Do You Not Take Spiritual Warfare Seriously Enough?

If we’re being honest, we tend to forget about Satan or at least fail to take him seriously. But Scripture frequently reminds us of the spiritual battle that is raging around us— a warning we need so that we can defend ourselves:

John 10:10 tells us “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.” 1 Peter 5:8 describes Satan as our “adversary” who “prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."

Paul instructs the Christians in Ephesus to “put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the Devil” (Ephesians 6:11).

Satan is real and powerful, even though Jesus is MORE powerful. With our short attention span and selfish sinful nature, Satan takes advantage.

Although Satan cannot take away our salvation--Paul writes in Romans 11:29 that “the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable"--he can affect our mental and spiritual health.

What makes people today even easier prey is that in our Western society, we act like no reasonable person would believe in spiritual warfare. Ranjit David, speaking of modern Indian Christians, laments the dismissiveness that views Satan as “a caricature, wearing a red cape and carrying a pitchfork. We not only find it amusing but absurd, with stubborn unbelief in the reality of spiritual warfare.”

But Satan and spiritual warfare are realities that Christians need to take seriously—so seriously that angels are fighting on our behalf.

Daniel 10-12 describes one long battle of the angels against wickedness. The writer of Hebrews 1:14 asks “Are [angels] not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?”

Accepting the reality of Satan’s existence and influence will only help us to grow spiritually. Denying it would only make us easier prey.

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Our world is more overstimulated and distracted than ever.

Erik Raymond describes the “cacophony of distractions [which] are the mortar rounds blowing up at our feet. What would be one of the most effective strategies for winning a war? Convince your enemy to put down their weapons and abandon the fight."

All the Evil One has to do is convince us that anything at all is more compelling than our devotional time, prayers, or fellowship. We only need to walk away from the Word for a little while to forget how real the battle is, and how important vigilance is.

This is how the saints drift. We are easily distracted, not only from Jesus, but from the idea of battle.

If we could at least remember that the battle is real, we would more quickly turn to our leader and Savior. But that’s just the problem: we think we’re doing okay.

This is why pastors and missionaries will often argue that health, wealth, and happiness, not founded in God, are actually spiritual killers. They blind us to the death creeping over us, and to the life that we truly need.

So how does a Christian avoid Satan’s distractionary measures? As always, reading our Bibles, attending church, and praying to the Lord are important first lines of defense.

We also want to acknowledge suffering in our own lives and in the world around us. Simply dismissing suffering as a non-event minimizes the healing work of Jesus and the hope of eternity we find only in Him. Don’t soak in suffering, but do acknowledge it.

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Satan lies to us in sneaky, subtle ways—speaking to us through sources we think we can trust.

For instance, the Evil One will pose as a brother or sister in Christ, or even lead people astray in the role of a preacher. Paul warned that “Satan disguises himself as an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14). Jesus warned, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves” (Matthew 7:15). 

Recent history has demonstrated how even a well-loved preacher can actually be a predator, not only abusing his congregation but potentially teaching false doctrine. We must understand how crafty Satan is, and how his power is not in fear tactics but in the subtleties of disguise and attractive propositions.

Isaiah 53:2 says that Jesus “had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.” We must be aware that this is one of Satan’s schemes is to be the opposite, so think twice before letting pleasant-sounding ideas and attractive lips lead us in a false direction.

We have been warned as the verses above testify, but we also need to know what the truth of the gospel is. Paul emphasizes in Galatians 1:8 that “. . . even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.”

If you know what the gospel is, you will also know what it is not. As soon as you hear someone preaching a false gospel, you can be sure that Satan is at work through his own dark servants.

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 We are weak because we still fight the flesh while we are here on earth.

We fight against sinful desires for food, sex, alcohol, drugs; for significance, power, and pity. By the power of the Holy Spirit within us, we fight against sinful longings, but Satan gets the upper hand when we ignore the threat.

We are tempted by teachings similar to the true gospel, teachings that accommodate our desires but which reject the truth of Scripture.

Jesus knows what it’s like to be tempted with near-truths. In the wilderness, when Jesus was physically weak, Satan even used Scripture to make his lies sound like truth. Jesus knew better.

In Matthew 4:5-6, Satan urged Jesus to jump from the peak of the temple, quoting Psalm 91:11-12: “‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”

Jesus, however, was not deceived. In response to Satan, Jesus replied “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test’” (Matthew 4:7). He knew the Scriptures better, and would not be lured into either taking them out of context or using them to justify disobedience to the Father.

If Our Savior had submitted to Satan, He could not also have yielded to His Father, because “No one can serve two masters” (Matthew 6:24).

We need to realize that we are weak and that the only safe place to rest when we are tired and confused is at the feet of Jesus Christ.

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Christians are not helpless against Satan’s attacks; they carry weapons that can be used against it.

Focus on the Family writes that a spiritual attack “isn’t the kind of thing you can overcome on your own”, and urges anyone who feels as though he or she is under attack to “find a pastor, Christian counselor, or trusted fellow believer (of the same sex) you can talk with openly.”

Even if you feel strong enough to withstand Satan and his demons, that doesn’t mean you are in the clear. As you grow in faith and maturity, you have a responsibility to the Body to be there for Christians who are either less mature or who are simply under attack.

In fact, now that you are more aware of this spiritual reality, you can be proactive. Utilize the Body preemptively. If you know that an event is coming up during which you will be confronted by temptation, don’t pretend everything will simply be okay.

Go to good friends and have them pray with you for protection. Ask for encouragement to not sin, to see the situation through Christ’s eyes, and to seek His direction. Ask for defense against the Evil One whose schemes (as we have seen) are cunning and effective.

Remember who you are, but more importantly, remember who Jesus is: your Lord and Savior, the One who defeated Satan by rising from the grave. You are alive in Him.

Don’t live in fear of Satan, looking for his shadow and feeling his chill in every dark corner. Instead, walk in the light of Christ.

Jesus promised “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).

Depend on Him.

Sources:

https://in.thegospelcoalition.org/article/the-neglected-reality-of-spiritual-warfare/
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/erik-raymond/why-do-quiet-times-get-so-noisy/
https://www.focusonthefamily.com/family-qa/spiritual-warfare-winning-the-battle/

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