September/October 2002

Spiritual Warfare

by Greg Hartman

Several years ago a friend of mine gave away his kids' cat. "God told me the cat was a familiar spirit Satan sent to destroy our family," he explained. What I never understood was why, if the cat was so dangerous, my friend gave it to some other unsuspecting and defenseless family. It's a little too easy, though, to poke fun at people who do things like that. When it comes to spiritual warfare, my friend was simply modeling what he'd seen -- namely, the lack of theological clarity and critical thinking that plagues the church today.

Despite the Bible's admonition not to go beyond what is written (1 Corinthians 4:6), so much preaching, writing and television has been devoted to spiritual warfare that many Christians have been distracted from what the Bible really says. Such theories and practices as generational curses, naming and mapping, binding and loosing and rebuking Satan are wildly popular, but marginally biblical at best.

"Much of Christian television's emphasis on the more showy forms of what they call spiritual warfare," writes Stu Webber in Spirit Warrior, "resembles actual biblical, spiritual warfare about as much as the World Wrestling Foundation resembles actual, competitive wrestling."1

What are some of the methods used today for waging spiritual warfare -- and what does the Bible really say?

Generational Curses

This theory is based on a passage in the Ten Commandments: "I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me" (Exodus 20:5).

Proponents of this theory say the reason children of alcoholics, for example, tend to become alcoholics themselves is because of this "generational curse."

The idea that God might pass sin down as if it was a genetic trait, however, is not only unpleasant, but also contrary to Scripture:

God clearly says that each of us is responsible for his or her own sin or righteous acts.2

In Moses' day, large, extended families were the norm. The phrase "third and fourth generation" refers to all the generations living in a household -- all of whom can suffer if the head of the household sins3 (Joshua 7:1-25).

For better or worse, kids tend to emulate what they see: Children whose parents practice destructive sins often fall prey to the same sins themselves. A terrible cycle, to be sure, and one we should try to help people break without giving them the extra burden (or convenient excuse) of a nonexistent curse (Ezekiel 18:14-17).

Naming and Mapping

Popular author C. Peter Wagner, among others, has done much to promote this practice. The idea is that geographic areas have "territorial spirits" governing them, and Christians will enjoy little success at ministry unless they identify and engage these spirits, often by name.

Wagner cites passages such as Luke 8:30, in which Jesus forces Legion, a horde of demons possessing a man, to name themselves. This is evidence, Wagner says, that "naming and mapping the powers" is necessary for victory, provoking his followers to seek the characteristics, territory and names of evil spirits.4

Jesus, however, identified demons by name only when dealing with Legion, indicating that the significance was his authority even over huge numbers of demons. And nowhere in the Bible do believers approach ministry by seeking out the demons in the area first. The demons' names seem pretty inconsequential, if you ask me. In all the other cases of deliverance recorded in the Bible, the demon's name never even comes up.

If you enjoy frustration, try developing a biblical recipe for casting out demons. More than 40 passages in the New Testament mention Jesus or his followers driving out demons; of those, only five incidents give any details.5 Jesus forced demons to name themselves on one occasion, yes, but many other times he forbade them to speak at all. He cast out demons "with a word," by merely proclaiming that they were gone without even seeing the victim, by rebuking them or by commanding them to leave.6

The Bible makes it clear that casting out demons relies on God's authority, not on any particular method.7 On the other hand, the shaky biblical ground of Wagner's theories forces him to cite extrabiblical books and prophecies, testimony from animistic tribes, apocryphal Bible books such as The Acts of Andrew and the fairy tale Rumpelstiltskin!8

Binding and Loosing

Some teachers and evangelists encourage their listeners to bind Satan or other evil spirits, based on a few verses:

"I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven" (Matthew 16:19; see also Matthew 18:18).

But do these verses really tell us anything about how to deal with evil spirits? Scholars don't always agree on precisely what Jesus meant, but the two main interpretations have little to do with spiritual warfare.

