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Who are We Fighting Against? This article is part 3 of a series on Spiritual Warfare. The first of the series was on the realization that we are actually in a war. The second article was on understanding that (1) the victory has already been won and (2) as believers, we are not left as helpless victims but we are given the tools we need to fight. This month, I would like to discuss in a more technical way whom exactly we are fighting against. There are many interpretations and views on this, and I will stay within the Biblical realm. The best place to begin is understanding the origin and scope of spiritual warfare. The important thing to hold onto continually is that spiritual warfare is an issue of evil. If evil did not exist, there would be no warfare. The first recorded appearance of Satan being called by name is found in 1 Chronicles 21:1: “Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel.” There are many important insights to be uncovered here. First is the fact that Satan’s main strategy of temptation is deception. David, like Eve before him, had no idea of the origin of the thoughts that suddenly appeared in his mind. As he reflected on these thoughts, though, he knew they were against God’s will even though it seemed to be the correct, logical thing to do. David’s decision was so wrong that even his military commander told him so, but David did not listen. This decision also led to the death of thousands of people because of God’s judgment. Throughout the Bible, we discover that human sin has a dual source. It has a human source, one’s wrong choices, and also a supernatural source, Satan’s temptations. Satan places the seeds of evil thoughts and imaginations into human minds and hearts, intensifying the evil already there. According to 2 Corinthians 11:3, “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.” Even in the area of a healthy relationship between a husband and wife Scripture says, “Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control” (1 Corinthians 7:5). The word “deception” is found in the Bible 150 times. Deception essentially means giving a false impression. This is usually how Satan approaches people, and that is evidently how he first approached his angelic peers to lead them in rebellion against God. The second fact is that Satan’s main target for deception is a leader. One test of any ministry endeavor is whether it is facing any kind of demonic interference. If it is, you can usually guarantee that it is something that Satan is not very happy about. If you are a believer and you seldom find yourself facing any of Satan’s deceptions or schemes, it is important to ask how involved in God’s kingdom you actually are. If you are not posing some threat to Satan, then he will usually leave you alone. The main purpose of deception is to lead a believer away from honoring God. As we venture through the New Testament, we discover that there are different ranks of authority in Satan’s kingdom. It seems that some demons, evil spirits, and fallen angels fall into different classifications. One such class is those who are free to carry out Satan’s evil purposes. They reside in the heavenlies, but they also are free to operate on earth. According to Ephesians 3:10, “His intent was that now through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms.” Also, in Ephesians 6:12, it refers to the “powers of this dark world and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” These demon sprits can afflict and indwell in the bodies of men (Matthew 12:43-45). Another possible class is the rebellious angels who are now bound in the abyss or pit. They will at a future time be released, and they will create havoc on the earth as it says in Revelation 9:2-12. Satan and all free demons will be bound in this same pit during the thousand-year reign of Christ on earth (Revelation 20). It is important for us to have a clear picture of who the forces are that are working against us. In many cases, after people have learned about demons and possible demon possession, many find themselves looking for people who could possibly be demon possessed. As this point, I would like to explain some important truths about unbelievers and then conclude this article with describing the internal struggle of the believer. As we study Ephesians 2 and humanity’s sinful condition apart from faith in Christ, we need to understand humanity’s bondage to Satan. Paul states that all men and women outside of Christ live “according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:2). However, this is not saying that all non-Christians are demonized, just that they potentially could be. The way that Satan afflicts unbelievers is through spiritual blindness, and unless people’s spiritual eyes are opened, they cannot begin a relationship with Jesus. There have been throughout the centuries many misinterpretations of the original Greek text from the interpretation of “demon possession,” instead of “demoniacs,” “having evil spirits,” or “one under the power of demons.” This kind of wording magnifies the power of Satan and actually degrades human beings. The best wording is, as Dr. Timothy Warner describes demonic invasion, attachment, or partial control of a human life is “demonization” not “demonic possession.” A Christian may be attacked by demons and be affected mentally and sometimes physically at significant levels, but spiritual possession cannot happen to believers, because this is stating ownership and control over one’s eternal destiny. Christians can be demonized but not demon possessed. A person who is demon possessed would be one who is completely, continually, and totally possessed or controlled by demons, and that person would be totally unresponsible for any of their actions. Such examples are found in the Bible, (Mark 5 and 9, and Luke 9), but these cases are very rare. As we live the Christian life, we come to realize some of its seeming contradictions. As we turn to Romans 12:1-2, it says, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not be conformed any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” As we read this, it sounds very comforting to know that if we just lie back and rest in Jesus, everything will be great, but reality shows us that we are in a war. From within, from without, and from above we are harassed, resisted, afflicted, tormented, tripped up, sabotaged, and many times defeated. When this happens, we tend to grow weary. We become discouraged and suffer battle fatigue. We find ourselves feeling critical, bitter, even sometimes cynical, and in the end deliberately sinful. The important truth in this is that we need to never give up. Even though things look impossible, we must continually press onward. The enemy is anxiously waiting for moments like these to pounce and we can under no condition give him any foothold (Ephesians 5:27). The way for a believer to find victory in spiritual warfare must rest in the fact that his salvation is totally of God. The issue of spiritual warfare for a believer belongs exclusively in the area of sanctification, not in the area of salvation. This is a very important fundamental truth. The enemy more than anything wants a believer to wrestle with doubt, especially after a believer sins. According to Dr. Ed Murphy, a believer’s assurance of eternal salvation is secure. We need to hold on to the realization that our salvation is secure even if we are struggling with a serious sin problem (1 Corinthians 5:1-4; 11:30-32; 1 John 2:1-2). Second, a person’s salvation is secure even if he or she is struggling with a serious “world” problem” (2 Timothy 4:10). And finally, a person’s salvation is secure even if he or she is struggling with a serious demonic problem (Acts 5:1-10; 1 Timothy 5:9-15). The responsibility of the believer is to repent of the sin and believe in the Lord as their Savior and Lord (Acts 20:21). Satan knows he cannot take us to hell with him once we come to Christ, though he will try to dislodge our faith and discourage us. His purpose is rather to disturb our Christian life so that we do not live as true children of God. We always need to keep in mind that ultimately Satan is the primary source of man’s terrible sin problem. Satan is “the author of confusion and lies.” He has done an amazing job in creating bewilderment concerning his methods of attack. We need to always take Satan seriously. One Author has noted, “I sometimes think our failure to realize the greatness of God’s power in us is due to the fact we have never realized the power of Satan.” It does at times get hard and frustrating to always have to wear our armor and make sure that Satan cannot knock us down. I know in my own life that this is a real issue for me, and honestly, sometimes I am really battle weary and do not feel like fighting anymore. I have truly seen the power and strength of the enemy and at times, he does actually seem more powerful than God. However, I know that this is a lie and a lie that Satan loves to hear me say. God is the one and only one who can give us the strength and tools to survive any battle. Next month, we will conclude this series with a lesson on the chapter of ultimate victory, Romans 8, that states, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (8:37-39).