What is Spiritual Warfare?

Ephesians 6:10-12
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full
armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes
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.

And since the struggles come from spiritual sources, they must also be fought by
spiritual means. The devil’s mischief cannot be overcome with conventional
weapons, nor can we end his resistance by sparring with the people or vessels
that he exploits. Satan can only be defeated by the spiritual arsenal that God
makes available to believers. “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal
but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and
every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every
thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).

4 Basic steps to win the battle/the spiritual warfare.

(1) Submission to the Lord – The necessity of our submission to God is
obvious, as His Holy Spirit is the source from which we draw our strength, as
Jesus said, “...without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Such submission,
however, also involves surrendering “self” to Him... that is our “fleshly nature,”
that tends to struggle against God’s desires, and which Satan targets with his
temptations and manipulations. “So humble yourselves before God. Resist the
devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to
you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts...” (James 4:7-9 NLT).
Humbling ourselves before the Lord, confessing and forsaking sin(1 John 1:9),
and maintaining a repentant heart of obedience toward righteousness, is the
way to resist the Devil. When Satan can find nothing in us that will pay attention
or cooperate with him, he’ll withdraw at least for a temporary season. (See also
2 Timothy 2:3-4, and 1 John 2:15-16).
2) Faith in God’s Word– Equally indispensable to our warfare, is the
application of faith in God’s Word,
God’s Word, the sword of the Spirit, is both a defensive and offensive weapon
against Satan, that proclaims our authority and victory over the Devil. Among
other assurances, Jesus explained that God’s indwelling Spirit in His followers,
made them greater than the influence of Satan in the world. “...He who is in you
is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). Jesus also made a
declaration of the believer’s authority over the Devil... not only to serve as a
defense, but to enable His followers to take the offensive... to remove and expel
his evil works through faith in His name. “Behold, I give you the authority to
trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and
nothing shall by any means hurt you” (Luke 10:19).

(3) Prayer and Intercession– When we speak of spiritual warfare, it’s

with the understanding that there are many important spiritual aspects
involved, but nothing any more essential than prayer.... praying not only for our
own lives, but also interceding for other believers. Prayer and faith are the
primary means by which believers wage war against the Devil. Prayer is the
application of faith that leads the way... the component that God needs in order
to intervene and act on our behalf. And while we engage the spiritual battle on
our knees in prayer, God is able to dispatch His angels to confront and push
back the forces of darkness in our behalf.
temptations, He countered with stern rebukes and the Word of God. “Jesus
answered and said to him, Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, You shall
worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve” (Luke 4:8). This same
authority over the Devil, has been given to all followers of Christ, to repel and
rebuff his evil influence from our lives and ministry. “Behold, I give you the
authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the
enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you” (Luke 10:19).
When you perceive Satan’s involvement in such assaults or persistent problems,
by faith exercise your authority over him and his wicked forces. Stand your
ground, declare the authority of God’s Word, and demand him to depart... and
he will ultimately yield to your persistence and faith. But don’t make the
mistake of focusing on the Devil’s distractions. Command him and his demons
to leave, but rely on the Lord’s unseen angelic army to enforce the authority of
your faith, and wage victory over the enemy’s conflicts. In the meantime, keep
praying and maintain your attention on the Lord, from whom comes your faith
and spiritual strength, and whose very presence repels the forces of darkness.

Combat in the spiritual realm

While we are unable to see such things with our natural eye, scripture indicates
that when we pray, the forces of God actually wage war in our behalf against
the forces of Satan in the unseen spiritual realm. An example of this is revealed
from the story of Daniel’s prophetic visions and his prolonged prayers for their
meaning. After praying for twenty-one days, an angelic visitor made a surprise
visit to Daniel.

The angel not only brought the interpretation that Daniel had been praying
for... but also explained that he had been delayed due to resistance from the
spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia. And in order to prevail in this conflict, he
had to call for the help of the mighty archangel, Michael. “Since the first day you
began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your
request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer. But for
twenty-one days the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia blocked my way.
Then Michael, one of the archangels, came to help me...” (Daniel 10:12-13 NLT).