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Christianity 104 - Spiritual Warfare and the Enemy
C.S. Lewis is a British author and scholar best known for his works of fantasy, particularly The Chronicles of Narnia series, and for his Christian apologetics, including Mere Christianity. Regarding good and evil, he wrote:
“. . . there is no neutral ground in the universe: every square inch, every split second is claimed by God and counterclaimed by Satan.”
What does this mean?
Scripture teaches that spiritual conflicts are real. The universe, including humanity, was created by God and belongs to Him, yet rebellion against God persists.
Christianity 104 explains why the Christian life includes conflict, how Scripture identifies the world, the flesh, and the devil as sources of spiritual conflict, how evil spreads through deception and strongholds, why Christ has already won, and how believers stand firm through the armor of God.
Although this warfare is often unseen by human eyes, its effects are visible everywhere—in temptation, deception, suffering, corruption, fear, division, falsehood, and humanity’s continual struggle against God’s truth.
Many people explain these realities only through human behavior, bad luck, psychology, culture, politics, or superstition. Others become fascinated with darkness itself, drawn toward violence, occultism, corruption, or distorted forms of power and spirituality. Scripture, however, teaches that there is a deeper spiritual reality behind humanity’s fallen condition.
Believers are not removed from this conflict, nor are they immune from temptation or suffering. Yet through the Word of God and the Holy Spirit, Christians are given power and spiritual discernment to recognize deception, resist evil, and walk toward truth, righteousness, and life rather than toward corruption and destruction.
Yet the Bible does not present God and Satan as equal opposing forces. God alone is Creator, sovereign over heaven and earth. The enemy opposes God, deceives humanity, and seeks destruction, but remains limited, created, and ultimately subject to God’s authority and final judgment.
Christians therefore do not merely struggle against outward evil, but against unseen influences that seek to distort truth, corrupt what is good, and draw humanity away from God.
The conflict between good and evil not only rages within the human heart, but also continues externally, exerting pressure even after salvation has come to believers in Christ.
WHY THE CHRISTIAN LIFE INCLUDES CONFLICT
If Jesus died on the cross then why do believers still have spiritual conflicts and struggles? Suffering and conflict does not mean God is not working for His good and for the person under trials. Is it a spiritual attack, a consequence for actions, or an experience to mold me in God's plan and purposes?
Spiritual conflicts also continue in the life of a Christian, not because Christ has failed, but because rebellion against God still persists in the world until Christ fully establishes His kingdom.
To follow Christ is to live in opposition not to humanity itself, but to the sinful systems, values, desires, and rebellion that oppose God. Believers are called to live in the world, not of it.
“My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.” — John 17:15-16
Until sin is removed from the world, there will be conflict and suffering. The kingdom of heaven was initiated and inaugurated when Jesus first came as a suffering servant rather than a conquering judge. A kingdom must have people who belong to it, and the delay in Christ’s return continues to expand that kingdom as the gospel goes into the world.
Suffering and conflict also serve a purpose in the life of believers.
“Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” — Romans 5:3-4
Trials and tribulations therefore become a refining force used by God to mature and shape His people.
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” — James 1:2-4
“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” — Hebrews 12:11
Scripture teaches that not every conflict, temptation, or hardship originates from the same source. Some struggles arise from humanity’s fallen nature, others from living in a broken world shaped by sin and rebellion, and still others involve active spiritual opposition against God and His people.
Scripture repeatedly shows that spiritual conflict does not occur outside God’s authority. In the book of Job, Satan could not afflict Job apart from God’s permission.
“Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.” The LORD said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.” Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.” — Job 1:9-12
Other passages also portray spiritual beings operating within limits under God’s sovereign authority, even in the execution of judgment.
“Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne with all the multitudes of heaven standing around him on his right and on his left. And the LORD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?’ “One suggested this, and another that. Finally, a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD and said, ‘I will entice him.’ “‘By what means?’ the LORD asked. “‘I will go out and be a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,’ he said.“‘You will succeed in enticing him,’ said the LORD. ‘Go and do it.’” — 1 Kings 22:19-22
These accounts do not mean that God commits evil, but that even rebellion, judgment, suffering, and spiritual conflict remain subject to His ultimate authority and purposes.
