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
We can’t see into the heavenly realms, and honestly, I’m glad we can’t; yet we are given enough information in the Bible to know that spiritual warfare is real, and that we, especially as believers, struggle at times as a direct result of the spiritual forces of evil. I think it helps us to remember that spiritual warfare isn’t just a concept, it’s an actual battle, with two sides fighting in a war.
Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down–that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. Revelation 12:7-9 NIV
Lest we be tempted to conclude that what happens in the spiritual world has no effect on the earthly world, let’s look at what took place when Daniel prayed.
Then he said, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer. But for twenty-one days the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia blocked my way. Then Michael, one of the archangels, came to help me, and I left him there with the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia. Daniel 10:12-13 NLT
From the moment Daniel began to pray, God sent an angel to answer his prayer, but he was delayed. Why? Because the forces of evil engaged him in battle! He was sent to give Daniel an answer, but demonic forces tried to stop him from getting there. We aren’t given the name of every battling angel or every battling demon, but we’re given a small glimpse into the reality of the fight when the angel speaking with Daniel tells him that he needed help from Michael, one of the archangels. Michael came to assist, and was strong enough to divert the attention of this demon of Persia, so that the angel sent to Daniel could get past and succeed in reaching him.
We tend to go through life, sometimes struggling, often wondering how much God is aware and involved in our lives. We get lulled into thinking we see the full picture and we pray but we’re not fully convinced that our prayers are initiating change or making a difference. The truth is, we see very little of the bigger picture. We are limited to the physical world, but there is a whole other world, in the spiritual realm that is interconnected with all that is happening on earth. Our prayers are always heard, and God is always answering. Often, when we are waiting for God to come to the rescue, and we feel like nothing is happening, the fiercest battles are being fought on our behalf. We just need to trust God and remember that we are on the winning side!
Jesus made this statement to his disciples
I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me. John 14:30 NIV
The prince of this world has no hold over Jesus! Let that sink in! And let it lead you to his encouraging conclusion: God has more power than Satan! I have read the end of the book and guess what? We win!
When life is a struggle and you feel the pressure of the attack, remember the advice of the Apostle Paul:
Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Ephesians 6:13-18 NIV