spiritual battle – spreading the fame

Battle

WHEN THE UNSEEN REALM IS FIERCE

Our neighbors in a remote village in Northern Africa had paid a local marabou (witchdoctor) to throw a curse on our family and home. We felt an oppressive weight and our kids began experiencing night terrors. We had little teaching or frame of reference for this type of spiritual battle.

Before going to the mission field, I was aware that I had an enemy who would mess with the mission and the workers. However, I naively put those thoughts into a spiritual attic afraid to touch them. So they collected dust until I went to the field, and I was confronted by the battle from the frontlines. It wasn’t too late to learn, but I wished that I had known more about my spiritual armor and the spiritual battle that my family would plunge into.

Most soldiers undergo boot camp before deploying to the field. When we go to the mission field, we can expect the spiritual battle to be fierce and the enemy to use a variety of tactics to inflict fear, distraction, discouragement, or defeat.

BIBLICAL REFLECTION ON THE BATTLE

Pioneer mission workers on the frontlines among the unreached understand that the spiritual battle is not an abstract theological concept, but a reality of daily ministry. They are not merely engaging with people and cultures; they are confronting unseen forces that resist the advance of God’s Kingdom.

God oversees an active unseen realm. The Bible unequivocally teaches that there is an unseen realm populated by spiritual beings, both good and evil. This realm has existed since before the creation of man. While God is sovereign and supreme, He allows a real, active, and fierce foe to operate in this world—Satan and his demonic forces. These entities are not mere metaphors for evil; they are intelligent, malevolent beings dedicated to opposing God and His redemptive purposes.

Man’s battle is physical and spiritual. (Ephesians 6:12)
Satan is a cunning and predatory adversary. (1 Peter 5:8)
Satan’s main strategies are isolation (Genesis 3:1), lies (John 8:44), temptation (2 Thessalonians 3:5), and accusation (Revelation 12:10),
Spiritual enemies don’t just play around with us, they seek to deceive and destroy us (John 8:44)
Satan is not the sole problem. Our world and our flesh are also part of the problem. (Ephesians 2:1-3)
God is more powerful than any enemy. God has all enemies on a tight leash. (Genesis 3:15; Colossians 2:15)

God’s enemy is always actively trying to thwart God’s plan and people. The enemy doesn’t sleep. He is relentless. He is powerful and effective as he has been at his craft for a very long time. This foe actively blinds the minds of unbelievers (2 Corinthians 4:4), sows discord, tempts believers (1 Thessalonians 3:5), and seeks to hinder the Gospel (1 Peter 5:8). In unreached areas, where the Gospel has not yet penetrated, these forces often hold significant sway, manifesting in various forms of spiritual darkness. As evil as these forces are, God uses them ultimately for His purposes.

God gives victory for today and ultimately. Despite the fierceness of the foe, the overwhelming truth of Scripture is that God has already secured victory through Jesus Christ. Our role is not to achieve victory, but to enforce the victory already won.

Christ’s death and resurrection were the decisive blow against Satan’s scheme. (Colossians 2:15)
Jesus came specifically to undo the works of the devil. (1 John 3:8)
Believers participate in Christ’s victory through His atoning work and their faithful witness. (Revelation 12:11; Romans 16:20)

Our confidence amid spiritual warfare comes from Christ’s finished work, not from our own ability to fight. We engage from a position of victory, not striving for it.

God gives spiritual armor for protection and defense. God gives each believer everything they need to defend and fight well. Since the enemy is relentless, we must put on the armor of God every day. (Ephesians 6:10-18; 2 Corinthians 10:3-5; James 4:7; Luke 10:19) We do not engage in spiritual warfare in our own strength but rely on the authority and power of Christ who lives in us. Our role involves:

Putting on the Full Armor of God: This is not defensive gear to ward off attacks, but offensive equipment for standing firm in Christ’s victory. Each piece represents a spiritual truth and discipline (Ephesians 6:13-18).

Wielding the Sword of the Spirit (God’s Word): The truth of Scripture is powerful and active, capable of discerning thoughts and intentions, and is our primary offensive weapon (Hebrews 4:12, Ephesians 6:17).

Engaging in Strategic Prayer: Prayer is how we access and apply God’s power in the spiritual realm, binding demonic activity and releasing God’s will (Ephesians 6:18, Matthew 18:18).

Standing Firm in Faith: Our faith in Christ’s finished work is our shield against the enemy’s fiery darts (Ephesians 6:16).

Proclaiming the Gospel: The Gospel itself is the ultimate weapon against the kingdom of darkness, bringing light where there is blindness and freedom where there is bondage (Romans 1:16).