Throughout Scripture, believers are warned that the Christian life includes not only internal struggles of the flesh, but also external pressures, deception, temptation, accusation, and spiritual resistance. Believers are called to trust God’s purposes even in suffering.
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” — Romans 8:28
Although God remains sovereign over all creation, Scripture teaches that believers continue to face conflict. But who or what are they fighting against?
KNOWING THE ENEMY
Scripture teaches that spiritual conflict comes from three primary sources: the world, the flesh, and the devil. These influences often work together to draw humanity away from God.
Paul describes all three in Ephesians:
“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.” — Ephesians 2:1–3
This shows that spiritual conflict cannot always be reduced to simple explanations in the natural world such as:
believing sinful desires are our identity
believing evil is just bad behavior or environment
blaming Satan for everything
The Flesh (the Internal)
Scripture refers to this corrupted inclination toward sin as “the flesh.”
The flesh is not merely the physical body, but humanity’s sinful nature operating in rebellion against God. It includes disordered desires, selfish ambition, pride, lust, fear, envy, anger, and every inward impulse that opposes the Spirit of God.
This internal conflict was already introduced in Christianity 103, where sin was shown to begin within the heart before appearing outwardly in words and actions.
“For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.” — Galatians 5:17
The struggle and conflict for righteousness is a battle within ourselves.
The World (the External)
In Scripture, “the world” does not always refer to the physical earth or humanity itself. Often it refers to the organized systems, values, desires, and patterns of life that operate in rebellion against God.
An example of this system is seen at the Tower of Babel when the people rebelled against God's command to Noah and his sons “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth” (Genesis 9:1).
Their rebellion was spoken.
“... Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.” — Genesis 11:4
These systems promote:
pride,
self-rule,
materialism,
immorality,
false worship,
corruption,
distorted truth,
and rejection of God’s authority.
The world system pressures people to conform to its values rather than to God’s truth.
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” — Romans 12:2
“Do not love the world or anything in the world… For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.” — 1 John 2:15–16
Jesus warned that His followers would experience conflict with the world because its values oppose the kingdom of God.
“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.” — John 15:18
The world system is not always openly evil. Often it appears attractive, successful, entertaining, enlightened, or empowering. Yet beneath the surface it frequently encourages humanity to seek identity, meaning, truth, pleasure, power, and fulfillment apart from God.
Believers are therefore called to live in the world without becoming spiritually shaped by it.
Behind these spiritual conflicts Scripture also identifies a personal adversary who actively opposes God, deceives humanity, and seeks to destroy what God has made.
The Devil (the Adversary)
Scripture teaches that spiritual conflict is not only internal or cultural, but also involves a real spiritual adversary who opposes God and seeks to deceive humanity. The enemy is not stupid. He is cunning, organized, and unrelenting. His forces are also very organized and focused.
The Bible refers to this enemy by several names, including:
Satan (“adversary”),
the Devil (“slanderer” or “accuser”),
Father of lies / deceiver
murderer
Ruler of this world (limited sense) / Ruler of the Air
the serpent / the red dragon,
the tempter,
schemer
and the evil one.
Jesus described Satan as both a deceiver and destroyer:
“He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him… for he is a liar and the father of lies.” — John 8:44
From the temptation of Eve in the garden to the spiritual opposition seen throughout Scripture, Satan works to distort truth, encourage rebellion, accuse humanity, and draw people away from God.
Scripture also teaches that the devil often works through deception rather than open evil. Paul warned:
“Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.” — 2 Corinthians 11:14
The enemy therefore does not always appear frightening or obvious. Deception often appears attractive, persuasive, enlightened, desirable, or even spiritually convincing while subtly leading people away from God’s truth.
Yet the Bible never presents Satan as equal to God. God alone is Creator and sovereign over all things. Satan is a created being in rebellion against God, limited in power, subject to God’s authority, and destined for final judgment.
