Spiritual Warfare
A War in Heaven
The reality of the spiritual realm is a concept central to Christian doctrine, so all believers should make an effort to better understand what the spiritual realm is, how it affects us and what our role in it should be.
What does the Bible say about the spiritual realm and who lives there? The Bible doesn’t give exact dimensions of the size of the spiritual realm. However, it does use metaphors to give us an idea of how vast it is. Isaiah 40:21-26 describes God’s power and dominion, which includes all of time and space. At the time the Bible was written, the vastness of the Universe wasn’t understood. It was widely believed that the sky, and everything in it, was part of God’s spiritual kingdom. That’s why “heaven” is often used to describe both the sky and the spiritual realm. Phrases like the “highest heavens” are used in specify the spiritual realm and not merely what can be seen in the skies. Deuteronomy 10:14 is a great example of this.
Behold, to the Lord your God belong heaven and the highest heavens, the earth and all that is in it.
God’s power and dominion are compared to the vastness of Heaven in several places in the Bible, and these comparisons make it clear that God is the far greater of the two. In Isaiah 66:1, God declares that Heaven is His throne and the Earth is His footstool. At the dedication of the first temple in Jerusalem, Solomon said this in his prayer of dedication: “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You, how much less this house which I have built!” (1 Kings 8:27)
So what about the Devil? It’s widely believed that Satan is an equal and opposing force to God. Is he really God’s equal in terms of power? Hardly! His destruction was prophesized all the way back in Genesis 3:15, referenced again in Romans 16:20 and described in detail in Revelation 16:13-18:24 and Revelation 20:1-10. We who believe have the power to resist the Devil’s temptations (James 4:7), not by own strength by the strength of the Spirit of God who lives in us. (Romans 8:9, Romans 8:37 and 1 John 4:4) The Bible even gives us a test we can use to tell if a spirit is an angel from God or is a fallen angel serving the Devil:
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world.
The Devil is an angel who led other angels in rebellion against God, as described in Revelation 12. In verses 3-4 it describes the Devil as a great dragon. In verses 7-9 it describes a war in heaven, which is being waged by the Devil and his angels. The Devil will lose this war, so he and his angels will be cast out of Heaven and to the Earth. In Isaiah 14:12-20 we see a similar prophecy against the king of Babylon. While that prophecy was about the fall of a literal king (Belshazzar) and the literal kingdom of Babylon (fulfilled in Daniel 5), that same prophecy is also referred to in later passages (Revelation 17-18 and elsewhere) as an analogy of the coming fall of Satan and of his kingdom of darkness.
The Devil has been temping mankind to sin from the very beginning. He first appears as a snake in Genesis 3 to tempt Eve (who went on to tempt Adam.) Revelation 12:9 reveals that the snake wasn’t a sinister creature that could talk for some reason. It was manifestation of the Devil. He often portrays himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14) to try to deceive believers are unbelievers alike. He is described as a murderer and the father of lies (John 8:44), a roaring lion seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8-9), a ruler of the spiritual forces of evil (Ephesians 6:12) and power behind the lawless one (the Antichrist, referred to 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12 and elsewhere.)
Heaven and Hell
In Job 1:6-7, Satan stated that he was wandering the Earth, but in that scene he was in God’s throne room, which is already know is in Heaven. (Isaiah 66:1) That means that he could come and go as he pleases between the Earth and Heaven. He is not (yet) stuck in Hell like many believe. Luke 16:22-26 gives an illustration of Heaven and Hell, which are separated by a great chasm but are within sight of each other. If Heaven is a spiritual location that means Hell is too. Aside from that, the two couldn’t be more different! That passage describes Hell as a place of fiery torment for the unrepentant. Other passages state that Hell is a place that demons want to avoid going to (Luke 8:31), so it’s clear that many commonly beliefs about Hell aren’t true at all. Hell isn’t a place where demons rule and poke people with pitchforks. Hell certainly isn’t a nonstop party! Non-believers often mock Christians trying to share the Gospel with them by saying: “All my friends will be in Hell, so why would I want to go to Heaven?” Luke 16 says why pretty clearly. If someone’s in Hell, they’re not having a good time!
Heaven isn’t described so vividly. Instead, it’s often described by all the ways it’s unlike our fallen world. It may be done that way because it’s easy for us to understand a place of suffering and torment. It’s hard for us to picture in our minds an eternal place untainted by sin. What we do know is that it’s a place of rest with plentiful provision and without suffering, death or sin (Isaiah 25:6-8) and where those who are followers of Christ will live. (John 14:2-3) It’s where we will clearly see and know God’s revelation (1 Corinthians 13:8-12) and where we can find our reward for our service to God in this life. (Matthew 16:19-20) Many of these descriptions about Heaven and our place in it are promises for the future. The illustration Jesus gives us in Luke 12:22-26 reveals that those following Christ will enjoy those blessings upon our deaths.
