Spiritual Warfare — Part 1
Read Ephesians 6:10-13
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms Eph 6:10-12
Introduction
Let’s not deceive ourselves, sacred warfare is real. Wouldn’t it be lovely to live with no troubles, heartaches, or problems? We are not immune to such things, but led through them in the power and strength of the Lord, our Savior.
We are children of light in a dark and dreary land. Likewise, we can be strong and of good courage. Honestly, we have the Lord Himself with us, the indwelling Holy Spirit and “spot-on” communication in His word.
The God of all Comfort comforts us. The Holy Spirit leads, counsels, and guides us. The straight and narrow path sometimes leads down valleys, up to the greatest heights of the mounts, and in the desert dry lands. But wherever we are, we are not alone.
The Situation:
Be aware, the devil is real.
“There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them.” — C.S. Lewis (The Screwtape Letters)
We do not need to deny it or spend an excessive amount of energy worrying about it. The devil is crafty, he may attack, or he may conduct a ceasefire for a while only to come back to catch you unaware — using this is an opportunity to his advantage.
With Eyes Wide Open
An unhealthy interest in the enemy will take your eyes off the Victor. The finished work of the cross includes absolute victory.
Spiritual warfare is an inescapable reality. We need to do some changing if we’re going to understand it:
- Mind: Gain a balanced and biblical understanding and the need for practical strategies to counteract it.
- Heart: Cultivate discernment, faith, and trust in God as we fight the good fight.
- Life: Actively engage in spiritual warfare with wisdom, prayer, and the whole armor of God.
It is crucial that every Christian recognize that we’re facing a spiritual battle, and our response must be balanced and grounded in Scripture.
The devil is our enemy.
Why?
Because we are God’s treasured possession, and he wants to hurt the heart of God. It’s as simple and complicated as that. God knows this and will not leave us ignorant or ill-equipped.
A belief in the devil and his powers is an absolute must for God’s people. You cannot believe in sin and evil without a right understanding from God’s word. Sin is Satan’s playground. Lies and deception are his playbook. There are evil forces — those who do not come to Christ will fall under its power.
But for the children of God, the power of God will be displayed as He answers our prayers, commands our situations and maneuvers us through spiritual warfare.
Knowledge
Stand firm, Oh Christian. The battle belongs to the Lord. The Commander and Chief knows the big picture. Every soldier knows his mission, but not how it fits into the Commander’s strategy and plans for victory. As believers and Christian soldiers, we only know it part but understand that it is imperative that we take action and obey the Commander.
In the fog of war, the soldier must trust the Commander.
We put on the full armor of God and fight valiantly to the end. We will stand because the Lord our God is already victorious. This is a three — part series, today we will define spiritual warfare and look at an example of Satan’s lies. Next week we’ll be talking about the enemy’s strategy through deception, and then the final week we will have an in-depth discussion of the armor of God.
The truth is, we could easily be discouraged by the number and variety of battles we face if we did not understand the situation. Did you know that God even uses spiritual battles for our good? He rouses us from our complacency, and bids us prepare ourselves for hard, painful, and dangerous conflicts.
Our Response
Why do we tend to focus more on the enemy and the darkness of this world than the light in our soul?
Granted, we are encouraged by the Word of God to be aware of our adversary and his schemes, but there is more instruction and counsel on trusting God’s steadfast love and care for us in God’s word.
In the battle, we are to keep Christ front and center at all times. So, resist the devil, trust the Lord and stand strong.
Be sober-minded; be watchful, Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith… 1 Peter 5:8-9a ESV.
Submit yourselves there to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. James 4:7-8 ESV.
For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God and take every thought captive to obey Christ. II Cor 10:3-5 ESV.
Our response: sober-minded, watchful, resist the devil, stand firm in the faith, submit to God, and draw near to Him. Don’t deceive yourself, we do walk in the flesh, but our weapons for waging war are not of this flesh. His divine power destroys strongholds such as arguments, and lofty opinions against the Lord that are filled with lies of every kind.
Resist the devil — understand the situation
More than saying, “I rebuke you Satan in the name of Jesus Christ”, we must understand if are honestly in a battle or not.
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you… James 4:7-8a ESV.
We resist the devil by faith, prayer, and understanding the situation. We should always run to God, who is our Defense, Protector, Shield, and Deliverer. Yet, we have to ask ourselves some questions: Are we being tested by the Lord, or is this an assault of Satan?
Testing?
I know that we don’t like to think about this, but God is a testing God. We are unaware of our own weaknesses and need the Lord to show us our blindspots. Testing is for our good. When God’s people were rescued from slavery and liberated, the Lord our God tested them.
… For the LORD your God is testing you, to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and will all your soul. You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear Him and keep His commandments and obey His voice, and you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him. Deut 13:3b-4 ESV.
The Lord who liberated us will test us too. Don’t assume that everything is an attack from the enemy. God’s the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is a testing God with an accurate search light.
