What can I do when I am under spiritual attack?
What can I do when I am under spiritual attack?
Answer
One of the first things to do when we believe we may be under spiritual attack is pray. We should be praying anyway—“without ceasing,” according to 1 Thessalonians 5:17—but our prayers should be that much more intense when we are under attack. God’s invitation and promise to Israel can be applied broadly to His children today: “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me” (Psalm 50:15, NKJV).
When we are under spiritual attack, we must make sure to follow the battle plan of Ephesians 6:10–18. Paul begins with a comm and to be strong in the Lord and in His power —not our own power, which is no match for the devil and his forces. Paul then exhorts us to put on the armor of God, which is the only way to successfully st and against spiritual attacks. In our own strength, we have no chance of defeating the “spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12). Only the armor of God will equip us properly.
Ephesians 6:13–18 gives a description of the spiritual armor God gives us. Each piece is readily available to all who belong to Christ, because God equips His children. We are to st and firm, buckle on the belt of truth, fasten in place the breastplate of righteousness, wear on our feet the gospel of peace, hold up the shield of faith, wear the helmet of salvation, and wield the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God—the only offensive weapon in the whole armory. What do these pieces of spiritual armor represent in spiritual warfare? We are to speak the truth against Satan’s lies. We are to rest in the fact that we are declared righteous because of Christ’s sacrifice for us. We are to proclaim the gospel no matter how much resistance we receive. We are not to waver in our faith, no matter how fiercely we are attacked. Our ultimate defense is our salvation, of which we are assured. Our weapon is the Word of God, not the word of men and not our own opinions or feelings. Finally, we are to follow Jesus’ example “and pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests” (Ephesians 6:18).
Jesus is our example when it comes to warding off spiritual attacks. Observe how Jesus handled direct attacks from Satan when He was tempted in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1–11). Each temptation was answered the same way—with the words “It is written” and a quote from the Scriptures. Jesus knew the Word of the living God is the most powerful weapon against the temptations of the devil. If Jesus Himself used the Word to counter the devil, do we dare to use anything less?
An example of how not to engage in spiritual warfare is the seven sons of Sceva in Ephesus. These men were self-appointed exorcists, and, as they drove out evil spirits, they invoked the name of the Lord Jesus. One day an evil spirit answered them, “‘Jesus I know . . . but who are you?’ Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding” (Acts 19:15–16). The seven sons of Sceva were using Jesus’ name, but they did not have a relationship with Jesus, and their words were void of any power or authority. They stepped into a spiritual battle without the Word of God. As a result, they were humiliated and hurt. May we learn from their bad example and enter the fray with humility, prayer, and the power of the Word.