142 Sermon Illustrations on Spiritual Warfare

Towards sunset of the long, bloody day of Waterloo, when the surviving remnants of the old Imperial Guards were summoned to lay down their arms, the scarred veterans of fifty victories cried out, "The Old Guard dies: it never surrenders!"

As it is said that ferocious animals are disarmed by the eye of man, and will dare no violence if he but steadily look at them, so it is when right looks upon wrong. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you; offer him a bold front, and he runs away. He goes, it may be, uttering threats of rage; but yet he goes.

— Guzhnell

Mr. John Conway, of Monmouthshire, (Eng.) was remarkably subject to nervous affections, which induced a very painful degree of mental depression. He informed Mrs. Conway, that at one season he was so harassed by this affliction, which doubtless was aggravated by the fiery darts of the wicked one, as to render his existence almost insupportable. Relief was sought, and in some measure derived from the following wise expedient: he furnished himself with a variety of Scriptures, eminently expressive of the love and faithfulness of God, and of his great willingness to receive those that are disposed to accept salvation on gospel terms. To these he referred and fled for refuge whenever he found the enemy coming in like a flood; and in the hands of the Spirit, he found them sufficient to lift up a standard against him.

The following striking anecdote of a papal priest and a clergyman's son, was related by William Digby Seymour, Esq., a young Irish barrister, at an Anniversary of the "Irish Society of London."

The boy was taking a walk, when a father-confessor of an adjoining parish met him; and when he had spoken awhile with him, he said, "You're a smart lad you young heretic! Do you know, I'd eat meat nine Fridays running to coax you into Maynooth?" "Would you?" replied the youngster; "I'd do more; I'd fast every Friday of my life to coax Maynooth into the Shannon." The priest was surprised at this sally. He spoke with the lad some minutes longer, and, when going off, he presented him with a half-crown, saying, he gave because the other was "the very picture of his poor, dear, departed grandmother!" The boy took the half-crown, and said, he would put it into his papa's collection box for the Irish Society. This enraged the priest. The face of the holy father, proceeded Mr. Seymour, blazed till ignition was momentarily threatened: an anathema of pious vengeance burst from his lips:—"My curse,—the Virgin's curse—the curse of Peter and Paul,—the curse of the Church and martyrs, be upon that Society!" he shouted; "may a blight and a blast be upon it! It took from me the best Catholic in my parish to be a Scripture-reader last week, and he'll steal them all from me before this time twelvemonth. So, you young reprobate, you're going to abuse my kindness this way! You'll not take your life and your half-crown together from this till you swear on this blessed cross (taking one from his breast) that you will not give my money to such an infernal purpose." So saying, and with a furious imprecation, he sprang off the saddle. It was truly a wild and painful scene! There stood the weeping boy and the man! the boy so bewildered as to forget restoring the coin; the priest so frenzied with religious ardor ar to forget he was before a child. There they stood, for a moment only. The savage man had an Irish heart; the tears of childhood fell upon that breast and melted it to softness. The priest re-mounted his horse and bade the last adieu forever. The priest's curse fell where it was uttered. The arrow touched not the Society, for the breath of God's blessing wafted it aside. The priest has since been gathered to them that sleep. He died a penitent. Oh! may he awake to glory. But what of the boy? Some kind voice here may ask—"What of the boy?" He lives, my friends; he lives to muse full oft on that eventful scene. He lives to pray for the Society he much loved then, and loves much now. He lives to thank England's people for their zeal in that Society's behalf, and to urge them to continue in the noble work of giving Irishmen the Bible; of giving children their Father's will in a copy they can understand; of giving the bondmen of Rome the Magna Charta of Protestant liberty. Full of gratitude for the past, and full of hopes for the future, it is he who now addresses you.

