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Our Spiritual Battle
We are called warriors, but not against people. We battle against spiritual wickedness in high places. Many times the Bible uses soldiers as a word picture of the Christian striving to overcome in this life. Some misunderstand this to mean that Christians are called to be militant; however, the Bible explains it differently. Look at 2 Corinthians 10:3-6
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.
Our battle is not against carnal things (things of the flesh), but against spiritual wickedness. Occasionally, someone will make the news by committing an act of violence in the name of God. Someone will take a phrase from scripture and use it as justification for their actions. The Bible warns us that the heart of man is deceitful and desperately wicked, and that only God can search the hearts, try our motives, and reveal to us the right ways.[1]
Everything in spiritual warfare and being a soldier of Christ is founded upon the statement, “Our weapons are not carnal / physical.” We are also called pilgrims and sojourners, traveling through a land that is not our own as we journey toward our eternal home. It is not the Christian’s job to set up God’s kingdom in the world. We are not called to transform the world, but to be transformed out of the world.
Our shining light will have an impact on the culture. We are called salt and light. Salt adds flavor and preserves, and light dispels darkness. When the church is faithful to God’s call, the Bible promises that He will raise up leaders and He will heal our land. We are not called to force the gospel down the throats of the culture. Nor are we called to take up arms and force others to conform to the standard of the gospel. We are called out of the world and then sent to call others out of the world. This is where the battle rages. We will be attacked when we take our light into a dark culture, but our light will also have a dramatic effect on the culture around us.
Each time we see this battle explained, it is always to endure and remain separate. According to Jesus, the world will not turn to Christ. Our battle is to go behind enemy lines and lead those being called by God out of the world and into the church. This is what evangelism is all about.
Some falsely believe that Jesus can’t return until we reclaim the world for the Kingdom of God – as though God were dependent upon man. However, according to scripture, Jesus returns after there is first a falling away from the faith, and then the man of sin is revealed.[2]
We shouldn’t expect the culture to conform to the gospel. We should expect the culture to battle against the gospel as we draw individuals out of the darkness. Consider the words of Jesus in John 15:18-21
18 If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.
19 “If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
20 “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.
21 “But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.
Notice Jesus’ words, “I called you out of the world.” He later explains, “I am sending you into the world as sheep among wolves.” Just as Jesus called His disciples out of the world, He also sends us, His disciples, into the world to issue that same call. And here is the call in Matthew 7:13-14
13 ” Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.
14 “Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
And John 14:6
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
Jesus also said that he is the door and any who enter through Him will be saved and feed on the goodness of God.[3]
It’s important to understand all of this so we can have the right foundation to understand spiritual warfare. Our goal is not to force the world to conform to the gospel. It is not to prepare the world for the coming of Christ. He is not dependent upon us; we are dependent upon Him. Since Jesus made it clear that the world cannot love Him, and the Bible says that the Day of the Lord will not come until there is first a falling away and the revelation of the man of sin, it is clear that our focus must be on something other than conquering the world for Jesus.
Spiritual warfare has two main focuses: standing firm, and walking in God’s will. Let’s first look at the stand. This is explained in detail in Ephesians 6:11-18
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints —
Once again, it is reiterated that we don’t wrestle against flesh and blood, physical things, but against spiritual forces that oppose God in our lives. There is spiritual wickedness, and it reigns in the lives of those who submit themselves wholly to the flesh. Even your enemies are not your focus. Everyone sees with human eyes, but only the Christian can see beyond the flesh and to the war for the hearts of man.
Let’s stop for a moment and consider the rules of engagement. Most people have the idea that Satan and demons are running free without restraint and able to do great evil in the world. The truth is, their strength is played out through man’s desires.
This is even true among those who claim to be followers of God. People do evil in the name of God all the time. Some religions condone violence. And who are drawn to those religions that claim God promotes killing and pillaging? Violent men are drawn to it because it gives them a license to sin and live for the desires of their hearts.
Part of spiritual warfare is identifying the deceptions that ensnare men’s souls. Whether deception wraps itself in Christian sounding terms, calls itself by another religion, or claims to be anti-religious, it is still deception.
