10 Principles of Spiritual Warfare
The Ascension TeamThere’s good news and bad news. Bad news: Gomer is out today, so no fun nicknames. Good news: this episode is all about equipping you for spiritual warfare and fighting the kingdom of evil.
Spiritual warfare and evangelization go hand-in-hand. Turns out the devil doesn’t like it when you try to win souls for Christ. Acknowledging the reality of spiritual warfare is an important first step. Once we realize that we’re fighting battles everyday, we can use these principles to guide the way.
Snippet from the Show
“Spiritual warfare is more than a metaphor for the spiritual life, it’s a reality ... We’re all at war with the world, the flesh, and the devil.”
SHOWNOTES
- By his passion and death, Christ won a definitive victory over Satan and the kingdom of darkness and any personal victory we have is a participation in the victory Jesus won and gave to his church.
- The devil and the fallen angels play a mysterious role in the drama of salvation. The battle that they wage against us is a test of God’s elect.
- While powerful, the devil is only a creature and if we stay close to Jesus Christ and his Church we should not fear the actions of evil.
- The way we participate in the victory of Jesus Christ is through personal faith, moral living, and prayer.
- The devil should not be given too much attention but his actions should not be ignored.
- The Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, St. Michael, and all the saints and angels are our allies in this battle.
- Any spiritual warfare you conduct for others is first won in the battle for your own heart.
- Humble submission to God and the Church is a powerful weapon against evil.
- True holiness as witnessed in the lives of the saints is what destroys the kingdom of darkness.
- The devil despises:
- A sure knowledge of the sonship that comes from baptism
- Knowledge of the abundant mercy of God
- Authentic Christian community
- A clear knowledge of, and courage to speak out about, what is good and evil.
1 Practical Tip
- If you’ve never thought of yourself as a spiritual warrior, take some time to see how you have entered into the spiritual battle.
Resources from the Show
- Go to TheSinnersGuide.com to book Dave!
- Ascension Media – Check out our podcast and view our shownotes for each episode!
Meet Your Hosts
Michael “Gomer” Gormley
Michael has been leading evangelization and ministry efforts for the past ten years, both as a full-time parish staff member and as a speaker and consultant for parishes, dioceses, and Catholic campus ministries.
He is also the founder and creative director of LayEvangelist.com, and the producer and cohost of a Catholic young adult podcast Catching Foxes, which discusses the collision of Faith and Culture.
He is married to his college sweetheart, Shannon. Together they have about 1,000 children and get about 3 hours of sleep a night, which is alright by him.
David “Dave” VanVickle
Dave VanVickle fell in love with the Lord at the age of fourteen. Since then, he has dedicated his life to bringing others into a radical relationship with Christ.
He is a speaker and retreat leader. His programs focuses on proclaiming the universal call to holiness, authentic Catholic spirituality, spiritual warfare and deliverance. Additionally, Dave has over ten years of experience assisting Priests with their ministries of exorcism and deliverance.
Dave resides in Pittsburgh with his wife Amber and their five children: Sam, Max, Judah, Josie and Louisa.