"The entrance of thy words giveth light (Psalm 119:130)."
Spiritual Warfare
Spiritual Warfare is the struggle against demonic forces that are trying to harm or destroy us. It is the starting place for understanding, and successfully addressing, the vast majority of mental health issues.
Without the knowledge that there really is a devil, and a multitude of demons, you will never understand what is happening to you, or why it is happening.
If you are unsaved, you have no ability to be victorious over Satan. To benefit from this article, it is necessary to first get saved.
It is also suggested that you read following articles before continuing:
There is a war going on between two invisible kingdoms, between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of the devil. The Bible states: “The thief (i.e., the devil) does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I (Jesus) have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly (John 10:9-10 NKJV).”
We are in a spiritual battle with the forces of darkness. It is God’s will that we are successful in this battle—not that we be spared from it. Going through trials is necessary to build your faith, demonstrate your fidelity to God, develop your Christian character and prepare you for eternity.
To simplify, when I use the term “devil” or “Satan," I mean the activities of Satan and/or demons. This applies to all articles published on this site.
Satan is not equal with God. God is infinitely more intelligent and powerful. Once we became saved, we also became indwelled with the Holy Spirit. This indwelling makes it possible for us to be victorious over Satan. Satan is wiser and more powerful than man, but man—indwelled by the Holy Spirit—can defeat the devil. The Bible tells us how we can be victorious.
I'll start with this Scripture: "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8 NKJV)." The devil is the adversary of every Christian. The battleground is primarily in your mind. Satan will try to hurt you in any way he can. However, his power is limited; he can only do what God allows. (e.g. Job 1:1-12).
Here are some common things that the devil does: He may put disturbing, discouraging and/or destructive thoughts into your mind: Examples: "It’s hopeless." "You’re a loser." "You're worthless." "I want to kill myself." "I want to get high. "What if I kill my baby?"
Satan can put evil, violent, gross, perverted, jealous, critical, foolish or fearful thoughts into your mind. He can seek to get you to dwell on an unpleasant event such that you become angry, worried and/or depressed.
Sometimes these thoughts involve the distortion or misapplication of Scripture. Satan can and does pretend to be the voice of God.
With experience, you will be able to differentiate between the voice of God and the schemes of the devil. God's voice is never condemning (Romans 8:1).
Satan can sometimes influence others so that they create problems for you. For this to happen, however, you usually have to give the demons something to work with.
Then there’s what psychologists refer to as auditory/visual/tactile hallucinations: Some people hear voices, see corresponding visions of someone talking to them and/or feel bodily sensations that are without physical explanation (e.g. "I get raped every night."). The vast majority of these so-called "hallucinations" are, in fact, caused by demons.
Anytime you find yourself disturbed, or trying to harm yourself, it is likely that demons are involved.
Here are some things the Bible says about Satan: He is a deceiver (1 Timothy 4:1-3, Colossians 2:8). He seeks to distort or misapply Scripture for his own purposes (Matthew 4:1-11). He is a liar and murderer (John 8:44). He encourages child abuse—up to and to the extent of murder (Psalm 106:37). He is the spiritual author of false religions (2 Corinthians 11:1-15). He seeks to impede believers in their endeavors (1 Thessalonians 2:18). He tempts us to sin (Genesis 3). He encourages envy and selfish ambition (James 3:14). He torments with mental illness (Mark 5:1-20).
Satan will sometimes acquire footholds—especially as a result of unforgiveness, fear and involvement with the occult. A spiritual foothold enables demons to cause cognitive and emotional distress, in various ways, at times of their choosing.
Satan's ability to harm Christians is fairly limited unless he first gains power. Satan gains power in three ways.
The first and most important way Satan gains power is as a result of sin. Anxiety and depression are commonly associated with the sins of unforgiveness and worry. "Hallucinations" often result from substance abuse and involvement with the occult. And there are many more examples that could be provided.
The second way is through ignorance. As mentioned earlier, Satan can put whatever thoughts he wants to into your mind. These thoughts may or may not be accompanied with emotional distress. Or, to a certain extent, demons can simply create emotional distress. They can do this whenever they want.
You can reduce the amount of distress you experience by using Scripture correctly.
This isn't unmanageable if you recognize what is going on and respond correctly. If, when you come under a spiritual attack, you continue to trust God, and use other principles found in Scripture, the distress you feel will usually soon subside. If, however, you react with fear and attribute a malign meaning to these things, the demon will have accomplished his purpose.
There is a third way that Satan gains power—but it is rare and far less important: Sometimes God grants Satan power for reasons that have nothing to do with sin. Two examples follow.