"I asked the Rev. Leigh Richmccz" says one, "how we were to reconcile the increase of religion with the acknowledged growth of crime, as evinced in our courts of justice? He answered, 'Both are true. Bad men are becoming worse, and good men better. The first are ripening for judgment, the latter for glory. The increase of wickedness is, in this respect, a proof of the increase of religion. The devil is wroth, knowing that his time is short.'" # 401. SELF-C

Right eye is eye of faith. Left eye was covered with the shield when they went out to battle. By the proposed compromise Israelites would be unfitted to fight. Thus Satan tries to cripple us in service, compromising saint is always blind in one eye

It is said that among the recent discoveries in the ruins of Pompeii, a city that was destroyed by volcanic eruption in A.D. 79, was a woman in the act of gathering in her apron, rings, bracelets and other valuable articles of jewelry. It would seem that some wealthy persons, aware of the coming destruction, had made their escape and left these things behind, as worthless in comparison with life; but she, hoping to save both life and jewels, delayed the time of her flight, and, alas, was overwhelmed in the terrific judgment, and so lost both her life and the treasure.

A Christian’s watchfulness should be like that of a good soldier. A sentinel, posted on the walls of a fortress, when he discerns the enemy approaching, does not attempt to make any attack upon the foe himself, but informs the commanding officer, and leaves him to take proper measures to vanquish the enemy. We cannot conquer so wily and powerful a foe as Satan, but by watching and praying, we may hope, by the help of God, to resist him.

It is said that at the battle of the Alma, when one of the regiments was being beaten back by the Russians, the ensign in front stood his ground as the troops retreated. The captain shouted to him to bring back his colors; but the reply of the ensign was, “Bring up the men to the colors.”

An honest and Godfearing man once told another that though he lived peaceably with every one, hurt no man, was ever quiet, yet many people were his enemies. His friend comforted him in this manner: “Arm thyself with patience, and be not angry though they hate thee. What offence do we give the Devil? What aids him to be so great an enemy? Only because he has not that which God has; I know no other cause of his hatred toward us.”

When the instructed Christian sees his surroundings, he finds himself to be like a defenceless dove flying to her nest, while against her tens of thousands of arrows are levelled. The Christian life is like that dove's anxious flight, as it threads its way between the death-bearing shafts of the enemy, and by constant miracle escapes unhurt. The enlightened Christian sees himself to be like a traveller, standing on the narrow summit of a lofty ridge; on the right hand and on the left are gulfs unfathomable, yawning for his destruction; if it were not that by divine grace his feet are like hinds' feet, so that he is able to stand upon his high places, he would long ere this have fallen to his eternal destruction.

In the road from Bellinzona to Lugano, on the Monte Cenere, we met with a detachment of carbineers, who had a station in the forest upon the mountain; we learned that they had been placed there by the Italian government because a party of bandits had been impudent enough to rob the mail. We felt all the safer from knowing that protectors were so near at hand. Soldiers are needed where brigands are abroad; nobody advises the letting of freebooters alone. We are occasionally asked by lovers of quietude why we draw our swords so frequently against the Ritualists and other Romanisers: is it not a sufficient answer that we are soldiers of the King of kings, and that these traitorous thieves not only rob the King's subjects of the gospel, but the King himself of his glory? Our churches need just now a strong detachment of bold and qualified champions to occupy themselves with hunting down the Popish brigands by faithful preaching, and hanging them up upon the gallows of scorn. Cursed is he that doeth the work of the Lord deceitfully in this matter at this momentous hour, when men's souls are destroyed, and Christ's name is dishonoured. Carbineers of the cross, take sure aim, and give good account of the foe.

When the devil is not troubled by us, he does not trouble us. When the Lord's black horses call at our door they bring us double loads of blessing.

See RESISTANCE.

ARMOR-PROOF

Paul writes of the “whole armor of God,” proof against “the fiery darts of the wicked.”

Mr. W. T. Stead thinks that armor is certainly about to be revived in the military forces of Europe. A bullet-proof substance has been discovered; and if it be used as a breast-plate like a steel cuirass, it will put a different face on modern warfare. The French Government has tested the new armor, and reports that it has four or five times the resistance of chilled steel, and is invulnerable to rifle bullets. The equipment is not heavier than a cuirass and costs half as much. Of his own observation in this matter, Mr. Stead writes as follows in the London _Daily Chronicle_:

“I have myself witnessed experiments which go to prove that the soldier provided with this new armor can expose himself to the fire of modern rifles, at a distance of one hundred yards, and suffer as little from their fire as if he were being assailed by pea-shooters. The regiment arrayed in this armor of proof, and marching up to within one hundred yards of the enemy, suffers no more damage from a mitraille of steel bullets than if it were marching through an ordinary hailstorm.”

