Spiritual Warfare in the Bible: Verses and Examples

We are all surrounded by a spiritual realm that usually goes unseen by human eyes, but this realm is just as real as the physical world we can see. Spiritual warfare refers to the ongoing battle between godly forces of good and satanic forces of evil in this realm. Today, we’ll explore a list of spiritual warfare Scriptures and look at examples of the spiritual warfare in the Bible.

We don’t need to fear this spiritual realm. Those who have received Jesus as Savior and Lord of our lives have his authority over the spiritual forces of evil surrounding us.

Let’s take a closer look at this reality together today.

Also, be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to help find victory in life’s spiritual battles.

Spiritual Warfare in the Bible: Verses and Examples

Let’s start by looking at some basic Scriptures to help us glean a deeper understanding of spiritual warfare in the Bible.

Spiritual Warfare in the Bible: Verses

1. Ephesians 6:12, ESV

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

The battles we face every day feel like they are battles against other people or worldly systems.

Scripture makes it clear that we are battling more than the forces we can see with our eyes; we are all in a battle against evil. Spirits in unseen places are always moving.

Recognizing this is the first step for finding victory in these battles.

2. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.

The battles we face are more than mere battles of the flesh.

Followers of Christ have the authority to destroy Satan’s strongholds in the world. One way we do this on a personal level is paying attention to the thoughts we allow to remain in our minds. Every thought that is not obedient to Christ is to be cast out.

3. Luke 10:19

Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.

Jesus gave his disciples authority over the temporal and spiritual realms.

If you are a follower of Christ, you have this authority as well.

4. James 4:7

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

How are we to respond to the enemy’s attacks?

One simple response is to remain submitted to God, resisting the devil. We are to resist the temptation to sin and remain surrendered to God. In doing so, we resist the devil, and he flees from us.

5. 1 Peter 5:8

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Satan prowls around the earth aiming to destroy lives.

This is a truth we should never overlook. We are always to remain on guard, vigilant to stand against these attacks

Satan aims to twist the truth, leading us to believe that acting apart from God will lead to the peace and joy we crave. This leads to our next verse.

6. 2 Corinthians 11:14

And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

Most of the time, Satan doesn’t tempt us by scaring us. He is more subtle.

Just as he tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden, he tries to convince us that obeying God is not best. He tries to convince us that we will have greater joy and satisfaction by following our desires and listening to his deceptive voice, ignoring God.

7. 1 John 4:4

Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

By receiving Jesus and committing to following him, we are filled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives us power to walk with God and obey him.

8. Romans 8:37

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

Those who follow Jesus have his victorious power within them because the Spirit of God dwells within them.

9. John 10:10

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

We can tell the enemy is at work when we see death and destruction. These are always works of Satan.

Jesus came so that we might have abundant life and overcome the evil works of the enemy.

More Verses on Spiritual Warfare in the Bible

10. 1 Corinthians 10:13

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

This verse tells us how to respond to temptations.

When we ask God to show us a way to avoid the temptation, he answers.

11. Revelation 12:11

And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.

As we fight life’s spiritual battles, we can overcome Satan by the blood of Jesus (receiving him as our Savior and Lord) and the word of our testimonies.

No one can take away the power of our personal stories about God’s faithfulness in our lives.

12. Revelation 20:10

And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

The book of Revelation describes Satan’s ultimate demise.

Jesus won the war against Satan when he died on the cross and was resurrected from the dead. He stole the keys of hell and ascended into heaven victoriously.

Until he returns, Satan has permission to prowl around the earth for a short time. We are living in this time now. One day, Jesus will return and throw Satan into a lake of fire forever.

Spiritual Warfare in the Bible: Verses and Examples

13. 1 John 3:8

Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.

Jesus came to destroy the works of Satan.

We align ourselves with Jesus when we refuse to continue intentionally sinning and aim to walk with God.

14. Colossians 2:15

He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

Jesus is the authority over every spiritual being. In his name, we share this authority.

For this reason, when we sense we are under spiritual attack, we can command spirits of darkness to leave, in Jesus’ name, and they will obey.

15. Ephesians 6:10-12

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Ephesians 6 offers a helpful description of how to fight life’s spiritual battles. We are to put on the full armor of God.

Here is a breakdown of this armor:

How to Put on the Armor of God

1. Put on all the armor, not just part.

Ephesians 6:11 tells us to put on the full armor of God. If we put on only part of the armor, we will be susceptible to attack.