His kingdom is not sustained by true power, life, or truth. It is temporary, decaying, and built upon deception, bondage, and spiritual blindness. Those who are freed through Christ still live within the world’s fallen systems, yet now walk in the light as ambassadors of the risen King.
Believers are therefore warned to remain spiritually alert:
“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” — 1 Peter 5:8
It is not a coincidence that a roaring lion is used in this metaphor. Lions are powerful, territorial predators whose roar is used to intimidate, warn rivals, and communicate across great distances. They often operate within an organized pride while defending territory and pursuing prey together.
In a similar way, Scripture portrays the devil and his agents as organized, strategic, and relentless in seeking to deceive, isolate, intimidate, and spiritually devour those who are vulnerable or spiritually undisciplined. Predators often target isolated or weakened prey, which is why believers are repeatedly called to remain sober-minded, watchful, grounded in truth, and connected to the body of Christ.
Agents of Organized Spiritual Rebellion
Scripture also teaches that Satan does not work alone. Spiritual rebellion against God includes other fallen spiritual beings, deceptive influences, and future manifestations of opposition against Christ and His kingdom.
Of demons, C.S. Lewis wrote in his preface to The Screwtape Letters:
"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.”
The New Testament frequently refers to demons or unclean spirits—spiritual beings opposed to God that seek to deceive, oppress, corrupt, and promote false worship.
“For our struggle [combat] is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers (1), against the authorities (2), against the powers of this dark world (3) and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (4).” — Ephesians 6:12
This does not mean that evil is not present or working through people. It means that behind human rebellion and wickedness Scripture reveals deeper spiritual forces influencing deception, corruption, and opposition to God. Our struggle is beyond the surface of what we see.
Scripture also warns about the “spirit of the antichrist,” a present spiritual influence already at work in the world that opposes Christ, denies the truth about Him, and seeks to deceive people away from the Gospel. Throughout history many individuals, movements, rulers, and false teachers have operated in opposition to Christ and His truth, reflecting the spirit of antichrist already at work in the world.
“Even now many antichrists have come… This is the spirit of the antichrist…” — 1 John 2:18; 4:3
The Bible further teaches that spiritual rebellion will culminate in future global deception associated with figures such as the Antichrist and the False Prophet, who will oppose God and lead many astray before the final return of Christ.
Yet all such powers remain temporary, limited, and ultimately subject to the authority and judgment of God.
Notes: Scholars have not agreed on what each of these truly mean. I believe the context suggests that Satan is not merely one being among the powers listed here, but functions more broadly as the chief adversary operating behind them. This list appears to represent spiritual powers and forces operating within the broader rebellion against God and influence associated within Satan’s dominion. It shows that these are spiritual forces working in both the material and heavenly realms.
(1) "rulers" (Greek archai) refers to governing spiritual powers or principalities exercising influence within organized rebellion against God. Daniel 10 appears to provide a glimpse into this spiritual dimension operating behind earthly kingdoms and empires (Daniel 10:13-14, 20-21).
(2) "authorities" (Greek exousiai) refers to delegated powers or spheres of authority operating within organized spiritual rebellion. The term emphasizes jurisdiction, influence, and the exercise of authority under a larger structure. An organizational analogy can be seen through the delegation of responsibilities that Moses' Father-In-Law suggested in the wilderness (Exodus 18:13-26, Romans 13:1).
(3) "world-rulers of this darkness" (Greek kosmokratoras tou skotous) refers to the broader systems, ideologies, institutions, movements, powers, and cultural pressures of a world captured and shaped by darkness that normalize or encourage rebellion against God. It serves as the program and propaganda machine used to promote darkness within the spiritual corruption and rebellion associated with Satan’s influence (Colossians 1:13). Some of the strongest prisons do not have walls or bars, but are internalized to restrict freedom. Sin is a debt and Scripture describes sin, deception, and corruption as forms of bondage that enslave humanity apart from God (Proverbs 22:7, John 8:34, Romans 6:11-22, Colossians 2:13-14). These powers seek to enslave humanity, ruling through rebellion, false worship, pride, occult practices and witchcraft, sensuality, debauchery, malice, division, bitterness, rage, envy, fear, hatred, and every form of darkness opposed to the light of God. (Galatians 5:19-21, Ephesians 4, Colossians 3:5-9, 2 Corinthians 6:14-18, 1 John 2:15-17). It is the counterfeit to living in the light (Psalms 119:105, John 1:5, John 12:36, Acts 26:18, James 1:17).
