Spiritual Warfare
Basics You Should Know
Have you ever had something stolen from you?
A wallet, a purse, a laptop? How about a car?
I have a friend whose car was stolen recently from a parking lot in broad daylight. They found it two days later on the other side of town. My friend was dumbfounded by how the thief got in (it was locked) and how it was driven (no key). “The thief,” he said, “was incredibly resourceful, to be sure.”
There are some parallels to his story with regard to spiritual warfare. We have a cunning enemy who is highly skilled and very motivated to destroy our lives. Jesus describes him in John 10:10 as “...a thief who comes to stead, kill, and destroy.” 2 Cor. 11:3 describes him as “crafty,” and Genesis 3:1 says he is incredibly “cunning.” Let me tell you something else about him: he hates you and he wants to destroy your life.
Satan is a real enemy who is aware of our habits and weaknesses and how to capitalize on them to render us useless and drain us of spiritual power. He wants to paralyze you with confusing thoughts, crippling fears, and constant self doubt. So that, at just the right time, he can steal your joy and devotion to God and drive it off a cliff. You should also be aware that he has an army of fallen angels (demons) at his disposal to help him reach his goals.
Here’s three things you should know:
1) Demons are real.
Demons are real; they were real in Jesus’ day, and they’re real in ours. There is no Bible passage that tells us of their departure. We’re not told that they all moved to Africa or Haiti when Southland was founded back in 1956, or when you or I became a Christian. They didn’t drown when we were baptized. The Prince of the Power of the Air is alive and well; he’s the god of this world (2 Cor. 4:4) and he has a vast network of cohorts to help him accomplish his objectives every single day. Jesus believed in demons and we should too. More than half the chapters in the Gospel of Mark record interactions Jesus had with demonic spirits. Nothing makes the devil happier than to have us believe that he’s just a silly fool in a clownish red suit.
Now a lot of people don’t like to talk about things like that. “That just scares people,” they say. Well, we’re never told to fear demons in the Bible...but we are told to be aware of them. They’re real, friends....and regardless of what you might’ve heard, they didn’t all retire after Jesus ascended into Heaven.
2) Demons attack Christians
Demons attack Christians...much more than we realize. Here are five common ways they prey on believers.
They disrupt. Paul said in I Thess. 2:18, “More than once I tried to visit you, but Satan hindered us.” In Daniel chapter 10, Daniel prayed for God to send a messenger to help him, but the Bible says the messenger was delayed for 21 days by a demonic spirit that resisted him.” Demons disrupt.
They deceive us. One of the most common words for Satan in the Bible is “Deceiver.” Jesus called him a liar, and the father of lies, in John 8:44. Paul said, “I‘m afraid, that just as Satan deceived Eve with his craftiness, that your minds might be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.” (II Cor. 11:3). In 2 Cor. 2:11 he added, “We are not unaware of his schemes.”
They piggyback on damaged emotions. I can’t tell you the number of people I’ve counseled, who’ve had trauma in their lives...and through that trauma, the enemy gained an entry point. I see this a lot with bitterness and unforgiveness. A person will be deeply hurt, and then resolve to hate the person who hurt them for the rest of their lives. That hatred; that refusal to forgive, gives ground to the enemy. It gives demons a legal right to keep us in bondage.
They decay family trees. Demons sometimes attack Christians by gaining access through the generations. The Bible says “the sins of the fathers are visited on the children to the 3rd and 4th generations.” These are called generational curses. You have a critical spirit. Your mother had a critical spirit, and her mother had a critical spirit. If you don’t break the cycle, it’s possible...to pass that same spirit down to your own children. We all agree that diseases like alcoholism can be passed down generationally, but somehow we’re reluctant to acknowledge...that character deficiencies and damaged emotions can be passed down too.
They try to destroy us. Whether it’s our health (Luke 13:11), our sanity (Mark 5), or in a number of other ways. Suffice it to say that demons do exist and they do attack believers.
3) Demons are no match for Jesus.
Demons are no match for Jesus. You say, “Well, of course not! That’s obvious!” But here’s the other part...that we forget: “Jesus lives... in you!” The power that is in Him is in you. (John 14:20). So there’s no reason for a believer to fear demons. Take them seriously, to be sure, but never give them the pleasure of making you afraid. Always claim your authority in Christ. While we may be in a spiritual war we are not powerless and we shouldn’t be afraid. We’re well-equipped for battle.
So when James wrote, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you,” (4:7) he expected us to do that! When Paul told us to “wrestle against the forces of darkness, (Eph. 6:12) against the rulers, authorities, and spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” he expected us to wrestle! And when he said to be “strong in the Lord, and the power of His might” he expected us to do...just that!
We’re not orphans, friend, we’re children of the King. And last I checked, He’s still undefeated...and that means...we haveall the edge we need. Be blessed, friends...and be joyful...but stand your ground. The battle is real and the stakes are huge...let’s be sure...to win.
Gary Black
Teaching Development Pastor