First, the book of Job describes a righteous man tormented by Satan as a test allowed by God. Job passed the test in a number of ways. One example: he did not sin by accusing God of wrongdoing (Job 1:21-22).
Second, a church counselor told me this story: A man, with no history of depression, would tell his fellow Christians to "just get over it" when they told him they were struggling with depression. Then, for no apparent reason, this man began to suffer with depression which lasted for years. Later, "the depression disappeared as quickly as it came." This is rare, but it does illustrate God's sovereignty.
The next topic is the most important: how to avoid being defeated by Satan.
The Bible says: “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you (James 4:7 NKJV).” Two things are necessary to be successful in spiritual warfare: 1)You must make a good-faith effort to obey all of God's word at all times. 2) You must use prayer, and the Word of God, in resisting the devil whenever he attacks.
"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ." {2 Corinthians 10:3-5 NASB}
Thus, complying with this Scripture involves not only our behavior, but guarding our thinking as well.
Sin is inevitable. Whenever you become aware of it, the best response is to immediately confess the sin to God and make an effort not to repeat the sin in the future. This will restore your relationship with God. It may also eliminate the need for God to punish you for the sin.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." {1 John 1:9 NIV}
"He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy." {Proverbs 28:13 NKJV}
Before continuing, I want to address one common misconception: The Bible does not promise a life free of burdens and difficulties. Problems are inevitable—we all experience them. Rather, we can learn to have more and more peace despite the difficulties that we all have to deal with. The Bible states: “These things I (Jesus) have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world (John 16:33 NKJV).”
Here are some more specific suggestions to help you become successful in spiritual warfare.
First: Set aside time, every day, for prayer, worship and Bible study. If possible, set aside a full hour each day.
In addition to this set time, also pray, from time to time, during the day, especially when you face challenges and experience spiritual attacks.
Read a full chapter of the Bible every day. There is no substitute for reading the Bible. When you find yourself really resistant, just pick a short psalm (e.g. Psalm 1).
If nothing else, you can always put a copy of the Bible in the bathroom.
Additional bible reading, bible study or listening to an audio version of the Bible, is also recommended.
Look for Scriptures relevant to what you are struggling with, and figure out how you can apply them to your life.
Most of what you need is found in the New Testament, Psalms & Proverbs.
Second: Select Scriptures to memorize, and to be reminded of, based on what you're struggling with. Write these Scriptures on 3X5 cards and review one or two of them every day. Generally, these selected Scriptures should be short. You can also memorize partial Scriptures.
Third: Use these Scriptures that you have memorized.
Simply recite the Scripture, when needed, just as Jesus did (Matthew 4:1-11), and do what it says.
It is better to recite Scripture, out loud, whenever problematic thoughts come up. Recite Scripture out loud so the demon can hear.
Some examples:
- "Be anxious for nothing . . ." {Philippians 4:6 NASB}
- ". . . whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right . . . think about these things." {Philippians 4:8 NASB}
- "Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." {John 14:27 NIV}
- "Trust in Him at all times . . ." {Psalm 62:8 NASB}
Again, do what the Scripture says to do.
There is supernatural power in the word of God: "For the word of God is alive and active. (Hebrews 4:12 NIV)."
Fourth: Use affirmations based on Scripture. Two examples follow.
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might." {Ephesians 6:10 NASB}
Affirmation: I am strong in the Lord.
"Be anxious for nothing . . ." {Philippians 4:6 NASB}
Affirmation: I choose to 'be anxious for nothing.'
Believe, declare, and apply God's Word. Especially when you find yourself dealing with difficult circumstances and troubling emotions.
Fifth: Don't entertain wicked thoughts and don't engage in wicked behaviors. These result in anxiety (Proverbs 23:7, 28:1, Isaiah 48:22). They also create an impediment to your prayers being answered (Psalm 66:18).
Recite Scripture and use affirmations based on Scripture. Examples follow.
Scripture: "I will set nothing wicked before my eyes . . ." {Psalms 101.3 NKJV}
Scripture: "Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord." {Romans 6:11 NKJV}
Affirmation: "I'm dead to sin. I'm alive to God."
Affirmations, based on Scripture, also have supernatural power (Hebrews 4:12).
Once you've recited Scripture, or used an affirmation, think about something else.
Sixth: "Be holy, for I am holy." {1 Peter 1:16 NKJV}
Try to avoid masturbation. And, of course, stay away from pornography.
In addition to reciting Scripture, you can, again, also use affirmations based on Scripture.
An example follows.