(4) "spiritual forces of evil [wickedness] in the heavenly realms" (Greek pneumatika ponērias epouraniois) are a broad reference to evil spiritual beings or demonic forces originating from and operating within the unseen realm. (Deuteronomy 32:17, Psalm 106:37, Mark 5:1-20, Acts 19:13-16, 1 Corinthians 10:18-22, 1 Timothy 4:1, Revelation 16:14)
UNDERSTANDING EVIL
Scripture often connects evil and sin, yet the two are not always identical concepts.
Sin and Evil are related, but not identical
Sin is the personal move toward the act, condition, or choice of moral rebellion against God. Evil is a collective result of corruption, bondage, darkness, disorder, and destruction that spreads from rebellion against God.
The biblical idea of sin includes missing the mark, violating God’s will, and acting in opposition to His truth and righteousness. (see What Sin Is)
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” — Romans 3:23
Sin often presents itself as ordinary, reasonable, pleasurable, or harmless in order to gain a foothold within the heart. It seeks to normalize rebellion through habitual engagement by keeping the "door" open to its influence.
All sin is evil, yet not all evil is sin.
Evil Corrupts what God Created Good
If temptation is the suggestion and sin is the engagement then evil is the contagion that leads to contamination.
Evil cannot create life, truth, or holiness. It corrupts, distorts, counterfeits, enslaves, or destroys what God originally created good. Like disease spreading through a healthy body, evil spreads corruption through humanity, systems, relationships, and creation itself. Sin introduces rebellion, but evil metastasizes into systems of rebellion throughout humanity and creation.
Evil often disguises itself
Evil often presents itself as attractive, enlightened, pleasurable, empowering, liberating, or spiritually fulfilling while subtly leading people away from God.
The purpose of evil is ultimately to enslave humanity and maintain separation from God.
Evil rarely presents itself openly as destruction at first. More often it disguises itself as wisdom, freedom, pleasure, enlightenment, or even spirituality while subtly leading people away from God. Over time, accumulated evil can become embedded within cultures, systems, ideologies, institutions, and patterns of life that desensitize or normalize rebellion against God. (see Babylon Judged)
Evil has spiritual weight
As rebellion matures and systematically spreads corruption, evil can carry an experiential weight that becomes spiritually oppressive, defiling, and deeply destructive. Humanity may instinctively recoil from profound evil because it opposes the holiness, truth, life, and order that originate from God. Yet evil is not an independently conscious force, but evidence of organized spiritual rebellion and the spiritual forces of evil at work.
We instinctively recoil from tangible evil because our spirit (1) recognizes corruption and darkness that violates the spiritual life-order established by God. This can produce not only moral revulsion, but even physical sensations of alarm, dread, fear, or uneasiness as corruption and darkness intensify.
God is sovereign even over calamity
In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word often translated “evil” (raʿ) can sometimes refer to moral wickedness, but in other contexts refers to calamity, judgment, distress, or disaster. Evil is therefore not merely the worst imaginable events, such as genocide or the Holocaust.
“I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster [evil]; I, the LORD, do all these things.” — Isaiah 45:7
This does not mean that God sins or acts wickedly. Scripture consistently teaches that God is holy, righteous, and without sin. Rather, it means that God remains sovereign even over judgment, calamity, and the consequences of rebellion in a fallen world. He allows humanity to experience the consequences of sin and permits spiritual conflict within a fallen world. God can use evil, but He does not commit it.
Joseph testified of God's goodness and his ability to use evil for His will and purposes.
“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” — Genesis 50:20
The famine temporarily moved the people, while Joseph’s years of mistreatment prepared him to preserve life and save many during the crisis.
