There's a war taking place all around us that we typically cannot see and frequently don't perceive. For many of us, if we're even aware of this battle, we prefer not to think about it because it feels creepy and uncomfortable. Most people, however, live their lives blissfully ignorant of the battle that's taking place.
The war I'm speaking of is a spiritual war. The angels aligned with God and the demons aligned with Satan are in the midst of a conflict that directly impacts us. In fact, much of that conflict concerns the lives of those living on this earth. Satan is actively warring against God's people to prevent them from sharing the gospel and living in obedience to the Lord. He wants us to damage our testimonies, damage our credibility, and become an ineffective witnesses of the presence of Christ in our lives.
Satan is also actively attempting to blind the spiritual eyes of unbelievers. He wants them to live in ignorance toward the grace of God. He's perfectly fine with them living unaware of spiritual things while pursuing the treasures, pleasures, and esteem of this world. He wants them to idolize earthly life. He wants to promote confusion and perpetual ignorance of the purpose and plans of God.
The Holy Spirit inspired Paul to write the counsel we find in Ephesians 6 to help develop our awareness of the spiritual battle we're in the midst of. This passage of Scripture also reminds us of the supreme power of God and how He has supernaturally equipped us to face the spiritual battles we'll experience in this life.
I. Who is the devil and what does he do?
““Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 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 over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.””
The subject of the devil is confusing to many people. Some people think he's a myth. Others tend to think of him as God's equal. Who do you think he is?
Scripture teaches that the devil, or Satan, is a created spirit being. Originally, he was an angel that was created with great beauty and prominence. In time, the sin of arrogance was found in him and he fell from his esteemed position. He also led one third of the angels to follow him and reject God completely.
Satan isn't God's opposite. In fact, God has no opposite. God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and omnipresent. Satan is none of these things. His power is strong, but it isn't the strongest. His knowledge is great, but it's limited. And he can only be in one place at one time, unlike God who can be all places at once. It would be more accurate to consider Satan the opposite of the Archangel Michael since they're both powerful angels with the limits imposed upon created beings.
Satan seeks to counterfeit the plans and the kingdom of God. He attempts to make what he's doing or what he's offering look more appealing than what God offers. Satan appeals to our sin nature, and he encourages us to think more about short-term earthly benefits than long-term eternal matters.
Scripture teaches us that Satan is actively deceiving the nations of the world. He employs the other fallen angels (demons) to participate in this task with him. Much of this world lives under the deception of Satan and is clueless to this fact. Many world leaders in our day and throughout history have been directly influenced by Satan as they've made decisions and attempted to accumulate the power, riches, and influence of this world.
2 Corinthians 4:4 also tells us that Satan blinds the minds of unbelievers in an attempt to prevent them from trusting in Jesus for salvation. He wants people to primarily have faith in themselves, their good works, or some other system of false doctrine, so he and his demons attempt to keep people from embracing the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Satan also makes a point to tempt those who believe in Christ to embrace false beliefs and indulge in evil behavior. He wants us to conform to the values of this world, operate with selfish motives, and embrace all forms of immorality. We're also told in Scripture that Satan opposes and accuses believers with the goal of destroying their testimony and their confidence in Christ.
And Satan seems to love sewing seeds of division. We frequently think that our battle is with each other, and that other people are our enemies, but our battle isn't with flesh and blood. We're engaged in a spiritual battle, so it's probably time we started acknowledging that.
II. Biblical examples of spiritual warfare
Scripture records many examples of spiritual warfare. To help illustrate what it looks like, let me share a few snapshots from the lives of Job, Daniel, and Peter.
Job
Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. 7 The Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” 8 And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” 9 Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? 10 Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” 12 And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord. (Job 1:6-12)
Daniel
In the third year of King Cyrus of Persia, a message was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar. The message was true and was about a great conflict. He understood the message and had understanding of the vision.
2 In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three full weeks. 3 I didn’t eat any rich food, no meat or wine entered my mouth, and I didn’t put any oil on my body until the three weeks were over. 4 On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river, the Tigris, 5 I looked up, and there was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of gold from Uphaz around his waist. 6 His body was like beryl, his face like the brilliance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and feet like the gleam of polished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude.
