The NIV 365 Day Devotional

What Exactly is Spiritual Warefare?

Paul’s description of the struggle against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms alerts us to a world beyond what we see. All around us are unseen armies (2Ki 6:15 –17). They’re engaged in a cosmic, spiritual fight, a war between God and Satan.

Have you seen a cartoon character with an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other? Well, that’s not quite what’s going on, but it hints at the truth that God and Satan are in a battle over our souls, each trying to influence us. God offers us a pure life; Satan wants to lead us to death.

The good news is that Satan has already been defeated and disarmed (Col 2:15). He has no direct authority over us. Still, he has the freedom to harass and tempt Christians —and he’s very good at deceiving, lying and manipulating. To fight off the devil’s tricks, we need to stay alert, study God’s Word, pray and make wise choices. That’s why Paul said we should renew our minds (Ro 12:1 –2; Col 3:1 –3) and protect ourselves —like all soldiers —by suiting up in armor (Eph 6:13 –18).

Taken from the NIV Quest Study Bible for Teens.