Spiritual Warfare: Winning the Battle Because Jesus Won the War

The warnings surrounding spiritual warfare are found on nearly every page of the Bible. Adam and Eve were the first to engage the battle when the crafty serpent, Satan waged war on their souls in the Garden of Eden.  And from that moment Satan, the prince of darkness, has been intensifying his attack on God’s children, waging a war that can be exhausting, deflating and debilitating.  Satan is better than Google, he’s been collecting data for thousands of years.  He’s sneakier than Facebook, tracking our moves and putting temptation in front of us since the beginning of time.  And he’s far more advanced than Amazon, he knows how to deliver sin, packaged up in a box to look exactly like what we want, delivered to our own front door at just the right time.  

Not every bad thing that happens in the life of a believer is spiritual warfare.  It’s unhealthy for a Christian to think there’s a demon under every rock and that every ailment is a result of satanic influence.  There are times when we trip and fall because we’re texting and walking, not because Satan is waging war on us.  We have a fender bender because we got distracted by the radio, not necessarily because of spiritual warfare.  Sometimes the hurts in our body are just the course of life. Point being, not every ailment and negative event that happens in your life is because of spiritual warfare.  Sometimes, it’s our own fault. 

How do we know the difference?  It can be hard to tell, but I’ve always looked for patterns.  I’ve noticed four in my own life.  First, there’s a certain intensity to spiritual warfare that is hard to describe.  It’s ethereal, but its real.  When you experience it, you know. Secondly, spiritual warfare is compounding.  It’s not usually one isolated event, it’s several events that compound.  Ephesians 6:16 describes faith as the “shield with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”  Did you catch it?  Arrows. Plural.  Satan isn’t content to shoot one arrow and walk away.  He’s on the attack. Spiritual warfare attacks are often several events that compound like arrows one after the other.  Thirdly, spiritual warfare attacks are often unexplainable and confusing events.  A car breaks down on the way to a new job interview.  Someone unexpected says hurtful and confusing things.  A sickness occurs just before or after you do something God is asking you to do. Lastly, God grants you a sense of peace through the mess.   

So, the question is, how do we fight back when it feels like all hell has been unlashed on us in a spiritual warfare attack?  Fortunately, the Bible gives us the battle plan for spiritual warfare in Ephesians 6:10-18. 

• First, recognize our strength for battle comes from the Lord.  If you want to fight Satan in your power, good luck.  He’s stronger than you.  There’s only one way to fight Satan and win…fight with the strength that comes from the Lord. Ephesians 6:10-11 says, ¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 
• Second, we fight and stand firm according to God’s plan, not our own.  You don’t need to develop a game plan for spiritual warfare.  Just follow the one God gave us! Ephesians 6:12-12-13 says, ¹² 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. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
• Third, we stand with truth as the center of all we do. The father of all lies hates the truth.  That’s why we MUST stand with truth at the center of all we do. Ephesians 6:14a says, ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist
• Fourth, we stand with righteousness protecting us. In other words, we are called to live righteously, by being obedient to God’s Word.  We protect our heart by choosing obedience.  This is righteous living. Ephesians 6:14b says, With the breastplate of righteousness in place,
• Fifth, we are always ready to share the gospel that brings peace. In the face of opposition, we must stand ready to share the Gospel.  Those who offer us harm should be offered the Gospel of Peace in return. Ephesians 6:15  ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 
• Sixth, we use faith during battle.  Satan is relentless. Oftentimes it will look and feel like all hell is breaking loose in your life.  Sometimes it will look like God has abandoned you. Don’t believe the lies the evil one tells you. You pick up the shield of faith and remember how your Father in heaven has protected you in the past and resolve to stand firm on his promises in the present. Ephesians 6:16 says,  ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one
• Seventh, we approach earthly battles with eternity in mind. Do you remember when you were a toddler and you cried because you were hungry?  Me neither.  We have a way of forgetting those momentary afflictions in light of “growing up.”  In heaven, you’ll not be wrapped up in the earthly battles.  Fight your battles here with heaven in mind, knowing that you are a child of God. Ephesians 6:17 says, ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation 
• Eighth, we use the only weapon we have: The Word of God: It’s the only weapon you have. It’s the only weapon you need. Verse 17 goes on to say, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
• Ninth, we pray. The strongest words you could ever say, “Father, help.”  Say them.  A lot. Ephesians 6:18 says ¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. 
• Lastly, we do not live naively, but we stay alert. Don’t be foolish.  Satan will use every tool at his disposal to fight you.  Don’t be naive.  Be alert. Verse 18 finishes by saying, With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. 

As a follower of Jesus, you can expect spiritual warfare.  It’s guaranteed.  I wish that weren’t the case.  In fact, I’ve often wondered why it had to be the case.  I mean, how many more people would trust Jesus and be saved if Christian’s were automatically bubble wrapped from all the woes and oh’s that this life brings?  But the truth is, God uses spiritual warfare with purpose.  Two-fold purpose.  First, he uses spiritual warfare in the life of the one experiencing the warfare.  It increases their faith and creates a greater dependence upon the Lord.  The Apostle Paul writes about his thorn in the flesh in 2 Corinthians.  He describes it as a “messenger of Satan to torment him” (2 Corinthians 12:7).  That sounds an awfully lot like spiritual warfare, doesn’t it? Look at what he writes:

“Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it [the thorn in his flesh] away from me.  But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10.)

Spiritual warfare in the life of the believer creates a dependence on God.  And with that dependence we learn that even in the midst of flaming arrows being shot in our direction, our shield of faith can extinguish them, and God’s grace is sufficient.  Where our weakness ends, His power begins.  

Secondly, spiritual warfare provides a witness for the lost world.  In a strange twist of irony, what Satan intends for harm, God uses for good.  A lost world, and often a persecuting world, watches God’s people endure hardship and then comes to faith because of what they see in the life of the one enduring the hardship.  

While it’s true that in some ways Satan is better than Google, sneakier than Facebook and far more advanced than Amazon, in one major way he’s as useless as the old 3.5-inch floppy disks.  Do you remember those?  They could store information, and they could even transfer viruses…but today, they are obsolete, if you have a new computer. Satan is like that 3.5-inch floppy disk.  He has some information on you…but he’s he can’t hurt the one who has been made new in Christ.  We can win the battle because Christ has won the war!  Go back up and look at point number 7.  We approach earthly battles with eternity in mind. Ephesians 6:17Take the helmet of salvation.  A little pain in this life hurts, but you won’t remember it in eternity.  And that 3.5-inch floppy disk won’t be around in heaven.  So, when Satan attacks, be ready to fight, but do it with the right perspective, knowing that heaven is forever, and our battles here are only temporary.  All thanks to Jesus who made us new. He won the war, and he gives you the plan to win the battle.  Stay the course.  Keep fighting.  To the glory of God.  

What a Savior He is.

To God be the glory.