Spiritual Warfare: Resisting Evil by Spiritual Means

Spiritual warfare is the unseen conflict between the Kingdom of God and the powers of darkness. It is fought in the spirit realm, yet it is lived out in our minds, our choices, our prayers and our daily obedience to Christ.

The Battle Is Real – Within and Without

Being actively involved in the advancement of God’s Kingdom necessitates confronting what would hinder or corrupt righteousness – both the sin within our lives and the evil in the world we live in. The enemy’s strategy is to use fear, temptation, ignorance, deception and bondage to “steal, kill and destroy”, but we are to be fully aware of his evil plans and subtle strategies (Jn 10:10; 2 Cor 2:11). Jesus went about doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with Him; and Jesus delegated that authority to us (through using His name) to accomplish God’s purposes of enforcing that victory and reclaiming humanity back from their bondage to Satan (Mt 28:18-20; Mk 16:17-18; Lk 10:19; Act 10:38; 1 Jn 5:19).

The earthly mission of Jesus climaxed on the cross of Calvary where He gave His life as our substitute, paying the price for our sin and so destroying the devil’s hold over us (Col 2:15; 1 Jn 3:8). Although Satan was convincingly defeated, he is still actively harassing and attacking humanity, both Christians and non-Christians (1 Pet 5:8-9). While “[God] is able to keep you from falling”, we must apply ourselves to walking in the Spirit with a clean conscience, making right choices and guarding vulnerable areas whereby the enemy can gain the advantage, as we contend (in the spirit realm) for the lost to come to Christ and the saved coming into increased wholeness (2 Cor 2:11; Gal 5:16,25; Jud 1:24).

Spiritual warfare must be taken seriously, as the opposition and attacks, which are inspired and directed by the rulers, authorities and powers of evil in the spirit realm, must be counterattacked using spiritual weapons that have divine power to demolish their strongholds (1 Sam 17:45; 2 Cor 10:3-5; Eph 6:10-18). The greatest battlefield is within us – in our mind, heart and imagination – with the Bible stating it is better to control ourselves than to conquer a city (Prov 16:32). Paul uses the analogy of a Roman soldier in his military attire to illustrate the necessity and effectiveness of spiritual armour, which is put on before the battle and, when used properly, guarantees our victory in the battle against Satan.

The battle is within and without

The Word of the living God (not our opinions or reasoning) is the most powerful weapon against the temptations of the devil. Jesus used this approach (Lk 4:4,8,12).

Whenever we take steps towards God, or experience a significant spiritual victory, we should expect the enemy to be annoyed and to counterattack. When Nehemiah set about the work of rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls, Sanballat and Tobiah were greatly angered that someone had come to promote the welfare of the people, and they responded with ridicule, threats and scheming designed to frighten, divide and discourage the workers (Neh 2:10, 4:1-3,7-9,11). Likewise, when we are actively engaged in any work for God, Satan will try to bring division among God’s people, discouragement in their hearts and distraction from the task, for a disunited and disheartened army is easily stopped (Neh 4:10-12, 6:9,13). Rather than being ambushed by such opposition, recognise it as a backhanded confirmation that the advance is genuinely threatening the kingdom of darkness. Guard unity, keep encouraging one another, and pray Nehemiah’s prayer, “Now strengthen my hands”, pressing on with the work God has given (Neh 6:9).

God’s Weapons Guarantee the Victory

By intentionally putting on our armour and walking in the truth of Jesus we will be changed, set free and become conquerors as we repel Satan’s attacks, or else sin will defeat us (Jn 8:32,36,14:6; Jas 4:7-8; 3 Jn 1:4). Rather than being consumed by the negative and reacting to the devil’s destructive schemes, our attention should primarily be on maintaining our vital relationship with God, being under His loving protection so we can utilize His resources, respond to His directives and gain the victory (Jn 5:19, 8:28, 12:49-50).

What is your role in defending the Kingdom of God?

When we are walking close to Him, He promises that no weapon used against us will prosper, for victory is assured – the Holy Spirit who is in us is more powerful than anything else that opposes (Isa 54:17; 1 Jn 4:4). While recognising evil is all around, we must have a balanced approach, neither over-emphasising nor ignoring Satan’s involvement in our everyday affairs. Jesus gave us a mandate to continue extending the Kingdom of God using His delegated authority; and although it will be difficult, with many opting out for an easier life, it is important to be involved. Then you will be able to say (with humility), ‘I had a part in bringing about God’s purposes for this lost world’ (Mt 28:18-20; Mk 16:15-18).

The divine weapons will enable us personally to resist and hold our ground against the evil attacks, but we can also go on the offensive and take back from the enemy what he has stolen, demolishing spiritual strongholds in the world around us (1 Sam 30:8; Jn 10:10; 2 Cor 10:3-6; Gal 5:1; Col 2:15). Become a skilful warrior in His spiritual army through devotion, discipline, diligence and suffering hardship, helping to win the battle in the spiritual realm by co-operating with the One who ultimately brings good out of evil (2 Cor 7:5; 2 Tim 2:3).

Developing intimacy with Jesus through prayer, fasting and worship exerts immense power to change the course of events by enforcing God’s rule in human affairs, and by binding and loosing in the spirit dimension. Our worship directed to God invites His presence and power into our situations – and don’t we all need more of Him in our lives (2 Chr 5:13-14, 20:21-24; Ps 22:3). All genuine prayer is spiritual warfare to some degree – advancing God’s Kingdom at the expense of Satan’s. Endeavouring to fight spiritual battles without the Lord’s enabling, and in obedience to His directions, will end in defeat (Num 14:42). The battle must be won in the spirit realm before it is addressed on the human level. Involvement in spiritual battles is not to be taken lightly; don’t consider a matter resolved by just dealing with the symptoms and not the root issues – like wiping away the odd spider’s web, and not killing the spider, the long-term cause.

