correct?

It has been a while since I studied spiritual warfare. I want to approach it empty, where I try to forget everything I think I know and learn everything the Bible teaches about spiritual  warfare.

I will use several texts to help me learn all I can about spiritual warfare. The main one I will use at first is found here:

http://smile.amazon.com/Lord-Warfare-Teach-Stand-Devotional-ebook/dp/B002RLBKFO/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1459172214&sr=1-1&keywords=lord+is+it+warfare+teach+me+to+stand+by+kay+arthur

It is the book,

LORD, IS IT WARFARE? TEACH ME TO STAND: A DEVOTIONAL STUDY ON SPIRITUAL VICTORY by Kay Arthur

I think this spiritual victory is the key to the United States of America, the world, my state my county, my city, my neighborhood, my block, my family, my home, and me
living a successful and a blessed life, spiritually and in general. This is also the key for the upcoming presidential elections, I might add, along with fighting the war on terror and against ISIS in particular.

The battle always begins with me. I cannot control anyone else. But, I can sure change me and make the difference from my sphere of influence.

The main biblical passage I will focus on is:

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Ephesians 6:10-20 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) 
Christian Warfare
10 Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by His vast strength. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the tactics[a] of the Devil. 12 For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. 13 This is why you must take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. 14 Stand, therefore,
with truth like a belt around your waist,
righteousness like armor on your chest,
15 and your feet sandaled with readiness
for the gospel of peace.[b]
16 In every situation take the shield of faith,
and with it you will be able to extinguish
all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
17 Take the helmet of salvation,
and the sword of the Spirit,
which is God’s word.
18 Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert in this with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints. 19 Pray also for me, that the message may be given to me when I open my mouth to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel. 20 For this I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I might be bold enough in Him to speak as I should.
Footnotes:
Ephesians 6:11 Or schemes, or tricks.
Ephesians 6:15 Ready to go tell others about the gospel.
-- Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB). Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.

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I find it interesting how we are not to strengthen ourselves. We are to rely on God to strengthen us and on his vast strength.

Not my strength.

His strength.

His vast strength. Not just a little strength.

We are to put on the full armor of God, not just a partial.

Then, after we rely on God for his vast strength, and after we put on all of the armor of God, then we can stand against the schemes and tactics of the devil, our enemy.
I take note of the order of these and how I cannot stand if I do not do those other things first.

And, if I do not or cannot stand, then I will lose the battle. Hence, the other things are necessary.

Now, in Ephesians 6:11, it talks about the tactics of our enemy. The word, "tactics" comes from the Greek word, "methodeia," which means: deceit, schemes, trickery, and craftiness. It refers to plans oftentimes. Deceitful plans and planning.

So... the enemy is tricky and deceitful. We need to not forget this. The devil will trick us, as Ephesians 6:11 informs us: 

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Ephesians 6:11 New Living Translation (NLT)
11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.
-- New Living Translation (NLT). Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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Ephesians 6:11 Expanded Bible (EXB)
11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can fight against the devil’s ·evil tricks [schemes].
Expanded Bible (EXB). The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.

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Our enemy will deceive us. He is crafty.

One of the ways he tricks us is through deceiving us, where we do not know or remember that we are at war with him. If he convinces us this is the case, then we will not arm ourselves. We then will be attacked when we are unarmed. 

So, it is important to always remember we are at war. 

We are at war. These verses prove it:

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Ephesians 6:12-13 Expanded Bible (EXB)
12 [For] Our ·fight [conflict; struggle] is not against ·people on earth [L flesh and blood] but against the rulers and authorities and the ·powers [or cosmic powers/rulers] of this ·world’s darkness [L darkness], against the spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly ·world [realm; places]. 13 ·That is why you need to [L For this reason,] put on God’s full armor. Then on the day of evil [C persecution generally or end-time tribulation] you will be able to ·stand strong [keep your ground; resist the enemy]. And ·when you have finished the whole fight [L after you have done/accomplished everything], you will still be standing.
-- Expanded Bible (EXB). The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.

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I am reading Ephesians 6:10-20 at multiple points all day long. My goal is to read it so much I memorize it and it takes hold in my heart and mind both. Consequently, I have decided on the HCSB version of the Holy Bible. 

What are my thoughts so far? I read LORD, IS IT WARFARE by Kay Arthur years ago and cannot help but wonder when I got so off-track. How could I forget so much? 
I actually have decided to do the EXPANDED BIBLE version instead as far as reading and re-reading to the point of memorization. Here is that version:

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Ephesians 6:10-20 Expanded Bible (EXB)
Wear the Full Armor of God
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his ·great [strong; mighty] power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can fight against the devil’s ·evil tricks [schemes]. 12 [For] Our ·fight [conflict; struggle] is not against ·people on earth [L flesh and blood] but against the rulers and authorities and the ·powers [or cosmic powers/rulers] of this ·world’s darkness [L darkness], against the spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly ·world[realm; places]. 13 ·That is why you need to [L For this reason,] put on God’s full armor. Then on the day of evil[C persecution generally or end-time tribulation] you will be able to ·stand strong [keep your ground; resist the enemy]. And ·when you have finished the whole fight [L after you have done/accomplished everything], you will still be standing. 14 So stand ·strong [or ready], with the belt of truth tied around your waist and the ·body armor[breastplate] of ·right living [a righteous life; or God’s own righteousness/justice; L righteousness]. 15 On your feet wear the ·Good News [Gospel] of peace ·to help you stand strong [for firm footing; or to be fully prepared].16 And ·also [in addition to all this; or in all circumstances] use the shield of faith with which you can ·stop[extinguish] all the ·burning arrows [T fiery darts] of the Evil One. 17 ·Accept [Receive; or Take] the helmet of salvation, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the ·word [message] of God. 18 Pray ·in [or in dependence on] the Spirit at all times with all ·kinds of prayers [L prayers and requests], asking for everything you need. To do this you must always be ·ready [alert] ·and never give up [L with all perseverance]. Always pray for all ·God’s people [T the saints].
19 Also pray for me that when I ·speak [L open my mouth], God will give me words so that I can tell the ·secret[mystery] of the ·Good News [Gospel] ·without fear [confidently; boldly]. 20 ·For this Good News […for which] I am an ambassador in ·prison [L chains; 3:1]. Pray that I will speak ·it [or for him; or in him] ·without fear [boldly; confidently], as I should.
-- Expanded Bible (EXB). The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
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I am going to read this three times slowly and take each verse in slowly as I do and I will try to ponder each word, phrase, sentence, etc., as I do. I want to take it all into my mind and heart. This is how I will spend the next couple of hours.