About The Ministry

Whole Armour Ministries was founded by Dr. Casey Smith to equip the saints with the armour of God as described in the sixth chapter of Ephesians. The spiritual warfare that Christians face is either dismally overlooked or altogether unknown. Dr. Smith has said, "We must not allow carnality to distract us from God's command to be sober and vigilant of the devices of Satan, the father of lies."

Christians must understand that spiritual warfare is real and that God reveals it to us throughout His Word. Without revelation from Scripture, we would be blind to this battle. Therefore, to understand this war, we must see what the Scriptures teach. Scoffers must be reminded that the Lord says, "let the Word of God be true, but every man a liar" (Romans 3:4).

The Bible teaches that there is an invisible realm which is distinct from the physical realm. In many ways, our physical world is under the power this spiritual world. Much of the evil in the world is a direct result of this unseen war. The number of personalities in this conflict are infinite. This battle is played out in the realm of humanity, the physical world.

According to Scripture, the targets of this battle are the souls of humanity, (I Peter 5:8-9), and the battlefield is in mind of humanity, blinding humanity from the truth so they perish without salvation. Salvation comes only through Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ of God, the only begotten Son of Jehovah, the one true and living God. The Bible further teaches that minds are blinded by the devil who is Lucifer or Apollyon, the fallen angel who, for the brightness of his beauty; corrupted his own reason and rebelled against God. Satan's objective is to blind and deafen the spiritual eyes and ears of humanity from the truth. He knows that unregenerate sinners are walking in spiritual darkness - just where he'd like them to stay. (2 Corinthians 4:3-4).

This spiritual conflict rages all around us, as the kingdom of Satan wages war on the kingdom of God for the souls of humanity. When we come to the Lord Jesus Christ, we are saved completely and forever. Once saved, we are thrust into the call to oppose the kingdom of Satan by brining the Good News of the Gospel in all its power to sinners. We become an adversary to the devil, who has blinded the lost. Understanding the dynamics of this spiritual world is key to having victory not only in our life, but also in advancing the kingdom of God throughout the territory claimed by the enemy. That territory, as it were, includes the mind, culture, science, psychology, politics, media, education, and every fallen byproduct of the human experience. That territory may be as small as a single thought or as large as a nation. The enemy plays divide and conquer with all.

WHY DO WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND SPIRITUAL WARFARE?

Have you ever played a game without understanding the rules? Imagine you are invited to play in a football game without understanding the rules. You might find yourself asking these questions. What do you do with the ball? Why are these players hitting me? You might find yourself quitting or lying on the ground in agony not understanding why you've just been leveled. This happens in the spiritual realm when a man comes to Christ, and is "born again." Many times he finds himself in the middle of a war, not understanding the conflict.

Christians must understand spiritual warfare! We must not lie in defeat, but move forward in victory as the Lord Jesus has said "In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."(John 16:33) Our goal is to advance the Kingdom of God, take territory from the enemy and point souls to Jesus Christ. If we understand how our enemy works, his traps and strategies are less likely to take us by surprise.

Satan understands the redeemed (saved) are his mortal enemy. His goal is to remove the advantage of victory they have in Christ, by causing the saved to wallow in bondage and defeat. A defeated Christian is one less threat Satan has to worry about. Knowing this allows the believer to pursue victory rather than wallow in defeat so, we must understand how Satan wages war in our lives and in the lives those around us. If we can better understand his methods, we will be better equipped to disarm and tear down the strongholds that influence both Christians and non-Christians. Knowing the method of spiritual warfare allows us to go on the offense rather than responding from a position of weakness. (2 Corinthians 10:4)

WHEN DID SPIRITUAL WARFARE BEGIN?

Our knowledge of this war comes through Scripture alone. Satan has many names in scripture. One among them is Lucifer. As the angel who covered the throne of God, Lucifer's pride caused his heart to him rebel against God's authority, causing him to lead a rebellion of one third of the angels against God. These angels along with Lucifer became "fallen." The nature of Satan's fall is covered in Ezekiel 28:1-18, and Isaiah 14:1-19 where Satan is referred to as the King of Tyre (Ezekiel) and the King of Babylon (Isaiah). Although these were actual kings in history, the spirit of rebellion pumping their hearts to do wickedness in the sight of God was Satan.

Satan chose to reject God's authority along with one third of the angels (Revelation 12:4). As a place for punishment, God created Hell for the Devil and his angels. (Matthew 25:41). Sinners, in effect; side with Satan and the fallen angels through their unbelief and stand condemned unless they are born again. As the Lord Jesus Christ has commanded "ye must be born again." Ultimately; all those who reject Jesus Christ whether they are alive on earth or in Hell will be delivered up to the final judgement and cast into the lake of fire which has no end.

