Spiritual Warfare: What It Means and How to Stand Firm

You’ve probably heard the phrase “spiritual warfare” before—maybe in a sermon, a book, or even on social media. But what does it actually mean? Is it something Christians are supposed to take part in, or is it just symbolic language for life’s struggles?

The Bible paints a vivid picture of a real spiritual battle taking place beyond what we can physically see, and it tells us we have a role in it. Spiritual warfare is the ongoing conflict between the forces of God and the forces of evil—an unseen battle that influences our thoughts, choices, and the world around us. It’s not fought with physical weapons, but through truth, faith, prayer, and reliance on Christ’s victory.

Whether you’re new to the idea or have already experienced moments of spiritual conflict, this post will help you recognize the reality of spiritual warfare, understand who our true enemy is, and learn how to stand firm in faith.

What Is Spiritual Warfare?

Since the dawn of time, it seems that there have been stories of good fighting evil. In literature, this idea is often personified by a protagonist and an antagonist. Human nature almost demands that there be heroes and villains . . . or maybe more accurately, a savior and a satan (or adversary).

Is Spiritual Warfare Real?

Yes—but not in the way pop culture or mythology often portray it. When some people think of warfare in the spiritual realm, they imagine hand-to-hand combat between dissatisfied gods, like Thor and Loki in the Marvel comics. Others picture mystical rituals—like pulling tarot cards to uncover hidden powers or battle unseen forces. But the Bible’s picture of spiritual warfare is neither fantastical nor mystical.

What Is Spiritual Warfare in the Bible?

To start, what does the Bible say about spiritual warfare? The apostle Paul explains in Ephesians 6:12, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” The reference to heavenly realms reveals that this warfare is not of material origin. The battle is spiritual and therefore occurs in the spiritual realm. It is actively occurring today and will not come to an end until Christ returns.

Who Are Our Spiritual Enemies?

The enemy is not an object but rather a spiritual force, which can include human minds (2 Corinthians 10:4–5). Paul teaches that tearing down bad, harmful arguments and false doctrine is part of our spiritual battle.

Yes, there’s also pain, suffering, and broken relationships brought on by people. Yet, we’re instructed that it’s the “spiritual forces of evil” who are our true enemies in this battle. In this sense, the person who cut you off on your way to work or even someone who has deeply wounded, manipulated, or rejected you is acting in a disordered spiritual way.

We battle against:

• the world: sinful dispositions, beliefs, and behaviors of humans embedded in societal structures
• the flesh: our own sinful dispositions 
• the devil: Satan and his demons

These three are the “enemy.”

How Does Spiritual Warfare Work?

In spiritual battle, the enemy—in this case, Satan—attempts to separate you from what is true, good, and beautiful. He works to separate you from the creator God who wants to save you and be in relationship with you.

The Bible tells us who Satan is. In Hebrew, Satan means adversary. He is a created spirit who roams the earth (Colossians 1:15–16; Job 1:6–7). 1 Peter 5:8 describes Satan prowling like a lion with the intent to devour us. This devouring is a form of spiritual destruction. One example of this could be to consume a person so greatly in despair or sin that they can’t see the possibility of God’s hope.

We also know from Jesus in John 10:10 that the devil is like a thief who has come “only to steal, kill and destroy.” The term “only” informs us that there is no good intent or motivation. The devil is proud, cunning, and hateful. He wants as few people as possible to surrender their lives to Christ, and if he can’t convince them otherwise, he wants to keep them as far away as possible from experiencing the truth and love of God.

But what about the other enemies or “spiritual forces of evil”? The Bible speaks of demons who are fallen angels. They are spirit-beings that intend to devour that which is good. We also know that they greatly fear Jesus (Matthew 8:31)!

And as for the mention of sin as our enemy? Sin can be defined in a number of ways. It’s helpful to think through the Bible’s frequent use of “light” and “darkness.” These terms can be understood as good and evil or even as “the presence of God” and “the absence of God.” Sin is that which leads one into darkness, going against his good will and therefore being absent from the Father. In spiritual warfare, the devil and his demons can torment and destroy but it’s our sinfulness that distances us from the Father. This barrier keeps us from enjoying the wonderful things the Lord has for us which are outlined in the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23) and elsewhere.

As a follower of Christ, it’s important to note that sinfulness can no longer separate you from God. Through Christ’s death and resurrection, you’ve been freed from the bondage of sin and death. The veil has been torn and God’s children can be in the right relationship with the Father. However, in the outflow of that relationship Christians choose to honor God with their lives, fleeing from sin and “the old self,” and putting on the new self (Colossians 3:10). More on that later.

How Does Satan Steal, Kill, and Destroy?

