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The Battle Is Real: Spiritual Warfare, Discipleship, and the Christian

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The Battle Is Real: Spiritual Warfare, Discipleship, and the Christian Liberty University School of Divinity The Battle is Real: Spiritual Warfare, Discipleship, and the Christian “Soldier” A Thesis Project Submitted to The Faculty of Liberty University School of Divinity in Candidacy for the Degree of Doctor of Ministry By Frank Eduard Hain Lynchburg, Virginia December, 2016 Copyright © 2016 by Frank E. Hain All Rights Reserved ii Liberty University School of Divinity Thesis Project Approval Sheet ______________________________ Mentor Dr. Charlie N. Davidson Director, Doctor of Ministry Program ______________________________ Reader Dr. David W. Hirschman Associate Professor of Religion iii ABSTRACT THE BATTLE IS REAL: SPIRITUAL WARFARE, DISCIPLESHIP, AND THE CHRISTIAN “SOLDIER” Frank E. Hain Liberty University School of Divinity, 2016 Mentor: Dr. Charles N. Davidson A review of current literature demonstrates a plethora of material focused on various deliverance techniques, yet very little material is available to assist pastors with developing a spiritual warfare “basic training” plan. The purpose of this project is to illuminate a ministry’s desperate need to adopt a spiritual warfare worldview, to present the basic elements essential to a spiritual warfare basic training plan, and to create an effective strategy for implementing such a plan. Based on surveys and questionnaires sent to pastors and other ministry leaders, the project reveals the need for a spiritual warfare basic training plan for any ministry in order to bring courage, freedom, and fresh fire to Christian “soldiers” everywhere. It then reviews both historical and current approaches to spiritual warfare to discern the basic elements needed in any spiritual warfare basic training plan and offers such a plan. Abstract length: 143 words. iv Contents ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………..…………….....................iv CONTENTS…………………………………………………………..……………......................v ILLUSTRATIONS……………………………………………………………..………….....…vii CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION....…………………………………………………….…1 Statement of the Problem...……………………………………….……………...………..2 Statement of Limitations…………………………………………….…………………….3 Terminology Defined……………………………………………………………………...4 Theoretical Basis…………………………………………………………………………11 Statement of Methodology……………………………………………………………….14 Review of Literature……………………………………………………………………..16 CHAPTER TWO: PROCURING AND ANALYZING THE RESEARCH.………………29 Research Instrument Used: Anonymous Survey Questionnaire………………………...31 Results of Survey………………………………………………………………………...32 Interpretation of the Results of the Survey………………………………………………42 CHAPTER THREE: DEVELOPING A SPIRITUAL WARFARE “BASIC TRAINING” PLAN (PART ONE)…………………………………………………………………....50 Evangelism ……………………………………………………………………………...51 Foundational Learning Material…………………………………………………51 Four Week Curriculum Model………………………………………………..…72 Sample Exercises………………………………………………………………..73 Additional Resources……………………………………………………………75 Supernatural Phenomena in Church History………………………………………….…75 Foundational Learning Material…………………………………………………75 v Four Week Curriculum Model…………………………………………………..92 Sample Exercises………………………………………………………………..93 Additional Resources……………………………………………………………96 CHAPTER FOUR: DEVELOPING A SPIRITUAL WARFARE “BASIC TRAINING” PLAN (PART TWO)……………………………………………………………….…..97 Theologies of Demonology……………………………………………….……………..97 Foundational Learning Material…………………………………………………97 Four Week Curriculum Model…………………………………………………110 Sample Exercises……………………………………………………………….111 Additional Resources…………………………………………………………...113 Modern Approaches to Deliverance and Spiritual Care……………………………..…113 Foundational Learning Material………………………………………………..113 Four Week Curriculum Model……………………………………………….…134 Sample Exercises…………………………………………………………….…134 Additional Resources……………………………………………………….…..136 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………...............137 CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSION…………………………………………….…………....138 Satan’s Strategies………………………………………………………….…….…...…138 Helping the Local Body of Believers…………………………………….……….….…141 The State of Grace Evangelical Free Church…………………………….……….…….143 Meeting the Need: A Spiritual Warfare Basic Training Plan……….……..…….….…144 Further Research………………………………………………………….……….…....149 Recommendations for Further Work…..………………………………….……….…...150 Summary...……………………………………………………………………...............152 BIBLIOGRAPHY………………………………………………………………………….