What Is Spiritual Warfare?
Spiritual warfare is real. Whether you've experienced a dark time in your life that you couldn't explain or you're seeking to understand what the Bible says about spiritual warfare, it's important for every Christian to be aware of the war that rages around them.
The Bible tells us to be watchful and to guard our hearts against the iniquity of sin. Let's take a look at a few Scriptures:
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12)
For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8)
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7)
As said in Ephesians 6:12, our struggle is ultimately against "spiritual forces of evil," meaning the real battle is the spiritual warfare of good versus evil. There is a spiritual war ongoing for the hearts of man, as the forces of evil want to turn us away from God and separate us from Him. But for those with God through Jesus, the battle is already won as Christ overcame death with the resurrection. We must be born again of spirit with faith in Jesus to be saved from the "second" death of the spirit (John 3).
Evil can only enter us when we allow it to live in our hearts, like a vampire who must be let into your house. The first step to engage in this grand spiritual warfare is recognizing it exists and to genuinely examine your heart. "For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” (Romans 1:17)
We have a real enemy who is committed to keeping us far from God and trusting Him. Satan comes to "steal, kill, destroy". Whether you feel under spiritual attack currently, love someone who is fighting a battle, or just seeking to understand the reality of spiritual warfare in the lives of believers, below we will take a deeper look at how we can recognize spiritual warfare and how we can have victory.
Recognizing the Enemy
Admittedly, the topic of Satan and spiritual warfare is one that some Christians find challenging and even difficult to consider. However, one must consider the truth: By choosing to ignore that the devil exists and that his sole aim is to ruin us, we set ourselves up to fall victim to his ploys. In particular, his use of lies that makes us doubt God and His promises over us. In Hosea 4:6, it states, “My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge."
The devil uses our mental space as his battlefield to wage war against us. One of his favorite tactics is to tell us lies and to speak them so convincingly that we hold them for the truth. One of Satan’s strategies is to present us with a worst-case scenario of our future in order to arouse fear in us. He can take advantage of our vulnerabilities and circumstances, and even use people to make us worry, instill hopelessness, and rob us of joy.
However, by far the worst lie of the devil is his effort to convince us to believe him over God, and that our Father is no match for him. This was the very strategy Satan used with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. He approached Eve and subtly twisted God's words, suggesting that God was withholding something good from them. He claimed that eating the forbidden fruit would not lead to death, as God had said, but would instead open their eyes and make them like God, knowing good and evil (Genesis 3:4-5).
Both Adam and Eve chose to believe Satan's lie over God's truth. Satan's primary goal is to disrupt our trust in God and lead us down a path of disobedience and separation from our Creator.
In our lives today, Satan continues to use similar tactics. He tries to make us question God's goodness, doubt His promises, and believe that we can find fulfillment and wisdom apart from Him. Recognizing these lies and holding fast to the truth of God's word is crucial in resisting the devil's schemes and maintaining our faith. Satan employs various tactics to deceive us and tempt us away from God's plan. Here are some common ways:
- He will twist or misinterpret scripture to confuse and lead youj astray. For instance, during Jesus' temptation in the wilderness, Satan quoted scripture out of context to tempt Him (Matthew 4:1-11).
- He instills doubt that God's goodness, love, and promises are not real in your life.
- He will use busyness, entertainment, or other seemingly harmless activities that consume our time and attention.
- He will make you think he's on your side and wants you to enjoy life.
- He wants you to believe that God's holding out on blessings and restricting you.
- He builds your pride and tells you that you are the king of your life and destiny.
- He exploits your pain and suffering as a way to make you question God's care.
The first step standing strong in spiritual warfare is to recognize that Satan will use the world, the flesh, and others to steal our hearts and minds away from God. The good news is, God is stronger than all.
Recognizing the Signs of Spiritual Warfare
So what does it feel like to be in spiritual warfare? The devil, Satan, has many tactics for sneaking into our lives and raging war in our soul. While this list is not exhaustive, it will help you understand when you may be facing spiritual warfare and be aware that it's time to put on supernatural strength and protection from your heavenly father.
