After my first encounter with a demon, I must admit I backslid a little. To be honest, I was absolutely terrified of seeing something like that again. I dealt with spiritual attacks afterward for quite a while and just wanted it all to go away.

However, years later began studying spiritual warfare in-depth and learned more about demons and how the devil operates. Not only that, but I had a true revelation about the scripture that says: “He who is in you is greater than He who is in the world.”

Not only did I realize the intensity of the spiritual situation we’re in, but I finally submitted to God and said, “Okay.”

After spending a good amount of time studying, I must admit I’m not afraid of demons anymore. Also, I began to notice demonic activity even among Christians. It’s a troubling thing to see, but if people don’t know the enemy and his tactics, they will fall to be his prey.

All scriptures are taken from NKJV unless otherwise marked.

Lies About Spiritual Warfare That Believers Fall For

#1. Christians should be afraid of those who are under demonic influence.

I began with this one because fear was something that held me captive for a long time after I saw that first demon. I was afraid to press more into God because I knew that would make the enemy angrier. All in all, I was not ready nor prepared to fight them because no one had given me any instruction on how to do so.

However, there is no reason to fear these creatures. 2 Timothy 1:7 states: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” Also, 1 John 4:18 reads: “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.”

If you’re a born again believer in Christ, then you have the Holy Spirit. This is the same Spirit that has the power to raise Jesus from the dead. It’s the same Spirit used in Acts by the apostles to heal those who were sick. If you know how to cast out demons in the name of Jesus, there is no need to fear. If anything, the demons should fear your presence because you have the only thing stronger than them- the Holy Spirit of God living inside you!

#2 Demons were only active during the life of Christ.

This lie is extremely dangerous. Yet, it should take much to convince you otherwise. The world is getting darker and darker. There are some crazy things going on in the world and the devil and his minions are running rampant. Demon oppression and possession shows up in various forms:

• mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, gender dysphoria, homosexuality, depression, and most of anything else that uses a person’s mind to keep someone from living and pursuing the will of God.
• physical ailments such as allergies, asthma, chronic inflammation, constant sicknesses, miscarriages, and more.
• Bad attitudes.
• Anger issues.
• Alcoholism.
• Drug addiction.
• Self-harming.
• Disobedience and rebellion of parents.
• Child abuse.
• Physical altercations and fights.
• Foul language.
• Atheism and every other religion.
• Legalism in the church.
• Fear.

This list goes on and on and I cannot possibly put all the ways Satan attacks believers and nonbelievers alike. The Bible warns us to not be ignorant of Satan’s devices. Learn to identify these things and how to combat them the correct way.

#3. Freedom comes instantly.

Although it’s true that you can cast out demons during a war session, there are sometimes more than one attacking people. There are areas that we may be completely unaware of, therefore not knowing that a demon needs to be cast down.

Also, there are extreme cases of demonic possession or oppression that cause people to do severe harm to their bodies and lives. After a demon leaves them, they may be mentally attacked. They may have to heal from that area, too.

However, the only thing you can do is work on what God has currently shown you to do. He may start with something small or He may start with something big. Just let God lead the way and follow His command.

#4. Demonic powers cannot bother believers.

While a demon cannot possess a person who has the Holy Spirit, that does not mean that they cannot mess with them at all. If that was true, why would Ephesians 6:12 say, “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“?

It’s clear that we are in a wrestling match and must be aware of the enemy’s tactics. If you read Ephesians 6:10-18, you’ll find that Paul gives us an entire wardrobe that we are to put on in order to fight the enemy. Why would he take the time to teach us to be prepared to fight if we didn’t need to fight?

Also, in Matthew 16:23, Jesus rebukes Peter and calls him Satan! Now, why would He do that? The answer is because Peter was being influenced by the devil to speak to Jesus. Yet, Jesus is no fool. He recognized the enemy and spoke directly to him although it seems like He was speaking to Peter.

I know many Christians who are afflicted with the multiple issues I’ve mentioned before: depression, negative thoughts, sicknesses, quarrels, selfishness, deception, temptation, all sorts of stuff! It’s truly sad, but unless a person comes to recognize that there is a demon working on their life, that demon cannot be cast down.

#5. Only occult practices can lead to demonic influences.

Although it’s true that messing around with the occult often leads people to have demons latch onto them, that’s not the only way that demons get let in. One way that I find is most common is through generational curses.

Why is it that if the father is a drunkard that a child may be at risk for alcoholism? Or if a parent is overweight or obese that the child has a risk of following in those steps? When you go to the doctor, they like to know the history of the parents to see if you’re at risk for any of their health issues. But why is that?

I believe there are two primary reasons for this:

1. A child learns the way of the parent and repeats them, inviting the same consequences to come upon them.
2. A generational curse.

I also believe that both of these things can come from demon influences. If you try to question why it is that you do some things the way that you do, a demon may simply give you the thought, “Well, that’s how mother use to do it.”

Generational curses can appear in all different forms like what we’ve already talked about.

Demonic influences can also be invited through our thoughts and actions. For example, if you’re constantly affirming and believing that you’re going to get sick, then you’re giving the enemy a huge invitation to send a demon of infirmity. If you say things like, “Things like this always happen to me,” then the devil will be sure to prove that you’re not a liar.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are many lies about spiritual warfare that people fall prey to. While demons are a different part of our world that we may not be too familiar with, we have to acknowledge them and learn to fight back. If you read the Bible, you’ll see that’s an expectation from the Lord. Everywhere Jesus went, He cast out demons and used the Spirit of God to be victorious.

Then, the apostles followed in His footsteps and kept the deliverance ministry alive. I find that spiritual warfare is not something spoken of that often today. That, too, is a tactic of the enemy. After all, how can you fight an enemy if you don’t even know they exist?

The enemy operates in darkness and would like to stay hidden. When you expose him and the crazy stuff he’s doing in the world, you will be attacked. You’ll be attacked spiritually and physically. However, God is with you and there is no reason to fear.

The best advice I could give you is to be diligent in prayer and Bible studies. Learn the Word and use it!

Thanks for sharing!