Is spiritual warfare a reality?

Genesis 3:1The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”

2 Kings 6:15-17When the servant of the man of God got up early the next morning and went outside, there were troops, horses, and chariots everywhere. “Oh, sir, what will we do now?” the young man cried to Elisha. “Don’t be afraid!” Elisha told him. “For there are more on our side than on theirs!” Then Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!” The Lord opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire.

Matthew 4:1Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil.

Ephesians 6:10-12A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

2 Timothy 2:3-7Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. Soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them. And athletes cannot win the prize unless they follow the rules. And hardworking farmers should be the first to enjoy the fruit of their labor. Think about what I am saying. The Lord will help you understand all these things.

1 Peter 5:8-9Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.

From the beginning of time and exemplified in Jesus’ own ministry, the Bible clearly teaches that human beings are involved in spiritual warfare. Far from excluding us from spiritual battles, faith puts us right in the middle of them. If we underestimate this reality, we put ourselves in jeopardy.

Numbers 33:52“You must drive out all the people living there. You must destroy all their carved and molten images and demolish all their pagan shrines.”

Sin is like war—it always destroys, sometimes dramatically, sometimes slowly. Sin invades, with the goal of taking over and claiming the territory of our hearts. When sin is allowed free reign in our hearts, when temptation is allowed to lurk around the edges of our lives, it is like an invading enemy army that seeks to enslave us. The more relentlessly we battle sin and remove it piece by piece from our lives, the more we will experience the victorious Christian life and all the blessings that come along with it.