"I made a covenant with my eyes not to look with lust upon a girl." {Job 31:1 TLB}
Affirmation: "I will not look upon a girl with lust."
"Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." {Proverbs 4:23 NIV}
More information is provided in my articled entitled Masturbation & Pornography. Another link is provided at the end of this article.
Seventh: When you pray, first establish the basis for successful prayer:
"Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name." {Psalm 100:4 NIV}
Approach God praise and thanksgiving.
Don't treat God like a vending machine. He's much less likely to answer your prayers—especially if you're not a new believer.
"And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins." {Mark 11:25 NIV}
Forgive others so your prayers are not hindered.
Eighth: It is very important that you forgive other people, from your heart. Otherwise, demons will enjoy a spiritual foothold and they will torture you (Matthew 18:21-35). Anxiety and depression are the most common forms of torture. Other mental health and physical health issues can also result from, or be made worse by, unforgiveness.
More information is available in the article entitled How to Forgive. Another link is provided at the end of this article.
Ninth: “Do all things without complaining . . . (Hebrews 2:14 NKJV}
This also results in an impediment to your prayers being answered.
It's OK to tell God how frustrated you are with life situations. You will see such frustrations expressed, repeatedly, in the Psalms.
Do not, however, complain to God about the circumstances He has allowed in your life.
Confess the sin of complaining just like any other sin.
You can either become better or bitter as a result of the painful trials you experience. Choosing to give thanks for hardships, and learning from them, will result in God using these things to make you wiser and stronger (Romans 8:28).
Tenth: Here's the basic Scripture you need to memorize and use when you face life challenges and experience spiritual footholds like anxiety and depression. I've divided it into three parts.
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and pleading with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."
"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, think about these things."
"As for the things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you."
{Philippians 4:6-9 NASB}
Notice the order:
- Don't be anxious.
- Pray, with thanksgiving.
- More praise and thanksgiving.
- Use Scripture.
Instructions:
- Turn the Scripture into a prayer. Personalize it.
- Recite the Scripture, in portions, as you pray.
- Do what the Scripture says, in the order presented.
- Use your intuition and experience.
Don't forget to claim and believe scriptural promises, both those contained in this Scripture and others you may use.
Recite Scripture out loud and claim scriptural promises out loud. It's more effective that way.
This can be done anywhere, anytime.
For more specific instructions, refer to the series entitled When Satan Gets a Foothold. Another link is provided at the end of the article.
Eleventh: Pray in faith. Prayer, combined with faith, is necessary to break free of spiritual footholds, overcome problems and accomplish goals.
Scriptures follow:
“Have faith in God. Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him. Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you (Mark 11:22-24 NASB)."
"This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him (1 John 5:14-15 NASB)."
“But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord (James 1:6-7 NIV).”
Reciting Scripture and claiming biblical promises make your prayers more effective.
It is often necessary to persist in prayer. Don't give up.
Of course, prayers answered must be in accordance with the will of God (1 John 5:14-15). You can't make God do anything.
Twelfth: Prayer is more effective when you pray with another Christian (Matthew 18:19-20). This can even be done over the phone.
You can also send text messages to others, when the need arises, and ask them to pray for you.
This is especially important when you're facing a difficult circumstance or are dealing with troubling emotions.
Thirteenth: It is important to learn to allow God to carry your burdens.
"Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you;
He will never allow the righteous to be shaken (Psalm 55:22 NASB)."
Otherwise, you will find life much more traumatic.
More information is available in the series entitled How to Cast a Burden. Another link is provided at the end of the article.
Fourteenth: Trust God.
"Trust in Him at all times . . ." {Psalm 62:8 NASB}
"Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." {John 14:27 NIV}
Giving in to fear is dangerous. More dangerous than any possible circumstance.
Be afraid of giving in to fear.
Resolve to never give in to fear.
You are not safe when you give in to fear.
Everything in this life is manageable by trusting God, obeying God and walking wisely.
When you give in to fear, you are not trusting God, you cannot walk wisely, and you will, inevitably, suffer needlessly.
The suffering will result, directly, as a result of your emotions. It will result as a consequence of bad decisions. And it will result in additional people problems because others will view you as vulnerable.
Fear is a choice. A very bad choice.
Fifteenth: Get wise counsel and emotional support from others. Three points follow.
First: Advice from others will help you to avoid mistakes. Others can often see things more clearly since they are not emotionally impacted and have different life experiences. Advice from more than one person is recommended.
“A wise man is strong, And a man of knowledge increases power. For by wise guidance you will wage war, And in an abundance of counselors there is victory." {Proverbs 24:5-6 NASB}
Second: Emotional support is also important.
"Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2 NASB).
It's important to also have someone to share your feelings with when you face challenges. The function of this person is, primarily, just to listen. This reduces stress.
This can be a family member, fellow Christian, pastor or counselor.
Third: get an 'accountability partner' whom you talk with every week. Pray for each other and discuss what is going on in your lives.
Select such a person carefully.
Stay in fellowship. You can learn a lot from others. And, when you need help, other Christians can provide the help that you need.
Sixteenth: Address demons directly when you come under spiritual attacks.
Things to do:
- Pray against demons.
- Declare truth to demons.
- Cast out demons.
Praying against demons.
Demons are identified by their function (Mark 9:24). In addition to other prayers, you can also pray against the specific demon attacking you when you come under spiritual attacks in various ways.
Examples:
"I pray against the 'spirit of offense' in Jesus' name. Thank You Lord."
"I pray against the 'spirit of lust' in Jesus' name. Thank You Lord."
Then, think about something else.
These type of short prayers can, in my experience, be quite effective in countering spiritual attacks. However, whenever demons get a spiritual foothold, like anxiety or depression, more is needed. Refer to the article series entitled When Satan Gets a Foothold. Another link is provided at the end of this article.
Declaring truth:
- "Satan, you have no power over me!
- To demons: "I'm not afraid of you."
This is all that may be needed.
Casting out demons:
Command Satan, with authority, to leave in Jesus' name.
"Satan, I command you to leave in Jesus' name!"
Sometimes a forceful rebuke of the devil is needed:
Forcefully rebuke the devil, out loud, in the name of Jesus. Command him to leave. Five to ten sentences long.
The word 'Satan' works just fine; you don't have to also say 'demons.'
Once you've dealt with known sin issues, demons usually depart if you do this. Address sin issues before trying to cast out demons.
Recognize that fear, including fear of demons, will sabotage your efforts.
Do not try any of this unless you are saved; that is potentially dangerous (Acts 19:13-17).
Much more may be needed. More information is included in my article entitled How to Cast Out Demons. Another link is provided later.
Seventeenth: monitor your self-talk.
How you talk to yourself drastically affects your mood.
Negative self-talk gives power to the devil.
Self-talk and self-control are very much related.
Your attitude toward yourself is very important.
What you say to yourself is much more important than whatever anybody else says about you.
What you think about yourself is much more important than what anybody else thinks about you. This is a choice.
Your thinking must be straightened out FIRST in order for your life to be straightened out.
Many of your negative thoughts originate with a demon, even if they occur in the first person.
Keep your thoughts positive and constructive, rational and comforting. Correct negative thoughts.
Suggestions follow.
Use healthy affirmations:
- God loves me.
- I love me.
- I don't care what he (she) thinks.
- I don't expect myself to be perfect.
- I forgive myself.
- I can handle this.
- It's no big deal.
- I'm not going to give up.
Correct self-critical and other negative thoughts:
- I am not . . .
- Say the opposite.
- Recite Scripture.
- Use affirmations.
Practice using affirmations and always correct negative thoughts.
Talk to yourself like you'd like a good friend to counsel you. Or how you would encourage a child you love.
Eighteenth: Use fasting. This is an excellent way to make progress when you're struggling or need guidance.
A number of fasting options are available.
Read my article entitled Prayer & Fasting.
Nineteenth: Don't spend a lot of time studying psychology or trying to apply it to your life. Anything that distracts you from the Bible, for very long, will be detrimental to your making progress.
Twentieth: Learn from the experience of others online. Check out You Tube testimonies.
Suggested search: Christian testimony about (fill in issue).
Twenty-first: Pray for more wisdom.
"If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord (James 1:5-7 NIV)."
Faith is an important part of successful prayer—about anything.
Persistence is also necessary.
Twenty-second: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened." {Matthew 7:7-8 NASB}
An examination of the original Greek text indicates that this Scripture is telling us to "keep on asking," "keep on seeking" and "keep on knocking."
Persistence is usually required to achieve any goal.
This is true for any issue you may have, whether the issue is physical, mental, relational or financial.
Finally: in summary, remember the following:
- The Bible has the answers.
- Read a full chapter of the Bible every day.
- Daily prayer and Bible study are essential.
- Trust and obey.
- Resist the devil.
- Keep on trying. And you will make progress.
Note: Referenced articles:
- When Satan Gets a Foothold.
- How to Forgive.
- Stopping Spiritual Attacks.
- Masturbation & Pornography.
- How to Cast a Burden.
- How to Cast Out Demons.
- Prayer and Fasting.
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