The devil is the great deceiver. You and I don’t have to look far to start to see his tactics unveiled in this spiritual battle. Before humanity had even begun, Satan’s first deception was to convince other angels to join him in rebellion against their Creator. It may appear at times that he’s winning, but we know that Jesus already has the victory (Revelation 12:9–12)!

Only three chapters into the book of Genesis, we see two of Satan’s key strategies revealed. When Satan appears to Eve as a serpent in the Garden of Eden, he asks her, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” (Genesis 3:1).

He begins by introducing doubt and twisting the truth. He wants Eve to think that God might be lying to her or withholding some form of good from her.

Then, he goes on to tempt her with power and status—to not be content with being made in God’s image but rather to become like God himself. Interestingly, this mirrors the very temptation that led to Satan’s own downfall. He was not satisfied with being a worshipful creature; instead, he sought to overthrow the Creator and become the one worshiped. In the same way, he now entices Eve with the promise of divine authority. He goes on to tell her, “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:5). Eve takes the fruit and shares it with Adam—and we know what happens next. Sin, shame, pain, curses, etc.

But think about your own life. When we desire something that we know might be off-limits, the thought creeps in: “Did God really say that’s wrong?” “Would God really keep that from me?” “Does God really care about something so small?” . . . and what often follows are thoughts of defense and entitlement. We see this in the world all the time: Did God really say the love of money is wrong? Would God really want to keep me from choosing who to love? Does God really care if I stop going to church?

Such thoughts begin to creep in and grow louder and louder. They put a nagging feeling in our hearts that God isn’t trustworthy. Or maybe for someone who is a rule-follower, it starts to make you feel like you might be someone unworthy of God’s call because you’re doubting and maybe God won’t love you anymore. But guess what? The result of succumbing to one or either of these things is sin or shame—which pulls you away from God. But these are not the devil’s only tactics.

An encounter between Jesus and Satan reveals more.

How Did Jesus Fight Temptation?

Jesus, by taking on human flesh, also experienced and overcame spiritual temptation. While fasting 40 days in the desert, the devil came to him and tried various methods to tempt him into sin. Matthew 4:1–11 outlines what Jesus faced in the wilderness. In a series of tests, Jesus overcame:

• Temptation of physical desire: After 40 days of fasting, Satan tempted Jesus to turn stones into bread to inappropriately satisfy his hunger. Jesus responds, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
  
• Temptation of authority: Satan tempts Jesus to inappropriately put God to the test by asking him to jump off a building and command the angels to rescue him. Jesus responds, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
  
• Temptation of power/idolatry: Satan tempts Jesus with power over the earth (in that time), if he were to bow down and worship the devil. Jesus responds, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”

In each scenario, Jesus used the truth of Scripture to rebuke the devil. Also, remember that Jesus was not alone. The Holy Spirit was present with him while he was in the desert to strengthen him on his messianic mission (Matthew 4:1) and the angels attended to him (Matthew 4:11).

Christians can be confident that we have never been and will never be abandoned or forsaken when facing temptations. Alongside this, we can rest assured that we won’t be tempted beyond what we can handle and the Lord will always provide a way out (1 Corinthians 10:13).

But will the enemy always come so obviously, like in the form of a snake with Eve or directly as himself to Jesus? C. S. Lewis takes a crack at the answer in his book The Screwtape Letters, a fictional set of letters between a demon mentor (Screwtape) and his demon assistant/nephew (Wormwood). Here, Screwtape advises:

“Murder is no better than cards if cards can do the trick. Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one—the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.”

This is why spiritual disciplines and practices are so important—they help us partner with the Holy Spirit to do what we cannot do on our own. As the late philosopher Dallas Willard used to say, “Grace is not opposed to effort.”

The Spiritual Realm Is Not Fantasy

Some people view spiritual warfare as grand, magic-filled events. But the “magic” they’re referring to is full of cheap tricks.

Think about paranormal movies. It’s the old woman in an attic rocking chair that unsettles you. It’s the children’s doll that seems to be watching you. In the 2018 film Hereditary, demonic activity is depicted in the form of supernatural stalking. The audience watches as high schooler Peter wakes up in the middle of the night with the sense that he’s being watched. Unbeknownst to him, his possessed mother slinks away by crawling across the ceiling and out of his room to torment him at a later time.

But this depiction of paranormal activity is smoke and mirrors for the real thing. Why would a deceiver waste time on haunting people when a whispered lie would be so much easier? Or why waste time on terrifying someone if increasing their frustration would work more efficiently? You might say that “the devil is in the details.”

The deceiver will use the most effective tactics for his mission, which are often those that seem gentle and gradual. As 2 Corinthians 11:14–15 reminds us, Satan disguises himself as an angel of light, and his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness—his deception is rarely obvious but often appears good and true at first glance.

