Living in Increase (Part 10) - Increase in AwarenessSample

Week 3: Spiritual Warfare

Stay Alert

This week, we are discussing spiritual warfare. Spiritual warfare is the Christian concept of fighting against the powers of darkness. There is no reason to be afraid of these “powers,” considering that they are nothing compared to the power of our God! However, as believers, it is our responsibility to be alert and aware of the role of the enemy in the world.

The first step to spiritual warfare is understanding that we have an enemy. A recent study showed that 58% of Americans believe in a devil (Brenan, para.1, 2023). Another study, outdated but shocking, showed that close to 59% of Christians did not believe or questioned if Satan was “a living being” instead of a “symbol of evil” (Barna, para.5, 2009). It breaks my heart to think that over half of believers don’t believe an enemy exists. If they don’t think he exists, they can’t fight against him. No wonder the world is as messed up as it is!

1 Peter 5:8-9 makes it clear that 1) we have a real enemy, the devil, and 2) we must stay alert to fight against him. Even when you’re not thinking about Satan, he’s thinking about you. The Bible says he is constantly looking for someone to “devour” (1 Peter 5:8). It also says that our “family of believers” is going through the same attacks that we are (1 Peter 5:9). That tells me that no one is exempt from the attacks of Satan, and therefore, no one is exempt from spiritual warfare.

The enemy is real, but he is not our friend. He does not deserve our empathy or pity. He only comes to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10) and thrives on our apathy.

Therefore, we must stand firm against him through spiritual warfare, which is what this week is all about!

Emily N. Green

Action Step: Research what the Bible says about the devil. Does this align with what you thought about him? If not, pray and ask God to help you align your mind with His Word.