June 6, 2025

Is Spiritual Warfare Necessary?

“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Ephesians 6:11-12)

Yesterday, I shared on the subject of spiritual warfare. I want to continue the discussion today.

Spiritual warfare is released in various ways. Worship can be a weapon against satan (Psalm 149), as are acts of love (Romans 12:20-21). Declaring God’s Word is certainly a weapon (Ephesians 6:17). Holy Spirit leads us regarding the manner in which we should release His power. In today’s post, my point is not so much how we wrestle, but that we wrestle! 

The word “against” is used six times in Ephesians 6:11-12. The Greek word is pros, which is a strengthened form of pro. Pro means “in front of,”(1) either literally or figuratively (as in superior to). We use the concept today in the English word “professional,” or in its shortened form, “pro.” A pro athlete is one who is “in front of” or “superior to” others. The word pros also has the connotation of stepping forward and facing toward something or someone.(2) The symbolism in this Ephesians passage is of a wrestler stepping forward and facing his opponent. God is saying to us, “Step forward and face the powers of darkness.”

Seizing and Securing Our Inheritance

As we involve ourselves in spiritual warfare, it is imperative that we remember we are not trying to defeat the devil. He is already defeated. We are representing Christ and enforcing His victory at the Cross. We do not re-defeat, we re-present. Everything we do in our intercession and spiritual warfare is simply an extension of what Christ did through His redemption at Calvary. He crushed satan’s head, according to Genesis 3:15. The Hebrew word for “head” in this verse, rosh, is actually referring to headship or authority.(3)

But what Christ accomplished, we must enforce and lay hold of using His authority. What He provided for us, we must seize by faith, and sometimes our spiritual weapons. In 1 Timothy 6:12, Paul told Timothy, “Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” Timothy had already received eternal life, yet paradoxically, he was told to “take hold of” it. 

Though it seems like a contradiction, you can own something and not have possession of it. The word translated as “take hold of” is epilambanomai and means “to seize.”(4) Through Abraham, Israel had been “given” their inheritance by God (Genesis 12), yet they still had to “take possession” of it: “Pass through the host, and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the Lord your God giveth you to possess it” (Joshua 1:11). Their “inheritance” was not yet their “possession.” And our inheritance through Christ does not automatically fall into our laps, either. We must “lay hold of/seize” it.

Moffatt translates 1 Timothy 6:12, “Fight in the good fight of the faith, secure that life eternal to which you were called.” Wuest’s translation reads, “Take possession of the eternal life into a participation of which you were called…”

As a nation seizes and secures territory in war, so must we seize and secure our inheritance in Christ.

A Legal Breaking of Headship

Many ask, “But why would spiritual warfare ever be necessary if Christ has already defeated satan and his demons? Didn’t Jesus take away his power? Not yet. Satan’s destruction wasn’t a literal one, but was, as we said, a legal breaking of his headship or authority. Nowhere does the Bible say Christ delivered us from satan’s power. It says He delivered us from his exousia—authority—or in other words, the right to use his power on us:

“For He delivered us from the domain [exousia] of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.” Colossians 1:13

“Behold, I have given you authority [exousia] to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power [dunamis] of the enemy, and nothing shall injure you.” Luke 10:19

Power never was and never will be the issue in God’s dealings with satan. Authority was and is the issue. Satan still has the inherent powers and abilities he has always had. He “prowls about like a roaring lion” (1 Peter 5:8). And, contrary to what some teach, he still has his teeth. He still has “fiery darts” (Ephesians 6:16 KJV). If you don’t believe this, try going without your armor. What he lost at Calvary was the right (authority) to use his power on those who make Jesus their Lord. However, as a thief and a lawbreaker, satan still attempts to use his power and abilities on those who don’t understand this. Understanding and releasing Christ’s authority is the issue, and the key to victory. When we move in Christ’s authority, Holy Spirit backs it up with His power. 

This truth is well illustrated in the battle between Israel and Amalek in Exodus 17:8-13. In this famous passage, Moses went to the top of a hill with the staff of God in his hand (authority), while Joshua led the army on the battlefield below (power). As long as Moses held up the rod of God, Israel prevailed; when he lowered it, Amalek prevailed.

The victory was not decided by the strength or power of Israel’s army. If this had been the case, they would not have faltered when the staff was lowered. Nor was it a morale thing—they weren’t watching Moses for inspiration while in hand-to-hand conflict! An unseen dynamic in the invisible realm actually decided the outcome on the battlefield. When the rod, representing the rule or authority of God, was lifted by the authorized leader of Israel, Joshua and the army prevailed. In other words, it was not power on the battlefield, though that was necessary, that was ultimately the deciding factor. It was the authority released on the mountain. Authority is the deciding factor when dealing with the spiritual forces of darkness, not power. Honoring and functioning in Christ’s authority will always release Holy Spirit’s immeasurable power.

Pray with me:

Satan is attempting to stir up increased violence in our nation. Let’s “resist” him (James 4:7) and “wrestle against” this (Ephesians 6:12) by declaring Psalm 140 together today:

“Rescue me, Oh Lord, from evil men; Preserve me from violent men who devise evil things in their hearts; They continually stir up wars. They sharpen their tongues as a serpent; poison of a viper is under their lips. Selah.

“Keep me, Oh Lord, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from violent men who have purposed to trip up my feet. The proud have hidden a trap for me, and cords. They have spread a net by the wayside; they have set snares for me. Selah.

“I said to the Lord, ‘You are my God; give ear, O Lord, to the voice of my supplications. O God, the Lord, the strength of my salvation, You have covered my head in the day of battle. Do not grant, O Lord, the desires of the wicked; do not promote his evil device, that they not be exalted.’ Selah.

“As for the head of those who surround me, may the mischief of their lips cover them. May burning coals fall upon them; may they be cast into the fire, into deep pits from which they cannot rise. 

“May a slanderer not be established in the earth; may evil hunt the violent man speedily. I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted and justice for the poor. Surely the righteous will give thanks to Your name; the upright will dwell in Your presence.”

Today’s post was adapted from my book Intercessory Prayer, published by Baker Books. 

Click on the link below to watch the full video.

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1. Geoffrey W. Bromiley, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament Abridged (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1985), p. 935. 

2. James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. no. 4314.

3. Ibid., ref. no. 7218.

4. Joseph Henry Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1977), p. 240.