June 26, 2026
UNDERSTANDING SPIRITUAL WARFARE
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.”
1 Peter 5:8-9 NLT
TODAY’S THOUGHT
As followers of Christ, it is critical that we have at least a basic understanding of spiritual warfare. Over the next few days, we are going to dive into this topic together, beginning today with the fundamentals.
1. We Were Born into a War Zone
There are some in our world today who claim to follow Christ but deny the existence of Satan. They are comfortable talking about heaven and God but prefer to ignore the realities of the enemy or hell. However, Scripture is clear: both Satan and hell are very real.
The Bible teaches that Satan began as a leading angel of worship in heaven. But when pride took root in his heart, he chose to rebel against God to secure glory for himself (Isaiah 14:12; Ezekiel 28:14-17; Revelation 12:7-9). That rebellion was short-lived. God cast Satan and one-third of the angels out of heaven.
Though Satan can no longer wage war directly against God’s throne, he has redirected his fury toward God’s creation on earth. He specifically targets the crown jewel of that creation: human beings made in the image of God.
2. Satan Wants to Devour Us
Peter uses the title devil for our enemy. The original Greek word is diabolos, which means “slanderer.” This gives us a major clue into his tactics.
Satan is a constant accuser, whispering that we are failures and incapable. He frequently uses other people as mouthpieces to speak words of condemnation over us, or he plants thoughts directly in our minds so that we begin to attack ourselves.
In addition to accusations, Satan attacks through the distortion of truth. He works quietly to warp our value systems and confuse us about God’s Word.
He distorts our drive for success: Turning healthy ambition into workaholism, convincing people to sacrifice their families, values, and health for financial gain.
He distorts intimacy: Reducing the beautiful, biblical view of sex—designed for the lifelong covenant of marriage—to a mere physical act. But we know it is deeply spiritual. If sex were just physical, the trauma of sexual brokenness and abuse wouldn't cut so deeply into the human soul. It hurts because it matters.
Satan uses countless distortions like these in our culture to slowly devour the image of God within us.
3. Jesus Has Already Defeated Satan
While the battle is real, we do not fight for victory. It is critical to realize that Jesus defeated Satan at the cross.
As Paul writes, Jesus “disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross” (Colossians 2:15). The ultimate battle has already been won by our Lord and Savior!
4. We Must Choose to Stand Firm
Notice that Scripture never tells us to run away from the devil. We are told to flee from temptation and sin, but when it comes to Satan, we are told to stand firm.
The only way to stand firm is to plant our feet squarely on the Word of God. Without a deep knowledge of Scripture, we become easy targets for the enemy's distortions. When we know the truth, lies lose their power.
Personal Application Questions:
Are you aware of the war zone? It is so easy to get caught up in the busyness of daily life and forget the spiritual battle underlying our circumstances.
Are you operating from victory? Do you realize Jesus has already won the battle on your behalf? Our job is simply to enforce and walk in the victory He secured.
Do you know the Word well enough to stand on it? Faith comes by hearing God's Word. When Scripture is hidden in our hearts, our "shield of faith" grows strong enough to extinguish every fiery dart of distortion.
TODAY’S PRAYER
Holy Spirit, I need Your help to walk out Your victory in my life, my family, and my world today. Give me spiritual eyes of discernment to recognize the subtle distortions of the enemy. Teach me the truths of Your Word and give me the courage to apply them every single day. Amen.
“Scroll down to share what you feel God is saying based on today’s reading.”
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