Some say Jesus gave his church the keys to salvation -- that is, the gospel -- and thus the responsibility to rebuke sin and proclaim forgiveness.9 Others say Jesus charged his disciples with taking the gospel to both Jews and Gentiles -- that he granted them the privilege of unlocking the kingdom of heaven on earth.10

The finer points of theology aside, I've always been more than a little confused at this whole process of binding demons. When Satan is bound in Revelation, he stays bound until he is released (Revelation 20:1-3). Not to be flippant, but if we're binding the devil and his angels week after week in church and prayer services, either we're not doing it right, someone's letting them loose behind our backs -- or we're wasting our time trying to do something God neither told nor gave us the authority to do.

Rebuking the Devil

Tune in to a televangelist, and you probably won't have to wait long before you hear him or her rebuke Satan. Is this a legitimate tactic for Christians?

Hardly. "Even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, 'The Lord rebuke you!'" (Jude 9).

Jesus may have rebuked demons, but if Michael -- the archangel Michael! -- dared only pray that God himself would deal with Satan,11 what gives us the audacity to speak so carelessly about celestial beings (Jude 8)? The Bible tells us to resist the devil, not to "diss" him (James 4:7).

Lowest Common Denominator

I've looked only at the main-stream of the fringe here, so to speak. Besides the above examples, there are those who teach that vomiting is a necessary part of deliverance; that Satan is female, and we'll never defeat her until this is widely known; that nearly everyone has repressed memories Satan uses to keep us in bondage; that Cologne, Germany, is a "gate of hell" responsible for more bloodshed and heresy than anything else in history; and that demons can attach themselves to inanimate objects to sneak into Christians' homes.12

Dr. Barry Davis, assistant professor of Greek and Hebrew at Multnomah Biblical Seminary in Portland, Oregon, says a common thread runs through most of these tactics.

"Any time we place a greater emphasis on what we do rather than who we serve, we'll get into error," Dr. Davis says. "If certain things have to be done a certain way to see results, is that the gospel or some magic formula?"

Most scholars agree that exorcism is no different than magic: It attempts to use a ritual or certain objects or words to manipulate demons, whereas true deliverance can be performed only with God's authority by a Christian in a right relationship with Christ.13 This is why there's no deliverance recipe in Scripture: The method is irrelevant.

"Nowhere in the Bible," says Stu Weber, "do we see Christians using sacred objects, holy water, wooden crosses, keychains or other trinkets to combat the devil or demons. There is no mumbo-jumbo, no bargaining or exchanging in conversation with demons. In the Bible, demons are simply sent packing by the power of God based on the triumph of Christ."14

The Real Deal

Like the Pharisees, today's warfare preachers have taken something childishly simple and made it unnecessarily complicated. If spiritual warfare is none of the things described above, what is it?

"The real battle isn't physical," Dr. Davis says, "which means the way we fight is total reliance upon God -- he fights for us."

Stu Weber adds, "The Christian fights Satan by living a holy personal life in obedient faithfulness to God. Christians should forget toying around with formulas, shows and stagecraft, and concentrate instead on personal holiness."15

Maybe holiness and obedience aren't as spectacular as binding, loosing, rebuking, naming, mapping or vomiting -- but then again, God has no need to show off.

I'll take something that works over something that's spectacular any day.

1 Weber, Stu. Spirit Warrior (Sisters, OR: Multnomah Publishers, 2001), p. 110.

2 Jeremiah 31:30-31; Ezekiel 18:1-22.

3 Fox, Everett. The Five Books of Moses (New York: Schocken Books, 1983, 1986, 1990, 1995), p. 455. See also Clements, Ronald R. Exodus (Catholic Bible Commentary), Cambridge, 1972.

4 Wagner, C. Peter. Warfare Prayer (Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 1992), pp. 87-103, 143-160.

5 1. The Gerasene demoniac: Matthew 8:28-33; Mark 5:2-13; Luke 8:27-33. 2. The Syrophoenician woman's daughter: Matthew 15:22-28; Mark 7:25-30 3. The demon-possessed man in Capernaum: Mark 1:23-26; Luke 4:33-35. 4. The unbelieving man's son: Mark 9:17-26; Luke 9:38-42. 5. The clairvoyant slave girl: Acts 16:16-18.

