Spiritual Warfare: How to Wage Battle Against Evil Spirits

 Spiritual Warfare: How to Wage Battle Against Evil Spirits

If you’ve ever felt like something was trying to steal your peace, keep you from making progress in life, or even persuade you to commit immoral acts, then you’ve been engaged in spiritual warfare—the battle between God and Satan and the angels that began when Lucifer challenged God’s right to rule over Heaven (Isaiah 14:12–14). Whether we are aware of it or not, this battle goes on every day all around us and inside us as well. The good news is that we can take our stand against evil by learning how to wage spiritual warfare correctly and effectively.

The Enemy’s Objective

The devil doesn’t want to kill people—he wants to enslave them. The enemy's purpose is to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10). He's the master of deception, willing to do whatever it takes to lead the world astray and cause God's people harm. At times, evil spirits will lie dormant, waiting for their time to attack. Other times, they'll seem relentless in their efforts to stop God's children from having any peace. If you're living a godly life, Satan may try to tempt you with thoughts of doubt or fear. But no matter how hard he tries, he can't keep you from enjoying a relationship with Jesus Christ. The Enemy's Weapons: Satan has an arsenal of weapons at his disposal, but he primarily uses three methods when waging spiritual warfare against Christians: temptation, lies and oppression.

Use the Armor of God

The apostle Paul’s letter to believers in Ephesus contains a powerful description of how to wage battle against evil spirits. The believer is presented as a soldier who must use the armor of God if he or she wants to stand strong in Christ. It is by using these pieces of protective armor that we are able resist and overcome evil forces. Here are seven pieces from Paul’s instruction that you can put on today as you engage in spiritual warfare. A Helmet: Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; and for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel... (Ephesians 6:16-19) B Breastplate: For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12) C Belt of Truth: But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

Forgiveness is Critical

Forgiveness is a critical component of waging successful spiritual warfare. When you harbor anger, resentment and hatred toward another person or situation, you leave yourself open for attack. By forgiving those who have hurt or wronged you, you free yourself from a negative mindset that can adversely affect your health and overall well-being. Furthermore, forgiveness frees up time and energy that would otherwise be spent on bitterness; instead of focusing on what was done to you in the past, you’re able to move forward with your life. It’s Not All About You: Spiritual warfare isn’t just about winning battles against evil spirits; it’s also about doing God’s work in other people’s lives. That means being a positive force in their world by encouraging them, building them up when they’re down and helping them when they need it most. This might not seem like spiritual warfare at first glance, but when you consider how much good we can do for one another, especially through acts of kindness, you realize how powerful our actions really are.

Stand Firm in Faith and Repentance

The Bible says that evil spirits go about like roaring lions (1 Peter 5:8). This means that demonic forces can be extremely powerful, and they want nothing more than to destroy your life. As Christians, we know how easily they can be defeated; all we have to do is acknowledge their presence and commit our lives to Christ. But, because of our sins and weaknesses, it’s easy for us to stumble along the way. If you feel as though you are being attacked by an evil spirit or demon, repent of any sin in your life—particularly sins related to pride or anger—and ask God for forgiveness. Then stand firm in faith against those who would try to attack you with their lies and deceitful words. Remember that God loves you and has promised never to leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). When we stand firm in faith and repentance against Satan’s attacks on our lives, he has no choice but to flee from us! He will continue to try and bring temptation into your life, but remember that God is always faithful, so don’t give up hope. Keep fighting until you win! For example, if someone tells a lie about you at work, don’t allow yourself to get angry or gossip about them in retaliation; rather pray for them instead.

Know your Territory

Praying and worshiping in secret can sometimes feel like you’re hiding out, but it’s an important element of spiritual warfare. One way to start is with a prayer like 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 minds in Christ Jesus. Make sure that no one sees or hears what you do—it’s between you and God—and then pray for His strength as you wage war against evil spirits (Ephesians 6:10-18). Remember: If Satan is prowling around your neighborhood, he’ll pick a fight much sooner if he thinks he has something worth fighting over. So keep him guessing! Be unpredictable in everything you do (Ephesians 5:15 NLT). That means being nice to people when they least expect it; doing favors without expecting payback; giving more than you receive; helping those who are ungrateful; forgiving those who hurt you. The more love and kindness you pour into others, especially when they don’t deserve it, the less room there is for evil spirits to operate.

Conclusion

If you do everything you can and continue to stand firm in faith, you will prevail over your enemy. If you don’t quit, if you never give up, God will make sure that when it comes down to it...he is with us. The weapons we fight with are not physical [weapons] but are mighty before God for pulling down strongholds. 2 Corinthians 10:4 AMP (CEV)