Spiritual Warfare-How To Resist The Tactics Of The Enemy

“The enemy will not see you vanish into God’s company without an effort to reclaim you.” C.S. Lewis

In a few days we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus. As Christians, this is a season of exuberant joy, as we rejoice in the Messiah’s arrival. The reality, however, is that most of us struggle in general with feeling authentic joy. This is because there is an invisible war going on around us. A battle known as “Spiritual Warfare.”

Most Christians do not understand spiritual warfare.

I don’t like to give the devil too much attention, but too many Christians do not recognize the tactics of the enemy and hence are left defenseless. If we want to find more peace and joy in our hearts we must accept that Satan and his forces exist. As Christians it’s vital for us to get wisdom and understanding of spiritual warfare and on how to resist the tactics of the enemy.

Jesus came into the world to overcome darkness.

One of the biggest ways the devil deceives God’s people is by blinding them to the spiritual battle they are in. Too many Christ followers are living totally unaware to the spiritual warfare around them. There are no coincidences in the kingdom of God. Things don’t “just happen.” God is always doing something in our lives, and therefore, so is Satan. As Christians the Spirit of God lives inside of us and although we live in the natural world, we need to be wise to the supernatural realm around us.

1. What is Spiritual Warfare?

In the Bible we are told that God’s enemy is the devil, also known as “Satan” (Click here to read the history of Satan and here to read what the Bible says about Satan). Spiritual warfare is the battle against evil forces in the spiritual sphere.

Spiritual warfare is real and the battlefield is invisible.

Ephesians 6:12 explains this truth, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this [present] darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) places.” There is an enemy and his name is Satan. However, as believers, we have Jesus with us to fight this invisible enemy, so we never have to be afraid because God is always more powerful (1 John 4:4).

2. Tactics the enemy uses

In John 10:10 we learn that “The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy…” The “thief” is Satan, and he wants to steal, kill and destroy our peace, joy and our faith in Jesus. The best way to recognize his attacks on you is to be aware of your physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. Ask yourself “Is it well with my soul?” If not, consider what’s robbing you of your peace and joy. Try to figure out where might the enemy be stealing your comfort, your security, and/or causing you discontentment. Recognize these as attacks from the enemy. The Bible calls these “fiery arrows of the devil” (Ephesians 6:16). Satan has been watching us from the day we were born, and he knows exactly which buttons to push in each one of us uniquely.

Sometimes the enemy attacks blatantly, but more often his strategies are subtle.

There are many ways the devil entices God’s people. He uses shame, temptation, fear, self-pity, jealousy, discontentment, comparison, to name a few. Unfortunately he has many techniques to harass God’s people. I can’t speak on all his evil tactics, but will mention three in this post.

• One way the enemy tricks us by getting us to minimize the sin in our lives. For example, I wrestle with worry, fear and anxiety. I know worrying may not seem like sinful behavior, but the truth is, it is! God has told us many times “do not worry!” I’m dishonoring Him by allowing worry, fear and anxiety to overwhelm me because I’m not being obedient to His word. If God is telling me not to worry, then I mustn’t worry.
  

• Another way Satan attacks is through a spirit of heaviness. Have you ever struggled with a heavy, sorrowful heart? Sometimes you can’t pinpoint it, but you just feel down. This is called a “spirit of heaviness.” A “spirit of heaviness,” is described in the King James translation of Isaiah 61:3: “To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.“ Many don’t recognize this is an attack from the enemy, but it is. To clarify, I’m not speaking about times of grief when one feels sad and down about a loss or a disappointment. Our God is a God of peace, and therefore, a heaviness of heart is not from Him.

Oppression is never from God, and always from the devil.

• The devil often strikes through doubt and unbelief. When our prayers aren’t answered in the way we want, or when circumstances don’t go the way we hoped for, many begin to question God. Other times, it is when we are getting close to God and growing in our faith, the enemy creeps in with doubt and unbelief. Satan is a liar and he will always whisper lies to us, and usually he lies about the complete opposite of what God’s truth is. In John 8:44 we are told, “…He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.” For example, you may be growing in intimacy with Jesus, and all of a sudden you begin to doubt that Jesus is even real. You get a thought like “you’re crazy, and this whole ‘hearing from God’ thing is a farce.” Recognizing God’s truths from the enemy’s lies will help you resist the devil. As Christians we walk by faith, not by sight.