Experiencing Unusual Temptations
Experiencing unusual temptations can be a sign of spiritual warfare, where unseen forces are working to lead you away from your faith. These temptations might suddenly become stronger and more persistent, making you question your strength and values.
Imagine you're going through your day, feeling strong in your faith, and suddenly you're hit with powerful urges to react angrily, indulge in harmful behaviors, or doubt your beliefs. These unusual temptations can feel overwhelming and confusing.
Recognize that these struggles could be spiritual battles. In such times, it's crucial to rely on the full armor of God—truth, righteousness, faith, salvation, and the Word of God. Immersing yourself in scripture and prayer equips you to stand firm against these attacks.
Prayer tip: Turn to prayer when you feel overwhelmed by desires to do what you know doesn't please and honor God. Ask God for strength and wisdom to resist temptations. A simple prayer could be, "Lord, help me resist these temptations and protect me with your strength. Guide my thoughts and actions throughout today so that I may honor you and live in your blessings."
Persistent Doubts and Fears
Do you feel overwhelmed with anxiety and doubting God's care for you anod those you love? These feelings can suddenly intensify, causing you to question your faith, your purpose, and even your worth.
It's far too easy in today's world to feel pulled into depression and worries. The news shouts at us 24-7 of things we should be fearful of. These persistent doubts and fears can feel like a heavy burden, pulling you away from your sense of peace and security.
Recognize that these struggles might be part of a spiritual battle. In such times, it’s crucial to equip yourself with the full armor of God—embrace truth, righteousness, faith, salvation, and the Word of God. Read through Scriptures, particularly the Psalms, and be reminded of God's promises to care for you and guide you.
Prayer tip: Make it a daily practice to take your worries and fears to God before they overwhelm you. Ask God for strength and peace. A simple prayer could be, "Lord, help me overcome these doubts and fears with your truth and love. I come to you and ask for rest. Thank you for your constant presence that provides comfort. I trust you."
Obstacles to Spiritual Growth
These barriers often appear in subtle ways, making it challenging to recognize them as spiritual attacks. Yet, understanding and addressing these obstacles can help you stay strong in your faith journey.
Imagine setting aside time for prayer, but every time you try to pray, distractions flood your mind. Your phone buzzes with notifications, urgent tasks suddenly seem unavoidable, or you just can't seem to focus. These distractions can prevent you from connecting deeply with God, leaving you feeling distant and discouraged.
Similarly, when you attempt to study the Bible, you might encounter unexpected interruptions or a lack of motivation. The Bible might seem confusing or irrelevant, causing you to lose interest. Worship participation can also suffer as you feel too tired, busy, or unenthusiastic to attend church or engage in worship activities.
These obstacles are not merely coincidences. They can be tactics of spiritual warfare, aiming to weaken your faith and pull you away from God. Satan knows that prayer, Bible study, and worship are essential for maintaining a strong relationship with God and equipping yourself for spiritual battles. By disrupting these practices, he tries to isolate you, making you more vulnerable to his attacks.
Prayer Tip: Set aside non-negotiable times to pray and read Scripture. Turn off electronics and remove distractions. Pray and God to help you stay focused and committed. Meditate on verse such as Psalm 119:105 "Your word is a lamp unto my feet and light unto my path." Lastly, get accountability! Join a Bible study or small group that meets regularly and can help encourage you to stay on track.
Interpersonal Conflict
We all have arguments and conflicts in life that cause disruption. These conflicts, whether with family, friends, or coworkers, can feel like mere disagreements or misunderstandings, but they can also be a strategic attack on the unity and peace that God desires for us. Maybe it's a misunderstanding with your spouse, a harsh word from a colleague, or an unexpected clash with a friend. These conflicts can escalate quickly, leaving you feeling hurt, frustrated, and distant from those you care about.