Actively Fighting Sin and the Sark. Sometimes we are the biggest problem in the battle. We fight against the remnants of our flesh. We fight against the remnants of our flesh (sark) and old sinful self while seeking to be a new creation in Christ. I need Christ’s power to help me to live like Him. (Galatians 5:17-21; Romans 7:18; Ephesians 4:22-24)

What other Scriptures or biblical aspects come to mind when you consider the “spiritual battle”? Take a few moments to look up 1-2 of these verses and journal what the Lord highlights for you.

“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” — 1 Peter 5:8

THE IMPORTANCE OF READINESS FOR THE SPIRITUAL BATTLE

Awareness of the spiritual battle is not meant to induce fear but to foster vigilance, strategic prayer, standing firm, and reliance on God. It is important for several key reasons:

Proper Diagnosis of Obstacles and Strongholds: Not every challenge is spiritual, but many are. Awareness helps you discern when opposition, apathy, or unusual difficulties are rooted in spiritual resistance, preventing you from misattributing them to purely human factors or personal failings.

Strategic Prayer: Knowing you face a spiritual foe shifts your prayer from general requests to targeted, fervent intercession for breakthroughs, protection, binding of demonic activity, and calling on the powerful name of Christ.

Reliance on God’s Power: It humbles you, reminding you that you cannot fight this battle in your own strength. This awareness drives you to depend entirely on God’s power, which is infinitely greater than any demonic force.

Protection and Vigilance: It encourages you to “put on the full armor of God” (Ephesians 6:11-18) and to remain sober-minded, guarding against the enemy’s schemes.

Understanding the “Why”: It helps make sense of the intense resistance, apathy, or even direct hostility often encountered when proclaiming the Gospel in unreached areas.

PRAYER ACTION

Consider the Scriptures you cling to above. Consider the battle. Write a prayer for the kind of person you want to be in the spiritual battle.

BUILDING A PRACTICAL MINI-THEOLOGY OF THE BATTLE

Take some time to prayerfully draft your practical mini-theology of “dependence” by responding to these questions:

What is the unseen realm? What about the unseen realm to you need to remove from the attic and dust off? Is it true that what you can’t see can hurt you? Why is the battle fierce especially among UPGs?

example: God is… We are the kind of people who… It is most like us/me to… We/I will… We/I hold to…

What is a spiritual stronghold? What spiritual strongholds are present where you are going? What might freedom for them look like?

How do you have victory and freedom in Christ? What will bring you daily freedom in the battle? What does it look like to put on the Armor of God?

Once you finish share your responses with your mentor. Ask for feedback. Adjust your draft as needed.

Additional Resources for Going Deeper:
Unseen Realm, by Michael Heiser
Deeper Walk International, Tools & Training
Freedom in Christ, Neil Anderson
Liberty to the Captives, by Mark Durie
Theology of Standing Firm, by J.T. Hutts

Praying God’s Armour Download

WAYS THE FIELD IS A BATTLEFIELD

Spiritual warfare manifests in various ways, often subtly, but sometimes overtly, in unreached contexts.

Intense Resistance to the Gospel: People may seem utterly uninterested in spiritual truth, even when their lives are clearly broken. People may express unusual apathy, hostility, or irrational fear towards the message, even when it’s presented. This can be a demonic blinding of minds (2 Corinthians 4:4).

Unexplained Opposition and Obstacles: Repeated visa denials, sudden health crises, chronic team conflict, or inexplicable logistical breakdowns that seem to specifically hinder ministry progress.
Dreams and Visions: In some cultures, people report disturbing dreams or visions, or conversely, God uses dreams to draw people to Himself, prompting a spiritual battle for their understanding and faith.

Occult Practices and Idolatry: Direct encounters with witchcraft, animistic practices, ancestor worship, or overt demonic oppression where the spiritual forces are clearly at play.
Exacerbated Personal Sin and Temptation: A heightened struggle with pre-existing sinful patterns (e.g., anger, lust, pride, self-pity) or new, intense temptations, especially when tired, “joy tank” is low, or isolated.

Discouragement and Despair: Missionaries themselves may face intense, irrational waves of discouragement, self-doubt, despair, hopelessness, worthlessness, loneliness, or a desire to give up, designed to make them abandon their calling (1 Peter 5:8).

Relational Discord: Uncharacteristic friction, misunderstandings, bitterness, or unresolved conflict. Small disagreements escalate into major rifts, threatening unity and effectiveness. The enemy has long pitted people against one another. He will try to bring discord between spouses, families, colleagues, neighbors, local disciples, and others. The enemy wants believers to go into enemy mode with one another.

Physical Ailments and Accidents: While not every illness is spiritual, some can be direct attacks designed to incapacitate or distract missionaries from their work.

False Teachings and Syncretism: The enemy seeks to distort the gospel or blend it with existing beliefs, creating a counterfeit that lacks saving power.