THE FALL OF MAN

With the creation of angels, God also created the physical world. Humanity was created in the very image of God. Like angels, humankind was given free will to either obey or disobey God's commands. God created Adam and Eve, and placed them in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve, made in the image of God, were given dominion over the earth, They were to subdue the earth and have dominion over it (Genesis 1:28).

God permitted Satan, the fallen angel to tempt Adam and Eve. By questioning God's nature and commands in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve, like one third of the angels yielded to Satan's temptation by rejecting God's command. They rebelled against God and fell. They turned over their rights of dominion to Satan. What a mess! At that point, man was separated from God as sin brought death as payment for disobedience to God's commandments. In rejecting God's command, Adam also forfeited his dominion over the earth. For this reason, Satan had the permissive right to tempt Jesus on the mountain by offering him the kingdoms of the world. Why would Satan submit this temptation unless he actually had dominion by which to offer them? (Luke 4:5-8).

In God's foreknowledge, He established a plan of redemption through the seed of Eve, the woman. A descendent (a seed) of the woman would crush the head of the Serpent (Satan). The war, which began in the Spiritual realm, now entered the physical world as God promised that the judgment of Satan would come through the offspring of the woman. The Messiah, a descendent (seed) of Eve, would one day crush Satan (Genesis 3:14-15).

From the time of Cain and Abel, we see two groups of descendents emerge from Adam and Eve - those who seek to obey God and those who rebel against God like their father, Satan. For this reason, God called out a people from the earth, who would serve him. These people are the redeemed of the earth. They are the Lord's army representing God, and with their new nature as given through the new birth in Christ, they oppose the work of Satan, and are hated by him for it. Satan and his fallen angels work to corrupt and subvert God's people.

THE REDEMPTION OF HUMANITY AND SATAN'S FALL

Prior to the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ, and even after His birth, Satan's goal was to prevent the redemption of mankind. From the point when Cain murdered Abel, the seed of the Serpent has pursued the seed of the Woman. In the days of Noah, God separated His people, the family of Noah, from fallen humanity. After Noah's Ark landed, and his descendents began to multiply, we see Satan continue the attacks against individuals, families, cities, and nations. Satan's goal is to prevent the fulfillment of God's Word, which declared his being crushed by the seed of the woman.

God chose Israel, descendents of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, as His people. In the book of Exodus God refers to the children of Israel, the descendents of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as My people nineteen times. He makes a distinction between His people and the people of Egypt (Exodus 6:7).

Through the descendents of Israel, God would complete his plan of redemption in the world. Satan again tried to prevent this. In the first chapter of Exodus; we learn that Satan through Pharaoh, tries to integrate Israel into Egypt by killing all the male children, which would have forced Israel to become Egypt. Out of this struggle, Moses emerges to lead the people of Israel back to the land of Canaan, the land of promise. On the way to the Promised Land, God declares the distinction between His people and the rest of the nations (Exodus 19:5-6).

Israel, was created to be distinct on the Earth, a unique people, a holy people. The Hebrew word for holy is Xwdq Qadowsh, meaning sacred. The New Testament equivalent is hagios, which translates as 'saint." Israel was to be a nation of saints, among fallen humanity. Through the nation of Israel, God would bring forth the Messiah who would crush Satan. As we read the stories of war and battles in the pages of the Old Testament with the nation's struggles with sin, we can witness the spiritual war through which Satan tried to prevent the Messiah's birth.

The prophet Isaiah declared the Messiah (Christ), would be a descendent of King David, who would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:1-2) and that he would rule on David's throne over the nations and His kingdom would be eternal (Isaiah 9:6-7). However, the Messiah would suffer and pay for the sins of man before he came in glory and power to judge the nations (Isaiah 53). Jesus at the cross, defeated Satan who had tried to tempt Christ to worship him, promising Jesus the nations in exchange (Luke 4:5-8).

Through the Lord Jesus Christ's victory over death, he redeemed fallen man. The sinless Lamb of God truly "taketh away the sin of the world" - the "believing" world. The head of the serpent was crushed (Genesis 3:15) God was establishing His church against which, teh gates of hell shall never prevail. The Church is the body of Christ on the earth representing God's presence in the world. In the same way Israel represented God during the Old Testament period, the Church represents God today. We have been grafted into the covenant blessings of Israel (Romans 11:17). Praise God!

The Lord Jesus Christ declared his victory over Satan, giving authority to His people, the saints, over the fallen angels. Therefore, redeemed by the blood of Christ, Christians carry the battle forward, having authority over the enemy. We have authority over the demonic realm in the name and power of Christ. This is what Satan tried to prevent, from the fall of man until the time of Jesus Christ (Luke 10:17-20).

Satan is still at work trying to prevent the advance of the Kingdom of God in the world, despite his defeat at the cross. He understands his time is short and that one day the saints, the redeemed of the earth, will inherit all things. We see this declaration in the book of Daniel, over 500-years before the birth of Jesus (Daniel 7:27).