The devil can’t force you to do anything. You must be a willing participant. He appeals to human nature and the desires of the flesh. This is why the Christian is called to crucify the flesh with its passions and desires. Is there any example of man doing evil in the name of God without violating scripture? As we saw in an earlier chapter, taking a phrase or passage out of context doesn’t reflect upon the Bible – it reflects on man’s desire to justify himself. If anything, the evil that man does in the name of God or in the name of humanism proves the Bible’s claim, “The heart of man is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked[4].”
Not only does Satan’s deception require a willing participant, but his actions require the authority of God. Read the Old Testament book of Job. In it you see God putting Job to the test. Several times Satan came back in failure but said, “If you will remove your hedge around him, I can make Job curse you to your face.”
This is important to understand. First, Satan and demonic forces have boundaries. They are completely subject to God. They reign freely within the domain God has provided, but they are not in rebellion against God’s authority. Rebellion against God’s ways, yes, but authority, no. The reason is that any spirit who opposes God will receive immediate judgment. They may hate God’s authority, but they cannot rebel against it. Look at 2 Peter 2:4
For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment;
We know that all fallen angels are not chained. The Bible refers to them often and as we’ll see in a moment, Jesus dealt with demons during His ministry. Remember how he gave His disciples authority? And they returned rejoicing and said, “Even the demons are subject to us in your name.”
The passage in 2 Peter above is referring to an event at the fall of Satan. When a third of the angels fell, some were in rebellion against God’s authority. These are already bound and awaiting judgment. The rest are unbound, but know that judgment is coming. Consider Jesus’ encounter with two demon possessed men in Matthew 8:28-29
28 When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way.
29 And suddenly they cried out, saying, “What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?”
These spirits recognized Christ, and take note of their comment, “Have You come here to torment us before the time?” If you read the rest of the account, these demons were subject to the word of Christ. They were not at all in rebellion. In fact, they begged Him to direct them toward a heard of swine rather than to be cast into the abyss.
I say all of this to point out that we should not fear evil. We should fear the consequences of submitting ourselves to evil. If we willfully sin, we are subjecting ourselves back into slavery to sin and have given Satan an advantage over us. But demons have no power over the Christian unless it is given to Satan from God. And there are only two reasons why God would give that authority. First, to test and refine us. Second, to judge our willful sins and turn us back to the eternal path.
An example of this is found in the life of a man within the Corinthian church who was having an incestuous relationship with his mother. Paul explains the role of Satan in this situation in 1 Corinthians 5:5
Deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
Whether God is trying us, or judging our sins, in each case the goal is our good.
Preparing to Stand.
Let’s go back to Ephesians 6:13-17
13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
Spiritual warfare requires preparation. The goal of putting on the armor is to stand. The evil day is the day of trial or temptation. It could be persecution, or hardship, or a strong temptation, or anything that would normally send us into a tailspin.
The problem with spiritual warfare in the lives of most Christians is that they wait until trouble arises to look for answers. If a soldier sat idly or did his own thing until the enemy attacked, he would lose the battle. Can you imagine a frontline battalion falling under attack and then scrambling for their weapons, armor, boots, and battle plans? It would be a sure defeat. And this is why so many Christians are defeated in their lives and attitudes.
Let’s look at the armor for a moment. When Paul wrote this, he was a prisoner in Rome after being arrested for his faith. Paul looked at the Roman soldier and realized their uniforms were a perfect illustration for the Christian.
The Romans revolutionized warfare. They successfully conquered nearly every nation they encountered, and their uniforms provided a battlefield advantage in every battle. It was light, allowed free movement, and adequate defense.
Belt of Truth. The belt held everything firmly in place. It was the centerpiece of the uniform and without it, nothing would remain in its proper position. Truth is the belt of the Christian’s armor. If we don’t understand truth and have it firmly established, nothing else will remain secure. Someone who doesn’t understand truth is vulnerable in every area.