Upon the side of the great entrance-hall of the Royal Museum in Berlin is painted a colossal picture of Kaulbach’s. It represents the last battle between the Romans and the Huns, which decided the fate of European civilization. The spirits of the slain, fierce and restless as before, rise from their bodies and continue the battle in the air. In the shadowy combat the forces are led by Attila, “the scourge of God,” borne aloft upon a shield, and by Theodoric, the Roman chief, with sword in hand and the cross behind.

The vivid portraiture is a symbol of the battle waging, not so much between brute forces as between the spirit of two opposing civilizations for the mastery of the world.

The power exerted by the human eye over man and animals is well known, and the evil use of such influence is widely recognized. This maleficent power is called the “evil eye,” and the belief in its operation seems never to have been absent in any land. This does not mean the undoubted influence exerted by the eye, as in mesmerism, but a sort of noxious influence proceeding from the eye, with or without the connivance of the owner of the organ. Intelligence of a belief in this strange power comes to us from the cradle lands of the East, at an unknown period of history. Chaldean cylinders of clay dug up on the banks of the Euphrates contain magical formula against it. In Assyria, eight centuries before Christ, men appealed to their gods in long formulated prayers against possessors of the evil eye, who are declared the worst of men. Egyptian incantations against the sorcerer, of an early date, have come down to us. In one of these the sun is addrest thus: “O, thou whose soul is in the pupil of the eye.” An ancient Vedaic hymn to Agni invokes Indra against the evil eye. The eye of the Brahman was thought so powerful that he was forbidden, when satisfying the wants of nature, to look at the sun, the moon, the stars, water, or trees, lest he should bewitch them. The Persian Vendidad contains prayers and rites to ward off the effects of the evil eye. Ahriman subdued evil spirits by the power of his glance.--St. Louis _Globe-Democrat_.

There is a little instrument used in war called a caltrop, named from a kind of thistle. It consists of a small bar of iron, with several sharp points projecting from it one or two inches each way. If these instruments are thrown upon the ground at random, one of the points must necessarily be upward, and the horses that tread upon them are lamed and disabled at once. History tells that Darius caused caltrops to be scattered in the grass and along the roads, wherever the army of Alexander would be likely to approach his troops on the field of battle.

I know not how the stork, “leaning upon the sirocco,” makes a leverage of the opposing element for her swift flight. I leave the naturalist to explain that. But I do know that the sirocco is a challenge to her unerring instinct and strength of wing. God manipulates the wind. The stork manipulates her wings. And the working of the combination results advantageously to the stork. She does not lean upon the sirocco wind as you would lean upon a couch. That would result in a fall and the bird would be dashed in pieces. The leaning is accompanied by action. While the buoyancy of the air bears her up, the balancing of the wings bears her on. That air-cushion is no “downy bed of ease.” It is a thing to be encountered and overcome. She makes the adversary contribute to her progress. The thing from which men shrink is the thing the bird dares.

— C. J. GREENWOOD

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The spiritual gunner who has a reasonably fair appreciation of his important and responsible business will not try to use the same kind of gun for all kinds of game. He will adapt his gun to the kind of game he has specially in view, and he will always have in view game of some kind if he is anxious to become “a mighty hunter before the Lord.” He will not bring out a loaded Armstrong, or Columbiad, or Gatling for very small game and reserve his smallest arms for game of the largest and most dangerous kind if he wishes to bear home any trophies of his working skill. Every professional gunner--every pulpit gunner especially--who wishes to do efficient work will not only have large guns and small guns ready loaded, where he can lay his hands on them at once, but will know just when and how to use each kind. He will also be careful not to use kicking guns and overloaded guns, which always do a great deal more harm to those behind them than they do to those just in front. A gun that shoots straight ahead without much scattering, instead of backward or sideways, that is well aimed, and that carries true to its aim, is the only gun for the spiritual hunter, whether it be large or small.--_The Evangelist._

Scientific men declare that there is no barricade like snow. A bullet fired from a distance of fifty yards will not penetrate a wall of snow a few feet thick, but the same missile passes through dense earthworks and shatters trees when discharged from a much greater distance. A bag of cotton is a much more efficient resistant than a steel plate. A swordsman can cut a sheep in two at a stroke, but he is baffled at once if he seeks to cut through a pillow of fine feathers. (Text.)

