1. Ch.39 - Spiritual Warfare
And the Missionary Task

2. Introduction – New Practices
• The question is whether they are biblical
• Concepts of
– Territorial Spirits
– Spiritual Mapping
– Strategic-level Prayer
• Spiritual Warfare means different things to
different people
– Daily personal struggle
– Exorcism

3. Spritual Warfare
• This chapter, without presuming the truth
of an of these practices, will use spiritual
warfare to mean all of:
– Exorcism
– Resistance to Satan
– Dealing w/ territorial spirits
– Spiritual mapping
– Binding Satan

4. Beneficial Insights
• Has stimulated vigorous evangelism
• Combines evangelism and prayer
• Provides direction for approaching difficult
locations
• Stimulates creativity and imagination in
reaching out to the lost

5. Questionable Emphases
That can discourage Christians in
difficult circumstances

6. Excessive Triumphalism
• Christ’s Spirit does move in response
to prayer in ways that may bring large
numbers into the Kingdom
• Overemphasizing this can obscure a
proper understanding of the place of
the cross and of suffering
• It can easily be used to imply that a
missionary is to blame if their labor in a
hard field of service brings no early fruit

7. Confusion over Reality
• Dt.32:17,21,39 - OT doesn’t declare
Canaanite gods to be real
• Mt.4:8-10 - Satan claims to rule the
nations, but Jesus doesn’t affirm this
• Daniel 10:2-21 – the identity of the
Prince of Persia is ambiguous
• Col.1:15-17 – NT emphasizes Christ’s
supremacy over all creation
• A wrong focus can foster fear in us

8. An Overemphasis on Power
Evangelism
• The miraculous can advance the
evangelistic task (John Wimber), but
• The gospel is powerful in and of itself;
conversion of a soul is a miracle of God
• God is sovereign and is free to use
whatever means he chooses to
advance His Kingdom
• Not every power encounter evoked faith

9. The Lack of a Biblical Foundation
Many in the Spiritual Warfare Movement
• Assume a biblical foundation that is not there
• Teach prayer practices that distort the biblical
nature of prayer
• Promote an inadequate view of the fallenness
of man and of man’s responsibility for his own
rebellious heart
• Teach practices such as interrogating
demons for which there is no biblical
precedent

10. An Unhealthy Interest in Satan
Focus:
• Satan or finished work of Christ
• The power and work of Satan and
demons or the work of the Holy
Spirit and God’s angels
• Feed Satan’s arrogance and pride
by giving attention or give the
glory to God in praise and
worship

11. Can a Christian be Possessed
• The term gives a mis-impression of
ownership by Satan rather than influence
• All can be tempted, harassed, influenced,
etc – so a Christian can be demonized
• Few people are influenced to the extent
of the Gadarene demoniac
• The Bible gives strong instruction on how
to resist: Gal.6:10-20; Mt.4:1-11;
Eph.1:13-14