Breastplate of righteousness. Without righteousness, a believer’s heart is under attack. Just as the Romans guarded their heart with a breastplate, we too must guard our hearts. The Bible says, guard your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.[5] We guard our hearts with righteousness, and righteousness begins with the mind. If we allow our thoughts to entertain sin, we are taking it into our hearts. We entertain thoughts of revenge, bitterness, lust, greed, covetousness, or anything else that finds its roots in the flesh. When we dwell on these things, we are taking them into our heart. Where our eyes look, our heart will follow. Where our heart looks, our lives will follow.
Have your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. The Romans broke every former rule when it came to footwear. Most armies of that era wore heavy leather boots or metal plating to protect their feet. It was a protection based on fear. Soldiers were afraid that if their feet were wounded, they wouldn’t be able to run or fight.
The Roman’s philosophy was that if they were swift and powerful, the enemy would be on their heels and not in a position to attack their vulnerable feet. The foot was mostly exposed except for a strap that held the sole in place and wrapped around the ankle and up to the calf. It was held firmly in place and wouldn’t slide off the foot.
The bottom was ribbed leather, and some had spikes like cleats protruding. This gave them extra traction. In a battle, they would have a sure footing, and this gave them a superior advantage against their enemies. It’s hard to push back someone whose feat won’t slide, and it’s hard to outmaneuver someone who is faster on their feet.
A Christian prepared in the gospel won’t slide because they have a sure footing.
Shield of Faith. The Roman soldier also carried a small wooden shield, instead of the traditional heavy metal shield. In an attempt to use the wooden shields against them, opposing forces would shoot flaming arrows at the Romans. If the wood caught fire, they would have to discard it. The Romans solved this problem by soaking their shields in water before battles. Then the flaming arrows would be quenched and no harm done.
We have a shield of faith that also quenches the fiery darts of the devil. He shoots everything in his arsenal at the believer. Rather than being discouraged by his attacks, if we have taken up the shield of faith, the fire is quenched.
When someone stands upon faith, it’s hard to get past that shield. People say discouraging words, and if our confidence is dependent upon praise or affirmation, we are wounded. But if we are secure in the Lord, we remain focused on our calling. Consider the words of scripture in John 2:23-25
23 Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did.
24 But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men,
25 and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man.
This was Jesus’ response to those who believed on Him. Even though they believed, Jesus still did not allow His sense of value to come from man. People are volatile. One misunderstanding or miscommunication and friends can become foes. There have been people I thought were gentle in spirit but turned out to be very vindictive. Of course the opposite is also true. Sometimes compassion comes from unexpected sources.
The point above is that Jesus knows the weakness of man. Though these believed on Him, human nature can get the best of people. And this can be a fiery dart at our lives. Those who remain focused on the Lord stand upon faith. This is true if the discouragement comes from people, jobs, health, or any other hardship.
Faith in God absorbs the blow and keeps us standing firm. When I believe the promise that God works all things for my good, I can stand firm even when I can’t see the good that has yet to be revealed. If faith is in our circumstances, we will fall with anything that attacks the foundation we have built our lives upon. Christ is the only sure foundation. Anything else is vulnerable to attack.
The helmet of salvation. Without salvation, our mind and confidence is wide open to attack. The head is the most vulnerable place to attack. A good blow to the head ends the battle. Without salvation, we have no protection.
Sword of the Spirit. Finally, our only offensive weapon – the word of God. When Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, He defeated the trials with the word of God. “It is written,” Jesus kept saying. When it comes to putting on the armor of God, the word is the way we confront problems and deception. Notice, it is called the Sword of the Spirit.
It’s the work of the Spirit to accomplish the results of God’s word going out. We are not beating people over the head with the Bible, but using the word to guide others toward the truth. We also use the word to parry off the deceptions that would normally mislead us into temptation. We are taking up the Bible for the purpose of the Spirit using the word of God to accomplish His will in our lives, and the lives of others.
Walking in the Battle.
The church is a collective body of believers who have become what the Bible calls, the body of Christ. Don’t mistake ‘a church’ with ‘the church.’ If you are a disciple of Christ, you and I belong to the church. It isn’t denominational. Nor does it require joining a membership. We join a local church in order to connect with like-minded believers. However, we are of the same body, regardless of which denomination or organization we belong to. Our only concern with local churches is that we find one that truly honors the word of God as the scripture teaches.