Sermon in Ephesians series.

"THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD" Ephesians 6:11-17

I. Whole armor of God.

A. Armor in English suggests defensive items.

B. "Armor" in Greek includes offensive gear. Isaiah 49:17

II. Christian life as a pitched battle.

A. Christian struggles aren't conquered in an hour or a day.

B. With God's help we will remain standing.

III. Spiritual armor.

A. Girted about with (belt of) truth. 6:14

1) "Gird the loins" means hike up outer shirt for action.

2) Bible characters said to gird up loins. Exod 12:11, 1 Kg 18:46

3) Double-meaning of truth: sincerity or doctrine.

B. Breastplate of righteousness. 6:14

1) Righteousness=justification or right living. 2 Cor 6:7

2) Once our conduct slips, we leave a weak spot for enemy.

C. Feet fitted with gospel of peace. 6:15

1) Shoes are important in warfare.

2) Christians should be shod with the good news of Jesus.

D. Faith is our shield. 6:16

1) Darts are false guilt, doubt, anger, fear.

2) Faith can deal with the darts of the devil. Power & promises.

E. Salvation as a helmet. 6:17

1) God's saving power is our only defence against the enemy.

2) Our confidence: salvation is a gift from God, not our effort.

F. Sword of the Spirit. 6:17

1) Every Christian has received the gift of the Holy Spirit.

2) Sword is further identified as the Word of God. Hebrews 4:12

IV. How well-equipped are YOU as a Christian? #1806

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Principles of spiritual warfare.

1. God's Goals.

a. We are to please our Commanding Officer.

b. We are enlisted not to destroy enemy soldiers, but to win them.

2. God's Methods.

a. We must depend on God for the power in battle.

b. We need to recognize who the real enemy is.

c. We need to equip ourselves with "the full armor of God".

"Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist."

"Stand firm.. with the breastplate of righteousness in place.

"Stand firm.. with your feet with readiness that comes from the gospel

of peace.

"Take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all flaming

arrows of the evil one.

"Take the helmet of salvation.

"Take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.

"Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and

requests.

"Spiritual warfare" is an important Biblical teaching but a neglected one. It has three aspects:

1. The reality of spiritual warfare.

2. The reality of our spiritual enemies beyond "flesh and blood."

3. The reality of spiritual evil, or sin.

The power of "positive thinking" should not blind us to the power of negative thinking. There is a need for negative thinking if there are real enemies. More important, there is a need for negative acting, not "going with the flow." There is a place for hate in the Christian life. If we become incapable of hate, we become also incapable of love.

Christians have three enemies:

1. The world.

2. The flesh.

3. The Devil.

Malcolm Muggeridge says that sin is the only Christian dogma that can be proved just by reading the daily newspapers. Why does the modern mind misunderstand sin? Because sin is a word that presupposes two things the modern world disbelieves in: a divine will giving moral laws, and a human soul receiving them.

Evil is a broader term than sin. Misunderstandings about evil:

1. The Dracula misunderstanding - evil is a great myth, a fascinating

fiction.

2. The Hitler misunderstanding - the only evil is cruelty. "This notion is

so pervasive that many readers think there aren't Ten Commandments, but

only one. If they haven't killed anybody lately, they think they're

saints."

3. The Jungian (and Hindu and Buddhist) misunderstanding - evil is only "the

dark side" of good, that good and evil are not really, ultimately

distinct but one.

4. The Platonic and liberal misunderstanding - man is by nature good and

wise, and evil is only ignorance and therefore can be cured by

education.

5. The Zoroastrian misunderstanding - that evil is a "thing," even an

absolute, a second God. (Zoroaster was the sixth-century Persian

prophet who taught this ultimate dualism.)

