Introduction
Christians can fall into two opposite errors when thinking about spiritual warfare. We can dismiss the reality of spiritual evil and live as though Scripture says nothing about it. Or we can become so fascinated by demons, manifestations and extraordinary experiences that they begin to occupy more of our attention than Christ Himself.
C. S. Lewis famously warned about both dangers in the preface to The Screwtape Letters. The Bible gives us a better way. It neither denies the reality of spiritual conflict nor encourages fascination with it.
Perhaps one of the clearest places to begin is with Jesus Himself.
The temptation of Jesus in the wilderness is not always described as spiritual warfare, but that is precisely what it is. Jesus confronts Satan directly. Yet the encounter looks remarkably different from much of what is sometimes presented as spiritual warfare today.
There is no physical struggle. There is no theatrical display. There is no fascination with Satan.
There is temptation, deception, Scripture, authority, obedience and a sustained attempt to separate Jesus from the will of His Father.
If Jesus possessed absolute spiritual authority, what can we learn from the way He confronted spiritual evil?
1. Led into the Wilderness
Read Matthew 4:1–11 and Luke 4:1–13.
Jesus does not wander accidentally into this confrontation.
Matthew tells us that Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Luke tells us that Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, was led by the Spirit in the wilderness.
The confrontation is therefore not evidence that Jesus has somehow moved outside the purposes of God. Jesus enters the wilderness in obedience.
This is important because spiritual conflict is sometimes interpreted as evidence that something has gone wrong. Yet obedience to God does not guarantee the absence of opposition.
Sometimes obedience places a person directly in the place where faithfulness will be tested.
Questions for Discussion
- Why do you think the temptation of Jesus is rarely discussed as an example of spiritual warfare?
- What does it mean that Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness?
- Can opposition or temptation sometimes occur precisely because someone is walking in obedience to God?
2. The Battle Begins with Identity
“If you are the Son of God…”
Satan’s first words attack the identity that the Father has just declared at Jesus’ baptism.
“This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
The temptation is subtle.
Satan does not begin by asking Jesus to deny God. He attempts to persuade Jesus to act independently of the Father.
Jesus is hungry. Turning stones into bread would not appear, in itself, to be an obviously evil act.
The temptation is to use legitimate power outside dependence upon and obedience to the Father.
Jesus answers with Scripture:
“Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
Spiritual warfare begins here with a question of trust. Will Jesus remain dependent upon His Father, even when obedience is costly?
Questions for Discussion
- Why might an attack upon identity be spiritually effective?
- Can something be possible, useful or apparently good and still be outside God’s will for us?
- What is the difference between possessing power and having the authority to use that power whenever we choose?
3. When Scripture Is Used in Temptation
In the second temptation, Satan quotes Scripture.
This is an important and sobering part of the account. The mere use of biblical language does not guarantee that something is true or that Scripture is being used faithfully.
Satan takes Jesus to the highest point of the temple and challenges Him to throw Himself down.
The temptation is again subtle. Jesus is being invited to force God to demonstrate His faithfulness.
It is the difference between trusting God and testing God.
Jesus does not answer by rejecting Scripture. He answers Scripture used wrongly with Scripture understood rightly.
“Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”
Questions for Discussion
- What can this passage teach us about the misuse of Scripture?
- How can Christians distinguish between trusting God’s promises and demanding that God prove Himself?
- Why is knowing isolated Bible verses not the same as understanding Scripture?
4. The Temptation of Power
Satan shows Jesus the kingdoms of the world and offers Him authority over them.
The price is worship.
This temptation may be the most revealing of all. Jesus has come as God’s Messiah. The kingdoms of the world will ultimately belong to Him.
Satan offers what appears to resemble the destination while avoiding the path appointed by the Father.
There can be a temptation to accomplish apparently good things through methods that require compromise.
Jesus refuses.
“Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.”
The central issue in spiritual warfare is not fascination with evil. It is faithfulness to God.
Questions for Discussion
- Why are shortcuts particularly dangerous when the goal itself appears good?
- Can Christian ministry become more concerned with success, influence or power than obedience?
- What does Jesus’ response teach us about worship and spiritual warfare?
5. Power and Restraint
Jesus possesses greater spiritual authority than any other person in Scripture. Yet throughout the wilderness encounter He demonstrates remarkable restraint.
Jesus does not ask Satan for information about the spiritual world.
He does not investigate Satan’s activities.
He does not attempt to discover the names or ranks of demons.
He does not turn the confrontation into a demonstration of His spiritual power.
His attention remains centred upon His Father.
Power and restraint are not opposites. Restraint may be evidence of genuine authority.
Jesus has nothing to prove.
Questions for Discussion
- Why might genuine authority produce restraint rather than spectacle?
- What dangers arise when extraordinary spiritual experiences become part of someone’s identity or reputation?
- Does the way we speak about spiritual warfare direct attention toward Christ or toward ourselves?
6. When the Disciples Became Excited About Spiritual Power
Read Luke 10:17–20.
The seventy-two disciples return to Jesus with great excitement.
“Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”
Jesus does not deny their experience. He does not tell them that spiritual authority is unimportant.
Instead, He redirects their attention.
“Do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
The danger was not that the disciples had exercised spiritual authority. The danger was that they might become fascinated by possessing it.
