What Is Spiritual Warfare?
Let me ask you three true/false questions:
- True or false: I know what spiritual warfare is, and I know that I have been attacked by Satan.
- True or false: I know how to recognize it every time, maybe not immediately, but I know how to recognize it.
- True or false: I know how to resist it. As soon as I recognize it, I know how to resist it so that it ends immediately.
How many of those can you answer “true” to? If you’re like most Christians, you probably got zero, one, or maybe two. Don’t worry, that’s exactly why we need to talk about this topic.
The Simple Definition
​“Spiritual warfare is a battle between God and His Kingdom and Satan and his kingdom.”
In its most basic sense, that’s it. We can step back and dig deep and expand it, but that’s basically what it is. It’s not complicated in concept, even if it can be challenging in practice.
The Problem with Extreme Descriptions
But here’s one of the problems: the way that some people describe this spiritual war, such as this,
“There’s a constant, hidden battle happening in our daily lives that we can’t see or hear, but its effects touch everything important to us. A determined malevolent force incessantly works to destroy what we value most—our emotions, thoughts, romantic partnerships, family bonds, friendships, inner strength, aspirations, and future potential.“
Is this your experience? Frankly, it isn’t mine. And when many people hear descriptions like this, they think, “You know what, if that’s what spiritual warfare is, I’m not involved in it. That’s not going on in my life.” So they dismiss the entire concept.
This kind of dramatic portrayal can actually drive people away from understanding what the Bible really teaches about spiritual warfare. It makes it sound like we should be cowering in fear, constantly under siege, barely surviving each day. But that’s not the balanced picture Scripture gives us.
The Balanced Reality
The Bible makes it clear that we are in a spiritual war. Because it’s spiritual (because the nature of it is different) it’s hard to recognize. But it’s not necessarily the intense, all-consuming daily battle that some describe.
There are times, every now and then, when spiritual warfare becomes more intense in our lives. It’s not every day, but these moments do happen. The key is learning to recognize them when they occur and knowing how to respond effectively.
Many Christians go through their entire lives unaware of what they’re experiencing spiritually. They face struggles, setbacks, temptations, and conflicts without ever considering the spiritual dimension of what’s happening. This isn’t because they’re bad Christians: it’s because they’ve never been equipped with the knowledge and tools they need.
The Goal
My Goal is for you to be able to say with confidence:
- I know what spiritual warfare is.
- I know how to recognize.
- I know how to resist it.
When you can say this, you will be equipped to recognize a spiritual attack, and resist it to end it immediately.
This isn’t about becoming paranoid or seeing Satan behind every problem. It’s about understanding the biblical reality that there is a spiritual dimension to our lives and learning to navigate it with wisdom and power.
The good news? God has equipped us for this war. We’re not left defenseless or clueless. We have everything we need not just to survive, but to win decisively when spiritual battles arise.
In the coming posts, we’ll explore exactly what this looks like and how you can be prepared for the spiritual realities you face as a believer.
Do you have a question or comment? I’d love to hear from you. Post it below.
