SPIRITUAL WARFARE: Part I
Knowing Your Enemy!
We hear about warfare, whether cyber warfare, culture wars,
or the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, etc. I am all for ending all
wars. How many know that spiritual warfare is being waged in the cosmic realms?
Could there be a lack of awareness and misunderstanding? Some may have never
heard that they were involved in spiritual warfare. Others may have wrong
notions about it. Yet others may have been too afraid to hear or talk about it.
The Devil has been engaged in this war for the souls
of humans since the beginning. He will do anything to stop people from
believing in God and becoming followers of Christ. He will distract and destroy
the faith of those who believe in Christ. The Apostle Paul's letter to the
Ephesian Church gives us insights into how believers can engage in spiritual
warfare effectively.
I.
What do we know about the Ephesian Church?
In AD 53, the Ephesian Church was established during
Paul's homeward journey to Jerusalem. On his third missionary journey, Paul
returned to Ephesus and stayed there for three years, preaching and teaching.
God gave Paul the power to perform great miracles.
When handkerchiefs or aprons that had merely touched
his skin were placed on sick people, they were healed of their diseases, and
evil spirits were expelled. Throughout the province of Asia, Jews and Greeks heard
the word of the Lord and became believers.
Several who practiced witchcraft brought their
incantation books and burned them at a public bonfire. The value of the books
was what would now be several million dollars. (Acts 19:1-20). Paul begins this
letter by highlighting the believer's immeasurable blessings in Christ and
concludes by reminding them that the Church is in constant Spiritual Warfare
and that they should use every spiritual weapon at their disposal against the
enemy. As in any natural war, we must understand who we are coming against, which is the same in spiritual warfare.
II.
Knowing Our Enemy
Before we delve into knowing our enemy, there are two
primary errors in spiritual warfare—over-emphasis and
under-emphasis. Some blame every sin, every conflict, and every problem on
demons that need to be cast out. They are preoccupied with the Devil.
Others completely ignore the spiritual realm and the
fact that the Bible tells us our battle is against spiritual powers. They are
afraid to talk about the Devil. The key to successful spiritual warfare is finding
the biblical balance. We don't want to be impressed and intimidated by the
Devil, but we want to know the truth about him. What does the Bible say about
our enemy?
A.
The origin and the fall of Satan or the Devil.
I use the names Satan and Devil
interchangeably, but they are the same. Who created Satan? Has he always been
evil or turned really bad at some point? What are his nature and main agenda? How
does he attack God's people? What other names are given to him? Let's explore.
Through Jesus, God created everything in the heavenly
realms and on earth.
He
made the things we can see and the things we can't see—such as thrones,
kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world." Col 1:16. The only
person who has always existed was God, and everything else has been created,
including the angels.
Two specific passages in (Isaiah
14:12–15; Ezekiel 28:13–17), give us a bit of history concerning the Devil and
his origins. Isaiah 14:12, Satan was in heaven but, later on, was thrown down
to the earth. The Ezekiel 28 passage says he was one of the created cherubim.
He led worship on the mountain of God. (13-14). He was blameless until sin was
found in him.
By reading these passages, we will know pride and envy
corrupted the heart of the chief cherub. He wanted to be like the most high God
and even exalted himself above God. That was when God threw him down. He took
1/3 of the angles down with him to the earth. Rev 12:4.
B.
The names and nature of Satan.
Last week we learned that in the OT, names, besides
identifying a person, also revealed their nature and personality. For instance,
God was called by several names, each showing a particular aspect of His character.
Let's look at the names and descriptions the Bible gives the Devil. "Satan"
in Hebrew means "adversary." This name indicates Satan's fundamental
nature: he is the enemy of God, of all God, does and loves.
The Devil in Greek means "false accuser"
or "slanderer." Satan plays this role in Job 1–2 when he attacks Job's
character. In Matthew 12:24, the Jews refer to Satan as "Beelzebul,"
an epithet derived from "Baal-Zebub" ("lord of the fly"), a
false god of the Philistines in Ekron (2 Kings 1:2-3, 6). Other titles of Satan
include the tempter (1 Thessalonians 3:5).
The wicked one (Matthew 13:19,
38). The accuser of the brethren (Revelation 12:10). Three titles
that point to Satan's authority in this world: The ruler of this world (John
12:31), the God of this age (2 Corinthians 4:4), and the prince of the power of
the air (Ephesians 2:2). "The father of lies and murderer" (John
8:44), the dragon and the serpent of old Rev 12:9, etc.
When we think of the Devil, we have this Hollywood
version in mind, a dark-skinned, strangely looking, with horns on the head, a
long tail, and a pitchfork in hand. But that's not how he presents himself in
the Bible. He disguises himself as an "angel of light." II Cor 11:14.
We don't have to convince most people in Asia and
Africa about the reality of the spirit world. They live with it daily, often
seeing evil spirits with the naked eye. By contrast, people in Western
countries place demons in a fantasy category like Superman, Mickey Mouse, etc.
Some have a weird fascination for the paranormal and
occult world. Some innocently play Ouija boards, read Tarot cards and
horoscopes, or go to Psychics, witches, and mediums for advice. They may look
innocent, but God prohibited such practices in the scriptures. Isaiah 8:19.
C.
How much power does Satan possess?
The book of Job provides insight into the relationship
between God and Satan. In Job 1:6-12, Satan stands before God and reports that
he has been "walking up and down" on the earth (v. 7). God asks Satan
if he has considered godly Job. Satan immediately accuses Job of insincerity—he
only loves God for the blessings God gives. "Stretch out your hand,"
Satan says, "and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to
your face" (v. 11).
God permits Satan to affect Job's possessions and
family, not his person, and Satan leaves. In Job 2, Satan comes again into God's
presence and is, this time, permitted to affect Job's personal health. This
story shows Satan's place in the spiritual realm.
Jude 1:9 shows that even Michael, the archangel, needs
the Lord's help overcoming him. However, Satan is restrained from enacting his
full fury; he is still a created being under God, and his power is limited. How
much power do demons or evil spirits possess?
An evil spirit "crippled and bound a woman for
eighteen years. (Luke 13:11). A father was helpless as an evil spirit often
came over, threw his son into the fire or water, and tried to kill him. (Mk
9:21-22). In both cases, Jesus set them free by a touch and a command.
A demoniac man was filled with over 2000 demons who
lived in the tombs and often cut himself with sharp stones. No one could subdue
him, not even with iron chains and shackles. That was the power of the demons
inside of this man. But Jesus, with one command He, set that demoniac man free.
(Mk 5:1-13). Satan and his forces are powerful, but their power is limited.
There is more to know about our enemy. For now, let's
not underestimate or be intimidated by their power. Jesus overcame them 2000
years ago on the Cross. Through the Holy Spirit, He lives in His children.
Jesus is much more powerful than our arch-enemy Satan. Next week we will learn
more about Satan's strategies and how we can overcome him.