Spiritual warfare needs ethics. The ancients feared evil too much (witch hunts) while moderns fear it too little.

Spiritual warfare remained a normal part of the Church's life throughout its early history.

1. The ministry of exorcism.

2. The Devil in the desert.

3. Discerning Satan's hand.

Anthony (c. 251-356) provided a guideline for distinguishing God's gifts and messengers from the enemy's tricks: God's gifts, he noted, develop a godly character in us, and His messengers bring us a sense of peace and joy (once we get over the initial fright at their appearance). The devil, on the other hand, offers gifts that appeal to our vanity, greed, or lust, and his deceiving agents bring us confusion, doubt, and disturbance.

To be safe from demonic attack, said Anthony, we need a godly humility. That insight was born out by the experience of another monk, whose example we should keep in mind today whenever we're called to do battle with the forces of darkness. One night a demon appeared to the old man in his room, saying, "I am the angel Gabriel, and I have been sent to you." The monk responded humbly, "You must have the wrong room. I'm not worthy to have an angel visit me." Unable to tempt him to vanity, the demon vanished. The lesson? Our best armor in spiritual warfare may be a humble heart.

We are at war, and we need to know about the enemy.

1. Who is Satan?

2. What are Satan's objectives?

a. Keep unbelievers in the dark.

b. Render believers spiritually ineffective.

c. Hinder the work of God in the world.

3. What are Satan's tactics?

a. Deceit.

b. Accusation.

c. Capitalizing on weakness.

d. Oppression through demonization.

e. Oppression through demonized physical objects.

f. Physical affliction.

4. Our victory over Satan.

The bad news: We have an enemy who actively seeks to destroy us. The good news: In Christ, we have the authority to keep him at bay until his final defeat.

The New Testament frequently reminds us that we have a spiritual enemy (Mt. 6:13, 2 Cor. 11:3, Eph. 6:10–18, James 4:7). Peter further warns us to be “self-controlled and alert” around this enemy, whom he clearly identifies as the devil (1 Pet. 5:8). But unless we understand who our enemy is and what his tactics are, we give him a great strategic advantage over us.

Who Is Satan?

Just as the Bible nowhere presents an argument for the existence of God, it nowhere gives us an obvious explanation of who Satan is or where he came from. Jesus’ reference to “the devil and his angels” (Mt. 25:41), John’s account of the war in heaven between Michael and his angels and “the dragon and his angels” (Rev. 12:7), and the possible reference to him in Ezek. 28:14 as a “guardian cherub” have led many to the conclusion that he was a high-ranking angel who rebelled against God and led a group of the angels to follow him in rebellion.

Paul tells us that the coming of the lawless one at the end of this age “will be in accordance with the work of Satan.” This imposter under Satan’s control “will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple ... proclaiming himself to be God” (2 Thess. 2:4, 2 Thess. 2:9). Satan was acting out this ambition to be God when he tempted our Lord to fall down and worship him in exchange for all the kingdoms of the world (Mt. 4:8–9).

We know that Satan will never achieve his goal of being like God, and he knows it. No matter where we put Revelation 12 (describing a vanquished Satan and his angels) in view of the end times, Satan knows that he has a limited time to pursue his diabolical purposes (Rev. 12:12). Yet spiritual warfare is a fact of life as long as this enemy is still loose on the earth and the final victory of the Kingdom of God is in the future.

God allows Satan to retain his power and operate as a part of this world because God’s sovereignty over the world is not in question. God is able to use the work even of this enemy to accomplish His own purposes — to make us stronger rather than weaker.

We can conclude, then, that Satan is a powerful angel who rebelled against God and now sees God and God’s children as his special enemies. The other angels who went along with the rebellion are what we now call demons (Jude 6).

What Are Satan’s Objectives?

Satan’s goals grow out of his jealousy and hatred of God. What does Satan hope to accomplish?

Keep unbelievers in the dark. Satan would like to rule the world. Since that will never happen in the ultimate sense, he has to settle for something less as he deals with people.