Three manifestations of evil
Within a fallen world, these manifestations are:
Natural evil refers to suffering, calamity, disease, death, and disorder experienced within creation after humanity’s rebellion introduced corruption into the world. Scripture often associates these realities with divine judgment, the curse upon creation, and the consequences of humanity’s rebellion including sword, famine, plague, and wild beasts. (see the 4th Seal)
Moral evil refers to rebellion against God expressed through sin, corruption, violence, hatred, injustice, deception, pride, immorality, and wickedness within the human heart. (Genesis 8:21, Isaiah 59:2, 1 John 3:4).
Supernatural evil refers to Satan, demons, deception, false worship, and spiritual rebellion operating against God and influencing humanity toward darkness and corruption. The devil seeks to distort truth and encourage evil, the world system normalizes rebellion, and the flesh responds through sinful desires within the human heart. (Ephesians 6:12)
Notes:
(1) - God breathed life into humanity by His Spirit (Genesis 2:7), imparting to us an individual spirit. Upon death, our spirit returns to God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7). It is our spirit, given life by God, that instinctively recognizes corruption and darkness opposed to His holy order.
HOW THE ENEMY ATTACKS
The devil is a cunning, deceptive, and shrewd enemy when it comes to the spread of evil.
The devil’s strategy is not to unite humanity under truth, but to divide, isolate, and corrupt. Division separates people from truth, from God, and ultimately from one another.
“Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand?” — Matthew 12:25–26
Temptation itself is often not the true attack, but the distraction or bait used to draw the heart toward compromise. The deeper attack comes through lies, deception, accusation, distortion of truth, and counterfeit reasoning designed to weaken discernment and separate people from God’s truth.
“In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” — Ephesians 6:16
“But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.” — 2 Corinthians 11:3
Like flaming arrows, these attacks seek to penetrate the mind and heart by minimizing sin, distorting God’s character, separating mercy from justice, rationalizing compromise, or convincing people that prolonged exposure to temptation carries no danger. Once deception is believed, sin becomes easier to embrace and strongholds begin to form.
“But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.” — Isaiah 59:2
The decision to sin creates separation and division between humanity and God. Once divided, the enemy seeks to isolate through shame, fear, accusation, deception, bitterness, and despair.
“See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” — Hebrews 3:12–13
The devil is quick to emphasize sin’s separation from God while concealing the grace, forgiveness, restoration, and renewal found through Jesus Christ. By staying silent on this point, those who listen begin to create spiritual strongholds.
“The wealth of the rich [love of money] is their fortified city; they imagine it a wall too high to scale.” — Proverbs 18:11
These strongholds imitate security by having an appearance designed to make it look like it is built to withstand attacks from the outside, but in reality they are prisons to keep the person inside its walls. The devil does not build these walls directly; rather, he convinces humanity to build them willingly through habitual sin, secrecy, pride, fear, and continued rebellion. Through accusation and condemnation, these walls grow higher. Each compromise or avoidance becomes another stone, and repeated sin becomes the mortar strengthening the prison of isolation and bondage.
“For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 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.” — 2 Corinthians 10:3–5
But sin is not built upon a firm foundation.
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” — Matthew 7:24–27
Satan’s kingdom is structurally dependent upon deception. Strongholds may appear powerful, permanent, or impossible to escape, yet they are structurally weak because they are built upon lies.
“The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the upright will flourish. There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.“” — Proverbs 14:11-12
“Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.” — 2 Timothy 2:25–26
DISCERNING ATTACK, CONSEQUENCE, AND DISCIPLINE
It is important to distinguish between a spiritual attack and consequences for our actions. God remains sovereign over all things, and no spiritual attack occurs outside His knowledge, authority, or ultimate control. In all cases, there are three important questions believers should prayerfully ask:
Was this situation the result of my sin or actions? (Inward)
Psalm 139:23-24 “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
Proverbs 4:26 “Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways.”
John 9:2-3 “His disciples asked him, 'Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?' 'Neither this man nor his parents sinned,' said Jesus, 'but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.' ”
1 Corinthians 11:31–32 “But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment. Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be finally condemned with the world.”
Galatians 6:7-8 “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.”
