Satan does exist—our broken
society testifies to his reality. Those who ignore him do so at their own
peril. This is also true of Christians, because we are all at war against him.
Spiritual warfare is personal; Satan crafts specific attacks for each individual.
Though he cannot steal a believer’s spirit from God, he can and does harass us
physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Every ambush and frontal
attack is meant to defeat our witness so we can’t live a victorious
Christ-centered life.
Our foe is not omniscient, but he
is crafty. He observes our strong and weak points to determine the best areas
for attack. As soon as his quarry becomes comfortable and least expects
trouble, the Adversary springs a trap. Among his most deceptive tactics is hiding
behind familiar faces in order to misguide our fury. For example, he may tempt
a husband to make an unwise financial decision that angers the wife and leaves
her feeling insecure. But the husband is not her enemy—he needs her love and
forgiveness. The enemy is always Satan and his legion of demons.
The first rule of warfare is to know one’s enemy, and thanks to
Scripture, we can. The Bible also contains an important assurance: “Greater is
He who is in you than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).
The combined forces of hell cannot
equal the supernatural power of a single believer. We have Christ living within
us—the same Christ who was triumphant on the cross and whose final victory over
Satan is prophesied in Revelation. Through Him, we can conquer Satan and win
our unseen battles.
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