Venatius Oforka - The Art of Spiritual Warfare: The Secret Weapons Satan Cant Withstand

Venatius Chukwudum Oforka

The Art of
Spiritual Warfare

The Secret Weapons
Satan Can t Withstand

SOPHIA INSTITUTE PRESS
Manchester, New Hampshire

Copyright 2018 by Venatius Chukwudum Oforka

Printed in the United States of America. All rights reserved.

Cover design by Coronation Media.

On the cover: The Archangel Michael Defeating Satan , by Guido Reni (1635), Santa Maria della Concezione de Cappuccini, Rome, Italy; image courtesy of WikiArt.

Excerpts from the English translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church for the United States of America copyright 1994, United States Catholic Conference, Inc. Libreria Editrice Vaticana. English translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church: Modifications from the Editio Typica copyright 1997, United States Catholic Conference, Inc. Libreria Editrice Vaticana.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review.

Sophia Institute Press
Box 5284, Manchester, NH 03108
1-800-888-9344

www.SophiaInstitute.com

Sophia Institute Press is a registered trademark of Sophia Institute.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Oforka, Venatius Chukwudum, author.

Title: The art of spiritual warfare : the secret weapons Satan can t

withstand / Venatius Chukwudum Oforka.

Description: Manchester, New Hampshire : Sophia Institute Press, 2018. |

Includes bibliographical references.

Identifiers: LCCN 2018013703 | ISBN 9781622825189 (pbk. : alk. paper) ePub ISBN 9781622825196

Subjects: LCSH: Intercessory prayer Christianity. | Spiritual warfare. |

Catholic Church Doctrines.

Classification: LCC BV215 .O355 2018 | DDC 235/.4 dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018013703

To all those who sincerely fight the battle of faith and endure all kinds of persecutions as a result, and to those who still tenaciously identify with the unadulterated teaching of Christ and courageously defend it

Bible Versions Used in This Book

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1946, 1952, and 1971 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Biblical texts used in this book were taken from the Revised Standard Version Bible unless otherwise stated. Following are the abbreviations used for other versions cited in this book:

KJV: King James Version

NASB: New American Standard Bible, Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by THE LOCKMAN FOUNDATION, A Corporation Not for Profit, La Habra, CA. All Rights Reserved. http://www.lockman.org.

NIV: New International Version, Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

NRSV: New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

NRSVCE: New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition, copyright 1989, 1993 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Contents

Foreword

It takes a prophetic mind to diagnose the ills of a society, to detect its challenges and the signs of the time in order to perceive and pinpoint a possible way to a promising future. This responsibility of the prophet presupposes a courageous mind that can resist the enticements of political correctness, which conformingly relativizes and compromises to produce a glittering but noninspiring theology that ignores or explains away glaring facts in the lives of the suffering faithful and the yearnings of the militant Church of Christ.

The book in your hand is a treasure composed of the translated experience of a dedicated and wise pastor, whose enthusiasm and hard work have been a source of inspiration for many young men and women sincerely searching for meaning in life and the meaning of life by embracing the way of the Lord.

It is a contribution of an eagle-eyed, farseeing disciple in the Lords vineyard, whose explanations and descriptions reflect his well-grounded experience in the ministry he describes the fruit of a longtime service in the ministry of intercession! The inspiring examples and testimonies the author uses in his illustrations are very uplifting for the faith.

Tracing the ministry of intercession back to the early Church, the author demonstrates the paramount importance of the ministry of intercession in the salvific plan of God, and calling attention to the militant nature of the Church here on earth, he confronts the reader with a picture of a Church consisting also of the wounded and the vulnerable, a Church that is at war with a fierce enemy, but one that is nevertheless expertly equipped by an invincible victorious General, who is always present even in the hottest zones of the battlefield.

With a list of what he calls the arrows in the quiver of an intercessor, Father Oforka, as he is popularly known, reveals his vast experience as a pastor and a veteran on the side of the Lord in the spiritual battlefield. He demonstrates in this discourse the great treasure of the plurality of spirituality that reflects the unity in diversity of the one and holy Body of Christ, with its many parts, and elaborates how these different forms of spirituality can be applied in the ministry of intercession.

His prose makes the work very exciting and easy to read. He connects with the reader, helping him to discern and understand his role as a receiver and contributor in the framework of the history of mans salvation.

I recommend this book as a great help for those who desire to submit their lives to the Lord as intercessory ministers; as a guide for outsiders who want to have a deep and nuanced glance into the ministry of intercession; and as a help for discernment of spirits for all who directly or indirectly have to do with the mission of intercession.

Remigius Orjiukwu, Ph.D., Th.D.
Hirrlingen, Germany
June 9, 2017

Acknowledgments

I appreciate the contributions of the following priests: Christian Ikechukwu Amah, Dr. Philip Omenukwa, and Dr. Remigius Orjiukwu.

Prologue

I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way (1 Tim. 2:12). With this statement, Paul, a seasoned minister of the gospel and an experienced soldier in spiritual warfare, issues a clarion call for general intercessions and appeals to men and women of faith to embrace the ministry of intercession. This is a mission that is dear to the heart of the Lord, Christ Jesus, who is the only mediator between God and man (1 Tim. 2:5).

This appeal is based on Pauls knowledge that there are diabolical forces that work hard to see that we do not lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way . He was aware of the rage of the dragon, which failed in its bid to destroy the woman and her child but went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and bear testimony to Jesus (Rev. 12:17).

Paul knows therefore that we are involved in a spiritual warfare into which we were born and which shall continue until we die. It is for this reason that he announced in Ephesians 6:12: For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places .