The physical and spiritual realms are very clearly separated today, but that won’t always be the case. 2 Peter 3:10 describes what will happen to both Heaven and Earth one day: the heavens will be destroyed in a roar and the Earth with intense heat. Revelation 21 & 22 then describes Heaven and Earth being recreated in an uncorrupted form, similar to the way the Garden of Eden was in the beginning of Creation, before sin entered the world. Those final chapters of the Bible go into detail about what both Heaven and Earth will look like: unified and in harmony with each other and with God dwelling with humanity.
Types of Spirits
The Bible talks about three types of creatures who live in this spiritual realm. First is God Himself. (Isaiah 66:1) Angels are the second one. This includes faithful angels: ministering spirits, serving both God and the faithful. (Hebrews 1:14) It also includes demons. (Deuteronomy 32:17) As already mentioned, they’re fallen angels who rebelled against God and now serve the Devil instead. (Jude 6) The Devil is one of these fallen angels. Lastly, the spiritual realm is also occupied by the spirits of the departed (Luke 16:22-26) who are in Heaven or Hell and are awaiting God’s final judgement.
So, is Heaven and Hell our only two options when it comes to the afterlife? What about purgatory? What about reincarnation? What about ghosts?
The Bible never mentions purgatory. The passage commonly referred to by Catholics and others who believe in something like purgatory is 1 Corinthians 3:10-15, which describes a believer’s life here on Earth like a house with items of value and items little or no value. That house is tested by fire and only things of value remain after everything else is burned up. A believer who did few things of eternal value in this life is still saved, but only as a one escaping through the flames. Nowhere does it say that the fire is a cleansing process that prepares a soul for Heaven, much less a place where this cleansing takes place.
The fire is God’s judgement, which is more than just about casting unrepentant sinners into Hell and letting the saints into Heaven. We who are entering Heaven will still have our deeds judged. Even for those who are saved, God’s judgement will burn up the worthless deeds done in this life and He will reward that believer for the deeds that are of eternal value. Our souls are prepared for Heaven here and now, while we’re still on the Earth. The process for that is sanctification: becoming more and more like Christ, and we have a very active role in that! We do so though our submission to the will of God. We’re trained and disciplined by the trails of this world to trust not our worldly wisdom, wealth or connections to get through them, but by trusting in the Lord and leaning on His strength and doing His will. That’s why a faithful believer will do good deeds that have eternal value: out of our love of God and our desire to be more like Christ. Often these deeds yield no reward here on Earth, because they’re often self-sacrificial in nature. Giving to the poor instead of hoarding wealth for ourselves is a great example that Jesus taught about: giving in secret rather than making a big show of it. Those who make a big deal about giving to the poor will have no reward from God because their motivation is the praise they get while here on Earth. It’s only those who do so in secret, getting no reward here on Earth, who will receive a reward from the Father. (Matthew 6:1-4) If someone believes and turns away from their sinful ways, they’re saved. (Romans 10:9) However, if that’s all they do, if they don’t serve God in other ways while still here on Earth, they’ll enter Heaven with nothing of eternal value to bring with them. That’s what it means to be one escaping through the flames.
As for reincarnation, the Bible is very clear on that subject: no. We live once and only once. (Hebrews 9:27) If we don’t get it right in this life, we don’t get a 2nd try, or a 3rd, or a 4th (and so on!) So what about John the Baptist? Wasn’t he the reincarnation of Elijah? No. Elijah never died. He was carried bodily into Heaven. (2 Kings 2:11) As to whether John the Baptist was literally Elijah reborn or if he merely had a spirit like Elijah’s is up for debate, but is no doubt that if Elijah never died then John the Baptist can’t be Elijah’s reincarnation. Even if he was Elijah reborn, it would be as the result of a miracle and not because that’s how people’s spirits are given to them prior to birth.
What about ghosts? This a bit more murky. A lot of people believe in ghosts, and that’s been true throughout all of recorded history and across many cultures. The be true that the Bible doesn’t say that ghosts aren’t real, and while even the Apostles believed in them (Matthew 14:26) However, the Bible never says that ghosts are real, or are lost spirits of the dead dwelling on the Earth. I don’t believe in them for 3 reasons:
The Bible says that a people die and then face judgement. (Hebrews 9:27) Before our bodies are resurrected, our bodies are in the grave and our souls are either in Heaven or Hell. There are no Biblical accounts of anyone living in an afterlife state that exists between the two. 1 Corinthians 5:6-10 states that, for believers, this means being with the Lord (in Heaven.) Luke 16:19-31 makes it clear that for unbelievers, they’re in Hell.