7 Only I, Daniel, saw the vision. The men who were with me did not see it, but a great terror fell on them, and they ran and hid. 8 I was left alone, looking at this great vision. No strength was left in me; my face grew deathly pale, and I was powerless. 9 I heard the words he said, and when I heard them I fell into a deep sleep, with my face to the ground.
10 Suddenly, a hand touched me and set me shaking on my hands and knees. 11 He said to me, “Daniel, you are a man treasured by God. Understand the words that I’m saying to you. Stand on your feet, for I have now been sent to you.” After he said this to me, I stood trembling.
12 “Don’t be afraid, Daniel,” he said to me, “for from the first day that you purposed to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your prayers were heard. I have come because of your prayers. 13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia opposed me for twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me after I had been left there with the kings of Persia. 14 Now I have come to help you understand what will happen to your people in the last days, for the vision refers to those days.” (Daniel 10:1-14, CSB)
Peter
“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat," (Luke 22:31)
III. How should we respond to spiritual warfare?
““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 firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.” ”
Regarding this battle, Scripture gives us a lot of counsel in just a few verses. Ultimately, we're called to trust in Christ and rely on His mighty power. The most effective thing we can do is seek the Lord's intervention and protection through prayer, while living out the counsel He has given us in His word.
Eph. 6:11: “stand against the devil's schemes"
2 Cor. 2:10b-11: “I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes."
1 Cor. 10:13: “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful, he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”
James 4:7: “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
In Ephesians 6, Paul tells us to dress in the armor God provides us. That armor includes; truth, righteousness, readiness, the gospel of peace, faith (to extinguish Satan's flaming arrows), salvation, God's Word, and prayer. We're also challenged to be alert and speak fearlessly, just as Paul was seeking help from God to do in his own life.
When speaking about the reality of spiritual warfare, Christians tend to respond in different ways. I have witnessed some believers operating quite passively toward it. I have also seen others respond in a fearful manner. But the mature response is one of proactive faith. We trust in Jesus who secured the victory over Satan when He rose from the grave, and then live out our faith by taking the kind of actions God's word prescribes. If the Lord allows you to experience a season of obvious spiritual warfare, consider it an opportunity for your faith to grow and be sharpened.
I will confess to you that there have been several seasons when I have experienced spiritual warfare in obvious ways. The first season took place soon after I started to grow serious about my faith in Christ. The second season was when I entered pastoral ministry. I was shocked at the opposition and personal attacks that came upon me at that time.
I have also noticed that whenever I have accepted a change in assignment from God, direct opposition from strange places tended to follow. And if you want me to be really transparent, I think I have experienced more temptation to sin than I remember experiencing before accepting a public role of spiritual leadership. My assumption is that some of that has been an effort of Satan or his demons to hurt me, hurt my family, and damage the faith of anyone who considers me a spiritual influence in their life. I try to stay keenly aware of that.
IV. A personal challenge
With that all in mind, please allow me to give you a personal challenge.
First of all, don't dismiss what's happening around or to you. Don't be unaware of the devil's schemes and the ways he's working in our culture to promote confusion. Likewise, don't be unaware of the power you have in Christ. The same power that rose Jesus from the dead is present within you. You are not powerless. Pray, trust God to intervene on your behalf, and keep moving forward with Spirit-empowered courage.
Second, submit your thought life to the Holy Spirit. Feed your mind the truth of God's word. Surround yourself with people who speak the gospel into your life and love you enough to hold you accountable. That way, you'll be less inclined to give the devil a foothold in your mind and in your life.
Take sin seriously, including the sins of religious pride and worldliness. Call them out when you notice their presence in your life. Come before the Lord with prayers of repentance.
Develop a plan to learn God's word. If you learn it, your faith will grow and your life will change for the better. If you live it out, you'll impact everyone who comes into contact with you in a healthy way. You'll also develop more insight into what is really going on around you, and I think you'll find yourself less likely to be deceived by the false promises of wickedness.
Through Christ, we have the power that we need to stand strong. So stay alert, walk by faith, and live in the power of Christ.
““As a child of God you have full authority to contact God, the Sovereign of the universe, whenever you desire. He is always enthroned in heaven; yet, through prayer, you have as much access to His presence as any angel or archangel.” ”
