Spiritual warfare is real whether we see it or not. As a Christian, the moment you give your life to Jesus you step onto a battlefield where your very soul is at stake.
But we don’t wage this war alone or in our strength. God has given us divine power and authority to stand firm against the attacks of the enemy.
Learning how to prepare yourself spiritually is key not only to surviving but also to thriving amidst spiritual battles.
In this post, you’ll discover practical steps for getting ready to face the unseen forces working against followers of Christ.
I share what Scripture teaches about spiritual warfare, signs of demonic attack, and most importantly, how you can be equipped with the full armor of God.
My prayer is that through God’s truth, you’ll find freedom from anxiety and walk in greater spiritual authority to push back the darkness. Let’s get started!
What is Spiritual Warfare and Why Does it Matter?
The Bible is clear – from the moment we put our faith in Jesus, we step into a raging spiritual conflict with an invisible enemy.
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms”
Ephesians 6:12 (NIV)
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Behind the visible world lies an invisible realm where demonic forces tirelessly work to derail God’s people and purposes.
Spiritual warfare matters because there are souls at stake in the unseen battle – including yours.
Just as soldiers wouldn’t go into combat unprepared, you can’t afford to be ignorant of Satan’s schemes.
The enemy wants us distracted, discouraged, and ultimately deceived into thinking the spiritual realm doesn’t even exist. Don’t fall for this lie!
10 Signs of Spiritual Warfare
To prepare for battle, it helps to know what spiritual warfare looks like in daily life.
Here are 10 common signs you may be under spiritual attack:
- Intense, recurring temptation.
- Unusual fatigue or physical illness.
- Chronic confusion or inability to concentrate.
- Destructive accidents or incidents.
- Nightmares and trouble sleeping.
- Financial crisis without cause.
- Extreme doubt or negative thoughts.
- Isolation or strained relationships.
- Deep loneliness or despair.
- Lack of spiritual passion or dryness.
If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms for an extended time, chances are there’s a spiritual battle involved.
Our enemy uses tactics like temptation, deceit, accusations, fear, oppression, and isolation to wear us down.
But the good news is that every scheme of the devil can be counteracted through the power and truth of Christ if you walk fully equipped.
Suiting Up: God’s Armor for Spiritual Battle
No soldier would dare face warfare without armor, weapons, training, and the backing of a commanding force.
In the same way, trying to battle unseen evil without understanding your spiritual armor only leads to defeat and harm.
Let’s look at the divine equipment God has provided us in Ephesians 6:13-17 (NIV):
1. The Belt of Truth:
As believers, our standard for truth is God’s Word (John 17:17). Unless you’re grounded in the truth of Scripture, it’s easy to fall for Satan’s deception.
2. The Breastplate of Righteousness:
This armor piece protects your heart and conscience from condemnation. By faith, Christ’s perfect righteousness covers us (Romans 4:5-6).
3. The Gospel of Peace:
The gospel brings peace between us and God (Colossians 1:19-20), freeing us from striving and the fear that we must earn salvation by works.
4. The Shield of Faith:
In the heat of battle, we can extinguish doubts, threats, guilt, fear, and other “flaming arrows” with resolute faith in God’s promises (Mark 11:22).
5. The Helmet of Salvation:
This helmet signifies the renewed mind believers have through salvation in Christ – one anchored in hope and eternal perspective (Acts 4:12).
6. The Sword of the Spirit:
This sword depicts the Word of God. Memorizing, declaring, and living scriptural truth is essential to defending and attacking the enemy’s lies (Hebrews 4:12)
7. Praying at All Times:
Lastly, surrounding yourself with prayer before, during, and after battle ensures you’ll stand firm (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Praying Scripture is especially powerful.
Taken together, wearing and wielding this armor enables us to walk confidently in deliverance from bondage or anything inhibiting our spiritual growth
How to Prepare Yourself for Spiritual Warfare
Simply owning effective armor isn’t enough to succeed in battle. We must know how to use it.
Here are some practical ways to prepare yourself to defend and fight against evil:
→ Put on the armor daily. Before your feet hit the floor, declare that you’re covered by Christ’s righteousness and salvation. Put on the full armor of God: salvation, righteousness, truth, peace, faith, and His Word (Ephesians 6:11).
→ Immerse yourself in Scripture. Read the Bible, listen to it on audio, study passages, memorize verses, and pray them out loud. Spending regular time meditating on truth deepens its infusion into your spirit (Psalm 119:97).
→ Examine your thoughts. Evaluate negative, condemning thoughts that lead to anxiety, hurry, envy, anger, pride, resentment, or fleshly desires. Take them captive and make them obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).
→ Guard your mind and heart. What you ingest mentally, visually, and emotionally constitutes your spiritual diet. Monitor your media intake so that sin doesn’t take root and spread like gangrene (2 Timothy 2:16-17).
→ Fellowship face-to-face. Isolating yourself removes the protection cover that comes through an authentic Christian community (Hebrews 10:25). Share struggles openly with others and invite them to stand with you in prayer.
→ Take every thought captive. Bind up turmoil or oppression from your past, present, or future by declaring Jesus’s power and redemption through prayer. Command anything exalting itself above God to bow to the Name of Jesus (Philippians 2:9-10).
→ Never stop praying. Make prayer your first offensive strategy, not a last resort. Approach God confidently, assured He hears you (Hebrews 4:16). Practicing spiritual discernment also enables you to quickly identify enemy footholds.
The more you walk fully equipped in God’s armor the more confident, empowered, and dangerous to the enemy you’ll become.
Standing Firm in Spiritual Battles
Even when equipped properly, every believer faces times of intense spiritual attack meant to terrify and dismantle our faith.