Satan knows that unity among believers and within families is powerful, so he targets relationships to create division and weaken our bonds. By fostering conflict, he aims to distract us from our spiritual goals and disrupt the peace that God intends for us.
Prayer Tip: Start with a humility and guard yourself against negative thoughts and emotions that foster anger, resentment, and pride. Seek restoration and desire to resolve conflicts quickly before they drive a root of bitterness in relationships and push you away from God's best. Pray and ask for wisdom to understand a situation clearly and for the ability to respond with love and patience.
Physical Exhaustion
Experiencing physical exhaustion without a clear cause can be a subtle yet powerful sign of spiritual warfare. This kind of unexplained fatigue can weigh heavily on you, making everyday tasks feel insurmountable and draining your motivation to engage in spiritual practices like prayer, Bible study, or worship.
Imagine you wake up feeling exhausted, even after a full night's sleep. Simple tasks that used to be easy now seem overwhelming, and you can't shake the feeling of constant tiredness. This persistent exhaustion can affect your mood, relationships, and even your faith, making it difficult to focus on anything, let alone your spiritual life.
This unexplained fatigue can be more than just physical; it can be a spiritual attack designed to weaken your resolve and disconnect you from God's purpose for your life.
Prayer Tip: When you feel fatigued, try to identify stressors and make an intentional plan for rest. Quiet meditation, listening to worship music, and most importantly, prayer, can help us lean on God when we feel physically weak. Pray and ask God to give you strength in maintaining mental, emotional, and spiritual health and wellness.
The Power of Prayer in the Battle
Understand that there is a war and you are in it. Like it or not, all of us are caught up in the spiritual war that’s taking place between good and evil. If you don’t engage in the war, you’ll still be affected by it – and you’ll be much more vulnerable to evil than you would if you decided to fight as God calls you to do. So be active; not passive. Engage in spiritual warfare with the confidence that God’s power working through you is greater than any evil working against you.
Your prayers can help prevent bad things from happening to people and usher good things into people’s lives. Listen to the Holy Spirit’s promptings for guidance about how best to pray for what’s most needed – and then pray to advance God’s kingdom on Earth and stop the spread of evil.
Know your commander and stand on His side. Your commander in spiritual warfare is Jesus Christ, who leads two armies: the army of holy angels in heaven and the army of prayer warriors on Earth. Jesus chose you, saves you, gives you an eternal inheritance of blessings, and lives in your soul as the Holy Spirit.
Jesus wants you to choose His side in the spiritual war, and to remember that the power He gives you is more powerful than evil. Your commander Jesus is the greatest example of a prayer warrior; by studying his life on Earth you can learn how to serve God without fear.
Recognize who your true enemy is. Your enemy is Satan, the highest-ranked of the fallen angels who rebelled against God. Satan is your adversary, accuser, tempter, and deceiver. He works by trying to convince you to doubt God’s truth and believe his lies instead.
You open doors for your enemy to attack you whenever you deliberately disobey God and choose to sin. It’s vital to run away from temptations to sin and pray against Satan’s plans to hurt you and other people.
Be certain of your authority in prayer. Jesus has given you the authority to pray in His name and to know that He will answer your prayers according to God’s will and at the right time. Be confident that you can pray to usher God’s power into any situation.
(excerpt provided by Whitney Hopler, How to Be a Prayer Warrior)
Putting On The Whole Armor of God
“Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,...” (John 14:6).
When your mind is waging war, it is crucial to look to the Holy Spirit. He will guide you to all truth (John 16:3). The metaphor Paul employs here reveals that God’s truth will always be around you and keep everything intact.
The breastplate of righteousness is to continue to chase after God's righteousness (Matthew 5:6). MacLaren’s Exposition states, “Christ has set our feet on the rock, and so the first requisite is secured. If we, for our part, will keep near to that Gospel which brings peace into our hearts, the peace that it brings will make us able to stand and bear unmoved any force that may be hurled against us.”