What is the lesson God is trying to teach me? (Upward)
Psalm 25:4-5 “Show me your ways, LORD, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.”Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
Isaiah 48:17 “This is what the LORD says—your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.”
John 6:45 “It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me.”
John 14:26 “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”
Romans 5:3-5 “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”
James 1:2–5 “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”
Will I allow this to draw me toward God in faith or away from Him in unbelief? (Backward or Forward)
Psalm 34:18 “The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
Proverbs 11:27 “Whoever seeks good finds favor, but evil comes to one who searches for it.”
Acts 14:21-23 “They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said. Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.”
Hebrews 3:12 “See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.”
At times believers may experience seasons of spiritual dryness, waiting, discouragement, or feeling distant from God. Such seasons do not always mean abandonment or spiritual defeat. Scripture repeatedly teaches that God’s timing is not always humanity’s timing, and such seasons often produce perseverance, faithfulness, and deeper dependence upon Him even when His purposes are not yet fully understood (Galatians 6:9). In all these things, God may work inwardly to transform the believer and outwardly to accomplish His purposes according to His will.
We find that Jesus waited according to the Father’s timing and allowed Lazarus to die before raising him.
John 11:14-15 “So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”
Also, Joseph was wrongly accused and imprisoned before meeting Pharaoh.
Genesis 45:4-7 “Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.” When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will be no plowing and reaping. But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.”
God can sovereignly use suffering, opposition, spiritual conflict, and even the consequences of evil to discipline, refine, mature, and prepare believers for service in Christ.
Psalms 119:73 “Your hands made me and formed me; give me understanding to learn your commands.”
Isaiah 64:8 “Yet you, LORD, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.”
2 Corinthians 3:18 “And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”
Hebrews 12:5-6 “And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”
CHRIST HAS ALREADY WON
In His sovereignty and perfect will, God first sent Jesus, the Son of God, to accomplish redemption (1) and provide salvation (2), not judgment. Jesus spoke about his purpose:
“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” — Luke 19:10
“If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world” — John 12:47
In His first coming, Jesus came primarily to provide salvation and reconciliation rather than to immediately bring final judgment upon all rebellion. Through His death, resurrection, and exaltation, He fulfilled what the Law and the prophets pointed toward but could never fully accomplish.
“So Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to bring salvation to those who are eagerly waiting for him.” — Hebrews 9:28
Jesus was victorious. Through His death and resurrection, He defeated sin and death for those who place their faith in Him.
“The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” — 1 Corinthians 15:56-57
Christ conquered sin through his death as the perfect sacrifice before God, making atonement for sin once and for all.
“For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.” — Leviticus 17:11
“having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.” — Colossians 2:14
“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” — 1 John 4:10
Christ conquered death through his resurrection, which publicly demonstrated the Father’s acceptance and vindication of the Son and confirmed His authority to judge the world. While Christ’s victory includes physical resurrection, the greater emphasis is the spiritual consequence of sin—final judgment and separation from the life of God in what Revelation calls the second death. (see The Great White Throne)
“In the past God overlooked such ignorance [idol worship], but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.” — Acts 17:30-31
“He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification (3).” — Romans 4:25
“And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.” — Romans 8:11
By these victories, Christ defeated Satan and inaugurated His Kingdom.
“And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” — Colossians 2:15
“Since the children [of God] have flesh and blood, he [Jesus] too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.” — Hebrews 2:14–15
Note:
(1) "redemption" is the act by which Jesus Christ gave Himself as the sacrificial payment for sin through His death on the cross. Through His blood, the debt and penalty of sin were satisfied, and freedom from bondage to sin and death was secured. (Mark 10:45; Ephesians 1:7; Galatians 3:13; 1 Corinthians 6:20).
