What Does Spiritual Warfare Look Like Today?
All that being said, we still need to take a stand for the truth. But Christ hasn’t left us bereft of the resources necessary to wage war. Truly, it’s just a chance for Christians to take our stand against the evil ones. But we stand arrayed in the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-20)—and we stand in victory already won by Christ.
1. The ultimate defense against Satan, his demons, and their wiles is the Gospel. Romans 1:16 assures us, “because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek.” The Gospel is the power of God as proclaimed by our pastor, as we speak it to ourselves, and as we speak it to others! Satan cannot overcome the Gospel.
2. Stand firm in your faith. Christ has done it all to secure our salvation. He sent the Holy Spirit to give us life (be born again) so we could believe. And once we are in Christ, we will never be apart from Him. We need to believe when the Lord God calls us to Himself through Christ.
Therefore, Satan may temporarily “win” souls for his kingdom through tactics such as demonic possession of unbelievers, but in the end God is sovereign, and He will save those He has chosen (Romans 8:28-30; Colossians 3:12-17), even if Satan thinks he holds sway over them. Christians should not worry about demonic possession. Professor Stephen Wellum tells us, “We wrestle against the demonic, but the church overcomes Satan by the blood of Christ.”
3. Immerse yourself in God’s Word for the ultimate truth. Here’s a list of verses and passages that speak to Christ’s sovereign reign in the midst of spiritual warfare. Always remember, “This is how you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming; even now it is already in the world. You are from God, little children, and you have conquered them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:2-4). For more encouragement, read and study the following passages/verses from Scripture:
Galatians 1:1-5, esp. v. 4
John 16:11, 33
Romans 8:18, 37
4. Pray—this four-letter word held by Christians is a powerful “agent” against the evil ones as we present our petitions to the Lord. Alone, with one other, or in the fellowship of the church on the Lord’s day, for “The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect” (James 5:16). Again, it’s not our righteousness, it’s Christ’s within us. And “nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus” (from Romans 8:38-39).
5. Gather with the Church: Pastor Tom Hicks tells us, “[The] doctrine of church membership runs contrary to the autonomous spirit of our age, but it is nothing less than biblical Christianity.” When the church is gathered as one, the saints—true Christians—encourage, edify, support, and love one another through all the trials of life on earth, including spiritual warfare!
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Alexey_M
