Intro
Spiritual Warfare: It's All about Surrender to a Victory That's Already Won
It's just like the children of Israel. God told them to take the promised land back, and after Joshua's death, they were too afraid to do it, because they looked at the strength of the enemies and they're own strength rather than what God could do. God told them to take the land, because He was going to do the fighting for them and give it to them. All they had to do was claim it. But instead of trusting Him and His power, they trusted themselves and their own strength.
If we trust God to fight, there is nothing we cannot do and cannot claim. If we trust ourselves, we become afraid and fall short of what He desires for us, like Peter walking on the water toward Jesus and becoming afraid and sinking.
All we do is participate in the battle via trusting the Lord to fight through us. The Isaelites had to take the step of "going to war" but even before they went, they knew the battle was already won, so they could have supreme confidence. We do need protection from spiritual warfare - wisdom to recognize it - and faith to pray against it. And we do need people praying for us.
I don't pretend to understand perfectly how it works. I'm learning all the time. But this much, I can say. I pray the Lord teaches me more constantly as fast as I am able to receive it. I never want to cause harm. I pray that He leads me and helps me see what I need to see. If I am ever unclear, I apologize.
Thank you, all of you, for your prayers and your words, because they really do matter.