This is not to argue that all demonic activity is quiet and “practical.” We’ve all heard of something more grandiose in a friend or family member’s life (or maybe you’ve even experienced it yourself). But particularly in the western world, this kind of spiritual activity occurs less frequently. In the RTB Press book Lights in the Sky and Little Green Men, the authors discuss the connections between occult practices and bodily experiences with the demonic. If these experiences do occur, they should not blind you to the everyday strategies of the devil to tempt you to sin.

Due to movies or shared stories, there might be the worry that something “bad” could happen to you. So to answer the elephant in the room: Can Christians become possessed by a demon? No! Those who have been sealed by the Holy Spirit cannot have their body taken over by an evil force. But, can Christians experience spiritual opposition, temptation, or oppression? Yes.

This means you and I will need to know how to resist the devil, his demons, and sin.

How to Fight Spiritual Warfare

In our battle to flee from sin and run toward the goodness of God, we can find reliable guidance in Scripture. Our greatest defense is the truth of the gospel.

If the deceiver uses the power of darkness, our greater defense is found in the light of the resurrection and the certainty of Jesus’s victory over death. We first see Satan at work in Genesis 3, where God immediately speaks a promise of victory: the offspring of the woman will crush the head of the serpent (Genesis 3:15).

Through Jesus’s death and resurrection, victory can be ours. Ephesians 2:8–9 teaches this explicitly:

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”

First and foremost, there is nothing that can separate you from Christ’s victory over sin and death. You have been justified through faith. Even better, Paul is directly stating that this isn’t our own doing but the work of Christ. That means we can’t mess it up! Our greatest tool in fighting this spiritual war is to remember what the King has done for us.

On occasion, you might find yourself cracking under the pressure of desire, temptation, suffering, etc. The Bible speaks of us as “jars of clay”, evoking imagery of a common household object in ancient times that was quite fragile but served as a lamp to light the darkness. These too could crack. 2 Corinthians 4:6–10 reminds us that we hold a treasure in our lamp, which is the light of the gospel. The apostle tells us that there may be times we feel “hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed,” all because we carry the truth of Christ in our minds.

This hope lives within you. The light of the gospel prevails and will cast out all darkness. When you face temptation and darkness, remind yourself of these three things:

• Who Jesus is
• What Jesus has done for you
• Who Jesus calls you to be

Put On the Armor of God

With the understanding fully fixed that the gospel is our central defense against spiritual attacks, Paul expands in his letter to the Ephesians on how we can be equipped to fight. He explains that we must put on the armor of God. For the original audience of this letter, Paul is invoking the common image of a Roman soldier. Just as we don’t wrestle against flesh and blood, Paul is not describing physical armor for the Christian to wear but metaphorical armor that we use against the attacks of the enemy.

Ephesians 6:10–18 provides us with a list of six pieces of armor:

• Belt of truth
• Breastplate of righteousness
• Shoes of the gospel
• Shield of faith
• Helmet of salvation
• Sword of the Spirit

And finally, a lifeline to the One who protects:

• Prayer in the Spirit

New Testament scholar Clinton Arnold shares a helpful roadmap for understanding how to “dress” in these pieces in his commentary on Ephesians:

“Knowing the truth of how we are in union with Christ, cultivating the virtues of this new identity, and using the resources available through this new relationship are at the heart of what it means to put on the armor of God.” (emphasis added)

Among scholars there are varying approaches to interpreting the armor of God but it’s particularly helpful to consider both the literal and possible secondary meaning. This is expressed in the quote above regarding the idea of knowing the truth, cultivating the virtues, and using the resources available. For example, putting on the belt of truth can refer to the reading and recalling of Scripture as well as the practice of truthfulness and right reasoning. A strong defense against sin and temptation is to walk in such a way that we are integrous to the mission God has given us. Put off ill-talk, deceit, or the temptation to spread a “white lie.”

The armor of God is not just about ideas but about lifestyle. Spiritually defending yourself can look like everyday living and everyday actions.

Once again, the enemy is hoping and preying (pun intended) that you will focus more on his lies and attacks than on the defenses and tools you’ve been given. Author C. S. Lewis helps us understand this battle in The Screwtape Letters where he writes under the pen of a demon:

“Do not be deceived, Wormwood [Screwtape’s nephew]. Our cause is never more in danger than when a human, no longer desiring, but still intending, to do our Enemy’s [God’s] will, looks round upon a universe from which every trace of Him [God] seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys.” (context explained in brackets)

Obedience to Christ is a powerful tool!

Among the pieces of armor, you’ll notice one offensive tool: the sword of the Spirit. In the desert after 40 days of fasting, Jesus used the Hebrew Scriptures he knew to thwart the lies of the enemy. We need to be hungry for the Word of God so that in days of weariness and spiritual thirst, we have a weapon to fight with to defend ourselves.