2. Remember the battle is spiritual, not personal.

When we are under spiritual attack, the enemy will try to make us feel like we are battling against other people (our spouses, coworkers, neighbors, etc.).

The true battle is not against other people or worldly systems. It is a spiritual battle against Satan.

3. Put on the belt of truth.

Verse 14 tells us to put on the belt of truth.

Truth holds everything together. God’s Word is truth. As we live in this truth, God protects us from being deceived by Satan.

Satan’s primary strategy is deception. In the Garden of Eden, he deceived Eve by convincing her that God was holding out on her. In the wilderness, Satan tried to deceive Jesus by convincing Jesus to use his power for the wrong purposes at the wrong times.

Satan aims to deceive us through similar lies:

Money will bring joy.

Food will bring escape.

Success will yield fulfillment.

We stand against these lies by anchoring ourselves with the belt of truth.

4. Wear the breastplate of righteousness.

Verse 14b tells us to keep the breastplate of righteousness in place. Righteousness guards our hearts. Christ’s righteousness is to protect our hearts from the enemy’s lies. These lies aim to attack us with thoughts of shame and condemnation.

Those who have received Christ are not condemned (Romans 8:1). There is no shame in Christ.

5. We fit our feet with the gospel of peace.

Verse 15 tells us to fit our feet with the gospel of peace. The gospel gives us stability and readiness. This leads to peace, which helps us stand firm in the Lord.

6. We take up the shield of faith.

Verse 16 tells us to take up the shield of faith and extinguish the arrows of the enemy.

The enemy attacks us with flaming arrows of fear, doubt, worry, and other lies. The shield of faith extinguishes these attacks when we lift it up and declare, “I refuse to receive these lies. I trust God.”

7. We wear the helmet of salvation.

In verse 17a, the helmet of salvation protects our minds.

Confidence in our eternal security with God protects us from being led astray by the enemy.

8. We wield the sword of the Spirit.

Verse 17b refers to the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.

This is the only offensive weapon in the armor.

We can defeat the enemy by speaking the Word of God. Jesus demonstrated this when he spoke Scripture to Satan in the wilderness. When we sense we are under spiritual attack, we can fight back by speaking God’s Word to the lies.

Let’s now shift gears and look at some examples of spiritual warfare in the Bible.

Examples of Spiritual Warfare in the Bible

1. Eve and the Serpent

The devil made his first appearance in the book of Genesis. Approaching Eve, he convinced her to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

2. Jesus in the Wilderness

Before he began his public ministry, the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

Three times, the devil approached Jesus, trying to convince him to turn away from God in sin.

Each time, Jesus spoke God’s Word to Satan and resisted him.

3. Daniel’s Prayer

In Daniel 10, an angel told Daniel his prayer was heard, but it was delayed for 21 days because of a battle in the spiritual realm.

4. Elisha and the Army

In 2 Kings 6:15-17, God sent a heavenly army to protect Elisha and his men. They feared an approaching human army, but God opened their eyes to show them a heavenly army surrounding them.

5. Job’s Story

Satan approached God to ask him to test Job.

Spiritual warfare involves suffering, but God is sovereign.

6. Michael the Archangel and Satan

In Jude 1:9, Michael disputed with Satan but relied on God’s authority for victory.

7. The War in Heaven

Much of the book of Revelation describes the spiritual realm.

In Revelation 12:7-9, Michael and his angels fight Satan. Satan is cast out of heaven to earth.

Revelation 12:13-17 shows Satan targeting God’s people and trying to destroy Jesus, but failing.

Revelation 13 describes a beast and false prophet deceiving the world and performing signs.

In Revelation 17:14, a war takes place between the dragon (Satan) and the Lamb (Jesus). The Lamb wins.

A Summary of Spiritual Warfare in the Bible

We’ve covered a great deal of ground today, but this post was not comprehensive. The Bible is filled with depictions of the spiritual realm and the battles surrounding us.

What should we take away from this message?

Most importantly, we should not become too hung up on the works of Satan. Satan is real, and we should acknowledge this, but he does not deserve our focus. We are to keep our eyes on Jesus, growing closer to him and seeking him. In the process, he will give us strength for life’s spiritual battles.

Read here to learn more about spiritual warfare in the Bible and stand in your authority in Christ. #spiritualwarfare #faith Share on X

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