Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 

- Ephesians 6:11-12

What is Spiritual Warfare?

Does it really affect my everyday life?

How can I overcome it?

This month we explore these questions through our resources on identifying what spiritual warfare is, how to be prepared for fights you come across in your faith walk, and how to equip yourself for battle!

In the ancient world, if someone complained of hearing voices in their head or became suddenly and inexplicably ill, the diagnosis was quite easy: the person was possessed by an evil spirit. A folk healer was needed who knew the proper incantations, rituals, and formulas for dealing with this kind of spirit...

I would like to have you open your Bible to the first epistle of John, fifth chapter, fourth and fifth verses: ‘’Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?’’

Do you believe the devil is real or just a figment of the imagination? According to pollster George Barna, “the notion that Satan, or the Devil, is a real being who can influence people’s lives is regarded as hogwash by most Americans. Only one quarter (27%) strongly believe that Satan is real, while the majority argues that he is merely a symbol of evil.”

Although the word flesh is fairly common among believers, our understanding of it is often shallow and limited. Frequently it is used as a synonym for sexual lust instead of as the fallen human nature that controls nonbelievers and seeks to control believers...

Is there any hope of deliverance from the flesh and the enslaving sins it produces? Yes. Thanks be to God, we can be set free and empowered to live a new life—a life that transforms us, blesses others, and glorifies God...

From time immemorial, the three great enemies of the soul have been “the world, the flesh and the devil” and they work in concert. The devil is a master at using our fleshly desires to entice us into a love for the world and thus separate us from God (1 John 2.15-17)...

Spiritual warfare is an ever-present reality for us whether we take it seriously or not. In the first part of this two-part series, Stuart McAlpine shares about the topic of spiritual conflict, and how Christ is the one who has all authority on heaven and on earth, and that trusting in Him provides for us a way through these conflicts...

Spiritual warfare is an ever-present reality for us whether we take it seriously or not. In the first part of this two-part series, Stuart McAlpine shares about the topic of spiritual conflict, and how Christ is the one who has all authority on heaven and on earth, and that trusting in Him provides for us a way through these conflicts...

In response to the charge that fairy stories such as The Chronicles of Narnia were childish, Lewis distinguished between fairy tales and children’s stories. He pointed out that many children do not like fairy stories, while many adults do, and that a good story is a good story no matter what the reader’s age...

The common experience of all human beings is that life on earth is filled with peaks and valleys. Yet, there is something within all of us that longs, however inarticulately, for a life free from these undulations. For those who have trusted Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, that longing will be satisfied in the world to come. But until then, the ups and downs continue...

Following Jesus Christ is not a sprint but a marathon. We must persevere in trusting Christ and following Him until we cross the finish line on the day of our death. The sooner we recognize and embrace this fact of kingdom life, the safer and stronger we will be...

The ambiguity of the word apologetics provides the apologist with a natural icebreaker in public or private conversations on the topic: the apologist does not exist to “apologize” for being a Christian, or indeed for anything else...

A psychiatrist friend maintains that, “All change involves loss, and loss involves grief, and grief involves pain.” Since the events of September 11, 2001, there has been much change, loss, grief, and pain. There is a changed perception of our lives, a loss of a sense of safety and security, grief over those lost or grieving with families who lost loved ones, and all of this leads to pain from these and other sources...

I was living in a Christian environment, very culturally Christian; everyone I knew was a member of a church. But there came a point at which I wondered whether Christianity was simply an appendage to southern culture or whether Christianity was really about a political agenda or an economic agenda or about keeping people behaviorally in line...

I am a witnessing wimp. I have never viewed “evangelism” as being one of my spiritual gifts. Does that excuse me from my calling to be salt and light in the workplace? Absolutely not. I have been challenged for years to carry out my calling as I wrongly tip the hat toward the fear of man...

In this post-modern world, we are bombarded with a myriad of paradigms. Which one is true? Or, as many will say, there is no one true paradigm; instead, we should simply find a paradigm that fits and, if necessary (or, in some cases, if just convenient), change that paradigm to suit our changing needs or the latest fad...

At some point in life, most of us have pondered and struggled with the problem of evil. The opening chapters of Genesis set the stage. Here we see God creating a good and beautiful world—free from the moral evil and human suffering we know today. However, through choices made by our first parents, God’s creation is plunged into the sin, suffering, and death that has tragically marked its life ever since...