When I was still in the occult, I had numerous encounters with spirits claiming to be the ghosts of the dead, including performing various forms of divination to speak to the dead or to get the dead to speak through me. However, in every case they were demons masquerading as the spirits of the dead to speak lies to those who are seeking answers. Belief in ghosts is a very, very old superstition. Demons know that people want to talk to loved ones who’ve passed on, so they take advantage of this to try to trick people into going to a self-proclaimed psychic or a medium to perform a séance or some other form of divination. Once someone believes they’re talking to an actual ghost, they’re more likely to believe the lies that demons will plant in their hearts.
The Bible forbids anyone from trying to contact the dead. (Deuteronomy 18:11) This is related to the last point, but shows us how dangerous the believe in ghosts can be, because someone who believes in ghosts may be tempted to try to seek wisdom and spiritual guidance from one, rather than looking to the Lord. What about Saul seeking the spirit of Samuel in 1 Samuel 28? I believe this was a unique case where God allowed Samuel’s actual spirit to be contacted by the medium. The reason I believe this is because of the medium’s shocked reaction in 1 Samuel 28:12. If she was really contacting the dead, she wouldn’t be so surprised. This reading would be like the countless others that she’d performed. This was something completely unlike that, a fact that her reaction proves beyond any doubt. When I was in the occult and still possessed by a demon, I preformed similar readings. I don’t know how this was different, but I think if I were in this woman’s shoes, I likely would have been as surprised as she was when an actual ghost appeared!
So no, I don’t believe that ghosts are real. I believe the departed who have a saving relationship with Jesus are in Heaven and those who didn’t follow Christ are in Hell. I don’t believe there is a 3rd option.
The Role of Believers
So if the spiritual realm is real and is populated by God, angels and demons how can believers, being creatures of flesh and bone, deal with this reality?
It all starts with a careful study of Scripture. If you’re a new believer, I’d highly recommend you focus on learning the basics of the faith, especially if you’re thinking of witnessing to someone you know who’s in the occult or who you believe may be under either demonic influence or demonic possession. This is especially important if you used to be in the occult yourself! If you used to be in the occult, I’d recommend you do what the Spirit led me to do and make a clean break from your old ways and those who practice such things. If you feel led by the Spirit to tell them why you’re leaving, share with them why you’ve accepted Christ but don’t try to go beyond the Gospel and avoid getting into an argument if you can. Especially watch out for attempts to convince you that you can still practice your old faith and Christianity at the same time. You can’t. Bowing down to idols is bowing down to demons (1 Corinthians 10:19-20), and Jesus has no fellowship with demons (1 Corinthians 10:21-22.) If they want to draw you into a debate, it’s better to just walk away and pray that God sends a believer who is more rooted in the faith to witness to them.
Second, lean on the Holy Spirit. We are not in this fight alone. My salvation was the result of both the work of faithful Christians and the power of God. I’m eternally grateful for the faithful Christians who were willing to submit themselves to the will of the Father and who did real spiritual battle to set me free. However, none of their efforts would have made a difference in my life if the Holy Spirit wasn’t at work too. It was the Spirit who testified to my heart that I was a sinner for many years, exposing the teaching of Karma as the lie that it is. When I first attended the Bible study, the demon could have taken control of my body. I believe the only reason he didn’t was because the power of the Holy Spirit prevented him from doing so. It was the Spirit that spoke my heart that I shouldn’t return to the New Age group after I accepted Christ. Ultimately, it was the Spirit that defeated the demon inside me and drove it out when Amanda commanded it to leave in the name of Jesus.
The next weapon in our arsenal is the Word of God itself. This goes beyond just understanding the basics of the faith. This is knowing the Bible well enough to rely on its promises for both defense and to take the fight to the Devil himself. Thanks to the Word of God, we know what the Devil’s schemes are (2 Corinthians 2:11.) From the lowest ranked demon in the Devil’s kingdom to the Devil himself, they all lie (John 8:44.) All temptation, be it from a demon’s whisperings or your own flesh enticing you to do something sinful, has a lie at its root. The best way to fight a lie is with the truth, and the ultimate truth is the Word of God (2 Timothy 2:15.) That’s why Liar wanted me to get Christians to close their Bibles when I was arguing with them. As for a demon’s power, God doesn’t leave believers unprotected from them (1 Peter 1:5) or against the schemes of those in this world who would do us harm us (John 16:33.)