6 Mark 1:34; Luke 4:41; Matthew 8:16; Mark 7:29; Matthew 15:28, 17:18; Luke 4:35.

7 Mark 3:14-15; Luke 9:1; Acts 19:13-16.

8 Wagner, op. cit., pp. 98-101, 148.

9 Walvoord, John F.; Zuck, Roy B. The Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament Edition (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1983), pp. 58, 62.

10 Unger, Merrill F. The New Unger's Bible Dictionary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1988), p. 172. See also Cadbury, H.J. Journal of Biblical Literature 58 (1939), pp. 231-234; Mantey, J.R. JBL 58 (1939), pp. 243-49; Via, D.O. Jr. Review and Expositor 55 (1958), pp. 22-39.

11 Walvoord and Zuck, op. cit., p. 921.

12 Farley, G.M. Satan Unmasked (Tuscaloosa, AL: Portals Press, 1979), pp. 87-107; Hawkins, Yisrayl. Unveiling Satan: Her True Identity Revealed (Abilene, TX: House of Yahweh, 1995); Littauer, Fred and Florence. Freeing Your Mind From Memories That Bind (San Bernadino, CA: Here's Life Publishers, 1988); Joyner, Rick. Epic Battles of the Last Days (New Kensington, PA: Whitaker House, 1995), pp. 155-168; Wagner, op. cit., pp. 73-86.

13 Unger, op. cit., p. 388; Walvoord and Zuck, op. cit., p. 410.

14 Weber, op. cit., p. 110.

15 Ibid.

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Freelance writer Greg Hartman lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Don't Try This at Home ...or Anywhere Else Spectacularly unsuccessful methods of spiritual warfare: SPIRITISM 1 Samuel 28:4-20: King Saul prays about how to defeat the Philistines and gets no answer, so he turns to a medium, even though he outlawed occult practices himself. He asks her to bring up the spirit of the prophet Samuel; they're both horrified when Samuel actually shows up. Samuel reminds Saul that disobedience has already cost him his kingdom and rebukes him for resorting to spiritism. NAME-DROPPING Acts 19:13-16: The seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, attempt to moonlight as exorcists by invoking the name of "Jesus, whom Paul preaches." All seven are publicly stripped naked and badly beaten by a demon-possessed man. HANGING 1692: William Griggs, the village doctor in Salem, Massachusetts, announces that two sick girls are suffering from "bewitchment," thereby launching the infamous Salem witch trials. By the end of the year, 150 men and women have been accused of witchcraft and 20 executed. The colonists prefer examining alleged witches under trial, in contrast to their English counterparts: Only witches are said to be capable of swimming, so accused witches in England are often thrown into water. Swimming to shore is an admission of guilt; those who drown are proclaimed innocent. RECORD BURNING 1966: In a [London] Evening Standard interview, John Lennon says Christianity will "vanish and shrink" and that the Beatles are "more popular than Jesus." The Beatles give their last live concert on August 29. Soon after, Jesuit theologian Karl Rahner, the driving force behind Vatican II, publishes an essay saying he thinks the Beatles really are more popular than Jesus. Meanwhile, hundreds of American youth groups publicly destroy Beatles records, a fad that dies down somewhat after the station manager of KLUE, an anti-Beatles radio station in Longview, Texas, is knocked unconscious by a lightning bolt that takes the station off the air -- just a few hours after the station hosts a Beatles record bonfire. LEVITATION 1967: Anti-war activist Abbie Hoffman mobilizes thousands of protesters in 1967 in an attempt to hold hands in a circle around the Pentagon. Their goal: to levitate the Pentagon and exorcise it of the evil spirits responsible for the Vietnam War. Hundreds of protesters go to jail, the Pentagon stays put and American troops stay in Vietnam until 1975. HURRICANE STEERAGE 1985: Televangelist Pat Robertson prays publicly, asking God to make Hurricane Gloria miss his Virginia Beach, Virginia, headquarters. Gloria does miss Virginia Beach, but causes eight deaths and $900 million worth of damage elsewhere. FALLING OVER 1986: 85-year-old Ella Peppard dies of complications from a fractured hip after someone who was "slain in the Spirit" by Benny Hinn, a faith healer, falls on her. Peppard's family sues Hinn for $5 million, claiming his ministry failed to quickly call an ambulance despite repeated requests. Hinn settles out of court for an undisclosed amount. LAWSUITS 1986: Ralph Forbes, U.S. senatorial candidate for the Christian Populist Party, files a federal lawsuit against Satan in 1986, saying schools should not observe Halloween. The suit is dismissed for lack of jurisdiction.