(2) "salvation" is the full deliverance and restoration accomplished through Jesus Christ, having past, present, and future dimensions revealed through His burial, resurrection, ascension, present reign, the work of the Holy Spirit, and future return. Through His victory over death, believers are reconciled to God, given new life through the Holy Spirit, and await the completion of salvation with resurrection and the establishment of His kingdom on earth. (John 14:19; Romans 4:25; Hebrews 9:24, Hebrews 9:28; Philippians 3:20–21)
(3) "justification" is God’s declaration that a sinner is righteous before Him, not because of personal merit or works, but through faith in Jesus Christ, whose death atoned for sin and whose resurrection confirms the believer’s righteous standing before God. (Romans 3:24, Romans 3:28, Romans 5:1; Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 2:8–9; Philippians 3:9)
HOW BELIEVERS STAND FIRM
It is not the believer's job to defeat Satan and his kingdom. They have already been defeated, though not yet finally removed.
Satan is not a sovereign king equal to God, but a created being operating under limited and temporary authority permitted by God. Even Satan’s rebellion operates only within limits permitted by God, who remains sovereign and able to use even evil and opposition within His greater purposes of judgment, refinement, separation, and redemption.
Scripture calls believers to resist the devil, not rebel against him. Rebellion is the rejection of rightful authority, and it is Satan who rebels against God’s holy rule. Evil itself is already organized rebellion against God. Believers therefore are not called to join rebellion with counter-rebellion, but to stand against, oppose, and withstand the corruption, deception, and counterfeit rule promoted by the kingdom of darkness.
The Armor of God
Because the struggle against the Evil One is spiritual warfare, Paul addresses believers in Christ with the example of a Roman soldier's typical attire when dressed for battle. Five components primarily emphasize protection, stability, readiness, and endurance, while two emphasize active dependence upon God through His Word and prayer.
“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” — Ephesians 6:13-18
Notice that we are told to "put on" the armor. This has the same meaning as walking in alignment or along the path (Matthew 7:13-14, Galatians 5:25). Also notice that the instruction says "full armor of God". One article is not enough or complete. Believers are given full coverage and are fully equipped not for self-powered warfare, but to stand firm in Christ’s victory. When we stand, we stand not on any victory we have won, but in victory through Jesus Christ.
Another observation is that we are just not to stand, but to stand firm.
In self defense, the stance is important. It is about position. It is important for stability, for offense and defense. A weak stance will cause you to stumble with minimal resistance. A strong stance means you are turned toward the threat and ready to adjust to whatever force comes.
Defensive components:
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"belt of truth"
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Physical Traits: holds together and supports armor; surrounds waistline
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Spiritual Purpose: Truth and Integrity secures faith
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Spiritual Opposite: Lies and deception
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Bible Verse(s):
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Psalm 26:1 “Vindicate me, LORD, for I have led a blameless life; I have trusted in the Lord and have not faltered.”
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Proverbs 12:19 “Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.”
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Proverbs 21:3 “To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.”
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Isaiah 11:5 “Righteousness will be his [the Messiah] belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist.”
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John 17:17 “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.”
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Acts 17:28 “For in him we live and move and have our being.”
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Colossians 1:17 “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”
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1 Peter 3:10 “For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil
and their lips from deceitful speech.”
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"breastplate of righteousness"
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Physical Traits: protects heart and other vital organs
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Spiritual Purpose: Righteousness in our inner life - the heart
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Spiritual Opposite: Wickedness
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Bible Verse(s):
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Proverbs 4:23 “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
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Isaiah 51:7 “Hear me, you who know what is right, you people who have taken my instruction to heart: Do not fear the reproach of mere mortals or be terrified by their insults.”
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Isaiah 59:17 “He [the LORD] put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head; he put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak.”
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Matthew 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”
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Luke 6:45 “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”
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Philippians 1:9-11 “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.”
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1 Thessalonians 5:8 “But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.”
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"shoes of readiness from the gospel of peace"
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Physical Traits: stabilized balance and readiness of movement
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Spiritual Purpose: Stability, readiness, endurance, and defense of the faith.
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Spiritual Opposite: Fear and intimidation
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Bible Verse(s):
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Psalm 119:165 “Great peace have those who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble.”
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Isaiah 52:7 “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion,“Your God reigns!”
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Mark 16:15 “He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”
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Romans 5:1-2 “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.”
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Romans 16:20 “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.”