Not Every Problem Is a Direct Attack by Satan

Not every problem we encounter in life is because of a direct attack by Satan. We live in a fallen world where “weeds” grow alongside the wheat until the harvest – sickness, accidents, natural disasters, human conflict and the simply consequences of living in a broken creation are part of life this side of eternity (Mt 13:24-30,36-43; Rom 8:20-22). Some difficulties arise from our own choices and weaknesses, some from the failures of others, and some simply because that is the nature of the world we live in. Discernment is therefore needed: to blame every setback on the devil is to give him more credit than Scripture allows, while to ignore his activity altogether leaves us exposed (2 Cor 2:11).

Yet while Satan is not the source of every trouble, he is an opportunist who capitalises on whatever goes wrong or is not to our liking. He uses disappointment, delay, loss and discomfort as entry points to whisper accusation, stir up bitterness, plant fear and discourage prayer – turning a natural trial into a spiritual battleground (Eph 4:27; 1 Pet 5:8-9). The weeds in the field may not have been sown by us, but the enemy will seek to use them to choke our fruitfulness. Our task is to stay rooted in the good soil of God’s Word, keep trusting the Farmer’s wisdom, and not let what we cannot control steal what we have been given.

At the same time, we are not left defenceless in the face of genuine satanic opposition. Jesus has given us His delegated authority: “In my name they will drive out demons…they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well” (Mk 16:17-18). The name of Jesus is not a slogan but the authority of the risen Lord operating through His obedient servants (Lk 10:17-19; Jn 14:12-14). So when darkness does press in – when there is real oppression, temptation or attack – we do not merely endure it; we stand our ground and resist it, in His name and by His finished work (Jas 4:7; 1 Pet 5:9). The following is a sample prayer for such times – adapt it to your situation, praying it aloud and with faith:

Resist the devil in Jesus' name and he will leave – James 4:7

Heavenly Father, I come to You in the name of Jesus. I thank You that through His death and resurrection the enemy is already defeated, and that no weapon formed against me shall prosper. Right now I put on the full armour of God – the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is Your Word – and I stand in the victory of Christ. Satan, I resist you and every advance you have made against my mind, my body, my family, my finances and my calling. I renounce every lie you have spoken and every foothold you have gained, and I command every work of darkness, every spirit of fear, deception and oppression, to leave me now in the name of Jesus. I cover myself and all that is mine with the blood of Jesus, and I declare that I belong to Christ, that Greater is He who is in me than he who is in the world. Holy Spirit, fill me afresh; fill my mind with Your peace, my heart with Your love and my mouth with Your praise. I submit myself to God, I draw near to Him, and I stand firm – for the battle belongs to the Lord. In the mighty name of Jesus, Amen. (Isa 54:17; Eph 6:10-18; Jas 4:7-8; 1 Jn 4:4)

Pray such a prayer deliberately, not superstitiously. The power is not in the formula but in the finished work of Christ, our submission to God and our standing on His Word. If the pressure persists, keep standing: put on the armour daily, stay in fellowship, keep confessing Scripture, and if needed ask mature believers to pray with you – for resistance is a posture we hold, not a sentence we say once (Eph 6:13; Heb 10:24-25).

Guard Your Heart and Keep Your Weapons Ready

A cleansed and righteous life obedient to Christ is a powerful weapon – as exemplified by the life of Jesus. He was able to say, “Satan has no hold on me”, for He was not controlled by His earthly body (Jn 14:30). Through temptation Satan turns our eyes away from God’s truth and towards selfish desires, for it is only by sin he can gain the advantage over us (Jas 1:13-15). Thus, be always on guard, for it is vital to maintain a right relationship with God, quickly dealing with any actions, words or thoughts that are not godly and would give a foothold to Satan as he attacks when we are vulnerable (Prov 4:23; Eph 4:27).

Keep your attention on Jesus and your weapons ready for use

It also means we are focusing on “He who is for us…If God be for us, who can be against us?…In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us”, and whatever is opposed to His purposes will not succeed (Ps 46:7,11; Isa 8:9-10; Rom 8:31,37).

“In Christ we have been blessed with all spiritual blessings…” and so are potential victors (not victims), for “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness…” (Eph 1:3-2:10; 2 Pet 1:3). So use the spiritual weapons at our disposal – the name of Jesus, the blood of the Lamb, the Word of God, and the word of our confession (Rev 12:11). Declare into the spirit realm the promises of God. Be a latter day David fighting the Goliaths of this age (1 Sam 17:23ff). This should be our confident belief: “The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and bring me safely to His heavenly Kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen” (2 Tim 4:18).

Just as Paul urged Timothy to remain committed in the good fight, who do I need to encourage to continue in their Christian walk and ministry (1 Tim 1:18-19)? There is no neutral side in the spiritual war – everyone is on one side or the other, for “no one can serve two masters” (Lk 16:13). When the enemy attacks, don’t passively accept it – fight back. We are told to resist the devil, not retaliating against our fellow man but against the spirit realm behind the attack (Eph 6:12; Jas 4:7).

The purpose of spiritual warfare is to bring the unsaved to Christ and to liberate Christians to their full potential in Christ, thus bringing glory to the Lord and blessing the societies in which we live.

Reflection and Application:

Am I putting on the full armour of God each day, or facing spiritual battle in my own strength?
Is there any sin, habit or thought pattern giving the enemy a foothold that I need to deal with quickly?
Am I fighting with God’s weapons – His Word, the name of Jesus, prayer and worship – rather than my own reasoning?
Who can I encourage this week to keep fighting the good fight of faith?