Worship is war. Satan and his demons are aggressively opposed to anyone desiring to worship God. They want the control and devotion that comes from worship for themselves.
Demonic activity isn’t random. Demons are organized and execute a predictable plan. Their intentions are to blind people from God and his goodness. That’s why they deliberately attack any acts of human worship or expressions of faith in Jesus Christ.
Resources for Spiritual Battles
Before dealing with any form of warfare it’s important to assess one’s strengths and weaknesses. The battle can’t be won until resources are properly assessed (Lk 14:27-31). To determine if the battle is winnable, warriors must assess their resources before they hope to win a battle (Mt 7:24-27, Lk 6:46-49).
An important principle in spiritual warfare, therefore, is to know that God and Satan are not equal. The ancient Persians had it all wrong. There are not two equally powerful gods battling for the minds and loyalties of humans. One entity is the Creator God of all things and the other is only a created being who is subject to the will of the Creator.
God’s Power
God has power over Satan. He limits what Satan and his demons are allowed to do. Not only is God categorically more powerful than Satan, but there is also a moral difference between them. Satan’s intentions are evil only and all the time. He cares nothing for those who follow him. He intends to harm God and uses humans to do it. The devil wants as much glory as he can steal for himself and is willing to get it at our cost.
God, on the other hand, has only good intentions all the time. He is consistently forgiving, good, generous, carrying, loving, and protecting of us. God’s people are “the apple of his eye” (Deut 32:9-10). That’s why Jesus sacrificed his life to redeem ours. God too executes a deliberate plan. It’s a redemptive plan designed to save people who can’t save themselves. The Lord Jesus is the only one who can beat Satan in the battle for our minds, hearts, and affections.
Satan’s Goals
In this battle over faith, the least Satan wants is our attention. He wants us to focus on him and forget about the power of God. We should take note that the Bible says so little about the devil and demons and constantly brings our attention toward God. Scripture’s topic is the sovereign redemptive power of God. God is the creator, sustainer, and protector of all he has made.
So, the first weapon we need to use against the wiles of the devil is a clear and deep understanding of the ultimate authority and power of Jesus Christ as our Creator (Col 1:11). Satan is certainly more powerful than any human or human institution, but his power is nothing compared to God’s (2 Thess 2:9, Mt 28:18, Titus 2:15).
In light of this truth, don’t underestimate the enormous power of demons over the wills of individuals and actions of institutions. Demons are even able to control nature. Remember Job’s situation? Satan caused a great wind to destroy a house constructed of rock. He also instigated theft, robbery, and murder (Job 1:14-19). He appears as a roaring lion to devour everything and everyone in sight (1 Pet 5:8). Even Jesus’ group of disciples faced difficulties fighting against a demon (Mk 9:28-29).
Underestimating Satan’s power is a deathblow to faith. We’re not more powerful than the weakest demon. But the good news is that Jesus is in complete control of the most powerful army of demons.
Satan’s Trap
Satan sets traps in hopes of deceiving and neutralizing Christian ministry (2 Tim 2:26). This is a real battle. It’s fought one altercation at a time. The battle always centers around three moral issues (Mt 13:37-43, Lk 8:11-15). It’s a continual attack on:
- Faith in God
- The goodness of God
- The truthfulness of his Word
Spiritual battles are over words—God’s words. Words enter into the minds of individuals as a transforming power leading to either wickedness or godliness (Jn 15:3, 17:17, 1 Cor 2:4-5).
The Progression of Spiritual Warfare
The progression of spiritual warfare goes like this. First, a thought is introduced into the mind. This isn’t a sin, but it’s a temptation to sin. Second, Satan encourages us to consider the thought. To do this we must believe that a bad thought is better for us than the godly thoughts God’s Spirit suggests to us. And here’s the moral battle. Are we to value the devil’s ideas of satisfaction or God’s? At this point, we decide whether or not we will succumb to temptation. We must choose whose words are true. The heat of the battle is right here!
Third, we choose one thought over the other. Our hearts confirm our decision, whether it’s right or wrong, and our desires drive us to accept that thought. Finally, we act on that thought. If we choose evil then the passions of our heart override what we know in our minds to be true and we sin. This battle’s lost. We must seek forgiveness and start the pattern over.
Satan is a Deceiver
The devil spoke through a snake to deceive Eve. His primary attacks are mental and verbal. The warfare begins in the mind. The battleground for morality beings with thoughts. This is what Eve faced. Satan offered to help her, but his counsel was false. It wasn’t for her benefit but his. Satan claimed God was withholding good from her. To do this he appeared as something he wasn’t. His deception was visible. Paul mentioned that the devil can appear as an angel of light (2 Cor 11:14-15).
Satan is a deceiver so he appears pleasant and his ideas on the surface sound fulfilling. This is why Scripture doesn’t permit us to converse with demons. We are not to seek their advice (Lev 20:6, Deut 18:10-12, Isa 8:19-22).
We may speak to them in Jesus’ name when casting out demons (Mk 3:15, 16:17). But always remember: it’s not an incantation or magic formula (words or phrases) that the demons respond to (Ac 19:15-16). Not even the archangel Michael challenged or confronted Satan. He left that up to the Lord Jesus (Jude 9). They fear only Jesus because he has the power to cast them into the eternal pit of fire (Lk 8:31).
Satan’s Schemes
In spiritual warfare expect Satan to be subtle, accusing, and suggesting that the consequences of sin are overstated. He will claim God is impersonal and distant. He will tempt you to lie and be angry. Satan wants you to forget the significance of being forgiven by the blood of Christ. He will cause division among friends, offer false teaching, breakdown family ties, and tempt leaders with hidden sins.
He will attack the Church. The devils don’t what churches to grow through conversions. They encourage self-dependence, confuse discipleship strategies, discourage Bible reading, and fill minds with a sense of hopelessness regarding spiritual growth. Satan will try to hinder the development of ministry in Jesus’ name. And if possible, he will fill your heart with a fear of him and a sense of hopelessness regarding victory over habitual sins. Moreover, if it’s possible, he will try to deceive a Christian into thinking he, and not God, is worthy of worship (Mt 24:22-24).
God’s Solution
Eph 6: 13 ESV
When any of these attacks happen the first thing we must do is not panic. Calm down and compose yourself. If troubles are intense, overwhelming, or life-threatening turn quickly to God. Place your trust in Jesus. Though the devil is attacking you, know that Jesus is using the evil one to accomplish something good in and for you. Jesus’ love for you is always more powerful than Satan’s power against you (1 Jn 4:4). Jesus is so strong that he can use what was intended to harm us to strengthen us (Gen 45: 7-8).
There are three important weapons the Lord offers to those who wish to honor him and defeat the devil. They are the gifts of faith, the truthfulness of his Word, and prayer. In the last of these articles on angels, devils, Satan, and spiritual warfare, we will delve into the armor of God and offer an effective strategy for spiritual warfare.
Remember that the key to any victory in spiritual battle is to know who fights for you and how to respond to spiritual and moral attacks.
Pictures attributions: cover angel by Rakicevic Nenad @ pexel.com, Baguettes by Ivan J. Long @ Pexel.com, Bed Bible by nappy @ pexel.com, Questioning girl by Jonathan Andrew @ pexel.com, Accusing by Kalhhe @Pexabay.com, Titan battle by Mystic Art Design @ Pexabay.com.