The shield of faith is putting your faith in front of you as if you were shielding a blow from the enemy. “We walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). We go forth in the armor of faith because we know that God is already there with us.
The helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit are combined because if we do not continually renew our minds (Romans 12:2), then we will be influenced by our own thoughts and desires. “Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes” (Ephesians 4:21-23). They protect from the enemy’s lies because he is the father of lies (John 8:44).
Sometimes it is hard to truly comprehend a threat that comes from things that are unseen. However, God warns us that the threat of spiritual warfare is very real and to arm ourselves with what He has given us. Just as a good father protects his children, our Father God gives us all we will need to stand against the enemy so that we may love one another (1 John 4) and reveal Christ to those who do not know Him (Matthew 5:14-16).
How to Have Victory in the Battle
In Strong’s Greeks concordance, it states the phrase “full armor” means panoplia in Greek. Specifically, to have complete armor of defensive and offensive weapons. According to HELPS word studies, God has given us these weapons to have victory over the enemy. Moreover, to “fight from His victory rather than to achieve the victory” (Helps Ministries).
So, why do we war over the enemy, even our own flesh, to have victory? Let's look at a few verses about God’s victory:
“For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world — our faith” (1 John 5:4).
“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57)
“The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord” (Proverbs 21:31).
Often, we forget that Jesus Christ has already given us victory over the enemy. The fact is that the enemy and our own desires have us believe we need to fight for victory. The lie tells us we never had victory in the first place. When Jesus went to the cross and died for us, the enemy was defeated. Jesus Himself even gave us authority over the enemy.
“Look, I have given you the authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy; nothing will ever harm you. However, don’t rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:19-20).
Victory in spiritual warfare may not look like freedom from a major challenge in life. Often, satan attacks us by showing up in small ways each day through shame, loneliness, disappointment, insecurity, and doubt. These subtle, daily struggles can be more challenging to recognize and combat because they don’t always appear as overt spiritual battles.
Victory in these situations means choosing to hold on to God’s truth despite the lies that try to take root in your heart. When shame creeps in, victory looks like remembering and embracing that you are forgiven and loved unconditionally by God. When loneliness strikes, it’s feeling God’s comforting presence and knowing that He is always with you. Overcoming disappointment involves trusting in God’s plan and His timing, even when things don’t go as you hoped.
Insecurity and doubt can be particularly relentless. Victory in spiritual warfare against these feelings means repeatedly affirming your identity in Christ and believing in His promises for your life. It’s about finding strength in your relationship with God to push back against the enemy’s whispers that you are not enough or that God has abandoned you.
This kind of victory might not change your external circumstances immediately, but it transforms your internal reality. You begin to walk with a sense of peace and assurance, grounded in your faith and trust in God. Your mindset shifts from defeat to resilience, from fear to courage.
Victory in spiritual warfare is the ability recognize the battle and maintain your faith and trust in God despite the ongoing, subtle attacks from the enemy. It’s living out the truth of Romans 8:37, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” Each day you choose to stand firm in your faith, resist the devil’s lies, and rely on God’s strength, you are experiencing victory in spiritual warfare.
A Spiritual Warfare Prayer (Psalm 91)
"Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. If you say, “The LORD is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. “Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”
The enemy will use anything and anyone to steal, kill, and destroy you (John 10:10). The enemy will even use the people closest to you. But God has given you armor to help defend yourself. We, as children of God, cannot go into war alone, just as an army does not go to the front lines alone. So, we need to make use of what God has given us in battle. After all, God is our strength and shield of protection (Psalm 28:7). He will never leave nor forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6).
Be strong in the battle, Jesus has already given you victory!
Rebecca Mashburn (Gordon) has a wonderful husband named Joseph. She has a blog, Trust. Lean, Seek and is working on becoming what God is calling her to. She has a bachelor's in psychology and hopes to one day pursue a degree in biblical counseling. Rebecca loves to be in nature, especially in springtime, and she loves to travel. She has a loving family and hopes one day to have children of her own.