3. How to fight back

Fighting the devil may sound frightening to some. However, God has made it clear that we are to fight. James 4:7 tells us “So submit to [the authority of] God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him] and he will flee from you.” We cannot fight our spiritual battles in our human strength because in our own power we cannot overcome the devil. It is by Jesus’s power and authority within you that spiritual warfare is fought. Jesus Himself told us, “He called together his twelve disciples and gave them power and authority to cast out all demons and to heal all diseases (Luke 9:1). To grasp how to use your power and authority in Christ, you must have intimacy with Jesus, reading His word and spending time in prayer daily.

1 John 4:4 is one of my favorite scriptures on spiritual warfare. It says, “Little children (believers, dear ones), you are of God and you belong to Him and have [already] overcome them [the agents of the antichrist]; because He who is in you is greater than he (Satan) who is in the world [of sinful mankind].” The most important thing is to have understanding of your power and authority that comes from the Holy Spirit that lives inside you. It is critical that you walk in confidence of Christ’s power in you.

The intimate relationship you cultivate with the Lord will give you the wisdom and direction you need to fight your spiritual battles.

Here’s how I fight my spiritual battles:

I’m usually very aware of how I’m feeling at all times. When I sense an unrest in my spirit, or a lack of peace, I take the time to self-analyze what is going on in my circumstances. For example, let’s say I’m feeling anxious. I know this is not from God, so I take authority over this emotion.

Don’t be afraid to speak directly to the enemy (Jesus did), and command Satan to leave. Impose the power and authority in Christ that you have been given.

I say “Satan, you listen to me. By the power and authority given to me by Christ, I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to leave now. Your assignment over me is canceled. You must leave now and do not come back.” Sometimes the anxiety doesn’t go away but I keep walking by faith believing God’s peace will fill me up. I may have to spend more time in reading my Bible, and praying. Worship music and praising the Lord are also powerful weapons against Satan. Sometimes I don’t feel as strong and I may have to call a sister in faith to pray with me and/or over me. Through it all, I allow the Holy Spirit to lead me.

God is faithful to fight your spiritual battles for you.

I really love the movie “War Room” and have watched it at least 6 or 7 times. I highly encourage you to watch it if you haven’t. This is a movie on spiritual warfare. There is a scene in it when the main character, played by Priscilla Shirer, speaks directly to the devil and commands him to get out. I always clap and holler at this part of the movie because it’s exactly how we need to fight our spiritual battles.

Always use the name of Jesus Christ-demons tremble at the name of Jesus.

In Ephesians 6:10-18 Paul speaks directly on the truth about spiritual warfare and tells us to put on the full armor of God “so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11). This is a very important passage of Scripture to read and study to fully understand how to fight our spiritual battles. We need to “put on” the armor of God every day so we are protected from the enemy’s attacks. Each piece of armor has a purpose to defend ourselves against the devil. Click here to watch a video that will help you understand the armor of God and spiritual warfare better.

Our Father in Heaven sent His only son, Jesus to die for us, not only for our sins, but also so that we would live a full life, a life of joy and abundance. This is why Jesus says in John 10:10, “I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].” What a powerful promise! Decide to put a stake of faith in the ground, resisting the devil’s attacks on all God has promised you. Do not let Satan rob you of your blessings. Fight him with confidence from the Holy Spirit.

Understanding spiritual warfare will help you live a life full of joy and abundance.

Jesus came into the world to conquer darkness, which is the enemy. He is the great Victor and fights with us and for us. You are not in this battle alone. Have an awareness and recognition of the devil and his malicious ways. Don’t be naive to the spiritual attacks that are being waged on you, robbing you of your peace and joy. Learn to say “This is the devil and I’m not taking his bait!” And then rise up and fight with the mighty power of Christ in you.

“So submit to [the authority of] God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him] and he will flee from you.” ~ James 4:7

Photo credits: Jaime Spaniol, Photo by Miguel Bruna