The Battle You Can't See: What Christians Need to Know About Spiritual Warfare

There is a battle happening around us that we cannot see.

Spiritual warfare is real, and Scripture makes it clear that Christians have an enemy who seeks to deceive, divide, and pull us away from God. Yet it is a subject the church as a whole often shies away from. 1 Peter 5:8 tells believers to “be alert and of sober mind” because “your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

But what does spiritual warfare actually look like in our everyday lives?

Sometimes, it shows up in conflict with other people.

Someone hurts us. Someone lies to us. Someone betrays us. Anger rises, and our focus can quickly become fixed on the person who hurt us. But Paul reminds us in Ephesians 6:12, “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.”

I've faced spiritual warfare, and one thing I've learned is that the person on the other end isn't necessarily our enemy. Satan can use conflict, offense, and division to turn people against one another and distract us from what is happening spiritually.

Of course, we get angry. Anger itself isn't necessarily sinful. Scripture says, “In your anger do not sin” (Ephesians 4:26). The issue is what we do with that anger. James 1:19-20 tells us to be “quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,” because “human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.”

That's why we need to be slow to react.

When you're angry, stop. Pray. Before responding, ask the Holy Spirit to guide your words and actions. Jesus said the Father would send the Holy Spirit to teach His followers and remind them of everything He had said (John 14:26). He is our Comforter, and we don't have to respond out of our flesh.

The enemy would love to turn justified anger into hatred, bitterness, revenge, or unforgiveness. Scripture warns us not to “give the devil a foothold” (Ephesians 4:27). What begins as anger over something that was genuinely wrong can become sin if we allow it to control us.

Instead, God tells us to put on His armor so that we can stand against the schemes of the devil. We are called to stand firm in truth and righteousness, take up the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit, and pray in all circumstances (Ephesians 6:13–18).

Following Jesus means more than calling ourselves Christians. It means allowing Him to transform how we live and how we respond when we are hurt. Jesus commanded us to “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). Paul also tells believers to forgive “as the Lord forgave you” (Colossians 3:13).

And this is serious. Jesus warned that not everyone who calls Him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 7:21). If we continually choose hatred, bitterness, unforgiveness, and revenge instead of following Christ, we need to truly examine our hearts. If we knowingly and continually refuse to live according to Christ's commands, we could be putting our souls in danger and could ultimately be bound for hell. Our response to others matters because it can reveal what is taking place within us.

Spiritual warfare is real, but Christ has not left us defenseless.

When anger rises, don't let your first reaction become your final response. Stop. Pray. Seek God. Let the Holy Spirit guide you.

Remember that the person may not be your real enemy.

Stand firm in Christ, resist the devil, and choose to respond the way Jesus taught us to.

“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).

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