Jesus directs them away from spiritual achievement and back toward their relationship with God.
Questions for Discussion
- Why does Jesus redirect the disciples’ excitement?
- Can genuine spiritual experiences still become unhealthy if they become the centre of our attention?
- What should Christians rejoice in most?
7. Paul and the Slave Girl
Read Acts 16:16–18.
Paul encounters a slave girl who has a spirit by which she predicts the future. Interestingly, Paul does not immediately confront the spirit.
The girl follows Paul and his companions for many days. Eventually Paul commands the spirit to leave her.
Paul is not travelling from place to place looking for demons. His central work is proclaiming the Gospel.
The spiritual confrontation arises in the ordinary course of that work.
The New Testament clearly acknowledges spiritual evil, but the mission of the Church is never reduced to searching for demonic activity.
Questions for Discussion
- What does Paul’s behaviour suggest about his priorities?
- What is the difference between being prepared to confront spiritual evil and actively searching for it?
- How can Christians remain watchful without becoming preoccupied?
8. The Sons of Sceva
Read Acts 19:11–20.
The sons of Sceva attempt to use the name of Jesus as a technique. They have observed spiritual authority and attempt to reproduce it.
But they do not possess the relationship with Christ from which genuine Christian authority comes.
The result is disastrous.
Spiritual authority is not a method, formula or identity that can be adopted. The name of Jesus is not a technique.
Questions for Discussion
- What mistake did the sons of Sceva make?
- Why is spiritual authority inseparable from relationship with and obedience to Christ?
- Are Christians sometimes tempted to turn prayer, spiritual gifts or spiritual warfare into techniques?
9. The Armour of God
Read Ephesians 6:10–18.
Paul’s most sustained teaching about spiritual warfare is strikingly practical.
- Be strong in the Lord.
- Put on the armour of God.
- Stand firm.
- Live in truth.
- Practice righteousness.
- Be prepared with the Gospel of peace.
- Exercise faith.
- Receive salvation.
- Use the Word of God.
- Pray.
Paul does not encourage Christians to become fascinated with the demonic realm. His emphasis is upon becoming people who are able to remain faithful to Christ.
Much of spiritual warfare is therefore remarkably ordinary.
- Telling the truth.
- Choosing righteousness.
- Trusting God.
- Knowing Scripture.
- Praying.
- Persevering.
- Standing firm when abandoning obedience would be easier.
Questions for Discussion
- Which parts of the armour of God are defensive, and which are active?
- Why do you think Paul’s instructions are so practical?
- How might ordinary Christian faithfulness be underestimated when people think about spiritual warfare?
10. Submit to God. Resist the Devil.
Read James 4:7–10.
James gives one of the clearest instructions in Scripture:
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
The order matters.
Submission to God comes before resistance to the devil.
Spiritual warfare is not primarily about developing an interest in Satan. It is about living under the authority of God.
Draw near to God. Resist evil. Remain humble.
The focus remains Godward.
11. Testing Spiritual Claims
Read 1 John 4:1–3 and 1 Thessalonians 5:19–22.
The Bible does not tell Christians to believe every spiritual claim. Neither does it tell Christians to reject every spiritual claim.
We are told to test.
This requires humility. Extraordinary claims should not automatically be accepted merely because they are expressed confidently or use spiritual language.
Nor should they automatically be rejected simply because they are outside our experience.
We can ask careful questions:
- Is the claim consistent with Scripture?
- How was the conclusion reached?
- Is there independent reason to believe the interpretation being offered?
- What fruit does repeatedly telling the story produce?
- Does it encourage humility, faithfulness and love?
- Does it make Christ larger?
- Or does it make the person with the extraordinary experience the centre of attention?
Testing is not unbelief. Testing is obedience to Scripture.
12. Two Opposite Errors
C. S. Lewis warned of two dangers.
One is refusing to believe in the reality of spiritual evil.
The other is developing an excessive and unhealthy interest in it.
Scripture avoids both.
The devil is real. Spiritual conflict is real. Christians are commanded to be watchful. But the centre of Christianity is not Satan. It is Jesus Christ.
Perhaps one of the clearest lessons from the wilderness is that Jesus never allows Satan to determine the subject of His attention.
Again and again, Jesus returns to:
- God’s Word.
- God’s faithfulness.
- God’s worship.
- God’s will.
That may be one of the most important lessons we can learn about spiritual warfare.
Conclusion: What Jesus Actually Did
The wilderness gives us a picture of spiritual warfare that is serious without being sensational.
- Jesus recognises His enemy.
- He understands temptation.
- He knows Scripture.
- He identifies the misuse of Scripture.
- He refuses shortcuts.
- He rejects spectacle.
- He remains obedient.
- He worships the Father.
- And He stands firm.
The New Testament continues this pattern:
- Submit to God.
- Resist the devil.
- Test the spirits.
- Put on the armour of God.
- Pray.
- Proclaim Christ.
- Stand firm.
Genuine spiritual authority does not need to advertise itself. It does not require fascination with extraordinary experiences. It does not make the person exercising authority the centre of attention.
In Scripture, genuine spiritual authority tends to make Christ larger and the person exercising that authority smaller.
If Jesus possessed absolute spiritual authority, why does His exercise of it look so different from much of what people today call spiritual warfare?