When it comes to the demonic, people fall into two errors—not wanting to talk about it at all, or not wanting to talk about anything else. As C. S. Lewis said, “Humanity falls into two equal and opposite errors concerning the Devil. Either they take him altogether too seriously or they do not take him seriously enough.” So we can’t just pretend that demons aren’t real. But we also shouldn’t attribute every inconvenient circumstance—a dead car battery, a traffic jam, a price increase at KFC—to spiritual warfare.
The questions is: how should we combat the demonic? If Satan is real—prowling around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour—what can Christians do about it? Listen to what Jesus says in Luke 10:19-20: “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. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” In one breath, Jesus avoids both modern errors: he acknowledges the reality of spiritual enemies, but reminds us not to be obsessed with them. Jesus consistently directs people away from preoccupation with the demonic. He took on his fair share of demons, but he never tells us to go out demon hunting. Instead, he says to “rejoice that our names are written in heaven.”
Your Primary Weapon
We can’t engage the demonic by finding the “regional demon” in our area and going toe-to-toe with him. Jesus doesn’t want us playing those sorts of games. Instead, he wants us to focus on something that is stronger than any demon, stronger than Satan himself. Remember the parable Jesus tells in Matthew 12 about a demon being thrown out of a man’s house, but then coming back sevenfold? He said, “The last state of that man was worse than the first” (Matt. 12:45). If he wanted to keep the demonic out, he needed a stronger resident, someone the demon couldn’t take over.
If you want to fight the demonic, don’t focus on the demons at all; just let Jesus be large in your life. Charles Spurgeon said, “The preaching of Christ is the whip that flogs the Devil.” How do you get the Devil out of your home? Out of your church? Out of your life? Preach Christ. Focus on the only one with the power to actually do Satan harm.
Your Primary Ally
Is Satan filling your mind with discouraging thoughts? “You’re a failure; you’ll never be used by God.” “You think with your past God still cares about you?” Don’t listen. Instead, hear the gospel that says, “I have ransomed you, I have made you my own, I have given you a future and a hope.”
Is Satan afflicting you? Because of the gospel he cannot hurt you. Because of Christ, you’ll walk right over scorpions and serpents, and God will overturn all of his evil plans for good. Does the daily battle with Satan seem hopeless? The gospel says, “The Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful” (Rev. 17:14).
I often hear Christians say they are fighting for victory. But the reality is that Christians fight from victory, not for victory. Jesus has already won the victory on our behalf, disarming and defeating every power of darkness that threatens us. So when “this world with devils filled should threaten to undo us, we will not fear, for God has willed his truth to triumph through us.”
Is there enough evidence for us to believe the Gospels?
In an age of faith deconstruction and skepticism about the Bible’s authority, it’s common to hear claims that the Gospels are unreliable propaganda. And if the Gospels are shown to be historically unreliable, the whole foundation of Christianity begins to crumble.