Christians march forward in victory over the power of Satan. The Devil's goal for the Christian is to take away the victory we have in Jesus Christ, causing us to live a life of defeat. By doing this, he removes one more threat against his work. God however has put limits on just how far Satan can go. We see this in the book of Job as Satan rejects Job's righteousness, because he (Satan) did not have the permission to kill as the Lord has put a hedge around Job. (Job 1:8-10).

THE INVISIBLE WORLD OF THE SPIRITUAL REALM

Satan's work against the Kingdom of takes place in the invisible realm. We cannot see the spiritual world with our physical eyes, but its effects are just as real. Scripture clearly declares the existence of the unseen invisible world (Romans 1:20, Hebrews 11;27, Colossians 1:16). This world cannot be comprehended with our physical senses. The idea of a spiritual world stands in contrast to the philosophy of materialism. Materialism teaches that only physical matter exists.

The Apostle Paul taught the Ephesian Christians that not only is this spiritual realm invisible but it is organized with a structure of rule. The battle we face in the world is not one in the physical world but one in the spiritual (Ephesians 6:1-12). The word used to describe this battle is the word "wrestle" and is found only here in the New Testament.

This wrestling refers to a contest between two people or groups in which each endeavors to overthrow the other. It is an outcome that pictures the victor holding his opponent down with his hand upon his neck. Paul uses this example to illustrate the contest we face against the invisible spiritual realm. Our enemy has a very organized plan of attack.

Through Paul, the Holy Spirit reveals in Scripture that the root behind the conflict is not the physical, but the spiritual. The angelic world and the demonic (fallen angels) conflicts are being played out in the physical realm. The extent and nature of this invisible world is more than we can imagine. However, the Bible gives a glimpse of how the invisible world interacts with the physical. In 2 Kings, the King of Syria is at war with Israel. Elisha the prophet told the king of Israel what the Syrian king planned to do. Finally, the Syrian king sent an army to get Elisha. The morning they arrived, Elisha's servant was shocked and frightened, and he cried out to Elisha "alas my master what shall we do?" (2 Kings 6:15).

Let's look at Elijah's response: So he answered, Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see. Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. So when the Syrians came down to him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, and said, Strike this people, I pray, with blindness. And He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha (2 Kings 6:8-17).

Elisha understood the situation from a spiritual viewpoint! In the world of flesh, Elisha would have no chance of escape. The physical world however, is subject to the spiritual realms. The spiritual realms are just as real as the physical only they are not seen with our physical eyes. This is the point Elisha wanted his servant to understand, and God wanted us to know. The armies of the Lord are present in the world, and servants of the Lord have authority over the fallen realms through the power of Christ. For that, Christians must praise the Lord for his provision and faithfulness to be with us in all things as He never to forsakes His people (Psalm 23).

Another example of this invisible world is found in the New Testament book of Mark. In the fifth chapter, a man who was possessed with demons confronts Jesus. Through this event, Jesus allows us to see the operation of the demonic realms of this invisible world.

Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes. And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, because he had often been bound with shackles and chains. And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones. When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him. And he cried out with a loud voice and said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God that You do not torment me." For He said to him, "Come out of the man, unclean spirit!" Then He asked him, "What is your name?" And he answered, saying, "My name is Legion; for we are many." Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country. Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains. So all the demons begged Him, saying, "Send us to the swine, that we may enter them." And at once Jesus gave them permission. Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea. (Mark 5:1-13)

From this one event, we can glean a great deal of insight into the spiritual realm. Some major points to note include the following:

The man had a supernatural strength but his power was subject to God.
The man in whom the demons dwelt was in torment
He recognized who Jesus was, and appealed to Him.
The spirit dwelt in the man, allowing him to interact in the physical world.
The demon was frightened of Jesus
He had an identity, he was named Legion
He was apart of a confederation of many demons which laid claim to a mind and body
These demons could only do what was permissible, such as entering the pigs

The Lord desires His people to understand spiritual warfare so we can be on the attack as we move throughout the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Satan's goal is not to be seen, but to deceive. In a skeptical world, it is to Satan's advantage for people to think he does not exist. But, we will not be deceived because we know of his devices and declare that the gates of hell shall not prevail against the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ! (Matthew 16:18)

Spiritual warfare is a reality Christians face every day. Armed with the Word of God and knowing that God will never leave or forsake us, we can boldly proclaim his Gospel among sinners. In doing so, we will be faithful to the call of His people to be salt and light as we give flavor and hope to a tasteless and dark world that is fallen in sin. Christians must love sinners by fighting against laziness, complacency and fear. Together, through the Holy Sprit we must advance as we hear the voice of our Great Shepherd call us to the frontlines to be soulwinners for Him until He calls us home. Jesus is both Lord and Christ! To Him be all glory, power, praise and dominion for ever and ever amen!