In his fictional book, The Great Divorce, C.S. Lewis has a dream in which he visits heaven and hell. In the dream, ghosts from hell are permitted to visit heaven. One of the things Lewis sees while in heaven is a visiting ghost with a lizard on its shoulder. As explained by Walter Hooper, the ghost’s “life has been ruined by lust,” and “(t)hat lust, in the form of a Lizard, now sits on his shoulder…”

In C.S. Lewis’s story, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, the English schoolboy, Edmund, on his first trip to Narnia encounters the White Witch or in her terms, “The Queen.” Through questions she soon learns what best to tempt him with so that she can coerce him into turning against his siblings and ultimately Aslan, the true King of Narnia...

In this audio series, Michael Ramsden shares a message on the effects of affluence on the soul and society.  He encourages believers in these two sessions on how to overcome those effects. Discover insights and helpful responses in this session with Michael Ramsden.

There are numerous pitfalls and perils that face followers of Christ. Rebecca DeYoung explores the triple threats of Money, Sex, and Power. Learn more in this two-part audio series.

A shallow understanding of God and sin results in a shallow spiritual life, plagued with all sorts of moral and spiritual problems. What we desperately need is sober, realistic teaching about the nature of sin and God’s gracious remedies. This seminar will provide a clear understanding of the capital sins – root sins such as pride, vainglory, greed, anger, lust, gluttony, envy and sloth – from which all other sins flow, as well as how to deal with them.

Disciplines of grace will keep us under the protective canopy of God’s grace and keep us growing as disciples of Jesus. They will not exempt us from temptation or attack, but they will enable us to glorify God by standing firm when it comes.

In this article, we will seek to understand the world system, its origin and nature, and how the devil works through it to enslave and destroy God’s people and thwart His kingdom.

Sin is a reality in this fallen world in which we find ourselves currently, and in the present time where we are awaiting the return of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are caught in the conflict between the fact that we are redeemed through His sacrifice on the cross, and the fact that we still are sinners.

Evil, pain, and suffering—three human experiences which countless authors have attempted to address throughout history. Unlike other topics, books and articles on evil, pain, and suffering produce strong reactions toward those who write about them and try to explain them.

What, at first glance, appears to be a secular problem is, in fact, a problem more commonly found among Christians than any of us would care to admit. Considering the prevalence of pornography use among Christians, it’s time we examine the effect it’s having on individuals and families within the church and on our Christian witness in a secular and increasingly sexualized culture.

We either obey God or disobey him, there is no other option, and he holds us accountable for our choices. We make our choices, and then our choices make us. Those choices put us on one of two roads through life, the easy way that leads to destruction or the hard way that leads to life (Matt. 7:13–14). Temptation and testing are intimately bound up with these decisions.

The ambition that grows out of a desire to exalt ourselves and gain success at the cost of our character or at the expense of our neighbor arises from our own flesh and the values of the values of the present world. However, the ambition to do well those things that God has gifted us to do and to do them for his glory is an ambition that God approves.

Trials and Tribulations the longer we walk with Christ, the more clearly we see that there is really no end to trials and tribulations in life. They are a permanent feature of life with Christ. This can be discouraging or even disillusioning if we do not understand why such things are so necessary for our souls.

Have you ever been through a period of spiritual dryness? Spiritual dry spells are a common experience for those who are following Jesus Christ. They are also times of special spiritual danger.

Have you ever found yourself wanting to be part of the “inner circle” of some group or organization? Probably most of us have felt this pull at some point in life. Or perhaps we do even now. In some cases, as C.S. Lewis warns us, the subtle attraction of being part of the Inner Ring can lead us into moral compromise and even ruin.

Regarding his battle with pride, C.S. Lewis points out that the first step in dealing with any sin is identifying it and naming it. The good news is that if we humble ourselves before the Lord, he will come to our aid and draw us closer to Himself – pointing us to our true source of satisfaction and fulfillment.

One of the many dangers and snares one encounters in following Jesus Christ is that of loving family or friends more than we love Christ. Often we are unaware of this disordered love until some serious event brings it suddenly into view. Then we are faced with the necessity of making an extremely serious and painful choice: do we put Christ and his will first, or do we compromise and put our friend or family member ahead of him?

Small children need training wheels in order to safely learn to ride a bicycle. However, at some point, the wheels must be taken off for the learning to become complete. Something similar is true in our relationship with God. Early in our spiritual life, it seems that God encourages us with a palpable sense of His presence. But at some point, our continued growth requires that He deal with us in a different way.

Bullied at boarding school by cliques, and later having the smug satisfaction of being part of the intelligentsia, Lewis knew both the hurt of being ostracized and the attraction of being accepted by “the inner ring,” those groups that thrive on snobbery, and other forms of exclusion.

