When You're Fighting a Spiritual Battle

Jesus wants you to experience freedom. He wants to give you freedom from all the destructive chaos that Satan throws into your life. That's precisely what He does for a man in Luke chapter 8 who is possessed by demons.

You are in a Spiritual Battle. Spiritual warfare can be defined as a battle between God and His followers versus Satan and his followers. Spiritual warfare is a reality that modern-day Christians tend not to think about very often. We're intellectual, scientific, and educated but know very little about this spiritual battle. Here's what Paul says about this battle: "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 6:12)

There is a war going on—a war happening in your mind, on social media, and in politics. It's a battle that happens on a spiritual level. It is unseen, but we can see the effects. If we are going to fight this battle, there are some important truths we must understand.

1. Satan is Already Defeated.
In Genesis 3, Satan tempts Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. They fall for the temptation, and the curse of sin enters the world. But God makes this promise: He says that the enemy will bruise His heel, but that He, the Son of God, will crush the serpent's head. So, at the very beginning of time, God is teaching us that Jesus has already defeated the enemy. It's the first verse in the Bible that demonstrates God's gospel plan. On the cross, Jesus paid for our sin. When He was raised to life, He defeated the power of Satan, sin, and death. In Revelation 20, we see the final punishment for Satan and all of his demonic followers. The devil will be thrown into the lake of burning sulfur and be tormented forever.

2. Jesus has Authority Over the Demonic.
In Luke 8:31, when the demons beg Jesus not to throw them into the abyss, they're talking about the lake of fire, the final punishment. Jesus knows it's not time to give them their final punishment, so He allows them to go into the pigs instead. He gives them permission, which teaches us that Jesus has authority over Satan and his demons. He has power over all demonic activity, and He has given us that authority and power as well. This means that every battle we face is under God's control.

Satan is not allowed to do whatever he wants in the world. He has to have God's permission. The story of Job demonstrates this. In the first chapter, Satan asks God for permission to test Job, and God permits him to do so. Why would God permit Satan to do harmful things in our lives? Because God has a greater purpose in mind for spiritual warfare. We know our purpose is to love God, to worship God, and to make disciples. That's the core purpose of every follower of Jesus. But at the same time, God's purposes are so grand that we can’t comprehend all He is doing.

However, we can trust that God is controlling the warfare we are going through today as a country, a church, and a community. But as Satan tempts and harasses us, we are responsible for our decisions. Even though the battle has been won, we are still fighting the war. The spiritual battle will continue on earth and in your mind, a battle over your thoughts. We must make the right decisions as we face the temptations in this spiritual battle.

For the man in Luke 8, the battle was in his head. He was possessed by many demons that had taken over his mind. His mental health was shattered. He was homeless, naked, and outcast. When asked his name, he said Legion. A legion was a regiment in the army comprising roughly 6,000 people. So, I think he was probably dealing with multiple demons taking over his mind. As a result, he was violent. He was so dangerous that he had to live outside of the community. They would try to shackle him, but the spirits within him would give him more strength than what is common. He would break the chains, and no one could control him.

As a Christian, can we be possessed by demons? In 1 Corinthians 3:16, Paul says, "Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's spirit dwells in you?" And in 1 Corinthians 6:19, "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you are bought with a price. So, glorify God in your body."

When we are saved, God gives us His Holy Spirit. The Bible says that's the guarantee, the seal, that you're saved. His spirit now lives within you. A demon would have to overpower God in order to take control of you. So, as a Christian, you can rest assured that Satan cannot possess you. However, demons can oppress you. That's why in Ephesians 6, after Paul talks about this spiritual battle, he says to put on the whole armor of God. We've got to fight back. So, while demons can't possess, they can oppress.

Let me share four ways that the enemy oppresses Christians.

1. The enemy accuses you and gives you false messages.
Again, the battle is in your head so, this false messages are thoughts like, you're no good, nobody loves you, and you're never going to get through this. These are constant messages that you think about, and as a result, you begin to lose hope and struggle.

2. The enemy leads you to doubt your salvation.
Am I really saved? Am I really going to go to heaven? Is Jesus real? Is God real? You doubt, and you question, and you can't settle it.

3. The enemy discourages you.
Persistent discouragement can overwhelm you, especially during a season of loss. Your joy disappears, and it seems like you'll never get it back.

4. The enemy tempts you with old sin.
You thought you conquered it. You thought it was done, and then the next thing you know, boom, it's right in front of you again. The enemy might put this before you and tempt you to return to an old sin.

Do you resonate with any of these? Or maybe there are other things that you have already thought of? So, what should you do if you feel an evil spirit is oppressing you? You don't need to rebuke Satan or blame him for your decisions because you're responsible. But you must realize that Satan has limited power and that Jesus has all authority. In fact, you don't really need to focus on the enemy at all. You need to focus on Jesus and the Word of God. His truth will set you free.

"Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world." (1 John 1:4) Because of the Holy Spirit within you, you have the power to overcome all oppression and spiritual warfare that you might be facing.

If you are doubting whether or not you really are a Christian, you need to settle that issue. Have you really given your life to Jesus? Have you put your trust in Jesus and experienced that salvation? That's really the first step. The next part of the battle is prayer. We fight this battle on our knees and by asking other people to pray over us. We also need to submit to Jesus. You've got to submit your will to His. Some of us may have sin we need to confess. If you have unconfessed sin in your life, you're giving the enemy a foothold. He oppresses you by saying that you're no good and you're not worthy, all because you haven't confessed this sin to God. Maybe you need to confess to a counselor, a pastor, or a trusted leader. That's part of experiencing freedom. Maybe you need to forgive someone. I don't know if there's a greater foothold you give to demonic activity in your life than unforgiveness. If you're not forgiving someone who hurt you, it's like a front door into your heart and mind. The devil will use that bitterness to grow anger in your heart and prevent you from growing in your faith.

3. Jesus is the One who Fights our Battles.
Jesus does what you can't do. Jesus controls what you can't control. Luke 8:33 says, "The demons came out of the man, entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned." The man couldn't remove those demons himself; only Jesus could. 

I love the story of David and Goliath. David is looking right into the eyes of this giant, and says, "The Lord saves not with sword and spear for the battle is the Lord's and he will give you into our hand." (1 Samuel 17) That's what it looks like to have faith. To speak truth when the negative thoughts come into your mind. Declare that you are a child of God. You are worthy of love because God has already given you His love in Christ Jesus, our Lord. We reject the lie and replace it with truth. David understood it. He spoke the faith that was in his heart.

Jesus has already defeated Satan. We don't have to fear him. Jesus has authority over all spiritual warfare. He is fighting the battle for you. Do your part by serving Him, living righteously, seeking Him, praying, and worshipping. Share your story with other people. Declare how good He has been to you and how much He's changed your life. God's going to help you overcome this battle. Do your part, and God will do His part.