The Armor of God
How? What does that protection look like? The Bible refers to this as the armor of God. It’s not armor made of leather, bronze, steel or Kevlar. It’s spiritual armor, which God Himself wears, illustrated beautifully in Isaiah 59:17, when confronting an unbelieving world. This armor is available to believers as well, as detailed in Ephesians 6:10-17. The purpose of the armor is stated in verses 11-13:
Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.
The parts of the armor are detailed in verses 14-17. It has four defensive parts and two offensive ones. The defensive parts include the breastplate of righteousness (verse 14), and the helmet of salvation (verse 17), which are also mentioned in Isaiah 59:17. The breastplate protects the heart. Even for believers, sins and evil deeds lead to a hardened heart, which makes one hostile to God and unwilling to do His will. That’s why repentance is so important. Confessing our sins and striving to do the will of God leads to a heart that is open to God’s will and not open to the temptations of this world. The helmet of salvation protects the mind. One of the Devil’s greatest lies to attack believers with is that we are still guilty of our sins, that the blood of Christ is powerless to erase that stain from our lives and that God will ultimately turn His back on us. Nothing can be further from the Truth. Romans 8:5-6 explains this deception: “For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace.” For someone struggling with this lie, I recommend reading the entire chapter, because it also spells out the victory that Christ gives us over both sin and death. It concludes:
“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
The remaining pieces of the defensive armor are the belt of truth (verse 14) and the shield of faith (verse 16), “with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” The flaming arrows are lies, temptations and accusations that the Devil and his demons use to great success against those who don’t believe. In ancient armor, it was the belt that held the armor together. The belt of truth holds all of the armor of God together in much the same way that the truth of the Gospel holds all of the Word of God together. The shield is an active piece of defensive armor. Unlike a breastplate or a helmet, which protects the wearer from attack simply by being worn, a shield must be skillfully moved to intercept attacks. When I was still possessed and attacking Christians, I would attack them by sowing seeds of doubt. First getting them to close their Bibles is how those seeds could be planted and take root. One who argues using worldly logic isn’t leaning on their faith and therefore aren’t using the shield of faith effectively. Seeds of doubt grow like a cancer. A Christian who doubts what they believe also doubts their own salvation. That leaves them open to all types of spiritual attack. A believer needs to turn to the Word of God, to the source of truth, to effectively fight such attacks.
If seeds of doubt have taken root in your mind, look to the Bible for the answers. Also pray and talk with other Christians, especially spiritual leaders! Don’t try to be a “Lone Ranger” Christian. (Ecclesiastes 4:12) Chances are, Christians who’ve studied the Bible and who have been walking with God a long time have also had to deal with similar doubts. They can point you to passages in Scripture you might not know about.
However, the Christian life isn’t not merely a defensive battle to keep our faith in the face of spiritual and ideological attacks. Jesus commanded to take our faith and preach it to others, to all nations and to the most remote paths of the Earth (Matthew 28:19 and Acts 1:8.) The last two pieces of the armor are how we do this. These parts are feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace (Ephesians 6:15, and also in Isaiah 52:7) and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17.)
The Gospel message of salvation is a great blessing to all who believe, but it’s not a blessing that we are to keep to ourselves! Our love for others should give us a desire to spread the news of God’s salvation. King David gives a great example of this in Psalm 40:9-10: “I have proclaimed glad tidings of righteousness in the great congregation; behold, I will not restrain my lips, O LORD, You know. I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart; I have spoken of Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth from the great congregation.” Isaiah 52:7 proclaims: “How delightful on the mountains are the feet of one who brings good news, who announces peace and brings good news of happiness, who announces salvation, and says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’” Our feet should be shod, ready to go wherever the Lord takes us to proclaim the Gospel.
Similarly, the Sword of the Spirit is a real weapon with which we can plant seeds of faith by preaching the Word of God. Ephesians 6:17 is not the only place to call the Word of God a sword. A great example of this is in Hebrews 4:12: “For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, even penetrating as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” You don’t need be a theologian to preach the Word of God. Revelation 12:11 mentions believers who overcame the Devil himself by the Blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony. Just sharing what God has done for you with others is a powerful way to share the Word of God to your friends, family and those around you even if you’re a new believer. However, like any weapon, the more trained you are in using the Sword of the Spirit, the more effectively you can use it. That means reading the Bible, both to learn what it says but to also memorize key passages, so you have the Word of God in your heart and in your mind even if you don’t have your Bible on you. Stay connected with fellow believers and regularly attend church. Continue to read the Bible, even if you’ve read it cover to cover many times. Continue to share what it says with others, even if you’ve been doing so for many years.
Further Reading: