The Truth about Spiritual Warfare

David Wilkerson (1931-2011)

With all the talk going on in the church about spiritual warfare, Christians still have not learned how to stand up to the enemy. We are pushovers for the devil!

I don’t believe every misfortune that befalls a Christian comes from the devil. We wrongly blame him for a lot of our own carelessness, disobedience and laziness. It’s easy to blame the devil for our foolishness. That way, we don’t have to deal with it. There is a real devil present in the world today, though, and he is busy at work.

Let me tell you something of Satan’s strategy. If he cannot pull the Lord Almighty off of his throne, he will try to tear God’s image out of you. He wants to turn worshippers into murmurers and blasphemers, but Satan cannot attack you at will. God has put a wall of fire around each of his children, and Satan cannot go beyond that wall without God’s permission. Some people are afraid to pray because they think the devil eavesdrops on them. Others think the devil can read their every thought. Not so! Satan cannot read a Christian’s mind. Only God is omnipresent and omniscient.

Scripture commands us to stand up, be strong and do battle against the flesh and the devil: “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love” (1 Corinthians 16:13-14, NKJV), and “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:10-11).

You have to become fed up with being held down by the devil, living low, depressed, joyless, empty, harassed! We need to say what God is waiting to hear: “This has gone far enough! We serve a mighty, victorious God. Why do we go on, day after day, taking this abuse?”

God will not do anything until you are thoroughly disgusted, until you are sick and tired of being sick and tired. You must cry out to the Lord! We serve the same God that Israel did. If he heard Israel’s cry in their idolatry, he will hear you in your sincerity.