Bible Study: Modern Strategic Warfare - Engaging Urban and Global Strongholds

📖 Continuing the Journey of Strategic Level Spiritual Warfare

Welcome back! We’re deepening our understanding of strategic level spiritual warfare. So far, we’ve discussed:

  • ✅ Personal spiritual warfare

  • ✅ Deliverance and intercession for individuals

  • ✅ Now: Strategic confrontation with principalities, thrones, and authorities over cities and systems ✨

Today, we explore modern examples of this warfare and what it looks like in urban and global contexts.

🌍 Urban Spiritual Warfare: Tony Evans' Model

Tony Evans, pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, TX, is a pioneer in urban spiritual mapping. He focuses on confronting evil spiritual forces in modern cities marked by:

  • Poverty

  • Crime

  • Broken systems

  • Hopelessness

Colossians 1:16 (WEB):

“For by him all things were created… thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.”

Tony Evans teaches:

  • Throne = seat of authority

  • Dominion = territory of influence

  • Rulers = human agents of authority

  • Authorities = legal or cultural systems that reinforce the dominion

📜 Deliverance Begins With a Cry (Exodus 2:23-25)

“The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out… and God remembered His covenant.”

Just like in Egypt, deliverance begins when God’s people cry out.

Moses was raised in Pharaoh’s household, but after fleeing Egypt, he was prepared in the wilderness.

  • God called him at the burning bush (Exodus 3)

  • Despite Moses’ excuses, God sent him to challenge Egypt’s powers—a spiritual and political confrontation

🏛 Martin Luther King Jr. and Spiritual Strategy

Tony Evans compares Moses with Martin Luther King Jr.:

  • King responded to a cry against racial injustice

  • Chose non-violent, spiritual weapons (prayer, fasting, truth)

  • His leadership confronted thrones and dominions in America

Though battles remain, strategic warfare brought breakthrough.

🏙️ Hemet, California: A City Transformed

Mid-1980s: Hemet was overrun with occultism, gang activity, and drug trafficking.

Gordon Houston, a reluctant pastor, responded to God’s call:

  • Moved to Hemet

  • Confronted gangs and prayed over strongholds

  • Partnered with Pastor Bob Beckwith for spiritual mapping

Spiritual Mapping Includes:

  1. Praying for revelation

  2. Talking to community members

  3. Identifying cults, crime centers, occult activity

  4. Targeted prayer and fasting over mapped areas

Results:

  • TM center destroyed by a wildfire

  • Drug trade dropped 75%

  • Police turned from corruption

  • Church attendance grew rapidly

  • City leaders became believers

🇨🇴 Cali, Colombia: From Cartel Control to Revival

Once home to the Cali Cartel, the most powerful drug operation in history.

Julio and Ruth Ruibaugh began reconciling divided churches in Cali.

  • Pastors started praying together

  • Focused on unity and holiness

  • In 1995, over 25,000 people gathered to pray for the city

Soon after:

  • Government cracked down

  • Major cartel leaders were arrested

  • Revival swept through the churches

✨ Strategic Weapons: Prayer, Fasting, Unity

Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 10:4 (WEB):

“For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the throwing down of strongholds.”

Cautions:

  • Never go into this warfare alone

  • There may be spiritual casualties

  • Follow God’s leading with maturity and community

🗺️ Mapping Your Community

Steps for Engagement:

  1. Ask God to reveal strongholds 🙏

  2. Learn from neighbors and leaders 🤝

  3. Identify evil systems or spiritual resistance 🕵️‍♂️

  4. Gather a team to pray and fast ⛪

  5. Use Scripture to intercede and speak truth 📚

🙌 Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus, You are the King above all thrones and rulers. Reveal the enemy’s grip in our communities. Equip us to pray, fast, and act with love and boldness. Lead us to unity with other believers and teach us to walk in the Spirit. Let revival come, as it did in Cali and Hemet. In Your name, we pray. Amen.

Next Session Preview: We’ll continue our journey by looking at how to confront strongholds in our local areas with practical steps and spiritual courage.


Last modified: Saturday, May 31, 2025, 4:08 PM