Spiritual warfare is the believer's struggle against spiritual forces and must be engaged using spiritual weaponry.
Engaging in spiritual warfare requires a willingness to fight valiantly using the armor of God.
Believers must rely on God's strength and put on the full armor of God.
Spiritual warfare looks different for each believer and can include removing tempting influences and resisting seeking validation through social media.
Deep dives
What is Spiritual Warfare?
Spiritual warfare is the believer's struggle against the spiritual forces of wickedness in heavenly places. It involves a battle between the spirit of God in the heart and the old flesh, and must be engaged using spiritual weaponry. It is a reality for every true believer in Jesus Christ, and neglecting to engage in spiritual warfare is sin.
Engaging in Spiritual Warfare
Engaging in spiritual warfare involves opposing the enemy and fighting against the forces of wickedness. It requires a willingness to fight valiantly, using the armor of God and the spiritual weapons described in Ephesians chapter 6. It is a battle that takes place within the heart of the believer, between the spirit of God and the old self.
The Reality of Spiritual Warfare
Every believer is engaged in a spiritual battle against the spiritual forces of wickedness. This battle takes place within the human heart.
Engaging in Spiritual Warfare
Believers must rely on God's strength and put on the full armor of God. This includes the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, readiness from the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit.
Personalizing the Battle
Spiritual warfare looks different for each believer and can include removing tempting influences in our lives, cultivating modesty, and resisting the temptation of seeking validation through likes or social media attention.
The Constant Opposition
In spiritual warfare, believers face an opponent who seeks their defeat. This opponent is Satan, the enemy of every believer. The goal of Satan is to defeat and discourage believers.
Spiritual warfare is a reality for every true believer in Jesus Christ
Spiritual warfare is a real and ever-present battle that all believers in Jesus Christ must face (Ephesians 6:12). It involves an opponent, Satan, who is a spiritual being, not a temporal or carnal one (1 Peter 5:8). Believers need to be alert to the strategies and tactics of the enemy and utilize spiritual weapons to fight against him (2 Corinthians 2:11, 10:3-4). It is important to rely on the power of the Lord, not our own strength, and to combat unbelief, which can undermine the effectiveness of our spiritual weaponry (John 15:5, Ephesians 6:10, Mark 9:23-24, James 1:5-8). Spiritual warfare will continue as long as believers are in this world, but they can ultimately overcome Satan and his schemes in the power of Christ (Revelation 20:10, Deuteronomy 20:4, John 16:33, Romans 8:1, Romans 8:37, 1 Corinthians 15:57-58, Philippians 4:13).
Believing God's Word is crucial for victory in spiritual warfare
Doubt and unbelief are common battlegrounds in spiritual warfare, but believers must have faith in God and His Word to be victorious (Hebrews 11:6, James 1:6-8, Matthew 28:16-17). True faith in Christ is essential, as it encourages virtue, works by love, purifies the heart, and overcomes the world (Charles Spurgeon). On the other hand, unbelief hinders prayer, stifles praise, and undermines obedience (Thomas Reed, Charles Spurgeon). Believers need to believe the promises of God, hold fast to the truth of His Word, and trust in the power of Christ's indwelling Holy Spirit to equip and enable them in the spiritual battle (Mark 9:23, Romans 8:1, Ephesians 6:13). By believing and trusting in God's Word, believers can experience victory in spiritual warfare and live according to His will (J.C. Ryle).
In this episode of the Just Thinking podcast, Darrell Harrison and Virgil “Omaha” Walker address what, arguably, is among the most misunderstood doctrines within the Protestant evangelism: spiritual warfare. What is spiritual warfare, biblically, and what practical steps can believers in Jesus Christ take to engage in that warfare victoriously? Listen as Darrell and Virgil walk you through a biblical understanding of “Spiritual Warfare.”
