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As followers of Christ, we often find ourselves engaged in spiritual battles, yet many of us can’t even tell the signs. Spiritual warfare is not a physical confrontation but a cosmic struggle between the forces of good and evil. Satan and his allies are always seeking to harm God’s people. One of the devil’s main agenda on earth is to see us suffering and enslaved to his deceptive ways. He wants to take control over our lives and devour us.
1 Peter 5:8 (NIV) – “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
The devil is always waging war against us, our faith, and our relationship with God. He wants us to lose trust and faith in our Heavenly Father and His doings in our lives. The attacks of the devil are not carnal. Rather, they are evil forces inflicted in different aspects of our lives.
Ephesians 6:12 (NIV) – “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
As believers, recognizing the signs of spiritual warfare and learning how to overcome them are vital for maintaining a victorious Christian walk. We must fight against the rulers and the authorities of the dark world and come out victorious.
Signs of Spiritual Warfare
1. Persistent Negative Thoughts
If you find yourself battling recurring negative thoughts, fear, anxiety, or despair, it could be a sign of spiritual warfare. The devil attacks the thoughts of mankind first when he wants to destroy them. He is the father of lies and loves to fill our minds with harmful and discouraging thoughts to disrupt our spiritual journey.
The Scriptures instruct us not to fear because the Lord is with us in every situation. In fact, it mentions 365 times that we should not allow fear to take toll on our lives. However, the devil wants the opposite of this for our lives. God urges us not to be anxious with anything because He has our concerns at heart. But, the devil is always struggling to fill our minds with anxious thoughts as one of his ways of attacking us spiritually. To fight against this spiritual battle, you must alight your thoughts with the word of God. Fix your thoughts on Christ and the promises of God.
1 Corinthians 10:5 (NIV) – “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
Demolish every evil thought that the devil tries to plant in your mind. Take captive the thoughts of fear, anxiety and worry and make them obedient to the word of God.
2. Unexplained Attacks on Your Faith
Spiritual warfare often targets a believer’s faith and trust in God. You might experience doubts, feelings of isolation, or a sense of distance from God. The enemy wants to undermine your confidence in God’s goodness and provision, and make you vulnerable to spiritual attacks. Do you find yourself asking whether God has abandoned you? This may just be one of the signs of spiritual warfare. If you find yourself doubting the presence of God or His doings in your life, you are under spiritual attack.
3. Obstacles in Your Spiritual Growth
When you face barriers in your spiritual growth, it might be an indication of spiritual warfare. Struggles with prayer, Bible study, and consistent obedience to God’s Word could suggest that the enemy is trying to hinder your progress in Christ.
Are there moments when you feel like you don’t have the right words to pray? Do you experience sudden tiredness and laziness when trying to do your Bible study? If you are finding it hard to even attend church services for no reason, you could be under spiritual attack. God calls us to nourish and strengthen our spirit-man every day. He desires that we grow to spiritual maturity and attain the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. However, the devil will do anything to fight our efforts towards spiritual maturity.
4. Attacks on Your Purpose and Calling
The enemy desires to thwart God’s plans for your life. If you encounter constant attacks or setbacks concerning your purpose and calling, you may be in the midst of spiritual warfare. The enemy will try to keep you from fulfilling your God-given destiny. He may use a colleague to rise against you at your place of work or a close person to bring your business down. Do you feel like there are constant attacks in your area of calling?
One of the primary signs of spiritual warfare is facing intense opposition in various aspects of life. This opposition can manifest as persistent temptations, trials, and conflicts that seem beyond normal human struggles. When you encounter relentless resistance in your relationships, career, ministry, or personal growth, it may be a sign you are facing spiritual warfare.
5. Physical and Emotional Exhaustion
Spiritual warfare can take a toll on your physical and emotional well-being. You may feel drained, fatigued, and emotionally overwhelmed without any apparent reason. The enemy seeks to wear down believers and weaken their ability to resist his schemes. He can even inflict illnesses and diseases on your body to weaken your ability to serve the Lord. The devil inflicted Job’s body with painful sores to shake his faith in the Almighty God.
Job 2:7 (NIV) – “So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head.”
6. Conflicts and Division
The presence of conflicts and division within the body of Christ is a sign of spiritual warfare. The enemy seeks to sow discord and bitterness among believers to weaken their collective impact. If you notice increased strife, gossip, or misunderstanding among your Christian community, it could be a result of spiritual warfare.
Additionally, the devil can make people hate you for no reason. He uses the spirit of rejection to stir up hatred in people’s hearts towards you. This spiritual battle has led to broken marriages, relationships, families, and friendships. Watch out for this sign and fight with wisdom and strength.
7. Loss
Loss is indeed a significant sign of spiritual warfare, and the story of Job from the Bible serves as a powerful example of this truth. Job’s story reveals how spiritual warfare can manifest through loss and suffering. In a swift and devastating series of events, Job experienced overwhelming loss. His livestock was plundered, his servants killed, and his children died tragically. The loss was meant to provoke Job to abandon his devotion to God and turn against Him.
However, Job’s steadfastness in the face of extreme loss exemplifies the triumph of faith over spiritual warfare. When you experience loss, do not despair, fight back against evil forces with the help of the Holy Spirit.
8. Stagnation
The enemy seeks to hinder the growth and progress of believers in their walk with God. When someone experiences stagnation in their spiritual journey, they may find themselves stuck, unable to move forward, and lacking the fruitfulness they once had. God desires that we grow each passing day in the areas of our calling. He wants us to grow and achieve great things in our lives. In Jeremiah 29:11, He reminds us of His plan to bring us to success and prosperity. He is the one who gives us the grace to do exceedingly great things and surpass our abilities. But, the devil brings different kinds of barriers to hinder our growth and progress. Stagnation in our lives does not mean that we are lazy, but it is one of the signs that you are under spiritual attack.
How to Fight Spiritual Battles
· Pray and Fast
Prayer is one of the most powerful weapons that we can rely on to fight against forces of evil. Engaging in regular prayer and fasting draws us closer to God and strengthens our spiritual connection. Jesus emphasized the importance of prayer and fasting as powerful weapons in spiritual battles.
Matthew 26:41 (NIV) – “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
If you find yourself oppressed or in bondage due to spiritual warfare, pray. You can also seek prayer support from mature and anointed believers who can pray for your deliverance.
· Put on the Armor of God
Ephesians 6:13-18 outlines the spiritual armor that we need to wear daily. Wearing this armor prepares us to stand firm against the enemy’s attacks. Remember that before the devil attacks you, he prepares for the battle. Therefore, you too need to prepare for the battle by arming yourself with the weapons of the Spirit.
· Submit to the Lord
James 4:7 (NIV) – “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
Surrendering to God’s will and aligning your life with His principles strengthen your position in spiritual warfare. When you courageously resist the devil and all his lies, he will flee from your life. Submitting to God involves surrendering your battles to God and living in accordance to His will.
· Speak God’s Word
Combat the enemy’s lies with the truth of God’s Word. Declare Scriptures out loud and speak words of faith, victory, and authority in Christ. The word of God is a powerful defensive weapon against spiritual battles. Jesus used it to overcome the lies of the devil in the wilderness. You too, can use to combat the tricks of the enemy and overcome his attacks.
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