For the unredeemed his strategy is to keep them from hearing and receiving the truth of the gospel. Paul tells us that “the god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Cor. 4:4). Satan tries to keep them from even hearing the message. If an unbeliever hears but does not understand, Jesus tells us that “the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart” (Mt. 13:19).

Render believers spiritually ineffective. Believers are in a position to bring glory to God by their very lives, and that’s something Satan is committed to prevent. In the Ten Commandments it’s clear believers are not to “take the name of the Lord your God in vain” (Exod. 20:7, NAS). God’s intent was far more than to prohibit the use of His name in oaths or curses. He was saying we should not be called “children of God” and then not live in a manner that points others to God. We are not to take the name of God on ourselves by saying we are His children and then not reflect His character. That’s why Paul says, “Whether you eat or drink [the most basic functions in life] or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31).

Peter says Satan’s aim is to “devour” us (1 Pet. 5:9). The root meaning of the word devour is “to swallow.” Satan will try to get us so swallowed up in worldly and self-centered living that we “fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23).

Hinder the work of God in the world. Paul wrote to the Thessalonians that he had attempted to come to them many times, but “Satan thwarted us” (1 Thess. 2:18, NAS). In Ephesians 6, Paul characterized Christian life and ministry as struggling against the demonic powers in the world. He clearly implies that if we do not use the spiritual armor and weapons provided for us, the enemy will press the attack and keep us from carrying out our Lord’s marching orders. Even when we are operating on faith, as Paul did, we are not spared the heat of the battle. Paul suffered many things (2 Cor. 6:3–10, 2 Cor. 11:23–33). Though much of his suffering came at the hands of human opponents, I believe Paul would have seen it as part of the battle with supernatural forces.

What Are Satan’s Tactics?

The more an army knows about the strategies and tactics of an enemy, the more effective it will be in combat with that enemy. Paul indicated that in his warfare with Satan he was not “unaware of his schemes” (2 Cor. 2:11). Unfortunately, the Christian army today is often quite ignorant of Satan’s schemes and becomes easy prey. What are some of Satan’s basic warfare tactics?

Deceit. Jesus said that when the devil lies he speaks out of his very nature (Jn. 8:44). He first appears in the Bible in Genesis 3 using deception to lure Adam and Eve into sin (see 2 Cor. 11:3). In Rev. 12:9, (NAS) he is called the one “who deceives the whole world” (see also Rev. 18:23, Rev. 19:20, Rev. 20:10).

If a person is openly attacked, he can defend himself. If he is tempted, he can make a choice. But if he is deceived, he doesn’t even know anything is wrong. In 2 Tim. 2:24–26 Paul says that some people in the church who were opposing the truth were in “the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.” He also indicated that the way out of that trap is the truth (v. 25).

Satan will deceive us about how powerful he is. Many people ascribe power to Satan that he doesn’t have, simply by fearing even to talk about him. Satan then will capitalize on this fear by attacking us — usually when we’re alone, when it’s dark, and when we’re in a weakened condition.

Satan also deceives us by offering us power to deal with the problem areas of our lives. People in all parts of the world, including what appears to be a highly secularized Western world, carry good luck charms, consult psychics and fortune-tellers, go to practitioners who use magic to heal diseases, consult with spirits claiming to be from people of past ages, consult the alignment of stars, and engage in a multitude of other activities we call the occult. Satan promises power but delivers only enough to keep his victims coming back, and he charges a very high price in the form of bondage in some area of a person’s life.

Satan also deceives us about spiritual truth. Paul tells the Corinthians, “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 Cor. 11:3). He wrote to Timothy: “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons” (1 Tim. 4:1).

The two most foundational truths that come under attack are the character of God and the identity of the believer as a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ. Once a person’s concept of God is perverted, his concept of what it means to be a child of God is affected. This sometimes takes the form of blaming God for all the bad things that happen in life. It also takes the form of believing we have to reach a certain level of perfection before God will accept us. Since people may not live what they profess but will always live what they believe, success in spreading these wrong beliefs gives Satan an inroad in the most foundational area of our lives — our hearts (Prov. 4:23).