In 2 Corinthians 10:3–5, we see that we’re waging war with spiritual weapons, not those of flesh and blood. Instead, we have access to weapons of divine power that demolish strongholds. You may have heard of the devil attempting to get “footholds” in your life. A foothold in this case is simply an anchor of temptation by which you may be further tempted toward destruction. It could be physical, mental, or emotional temptation. But Paul says in verse 5 that “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

Perhaps it’s false teaching that you must deconstruct and reconstruct with God’s truth. At Reasons to Believe, we share strong apologetic arguments for the truth of Scripture in order to break footholds in people’s lives. Knowing the truth and using good arguments to combat bad ones is vital. Good resources like RTB’s many helpful books feed your soul with knowledge of the living God and equip your mind to serve him in this way.

Prayer in Spiritual Warfare

Finally, our greatest resource for spiritual warfare is prayer. There are numerous examples in the Bible where God’s people have made their requests known to him through prayer and fasting and found deliverance from an oppressor.

Prayer is not only how Christians can make requests to God, but it’s where we can find the Lord’s comfort in our confusion, pain, or grief. The topic of spiritual warfare can sometimes bring up feelings of fear and anxiety. But remember, 1 Peter 5:7 says, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” Prayer is where we can abide in the Lord, seek strengthening of the soul, and find comfort.

Prayer Against Spiritual Attacks

If you feel attacked by the enemy or by sinful desire, pray. Even better, pray with others who have put their faith in Jesus! If you find yourself saying “I can’t pray . . . I can’t talk to God,” don’t stop the thought there. There’s deception behind the “can’t” that maybe has you feeling chained and alone or stuck in pride and brokenness.

Escape the lies of the enemy with the truth of the gospel. It’s not about what you have done, it is about what he has done. Because of Jesus’s resurrection, the wall that has kept you apart from God has been torn down and there is joy and life awaiting you in relationship with God. The Holy Spirit is promised to those who believe and he groans in prayer on your behalf to turn what is broken into what is pleasing to God. Pray in the Spirit knowing that the Father loves you and only has good plans for you.

You have been equipped by the gospel, the armor of God, and by access to prayer. You’re able to stand against the schemes of the devil because there is one who has already gone before you—Jesus Christ.

After all this discussion, you still might be wondering . . .

The Reality of Spiritual Warfare

If you spend any time around faith discussions, media, or online personalities, you’ve probably noticed two opposite ways people respond to the idea of a spiritual realm.

The first response comes from those who dismiss the reality of spiritual warfare—sometimes out of skepticism, or simply because it feels easier not to think about it.

The second response comes from those who are hyperaware of demonic forces, which can lead to inciting fear and conspiratorial thinking regarding all-powerful aliens or monsters, and ultimately subscribing to mysticism. In the preface of The Screwtape Letters, author C. S. Lewis offers a clear warning:

There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight.

So perhaps a part of the deceiver’s plan is for us to think there are only “two” explanations to choose from when it comes to spiritual warfare: naturalism (the belief that the physical world is all there is) or magic.

In North America, we see that those who identify as Christians are more likely to fall into the first category. In 2009 The Barna Group released a study revealing that 40% of Christians “strongly agreed that Satan ‘is not a living being but is a symbol of evil’” and 19% agreed somewhat with the statement. Equally concerning, “38% strongly agreed and 20% agreed somewhat that the Holy Spirit is ‘a symbol of God’s power or presence but is not a living entity’” (emphasis added). Be aware that one of the devil’s greatest strategies is doubt—doubting his existence and doubting that your greatest Helper, the Holy Spirit, stands ready to guide you toward light and freedom.

Hold strong to the reality of the spiritual realm, but equally know that you’ve been equipped to defend the flaming arrows of the devil. Ultimately, we can always cling to the hope that Christ defeated the powers of darkness when he pronounced “It is finished” on the cross.

Strengthen Your Defense

If you’re looking for further teaching on spiritual warfare, we encourage you to check out these resources:

• New Testament scholar Clinton Arnold shares a simple strategy of defense in his book 3 Crucial Questions about Spiritual Warfare. 
• In Defending Your Marriage: The Reality of Spiritual Battle, professor of communication Tim Muehlhoff goes into detail in chapter 5 about what types of questions you should be asking yourself when it comes to each aspect of the armor of God.
• Finally, Ken Samples in his article “Feed on the Faith: Grace-Oriented Spiritual Renewal” shares spiritual truths and strategies to ground yourself in the light.
• If you have not yet given your life to Christ but recognize the reality of spiritual darkness and need for light, we recommend that you continue to ask yourself what is true, good, and beautiful. If you’ve come to a place where you know you need to surrender your life to Christ, receive the Holy Spirit, and have defenses against spiritual warfare, we encourage you to read our blog on how to put your trust in the one and only Savior.