The spiritual battle is not always a loud, dramatic event, but often a persistent, multi-faceted assault on the missionary’s spirit, mind, relationships, and ministry effectiveness. Recognizing these patterns is the first step in engaging the battle with God’s victory.

are you ready for warfare?

January 9, 2011Posted in Ephesians, gospel, spiritual warfareTagged armor of God, battle, Ephesians, Ephesians 6, gospel, satan, soldier, spiritual battle, spiritual warfare, your are at war2 Comments

Do you go out with your armor on? There are many careers that wear armor, but none more common than the armed forces. It is not uncommon to see a soldier dressed in battle gear on the news. In Jesus day it was not uncommon to see a Roman soldier or centurion. Paul uses this as an illustration to teach followers of Christ a valuable spiritual truth.[1]

You are at War [Ephesians 6:10-12]

Paul makes it clear. Christians are living in a war zone. Here is how your spiritual war is described: First, the war is intensely ferocious [v.12]. It is intensely ferocious because your enemy has one purpose in mind—to destroy your heart and distract you from following God. Your enemy might seem like a friendly foe that offers opulent peace treaties and enticing bribes. He is no friend; he is a ferocious foe in camouflage seeking to ransack your heart with baits and traps.

The spiritual war in which you are engaged is against the “principalities, powers and rulers of darkness.” [v.12] These evil rulers are lead by sergeant Satan the sly strategist and his band of menacing minions. Satan is so sly that he uses your strengths against you. Just as he tempted Jesus in the wilderness he can even distort the Word of God to get his way with you [cf. John 4]. Evil is a Weapon of Mass Destruction and the enemy is as nasty as an Al-Qaeda terrorist. The spiritual war is staged on the battlefield of “heavenly places.” It is waged in a spiritual realm in your midst, but unseen to your naked eye.

This is not the kind of war where you lob grenades, shoot semi-automatic guns, send computer-guided missiles, or have sea and air arsenals. This battle is fought as a wrestling match [i.e. hand-to-hand combat or guerrilla warfare]. Wave after wave of evil savages struggle against you in a continual onslaught seeking to sidetrack and devastate you spiritually. They do not take prisoners of war; instead they look to execute their captives.

Second, the enemy is scheming to take you down hard and fast [v.11]. Satan is not the red-horned, tail-wagging, pitchfork-carrying goofball you commonly see depicted in modern cartoons. He is dark, but is referred to as the Angel of Light. He is incredibly beautiful and intelligent, but is known for being a deceiver and father of lies. He is cunning, tricky, deceptive, and like a predator waiting to devour you like a juicy prey.

What kind of schemes does Satan slyly strategize against you? [cf. 4:22-29] Satan’s weapons of trade are taking little things and making them look big and taking big things and making them look little. He gets you to carry tomorrow and yesterday around today. He makes sin look fun, refreshing, and freeing, but in reality it is guilt-ridden, old as dirt, and bondage. Most importantly he gets you to live contrary to the Word of God and the cause of Christ.

Third, the only way you can win this war is with God’s power [v.10]. “Be strong in the Lord,” is like a war charge towards the troops. This phrase did not originate here, but in the OT.[2] God used this charge towards His nation and its commanders reminding them He will fight right along side them even go before them [cf. 5:8, 11]. Often God fights for His people who are against insurmountable odds. God is a warrior and spiritual warfare champion, which is a source of courage and comfort in the heat of an intensely ferocious war.

Arm Yourself for Battle [Ephesians 6:13-17]

Soldiers of Christ are charged to stand. [vs.11-14] Three times in this passage Paul tells you to stand so you do not fall [vs.11, 13-14]. The enemy—Satan and his cronies—are powerful forces that cannot be faced alone in the power of your own might. Armor might seem clunky, bulky and difficult to wear. However, if you were in danger you would not think twice about putting on thick armor. God has supplied you with a complete storage shed of weapons to wield for this war:

Weapon	Physical Purpose	Spiritual Purpose
Belt of Truth	Keeps your armor up. Keeps arms and feet useful for action. Be prepared.	Protection against hypocrisy and false gospels (1:13; 4:15, 21, 24, 25; 5:9; cf. Luke 12:35-37)
Breast of Righteousness	Protects your heart and vital organs	Protection against condemnation (4:24; 5:9)
Shoes of Readiness	Helps you to run well and stand strong. Durable for long distances. Firm footing.	Protection against fear. Bearing the message of the gospel of peace (1:2; esp. 2:14–18; 4:3; cf. 6:23; Romans 3:21-26).
Shield of Faith	Protects you from a variety of attacks. Dodging and distinguish fiery arrows. (Genesis 15:1; Psalm 5:12; 18:2, 30, 35; 28:7; Proverbs 30:5; 1 Peter 5:8-9)	Protection against dangerous temptation: doubt, disobedience, discouragement, and despair (1:1, 13, 15, 19; 2:8; 3:12, 17; 4:5, 13; Romans 10:15)
Helmet of Salvation	Protects your head and your precious noggin	Promise of ultimate victory (1:13; 2:5, 8; 5:23)
Sword of the Spirit [Only offensive weapon mentioned]	Offensive weapon to wound and kill enemy. (Revelation 19:15)	Battle is won with the Word of God. Truth defeats deception (1:13; 5:26; cf. Hebrews 4:12-13).