Spiritual Warfare... the Real Deal "Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, butagainst spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Ephesians 6 is often used as a cry of alarm by spiritual warfare teachers. Taken out of its biblical context, spiritual warfare is often misinterpreted. What does the historical and cultural context tell us about this passage? Ephesus was a major commercial hub of the first century Roman world. Cosmopolitan Ephesians could dabble in religions, philosophies and creeds from all over the known world. Ephesus was also a center of great religious power, as headquarters for the cult of the goddess Artemis. Her temple was one of the wonders of the ancient world. Located as it was in the center of a vast web of commercial, political and religious power, how was the Ephesian church to relate to the world around it? In his letter to the Ephesian Christians, Paul answers this question by first laying a foundational principle: Christ has done the work of overcoming sin and evil -- not us. We are saved by God's grace through faith, which is itself a gift. Accordingly, believers must therefore live their lives differently than the pagan world around them. Because Christians reflect God's light in the midst of evil and darkness, Paul reminds them of how Christians should conduct themselves in all their human relationships. In this context, Paul observes that the enemies of Christians are beyond what they can see (6:12). Dark spiritual powers lurk behind many human belief systems, institutions and leaders. But what should Christians do about this problem? Rather than engaging or attempting to depose these powers -- Paul advises Christians simply to be prepared, to be equipped and to stand their ground against the devil's schemes (6:11, 13). Then Paul expands on a metaphor from Isaiah 11:5, where the Messiah is pictured as wearing the belt of righteousness and the sash of faithfulness. Paul likens the Christian attributes of spiritual battle-readiness to the armor that was standard equipment for Roman soldiers (6:13-17). Yet the attributes Paul lists are not our own, but those of our Lord. Paul advises Christians, "Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 13:14). "The belt of truth." The belt was essential for a Roman soldier because much of his equipment was held in place by it. Truth is the most fundamental element to withstand falsehood. Yet, it is not our own truth that does this -- but Jesus Christ, who is the truth (John 14:6). "The breastplate of righteousness." A breastplate protected a Roman soldier's vital organs. For a Christian, righteousness is the most effective defense against evil. The righteousness spoken of here is not our own but that of Jesus. "Feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace." Boots and sandals studded with sharp nails enabled soldiers to move quickly over rough terrain, and to stand firm in the face of an enemy. Christians are ready to move through rough times and to stand firm in the face of evil because of the reassurance of the gospel. "The shield of faith." As soldiers used shields to stop spears and flaming arrows from the enemy, so faith, or belief in God, is what blocks our spiritual enemy from harming us. But, as Paul reminds us earlier in this book, that faith is a gift from God and not our own. "The helmet of salvation." As the helmet protected a soldier's head, so we are protected by the knowledge that we are saved, and that our salvation has already been secured by the work of Jesus. "The sword of the spirit which is the word of God." Paul here uses the term for the Roman short sword, used for close combat. For the Christian, the sword is symbolic of the word of God -- not our own words. We are reminded that it is the Lord who rebukes the spiritual powers and not us (Jude 9). Finally, Paul advises Christians to remain alert and pray. Interestingly, Paul makes no mention of the spear, the main offensive weapon for Roman soldiers. Throughout this passage, the spiritual combat tactic Paul advocates is to stand one's ground or to resist -- because Christ has already defeated the powers of darkness (Colossians 2:15). We can therefore stand safe and secure, clothed with the armor of Christ, protected by his power. -- Monte Wolverton

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