If you minister to Christians who have been emotionally wounded and demonically oppressed, it doesn’t take long to discover that very few Christians know how to fight in the spiritual realm. Many don’t know how to fight because they have been taught by their churches that there is actually no spiritual realm here on the earth or they have been taught nothing and so come to that unconscious conclusion. For many, there is only earth, heaven, and hell.  In their view, we live on the earth the best life we know how and then we die and go to either heaven or hell which are thought of as spiritual locations far away that ouch us only after death.  Although these churches acknowledge temptation and, perhaps, some angelic activity, they don’t seem to connect the dots that point them to an active, spiritual realm right here on earth.

The spiritual realm on earth is a dimension that is separated from the natural realm by only a thin membrane rather than a location far, far away. When spiritual activity does occur around these believers, they don’t recognize it for what it is and, therefore, the spiritual realm, demons, angels, and moves of the Holy Spirit go unnoticed even though they may be greatly affected by it.  The devil does his best work when he is not recognized like the invisible man moving through a crowd picking pockets while never being seen.

There are many other Christians who definitely believe in the spiritual realm and are very aware of demons and angels. It is amazing how many people see demonic manifestations in their homes. They are often seen as dark shadows and sometimes appear as more terrifying figures. Children see the spiritual realm readily because they haven/t yet been taught to ignore what they see and write it off as imagination. But although they experience demons and recognize them for what they are, they still don’t know how to fight and many don’t even know that they can fight.  They live with fear and anger and sometimes the experience of being choked on their beds with a resignation that there is nothing they can do about it.  Often they are embarrassed to tell anyone for fear that others will think they are crazy.

Many spiritually oppressed people have come to believe that they have no power against the enemy.  Satan loves to intimidate and make claims that no one can deliver a person from his hand.  As we do deliverance, we usually instruct the oppressed individual to command the spirit to leave.  They often beg the spirit to leave or tearfully ask the spirit to leave – which is not at all commanding.  They clearly still believe that the devil has the upper hand and cannot be forced to leave, so they plead with a demon to leave who will never leave unless sternly commanded by the authority of Christ.  When a demon begins to manifest, in that individual, they rarely resist as if they have no power to refuse to cooperate with the unclean spirit.  Again, these believers have never been taught who they are in Christ and how to fight. After a season of ineffective resistance to a spirit, they simply give in to the torment. I have seen this over and over in God’s people.

Knowing how to fight with divine weapons in the spiritual realm should be a part of every believer’s basic discipleship.  Paul tells the church at Ephesus, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms,”  (Eph.6:10-12).

According to Paul, the devil schemes against us and our real struggle is not against flesh and blood but against spiritual authorities in heavenly realms. If we do not disciple our people in the realm of spiritual warfare they will be helpless against these enemies and, for the most part, that is what we see in the church. Many believe that prayer is the answer. So they pray for God to take away the torment but it continues. Because it continues, they give up.

I am not minimizing prayer because it is essential to everything we are and do as believers and is a significant part of spiritual warfare.  But the apostles and the early church were not taught to simply pray for God to remove the enemy, but to confront the enemy in the name of Jesus and command him to come out. God is not helpless to remove the torment but has chosen another way.

God did not instruct the Israelites to sit on the banks of the Jordon River and pray until he drove the enemies of Israel out of the Promise Land.  He told them to cross the Jordan and engage in battle.  His promise was to give them victory but they were to take sword in hand and confront the enemy.  We are to do the same. That is why prayer alone does not always bring freedom. That is why God has given us spiritual armor, the sword of the Spirit, which is his Word, and authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy (Lk.10:17).  We are to resist (oppose, take a stand against, push back) the devil and he will flee from us. And we are to exercise divine weapons to pull down strongholds or fortified places (2 Cor. 10:4).

When believers who have been oppressed by the enemy, finally discover who they are in Christ and discover the authority he has given them to drive out the enemy, they are transformed.  Their faith grows.  Their view of God grows. Their view of Satan shrinks and they are ready to free other captives in the name of Jesus. If you have not been trained in spiritual warfare, find someone to train you.  If you have been trained, then train others.  It is not for a few specialists in the church but for every believer so that they can defend themselves, their families, and push back the borders of darkness as soldiers of the Lord.  We have his authority, we have his power and we have an assignment to establish God’s kingdom on the earth.  The enemy will not go quietly or at our request.  It will take God’s people engaged in spiritual warfare on every front to clear the land. The victory is assured, but only when we confront the enemy in faith, with God going before us.