There are two factions involved in spiritual warfare. On the one side we have God and New Covenant disciples. On the other side we have Old/First Covenant religionists. Soldiers, then are aligned with one side or the other.

New Covenant soldiers are actively involved in the destruction of religion. Before becoming effective soldiers, they need to detoxify themselves from religion. Then they join the battle by exhibiting the fruits of the spirit and love in their relationships with others — including Old/First Covenant religionists. The weapons of their warfare are all defensive — except the sword of the spirit which is the word of God spoken through them by the spirit.

Old/First Covenant soldiers include religious leaders and followers who have a stake, large or small, in any formal or informal religious kingdom. They stubbornly resist any persons or activities that pose threats to their religion and their personal security.

Basically there are two armies: God’s and all others.

Within the “all others” category there are an infinite number of small armies that defend each of the many religious kingdoms that exist in the world. These small armies are always in conflict with God because they keep his people in bondage while God is trying to deliver them. They are also in conflict with each other because they are in competition with each other for people who will follow them and support them.

See Genesis 14 for an example of religions at war with each other. Abraham represents God’s army that intervened to set the captives free.

The Hebrew word Tsaba’ that is translated as army is also translated as hosts in the KJV.

But not all words are the same. God’s words spoken by God lead to life. New Covenant disciples understand the mysteries of God’s word and speak God’s living words to captives who cry out for deliverance from religious leaders who keep them in bondage. This is how they set the captives free.

The enemies of God are those who do not listen to God but listen to false prophets that speak lies. They will suffer exile from God’s presence which is spiritual death. See Religion is Deception for more about these enemies and their tactics.

Essentially, the battle is between the people of the kingdom of God against people of the kingdoms of the world ruled by religious leaders. Religionists in the kingdom of the world try desperately to hold onto their kingdoms in the face of God’s ongoing effort to establish his eternal kingdom in their place and set the religious captives free from bondage to each religion.

Both God and his enemies produce bloodshed and death. Death at the hand of enemies comes because they speak curses, evil and destruction with the sword/tongue of their mouth.

There are two kinds of blood and two kinds of death. They may be described as either evil or redemptive:

• The sword is a symbolic reference to words and the tongue.
• In the hands of the enemy, words/swords will yield only death. In the hands of God and his New Covenant disciples, words/swords will first produce death to religion and then spiritual life..
• Everything that God speaks is law because whatever he speaks he does. God’s sword is double-edged. One edge is the literal law and the other edge is the spiritual law.
• God’s spirit speaks words that lead to life. The words of Old/First Covenant religionists lead to death.
• Old/First Covenant soldiers (i.e. religious people) will use words (i.e. sword) to persecute New Covenant disciples to defend against the word of truth that challenges them to come out of religion.
• The primary weapon of Old/First Covenant religionists is their tongue with which they persecute the true church (i.e. New Covenant disciples) in order to protect or advance their kingdoms which will be dismantled when people come out of religion (i.e. Babylon).
• Their attacks can be so hurtful and persuasive that   some New Covenant disciples will discontinue their warfare against religion and even return to religion like a dog returns to its vomit. In God’s eyes, this is the equivalent of shedding blood because their spiritual life is taken from them when they trusted the words of man instead of listening to God’s voice.