The church is an army of sojourners passing through a world that is not their own and toward a city, whose builder is God. We must understand two things when it comes to our personal battles in spiritual warfare. The battle is against your soul, and the battle is against your ministry.
Each person is a minister of Christ. That ministry is fulfilled by first taking our position in the body of Christ (the church) and then walking into our circle of influence in the world. Remember what we read in scriptures earlier? We are saved for good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them[6].
When you are walking in the works God has equipped you to do, and called you to fulfill, expect warfare. I’ve been involved in many ministries over the years and I can always tell who is following God’s call and who is in it for the wrong motives. When the road becomes difficult, any selfish motive will be made clear because people either fall away, or attempt to gain personal glory. A discouraged man or woman who is certain of their call will seek strength on their knees, but remain true to the calling.
When the early church was threatened, it was a great concern. The people making the threats had the ability to arrest the Christians, publicly beat them as punishment, and even put them to death. The church was warned severely not to speak in the name of Jesus or they would sufferer the consequences. Look at their response in Acts 4:24-29
24 So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: “Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them,
…
29 “Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word,
They pressed ahead with the knowledge of the consequences, but they did so under the power of God through prayer. This is what divides the called from those who’s emotions stir them to action. If you know God has called you, there will be the confidence in spite of adversity. After all, we have the promise that if God is for us, who can be against us? No one.
The spirit of deception may stir up adversaries, but they cannot stand against the Lord. The church stands today in spite of the most powerful kingdom that has ever been on earth using its military to attempt to wipe Christianity from the Roman Empire. In the end, the empire was gone and the church stood. And the church did not fight back with swords and violence. They committed themselves to the will of God, come what may.
The same holds true for your personal walk of faith. Everyone has faith when things are going well, but let a struggle begin and our faith is revealed. Is our faith in our circumstances so that we are dependent upon things going our way, or are we dependent upon the Lord who is our strong foundation? Consider 1 Peter 2:11-12
11 Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul,
12 having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.
Temptation is part of that war. When we are trying to live a godly life, Satan will throw things our way. Many of these attacks will come wrapped as gifts. Some will strike right at our sinful desires. The goal of the devil is to either lead you off the path of righteousness, or drive you off that path. He will do so with personal discouragement, people, hardships, and even physical problems. The Bible’s instructions are designed to keep you from falling for these traps. As Paul said, “We are not ignorant of his devices.” Yet we are often overcome because we stand on the wrong foundation. It’s impossible to stand without the empowerment of the Spirit of God and following His leading.
Don’t be surprised when the world calls you evil. Jesus was called a deceiver and His apostles were called all manner of things. All were punished for the perceived threat against the people. Yet, on the day of visitation, God revealed truth to the very ones who persecuted them.
When I served in Germany, I met a Bible smuggler who worked throughout the Soviet bloc countries. This was in the 1980s, before the fall of the Soviet Union. He frequently met with underground churches and saw firsthand many of those who had been persecuted for Christ. One church was led in worship by a piano player with gnarled fingers. In an attempt to thwart worship, her interrogators broke all her fingers. But they couldn’t break her heart of worship.
The pastor was also arrested several times. In an attempt to solve ‘the problem’, the preacher was put into a cell with two men deemed to be the worst of the criminal population. When the guard brought in the two violent offenders, he said, “Have your way with him. No questions asked.”
The next morning the two men were listening intently to the pastor as he taught the two new Christians. Never try to guess what God is doing, and never underestimate His ability to use our faithfulness in the most impossible circumstances. Whether in persecution or in victory, look toward the finish line, where our calling ends and eternal life begins.
God is calling us to go where no man can go, and to accomplish what no man can accomplish. Yet we can do all these things through Christ who strengthens us.
The Bible says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” but many misunderstand this passage. It is not saying that Christ goes through me to give strength to do my own thing. I am going through Christ to find strength. I must be going where Christ is going, not asking Him to go where I’m going. There is a difference.