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1 Peter 3:15 “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,”
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"shield of faith"
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Physical Traits: intercept arrows and blows from weapons
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Spiritual Purpose: Resisting temptation is the 1st line of defense; It trusts the Word of God as truth.
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Spiritual Opposite: Temptations and desires that spread like consuming fire.
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Bible Verse(s):
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Deuteronomy 4:24 “For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.” (holy passion)
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Isaiah 9:18 “Surely wickedness burns like a fire; it consumes briers and thorns, it sets the forest thickets ablaze, so that it rolls upward in a column of smoke.” (unholy passion)
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Hosea 7:4-7 “They are all adulterers, burning like an oven whose fire the baker need not stir from the kneading of the dough till it rises. On the day of the festival of our king the princes become inflamed with wine, and he joins hands with the mockers. Their hearts are like an oven; they approach him with intrigue. Their passion smolders all night; in the morning it blazes like a flaming fire. All of them are hot as an oven; they devour their rulers. All their kings fall, and none of them calls on me.”
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James 4:1-3 “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”
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"helmet of salvation"
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Physical Traits: protects the head and sensory organs
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Spiritual Purpose: Protection of mind through salvation, sanctification (1) and renewal.
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Spiritual Opposite: Defilement, Contamination
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Bible Verse(s):
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Leviticus 18:30 “Keep my requirements and do not follow any of the detestable customs that were practiced before you came and do not defile yourselves with them. I am the LORD your God.”
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Romans 12:2 “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
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1 Thessalonians 5:23 “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
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2 Peter 1:3-9 “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.”
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Offensive components: Although these are described as weapons, their power does not originate in human strength, aggression, or worldly warfare. Rather, they proclaim truth, promises, righteousness, peace, hope, and the divine nature revealed through God’s Word and empowered by the Holy Spirit. It is active and alive, not passive or reactive.
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"sword of the Spirit"
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Physical Traits: the Roman "Gladius" was a short sword used for close-quarter combat. It was double-edged and designed for quick thrusting and penetration more than slashing.
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Spiritual Purpose: It includes the written Word of God and ultimately points to Jesus Christ Himself, the living Word made flesh. Jesus Himself demonstrated the use of the Word of God during His temptation in the wilderness. Each attack of the devil was answered not through worldly power, but through the truth of God’s Word: “It is written…” (Matthew 4:1–11).
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Spiritual Opposite: The flesh, the world, and the devil. (see Knowing the Enemy)
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Bible Verse(s):
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Deuteronomy 3:22 “Do not be afraid of them; the LORD your God himself will fight for you.”
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Zechariah 4:6 “So he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty.”
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2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
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John 1:1,14 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God... The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
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Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
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Revelation 19:13-15 “He [Jesus] is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty.”
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"prayer in the Spirit"
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Physical Traits: like incense, it is the fragrant smoke that rises to the throne of God.
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Spiritual Purpose: communion, dependence, submission, alignment, and fellowship with God.
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Spiritual Opposite: Spiritual strongholds in opposition to God. (see How the Enemy Attacks)
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Bible Verse(s):
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Exodus 30:7–8 “Aaron must burn fragrant incense on the altar every morning when he tends the lamps. He must burn incense again when he lights the lamps at twilight so incense will burn regularly before the LORD for the generations to come.”
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Romans 8:14-17 “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.”
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2 Corinthians 10:4-5 “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 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.”
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Philippians 4:6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
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1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
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James 1:5-8 “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.”
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Revelation 8:3-4 “Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand.”
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Notes:
(1) "sanctification" begins after salvation. It is the process of growth that comes through maturity and continual pursuit to live by the Spirit, not the flesh.
CONCLUSION
Until Christ returns, spiritual conflict remains part of life within a fallen world. Scripture therefore calls believers to remain sober-minded, discerning, steadfast, and anchored in the truth of God. As believers continue to walk with God, stand firm in His Word, and resist the corruption of the world, they grow in spiritual maturity while awaiting the final victory and full establishment of Christ’s Kingdom. Christ alone is the true foundation that cannot be shaken.
Continue to Christianity 201 — Understanding Humanity (Under Construction)
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