Accusation. Satan is also called “the accuser of our brothers” (Rev. 12:10). He accuses us to God and he accuses us to ourselves. God convicts us of sin by showing us how to deal with it through the Cross. Satan accuses us to discourage us and make us want to give up. He will sometimes put an evil thought in our minds and then say, “And you say you are a Christian — look what you’re thinking!” I’ve talked with ministers and missionaries who’ve struggled with this. It’s one of the reasons Paul tells us to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Cor. 10:3–5).

Capitalizing on weakness. A standard modus operandi of Satan is to find a weakness in our lives and intensify it to a compulsive level (2 Cor. 10:3–5). Weaknesses such as the effects of trauma or a dysfunctional family or wrong patterns of thinking may open the door for his involvement. Satan doesn’t fight fair. He’s ruthless in his attacks, and God’s protection is not automatic just because we are His children.

Oppression through demonization. In demonization, a demon holds some measure of control over a person. This relationship has often been called demon possession, but that is a misleading term and, if used at all, should refer only to the more extreme forms of demonic control over unbelievers.

Satan’s henchmen, the demons, seek to establish strongholds in people — both Christians and nonChristians (2 Cor. 2:10–11, 2 Cor. 10:3–5, Eph. 4:27). Symptoms such as an inability to grow spiritually, compulsive thoughts or behaviors, and undiagnosable or untreatable physical symptoms may indicate a demonic stronghold. So do the more classic symptoms of superhuman strength, different voices, and an inability to cope with everyday life. A truly Spirit-filled believer will not be demonized — not because an evil Spirit cannot be where the Holy Spirit is (God is omnipresent) but because that person is appropriating the spiritual power and authority available to him as a child of God (Luke 10:19, Eph. 1:19).

Oppression through demonized physical objects. God made it plain that His people should not bring certain religious objects into their homes. They were, in fact, to detest them and burn them (Deut. 7:25–26). Evil spirits can use such objects as a medium to come to people (Deut. 32:17, Ps. 106:37, 1 Cor. 10:19–20). For instance, a missionary child suffered severe nighttime disturbances until a ceremonial dagger hung in his room was removed and destroyed.

Physical affliction. Satan may also attack the physical body (Job 2:7, Mt. 9:32–33, Luke 13:16, 2 Cor. 12:7). Sometimes physical attack is the result of doors we open to the enemy through our own sin, as in the case of a woman who had undiagnosable fevers and pain that moved about in her body. When she confessed and renounced her participation in occult practices, the fevers and the pain left with no recurrence.

Our Victory over Satan

It’s easy to focus too much on what Satan can do and be intimidated. Instead, we should focus on our resources in Christ so we can meet Satan’s challenges with confidence.

The decisive battle in spiritual warfare was fought and won by Christ at the Cross and the Resurrection. Paul wrote to the Colossians, “And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross” (Colossians 2:15). The writer to the Hebrews affirmed this victory when he said, “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy 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” (Colossians 2:14–15). Our faith is in the victory of Christ and in our relationship to Him.

Luke gives us an interesting glimpse into the process many go through to learn of their spiritual authority over Satan. In Luke 10, he tells of Jesus sending seventy-two disciples out to practice what He had been teaching them. When they returned, they said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name” (Luke 10:17). They seemed somewhat surprised at this. Jesus said, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.” I think He was saying their ministry had all the authority of the Kingdom of God behind it. To make it more explicit He said, “I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you” [this does not make you some special group of privileged, gifted disciples],”but rejoice that your names are written in heaven” [being a child of God gives you this authority] (Luke 10:18–20).

John McMillan, in his little book The Authority of the Believer, compares our authority to that of a policeman. A policeman’s authority does not reside in his own identity but in his position as a representative of the state. It doesn’t matter whether he’s one week out of the police academy or a twenty-year veteran. As policemen, both have the same authority.

So it is with the believer. It’s not one’s giftedness or age; it is being a child of God that gives us spiritual authority. Even a young child who knows the Lord can ward off the attacks of the enemy in the name of Jesus.

We are at war whether we like it or not. The only question is whether we can say with Paul “I have fought the good fight” (2 Tim. 4:7) by being “strong in the Lord and in his mighty power,” taking our stand “against the devil’s schemes” (Eph. 6:10–11).