We are called to endure hardships as a soldier. Part of endurance is staying on the path of God’s calling. When we step out of God’s will, we are often entangled. These are deceptions with the underlying goal to war against our soul and recapture our minds. If our soul is led out of righteousness, the battle is over. That is, until we repent, reach up for God to rescue us from the mire, and set us back onto our secure foundation.
Spiritual warfare is not running from shadows and being afraid of curses, objects, and the devil. Nor do we look for demons behind every tree. In fact, the focus is not on the enemy at all. Our focus must be on the goal.
We don’t prepare for the war by studying demons or false religions. We prepare by studying the truth and preparing ourselves with the things God has given us. We strive to be established in the faith, bind truth around our lives, walk in righteousness, be prepared with the gospel, and have a firm hold on the sword of the Spirit – God’s word.
The goal of the enemy is to disarm us by luring us away from the armor, and dabbling in things that will bind us. Sometimes in competition, an opponent tries to get an advantage by provoking the other to anger. The goal is to distract them from the game plan so they lose their cool and make a mistake.
The enemy will do anything to lure you out of your firm stance and away from the path of victory. This takes us back to the renewing of our minds. Life is filled with frustrations and temptations. In time, these things will wear us down and make us vulnerable. But those who are renewed in the Lord are the ones who find new strength and rise like eagles over the sins that once easily ensnared them.
This won’t just happen. You must follow the scripture’s instructions. The battle is not won during the time when we wrestle, but it’s won now. It’s the time of preparation and renewal that you put on the armor and do all to stand.
When we feel unchallenged, we tend to become idle and forget to seek the Lord. But make it a discipline in your life to seek even when the passion seems to be absent. The enemy waits to attack, and like any formidable opponent, he won’t strike when you’re hunkered down, but instead will hit when you aren’t expecting it.
Though it may seem like people are the problem, the truth is that people are tools in the hand of the enemy. Even you and I can be a tool of discouragement if we don’t guard against it. Most of the time it’s unintentional, and we don’t even realize we have offended. Misconceptions can be just as destructive as an assault.
The real enemy isn’t seen with human eyes. We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual powers in high places. Human nature is putty in Satan’s hands. Therefore, we must not allow ourselves to be manipulated by lusts that war against the soul. That includes anger, bitterness, temptations, or anything that appeals to the flesh.
Don’t fear Satan, but be aware of his devices. Don’t focus on the devil or evil, but focus on first fulfilling obedience in your own life and only then will you be able to avenge disobedience.
Avenging disobedience doesn’t mean retaliating. The first principle in Spiritual warfare is always to evaluate our focus. The war is not in the flesh, but in the Spirit. The flesh can’t be overcome by fighting against the flesh. We avenge disobedience by following our calling into enemy territory, and leading others out of disobedience and into truth.
There’s no greater blow to the enemy than to set one of his prisoners free.
When you hear the topic come up about spiritual warfare, victory over the enemy should be your first thought. We don’t fear the enemy because we stand upon the promise, “Greater is He who is in you than he that is in the world. ”[7] Victory is in submission and the battle is the Lord’s. The Bible tells us that deliverance is of the Lord, not by the strength of our weapons, and His name is the strong tower where we run to find safety.
Only the righteous has the promise that God prepares a table before us in the presence of our enemies.[8] God has the power to refresh us and provide rest in any circumstance. Only He has the peace that goes beyond human comprehension.
Never fear evil. Be on guard, be diligent, be prepared, but do not be afraid. Satan has no power over the life of those who belong to God. No man can curse you. No object can bring evil into your life without your submission to it. Only sin in your life can take you out of God’s perfect will. Let’s conclude with this passage from Proverbs 3:33
The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked, But He blesses the home of the just. No man, ritual, or spiritual power can change this truth. The curse is of the Lord and rests upon the wicked. The same call that went out to the people of Moses’ day goes out today. “I set before you a blessing or a curse. Choose righteousness and live.” If you live in God’s justice, His favor cannot be overthrown by Satan.
[1] Jeremiah 17:9-10
[2] 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4
[3] John 10:9
[4] Jeremiah 17:9-10
[5] Proverbs 4:23
[6] Ephesians 2:10
[7] 1 John 4:4
[8] Psalm 23:5