Scriptures on Spiritual Warfare

Few subjects cause as much confusion and division as that of spiritual warfare. Regardless of its biblical validity, many people have trouble grasping its reality. We tend to believe that demons are real because the Bible says they are, but still have difficulty understanding and discerning their presence. Most of the difficulty in understanding this realm has to do with balance. Some people claim that demons cause every bad thing that happens in life. Other see little or no reality in them at all. To these people, demons are nothing more than figments of human imagination, or ways of explaining the evil found in the human heart. Notice some of what the Bible has to say about this evil realm. (Scriptures in this section are from the New King James Version of the Bible):

“And the Lord said, ‘Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat’”
(Luke 22:31).

.“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour”
(1 Pet. 5:8).

“Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you”
(James 4:7).

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places”
(Eph. 6:10-12)

“Lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices”
(2 Cor. 2:11)

“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death”
(Rev. 12:11)

“Nor give place to the devil”
(Eph. 4:27)

“Therefore we wanted to come to you—even I, Paul, time and again—but Satan hindered us”
(1 Thess. 2:18)

"Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life."
(Rev. 2:10)

"So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound--think of it--for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?
(Luke 13:16)