There are a number of books I read, in part or in whole, as preparation for the current sermon series on spiritual warfare, and one of the most helpful of them all was “Spiritual Warfare in the Storyline of Scripture” by William Cook and Chuck Lawless, two Baptist seminary professors. The intent of this book is to provide a broad overview of what Scripture says about Satan and demonic activity, starting in Genesis and working all the way through the book of Revelation. The second half of the book then provides practical application by considering the ways the devil attacks the local church, evangelism, missions, families and leaders.
This is a pretty ambitious goal, as the Bible has quite a bit to say about the demonic underworld, so that explains why each treatment of each relevant Biblical section is pretty brief, but it’s just enough to to give the reader at least a casual grasp of what is being taught. There is no bibliography (which might have been a useful addition), but the footnotes provide numerous leads on ideas for further reading.
Obviously the book is taking seriously the presence and activity of demonic entities in the world, but it avoids leaning into sensationalism, charismatic assumptions or unhealthy obsession about the reality of spiritual warfare. For instance, the Bible is not actually about the devil, and so, as the writers state in the introduction (p.3), this is not a book about the devil. It’s a book about God and his ultimate victory over Satan and the forces of evil. People experiencing demonic possession need to be delivered, for sure, but more importantly, they need to be converted to Christ (p.217). Excessive fascination with spiritual warfare can produce “spiritual elitists” who look down on others who are not in the know, and fixate on Satan more than the Cross. “Any attention to spiritual warfare must, therefore, emphasize the already-achieved victory more than the ongoing battle.” (p. 219). The authors also offer some cautions about any attempt to exorcise demons from the possessed, noting that “we simply do not have an exorcism pattern to follow” in the Bible, and that “the human heart is the biggest problem we face; thus, proclaiming the Word takes priority over casting out demons.” (p.284).
Additionally, there are many practical suggestions for how to engage in the battle against our enemy, such as strengthening marriages, forgiving others, sharing the Gospel, serving in the church, pursuing holiness, being alert to false teaching, and knowing God through his word. In fact, parts of the book can feel a little more like exhortations to engage in the spiritual disciplines, rather than an examination of demonic activity, but those basic disciplines are indeed the most effective weapons we have in our spiritual arsenal, as Ephesians 6 tells us. But maybe the most important of all of these weapons is prayer. “Prayer, in spiritual warfare, is how one sends strategically located guided missiles into the heart of the enemy’s domain. Specific requests are like laser-guided missiles weakening the enemy’s strongholds in the life of another.” (p.150).
If the sermon series on spiritual warfare has sparked in you an interest in this topic, this would be a great place to start a deeper exploration — it's well written, well organized, Biblically based and theologically sound.