Are your roots deeply embedded in the trustworthy soil God has planted you in or are your roots so shallow that a mere breeze will make you fall?
If our strength does not come from our union with God, then we are vulnerable. Our trust is misplaced and depends on the false sufficiency of “self”.
Surrender means surrendering all. God’s testing will inform us on what we’re actually made of. Job was tested and proven faithful. Out of his testing, God comes to make Himself known to Job and that was the greatest reward in his testing ground.
The same goes for us.
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. James 1:2-4 ESV.
If it’s not a test, then it’s an attack. We need to know the difference. If we’re in a full on attack by the enemy, we need the Lord to let us know.
You cannot live with God for very long before you realize your need for wisdom — His wisdom. When we discover our own inability and ignorance, we are wise to seek God’s complete instruction, counsel, and knowledge.
This then is how we are sober-minded and watchful for our enemy is sly and crafty. Not only is the devil seeking whom he may devour, he’s seeking those who are clueless and ignorant of God’s character and wisdom.
Satan attacks and his arsenal is complete with lies and deception. Lies distort the truth and deception, by its very nature, is believing the lie as if it were the truth.
Lies
We have a real enemy committed to keeping us far from God and trusting Him. Satan comes to “steal, kill, and destroy”. He comes to steal our faith, kill our joy and destroy our fellowship with God.
Satan uses lies that make us doubt God and His promises. We are destroyed by lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6).
The devil wages warfare in our minds. His lies are so convincingly deceptive that we think they’re true. He arouses fear of the future or despondency of the present. He takes advantage of our vulnerabilities and circumstances.
Need an example?
Loneliness
In May 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General—Dr. Vivek Murthy—issued a report that drew attention to an epidemic that affects 1 out of 2 American adults. Half of us are lonely. Loneliness hurts — you feel empty, cold, and desperate. Sadly, you feel invisible, as if you don’t belong. Psychology Today defined it:
It as if the world passes through, but the only thing that sticks is an unquenchable ache. The Psychology Today says, The impact of loneliness is profound. Loneliness feels empty and cold and desperate, as if you are invisible, and don’t belong. The world passes through you, but the only thing that sticks is an unquenchable ache. Loneliness hurts. When we are lonely, we experience pain.
Christians suffering from loneliness?
According to a 2020 study, 16% of people attending church regularly expressed that they were lonely. Some were lonely all the time and the majority felt lonely at some point during the week.
The lie becomes a deception.
Loneliness has its own negative impact on our health. The Bible warns against living alone. God in Genesis said, “It is not right for man to be alone.” Sadly, the U.S. Surgeon General informed us recently that loneliness increases the risk of premature death by 26%.
Thankfully, the Lord has equipped the Church with small groups and other things to combat social isolation, alienation, and loneliness. But not everyone understands the value of even small groups.
The Truth — Seen, Heard, and Known
Everyone has an innate need to be seen, heard, and known. In this age of social media, only the trolls are seen and heard. This is not the kind of attention I’m talking about.
The Lord understands our need. He sees us, hears us and knows us well. He, too, wants to be seen, heard and known. We see Him in Christ, hear Him in the Word and know Him in the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
When we understand this, then we can use it against the enemy.
A spiritual blast against the lie of loneliness
Lies made us question God’s character — His goodness, love, and mercy. Recognize these lies and hold fast to God’s Word. Knowing, meditating and memorizing sacred Scripture is imperative in fighting the enemy’s misinformation. It’s not a not option, but necessary if we are to rely on the sufficient and faithful love of God.
“In my desperation, I prayed, and the LORD listened; He saved me from all my troubles.” Psalm 34:6 NLT.
“Then you will call on Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:12-13 NIV.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 NIV.
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7
Deception
Another strategy the devil uses is deception.
I didn’t fully understand the powerful effect of deception until one day I was asked one of those password protection questions, such as your mother’s maiden name and your high schools’ mascot. The question was: What was I most afraid of?
Good question. I wasn’t afraid of spiders (except the scorpion and that for another story) and snakes because we had so many in Arizona. I wasn’t even afraid of the dark. Then I realized the truth. I was afraid of deception!
How do I know if I’m deceived if I don’t even know I’m deceived!
We don’t have enough time today to discuss the types and forms of deception the enemy throws at us. For example, loneliness is a flat out lie, while false teaching worms its way into the unguarded heart with deceptive ease.
Conclusion
We’ve learned an invaluable lesson about spiritual warfare, but we’re not done yet. Next week we are going to spend take a deep dive into deception, and then we will conclude this three-part lesson on spiritual warfare with God’s armor.
Journal your thoughts, experiences, and insights as you study the Scripture verses on spiritual warfare. Note areas where you have discovered that a lie has creeped in and what you need to defeat it and you “engage” in the spiritual battle.
See you next week and remember the battle is the Lord’s.
May the Lord bless and keep you until we meet again,
