Is spiritual warfare real today? Are we truly engaged in spiritual battles against principalities and powers?
The evidence of the confrontation against devils and demons is a real issue. Scripture constantly reveals the conflict that is ever-present in the world, and as the body of Christ, we are consistently engaged in spiritual warfare.
From the beginning, in Genesis, we see the conflict engaged, and God initiates it.
Genesis 3:15: God declares,
“And I will put enmity (hostility; hatred; treat as an enemy) between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.”
The battle between God and Satan, along with his kingdom, began that day and continues till the present.
Though the battle still rages, the victory over the battle has already been won!
Colossians 3:14-15 states:
“Having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.”
The Victory of Calvary
Two thousand years ago, God fulfilled the promise to bruise Satan’s head. At the cross, Jesus defeated Satan’s authority over mankind.
The Gospel message reveals victory and then gives us the legal authority to act on that message, with the power now available to us through Calvary’s victory and the power and presence of the Holy Spirit.
Spiritual warfare in itself declares that there is a genuine battle against two kingdoms. The kingdom of God and the fallen kingdom of Satan.
Both these kingdoms are at war over the kingdom of man.
Without the redemption that has now been revealed through the victory of Calvary, there would be no warfare. Mankind in itself would be hopelessly lost and fully under the control of Satan’s kingdom.
But the very presence of warfare declares that there is another side that is pushing back, and that is a great Hallelujah.
Jesus arrived on the scene to reveal His Father’s kingdom. Standing in the authority of that kingdom, He went to war over the stronghold that Satan has over mankind.
Sicknesses, diseases, demonic possession, and death itself all bowed to the greater kingdom of His Father.
In Matthew 12:28, Jesus states,
“But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.”
In this scripture, Jesus reveals that He wasn’t just here to set people free from demonic powers, but was here to engage with the kingdom of God and confront and defeat the kingdom of darkness.
Jesus brought spiritual warfare to the front line in His ministry. He revealed that there was a greater and stronger kingdom to advance with, and He was here to reveal it.
Advancing the Kingdom of God
Matthew 16:18-19 states:
“…. I will build My church, and the gate of Hades will not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
Jesus declares His full intentions, and that is to advance the kingdom that He is revealing. He is heading to a cross and, afterward, to the resurrection to fully implement His plans.
Hebrews 12:2 states:
“looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Remember, Colossians 3 states that He spoiled principalities and powers. Having torn their authority from them, he desires to hand it to the mankind that He redeemed with His blood.
Luke 10:17-19 states:
“Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”
Jesus reveals that Satan and his kingdom are defeated.
Overcoming the Kingdom of Darkness
Revelation 12:7-9 states:
“And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”
Verses 10-11 state:
“Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, ‘Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.”
This chapter in Revelation declares that the authority of Satan’s kingdom was to be replaced by the victory and power of the kingdom of God.
We also see that mankind, now with the blood of Christ declaring their victory over Satan, can overcome him and take their part in advancing the kingdom of God.
In all of this, we see that Jesus expects spiritual warfare to be a constant and the norm in the church’s advancement.
The engagement of the battle now is Satan’s kingdom attempting to thwart, interrupt, or stop the advancement of the body of Christ and the gospel of God’s deliverance from overthrowing his strongholds.
The Church’s Responsibility
With this in mind, let’s look at the church’s responsibility to operate effectively, productively, and triumphantly in this world.
Ephesians 2:1-3 states:
”And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.”
The first thing is to recognize that spiritual warfare is all around us. It controls the word and the flesh nature of man without God.
We are also to realize that we were delivered from its power and hold.
Verses 5-6 state our new position:
“even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”
It is from this new position that we can now join the fight and engage the enemy.
Let us be clear: our goal and focus is always souls, and not chasing demons!
The battle is for the redemption of mankind, and Satan’s kingdom stands in the way. We have been given the authority to drive that kingdom back and out of the way so that souls may rejoice in knowing that their names are now written in heaven for all eternity.
Jesus said in Luke 10:20,
“Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”
From this position, we can recognize that we are truly connected to a greater kingdom, and from that position is where we draw our strength.
Colossians 1:11-13 states:
“strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.”
Remain Vigilant in Your Walk
Knowing that we have been liberated, we now have the responsibility to guard ourselves from the strategies of darkness and remain vigilant in our walk.
1 Peter 5:8-9 states:
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.”
Satan has been defeated, but he is always looking to catch us off guard. He is determined to do whatever he can to interrupt.
But as 1 John 3:8 states:…
“For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”
One chapter over in 4:4, John states:
“You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”
Satan and his kingdom are now on the run. He has been truly defeated, and we stand in Christ as the more than conquerors. (Romans 8:37).
Four Responsibilities of the Believer
Believers, it’s our responsibility to do four things:
1. Don’t Become Entangled
2 Timothy 2:4 states,
“No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.”
Having been set free from the pull of the world’s system, let’s guard our hearts and actions against once again becoming entangled in the affairs of this life.
We can’t serve two masters. The weeds of this life will choke off the fruit that we are to bear.
2. Guard Your Heart
Guard your heart, your life, your speech, and your attitude towards others.
Ephesians 4:25-27;30-32 states,
“Therefore, putting away lying, ‘Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,’ for we are members of one another. “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil…. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”
The devil is always looking for a place to gain control. Our heart attitude towards others and God is what he is looking to invade and corrupt.
When we guard these areas, we can stand confident against any attack the enemy throws at us.
3. Know the Strength of Your Weaponry
Know the strength of the weaponry and what it can do.
2 Corinthians 10:3-6 states:
”For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.”
Remember, you are in a spiritual battle against strongholds and high things that are attempting to defeat the body of Christ and hold people in bondage.
You are not in a flesh fight with attitudes; you are in spiritual warfare, and armed with a weaponry designed to take down every stronghold and high thing.
Your weaponry is truly more powerful than anything the devil can throw at you.
4. Put On the Whole Armor of God
Standing in the absolute strength of God, and clothed with His might, put on the whole armor of God.
Ephesians 6:10-13 states:
”Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”
Believers, you are called, appointed, and anointed.
You are called to overcome darkness with light. You have been anointed to cast out devils, and to undo all the works of the wicked one, and you have been appointed and weaponized to see souls freed from the kingdom of darkness, and with their names firmly written in the Lamb’s book of life, be translated into the kingdom of the Son of God.
You are an overcomer, and through you multitudes will find freedom, deliverance, and victory.
Guard your heart. Remain steadfast and immovable.
Clothe yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ, and to you an imperishable crown of life that does not fade will be held for you in glory.
Blessings,