…...154 vi APPENDIX A: Survey………………………………………………………………………...159 APPENDIX B: Evangelism Course Syllabus………………………………………………….161 APPENDIX C: Ephesians 1 & 2 Sample Exercise…………………………………………….162 APPENDIX D: Supernatural Phenomena in Church History Course Syllabus……….……….163 APPENDIX E: Theologies of Demonology Course Syllabus…………………………………164 APPENDIX F: Doctrinal Prayer Exercise…………………………………….……………….165 APPENDIX G: Modern Approaches to Deliverance and Spiritual Care Course Syllabus……166 APPENDIX H: Praying Scripture Exercise……………………………………………………167 APPENDIX I: Praying through Songs Sample Exercise……………………………………....168 Institutional Review Board Approval Page………………………………………………….…170 vii ILLUSTRATIONS 1. Survey Question #1: Experience of Church Leaders as Leaders ……………………….34 2. Survey Question #2: Experience of Church Leaders as Members………………….…..35 3. Survey Question #3: General Leadership Training………………………………….….36 4. Survey Question #4: Specific Leadership Training in Formal Setting...…………….… 37 5. Survey Question #5: Specific Leadership Training in Informal Setting…………….….38 6. Survey Question #6: Leadership Training Conducted by Leadership…………….…….39 7. Survey Question #7: Importance of S-W Training for Leadership……………….……..40 8. Survey Question #8: Importance of S-W Training for Members…………………....….41 viii CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION After living a life on earth in which Jesus repeatedly exercised, through the presence of the Holy Spirit, the power and authority of God over Satan and the demonic, He fulfilled His mission of the cross and His resurrection. Prior to ascending to heaven, Jesus’ mandate to all believers was quite clear, as noted in Matthew 28:18-20: “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”1 The believer’s life is all about evangelism; taking the good news of Jesus Christ to all people groups throughout the world. Jesus also made it clear that to fulfill this commissioning, His disciples would need “power” from heaven in the form of the person of the Holy Spirit. Only believers have the Holy Spirit living within them. Why is it necessary to have the presence of the Holy Spirit within the believer? As the apostle Paul explained quite clearly, the believer is thrust into the midst of a spiritual battle that will only be conclusively won with the events beginning with the second coming of Christ. As all followers of Jesus await His return, they are instructed to: “put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”2 Only soldiers need armor. The Christian must embrace the Scriptural truth that they are born again into a spiritual battle, and that the Lord has equipped them with the Holy 1 Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages referenced are in the English Standard Version (Wheaton: Crossway Bibles, 2007). 2 Ephesians 6:11-12. 1 2 Spirit for victory. Statement of the Problem At the start of this project, this author was being brought into an expanding leadership role in his church. This followed on the heels of an intense, multi-year discipleship time in which the author was placed into multiple, direct confrontations with the demonic on account of both evangelistic efforts and taking part in a spiritual-wellness prayer ministry. At the same time, the author’s lead pastor, other ministry leaders, and church elders were being awakened to the reality of the extent of spiritual warfare against both the church as a whole and against many individuals who: (1) once were on fire for the Lord but had inexplicably become apathetic towards their relationships with their Savior/His Body/the lost or (2) traditional care and counseling seemingly was not bringing the afflicted freedom from what could be considered demonic strongholds. It appears as if the focus over the past few decades on “naturalism”, the idea that everything should be viewed through the natural sciences and reduces reality to physical particles and laws, has caused the church to overlook both the acknowledgment of the very real presence of, and the need for a more focused training in, spiritual warfare. A review of current literature demonstrates a plethora of material focused on various deliverance techniques, yet very little material is available to assist pastors with developing a spiritual warfare “basic training” plan. The purpose of this project is to illuminate a ministry’s desperate need to adopt a spiritual warfare worldview, to present the basic elements essential to a spiritual warfare basic training plan, and to create an effective strategy for implementing such a plan. Courage, freedom, and fresh fire must be brought to Christian “soldiers” everywhere. This author’s task is to both explain and solve this problem by developing a spiritual warfare
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