The Bible describes you as a soldier and you are called to wear special armor. You are in a spiritual battle. It is a fight for your life. Armor is not an option it is required to even have a chance to face your foe. Why must I take my armor seriously? You are able to withstand the intense battle and stand firm under immense pressure because you have God’s armor. Only He is able to keep you from falling, therefore, stand tall [cf. 1:20-23]. Each of the pieces of armor is a call to arms that deal with the character of God within you. The armor must be “put on.” Therefore, spiritual warfare is an external counterpart to Paul’s emphasis on inward growth and the edification of the church [cf. 4:12, 16].

Don’t Forget to Watch and Pray [Ephesians 6:18]

Be on guard. One of your greatest weapons is prayer. In the midst of the battle you can call on your commander-in-chief without using the red-phone. God is a unique commander. He is not oblivious to your warfare, He is right there with you. Therefore, when you pray to God you are not surprising God with your needs or trying to change God’s mind; rather you are acknowledging His presence and asking how He wants to change you through the battle.

How should you pray? Be committed to a lifestyle of persistent prayer in the Spirit. This brings your prayers in line with God’s will; making prayer about God’s agendas not yours. If you want to know how to pray look at Jesus [cf. Matthew 6:9-13] who praises God’s greatness and glory [v.9], agrees with His will [v.1], and acknowledges dependence upon God for daily survival [vs.11-13]. Prayer is powerful weapon because it is direct communication with the battles Conqueror and King.

Ground Yourself in the Gospel [Ephesians 6:19-20]

Why is the gospel such a big deal? Why can’t you win the spiritual war without being grounded in the gospel? The gospel is where you choose sides. The gospel chooses the winning side of the battle. In the gospel, Christ defeats death, sin, and the powers of evil, partnering you with the power of Christ to be able to fight against your foes.[3]

How can I ground myself in the gospel? First, pray for opportunities for the gospel [v.19a]. Second, proclaim the gospel [v.19b].[4] Rather than proclaiming your personalities, talents, influence, and spiritual affluence, proclaim Christ. Don’t get hung up on side issues like: politics, culture, end times, or Christian patriotism. Each of these issues is not wrong to discuss, but they can be distractions derailing you from getting to the Gospel. Stick with the gospel; it’s the power of God unto salvation.

Third, proclaim the gospel with boldness and without excuse [vs.19c-20]. You are an ambassador of the King of kings and Commander-in-chief of the armies of heaven. Speak as His representative with boldness, eagerness and unashamed passion making known the mystery of the gospel [Romans 1:16]. Remember the cross of Christ is foolishness to those who do not know the gospel. Be prepared to offend people with the gospel. Sometimes the gospel brings on more foes and persecution.

In conclusion, Christian, you are at war with a ferocious enemy in a hostile world. Have a wartime mentality. This war is a difficult fight with evil foes. Ephesians 6:10-20 is a clarion call to arm yourself for battle with the weapons God makes readily available to you. Don’t forget to pray agreeing with God concerning your need of His presence, power, and utter dependence upon Him for victory. Finally, ground yourself in the glorious refuge of the gospel. In the gospel, you will find rest and safety in the secure arms of your Savior and Warrior King Jesus Christ who has fought the battle in your stead, defeated the foe, and claimed eternal victory. The battle truly belongs to the Lord. Have you put your armor on today?

[1] Throughout Ephesians 6:10-20on spiritual warfare Paul’s sustained imagery is drawn from the prophecy of Isaiah, which describes the armor of Yahweh and his Messiah (11:4–5; 59:17; cf. 49:2; 52:7).

[2] Cf. Joshua 1:6-9; Deuteronomy 31:6-7, 23; Zechariah 10:12

[3] Paul often asks for prayer for himself and his colleagues, particularly in relation to their ministry of the gospel (Rom. 15:30–32; 2 Cor. 1:11; Col. 4:3, 4; 1 Thess. 5:25; 2 Thess. 3:1, 2; cf. Phil. 1:19).

[4] Great passages to proclaim the gospel of Christ: John 1:12; 3:16; Romans 3:23; 5:8; 6:23; 10:13; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5; Hebrews 9:27.