In those moments, God doesn’t expect you to have all the answers or pull yourself up by the bootstraps.
He simply commands us to “stand firm” (Ephesians 6:13).
By His power, persevere. Through His strength, silence the enemy’s taunts. And in His time, watch God supernaturally intervene on our behalf.
Here are 3 key ways to stand firm when under spiritual assault:
- Recognize you’re at war, not at peace: what’s happening is an attack from Satan so immediately engage God’s armor and prayer (Ephesians 6:12).
- Take a bold stand in faith. Stand on the eternal truth and promises of God despite what you may see, hear, or feel. “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee!” (James 4:7).
- Fix your gaze upward. Refuse to quit or back down. Lock your eyes on Jesus, the perfecter of your faith and author of your salvation who endured hellish warfare on the cross for you (Hebrews 12:2-3).
God often allows spiritual hardship to produce endurance, faith, intimacy in Him, and eternal reward. So don’t lose heart when the heat of battle comes.
Stand firm! The same Spirit who raised Jesus from death will defend you.
No matter how violent the spiritual war around you remember Jesus has already won the ultimate victory!
1 John 4:4 (NIV) assures,
“The One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”
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And Romans 8:31 (NIV) promises,
“If God is for us, who can be against us?”
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By putting on God’s armor every day, saturating yourself in the Word of God, guarding your heart and mind, and persisting in prayer you can walk confidently in Christ’s triumph over satanic powers and principalities.
We serve a mighty warrior, a King who shields, rescues, and rewards His faithful ones.
As you prepare yourself for this invisible war through discipline and dependence on the Holy Spirit, God will show Himself strong!
Final Thoughts on Preparing for Victory in Spiritual Warfare
Beloved friends, while spiritual warfare is a sobering reality, we have so much hope as believers equipped by Almighty God!
We walk in the authority and protection of the risen Savior, who defeated Satan’s power through His perfect sacrifice on the cross.
With God’s ever-present help, you can confidently slay giants opposing His will in your life and community through strategic spiritual warfare.
“No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me,” declares the Lord.
Isaiah 54:17 (NIV)
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Stay strong on the battlefield by saturating yourself daily in God’s Word, communicating with Him continuously through prayer, living free from sin, and operating hand-in-hand with other Christians.
The Lord of Angel Armies is with you always! You are victorious by the blood of the Lamb and the word of your testimony (Revelation 12:11).
I pray this guide equips you to stand firm against every scheme the devil throws at you.
May you walk as the mighty warrior God created you to be – pushing back darkness until Christ returns to make all things new.
“20 Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, 21 equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever.”
Hebrews 13:20-21 (NIV)
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Frequently Asked Questions About Spiritual Warfare
Below are answers to some of the most common questions people have about spiritual battles and what the Bible teaches.
Q. What are the different types of spiritual warfare?
A. There are basically 3 arenas where spiritual warfare happens:
- Our flesh vs. the Spirit: Our sinful flesh conflicts with God’s desires for us through temptation and rationalization. We must continually fight this internal war (Galatians 5:17).
- Demonic attacks: Satan and his forces directly attack Christians through harassment, oppression, possession, or spiritual strongholds established over generations.
- Spiritual forces influencing nations: Nations and regions can be influenced by territorial spirits. Think of Old Testament pagan gods or modern political and corporate ideologies competing for worship and rule over groups of people.
Christians have the responsibility to expose works of darkness that influence society through evangelism, prayer, and social reform.
Q. How can I grow in discerning spiritual warfare?
A. Learn to quickly discern spiritual warfare. Ask God for discernment and greater sensitivity to His Spirit.
Be aware of your atmosphere – do you have a vague sense of heaviness, anxiety, dread, or confusion? Does it lift when entering God’s presence or clear your mind with worship music?
Pay attention to patterns that bring emotional turmoil or relationship issues. Bind up recurring problems in Jesus’ name until their power breaks.
Recognize that attacks often come when you attempt something new for God’s kingdom. Stand firm in faith despite opposition or weariness!
Q. What Scriptures Can I Use to fight spiritual battles?
- Ephesians 3:16-19: Ask to be strengthened in your inner being by God’s Spirit.
- 2 Thessalonians 3:3: Pray for protection from Satan during hard times.
- Romans 16:20: Pray for Satan to be crushed under your feet.
- Isaiah 54:17: Declare no weapon formed against you will prosper in Jesus’ name.
- James 4:7: Resist the devil as you submit to God and He will flee.
- Psalms 18:1-3: God is your rock, fortress, and deliverer in battle. Cry out for His help.
- Joshua 1:9: Be strong and courageous. The Lord is with you.
Aggressive prayer will help you stand firm. Your victory will come and prove the reality of God’s amazing power and love at work within you.
Q. How can I practice fasting and prayer for spiritual breakthroughs?
A. Prayer and fasting together with God’s Word help you focus during seasons of spiritual warfare which leads to breakthroughs.
Subduing physical appetites like food (Luke 4:1-14), gives you the spiritual power to manifest your victory and bring down stubborn strongholds.
Remove distractions through fasting to prepare your heart to hear from God during your warfare.
It says in Mark 9:29 “This kind only comes out by prayer and fasting” – signifying that combining fasting with persistent prayer builds spiritual momentum to demolish demonic interference.
If you’re new to fasting, start small by skipping a meal or two and set aside dedicated time to seek God through Bible reading and journaling.
Drink water and slowly cut out caffeine to avoid headaches. Be patient and alert to spiritual or emotional attacks on fasting days.
During your fast listen to worship music, pray Scripture out loud, and declare your breakthrough.
End your fast by easing food back in over several light, nutritious meals. Expect new hope, courage, and answered prayers to emerge from your time of consecrated focus before the Lord.