Lee Strobel took a slightly different approach in his newest book to help people find the answer to this most important question, Is God Real?

We hate to admit it (and that’s part of the problem) but, sometimes, we get tired - tired of serving God, tired of reading our Bible, tired of going to church. 

The Bible tells us a lot about weakness and how God uses the weak to display his greatness and his strength. 

The Screwtape Letters is a very important book for our times. In our secularized and materialistic society, even Christians have little awareness of the spiritual side of reality.

C.S. Lewis’s classic work explores the nature of temptation and evil and resistance to them. First published in February 1942, the story takes the form of a series of letters from a senior demon, Screwtape, to his nephew, Wormwood, a junior tempter.

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Mere Christianity developed from a series of BBC radio talks delivered by C.S. Lewis during the Second World War. The book is a classic of Christian apologetics and one of the most important apologetics works of the 20th Century.

There is an underlying theme to Mere Christianity that even the most careful reader can miss due to the many rich insights and profound wisdom that overflow its pages.

In this study course, Dr. Christopher Mitchell, Former Director of the Marion Wade Center at Wheaton College, helps us dive deeper into Lewis’s work and shares insights and lessons from Mere Christianity.

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Brooks treated the seductive influence and terrible power of Satan in a way greatly more full and suggestive than in the literature of the present day. Brooks lists seven reasons for writing this book. The first reason is enough...Brooks says, "Satan hath a greater influence upon men, and higher advantages over them than they think he hath, and the knowledge of his high advantage is the highway to disappoint him, and to render the soul strong in resisting, and happy in conquering.

If you are a true believer, Satan hates you because you bear the image of Christ and because you were snatched from his power. You deserted Satan, and he wants you back. He wants to sift you like wheat. While we should not overestimate Satan's power, to our peril we underestimate an enemy who is living, intelligent, resourceful, and cunning.

The Screwtape Letters by C.S.  Lewis is a classic masterpiece of religious satire that entertains readers with its sly and ironic portrayal of human life and foibles from the vantage point of Screwtape, a highly placed assistant to "Our Father Below." At once wildly comic, deadly serious, and strikingly original, C.S. Lewis's The Screwtape Letters is the most engaging account of temptation—and triumph over it—ever written.

The author reminds us that the devil operates on a worldwide scale as well as upon individuals. He traces the confusion and chaos of present-day society to the destructive work of satan and states that in a day where there is a renewed fascination with astrology, the occult, spiritism and 'doctrines of devils', to be aware of these evil powers, otherwise it will almost certainly mean that we will be defeated by them.

How do Christians come to the certainty that the Bible is the Word of God, and gain an understanding of His mind and will from it? How do they acquire the ability to pray, and lead others in prayer? how are they comforted and supported in all the difficulties they meet? And how can the church be led, taught and guided aright, when Christ is not here on earth?

All day, every day, an invisible war rages around you — unseen, unheard, yet felt throughout every aspect of your life. A devoted, devilish enemy seeks to wreak havoc on everything that matters to you: your heart, your mind, your marriage, your children, your relationships, your resilience, your dreams, your destiny.

Find freedom when you let Jesus lead the battle for your heart! Scripture makes it clear that Satan will do anything to tempt you into poor decisions and self-defeating mindsets---including anxiety, rage, lust, and despair. But by examining Psalm 23 in fresh ways, Giglio helps you reject enemy voices and receive encouragement, hope, and strength. 208 pages, hardcover from Nelson.

Arm yourself with the sure defenses you need to overcome the enemy! In this 6-week, no-homework study, Arthur and Lawson equip you with a thorough knowledge of the devil's strength, his probable line of attack, and his secret tactics to help you stand firm against his assaults and walk in daily victory. 80 pages, softcover from Waterbrook.

In this book, Beth encourages everyone to overcome the spiritual strongholds in their lives by incorporating Scripture into their daily prayer. No matter how overwhelmed you may feel today, Moore boldly reminds us that nothing is bigger or more powerful than the Lord. With this landmark book we learn to wield the sword of the Spirit, praying God's Word to break free from anything that has a hold on us until the joy and authority of Christ rules in our lives.

As the war between good and evil escalates, every believer must get involved! Revealing how to pray with strength and purpose, Stormie Omartian offers advice on how to foster a meaningful prayer life that is more than just asking for blessings. Discover how to be certain of your authority, wield spiritual weapons, and resist the enemy.

The Armor of God is a 7-session Bible Study for teens on spiritual warfare. It is a stand alone study with 5 days of personal study per week. As you progress in your study, you'll be developing an action plan for putting on your armor and a strategy to secure victory against the enemy.