Spiritual WARfare and YOU!

SPIRITUAL WARFARE SERIES, EPISODE 1

Why Christians Get Spiritual Warfare Wrong?

Spiritual warfare is real, but most believers get it wrong because they either ignore it or obsess over it, and both errors pull you away from calm covenant loyalty to King Yeshua.

Have you ever noticed how quickly the phrase spiritual warfare can hijack a conversation?

For some people, it sounds like spooky exaggeration. For others, it becomes the explanation for everything. The traffic. The headache. The bad mood. The disagreement. The temptation. The insomnia. The weird dream. Suddenly, life turns into a constant hunt for demons behind every inconvenience.

But the Bible does not invite you into fear, obsession, or denial.

The Bible invites you into clarity.

And clarity always produces the same fruit. Calm courage. Clean loyalty. Steady obedience.

The first correction we need is simple.

The Bible assumes reality is layered.

The world you can see is real, but it is not the whole story. Visible life exists inside a larger reality that includes spiritual beings, spiritual loyalties, and spiritual conflict. If you reduce reality to only what is visible, you will misdiagnose your life. And once you misdiagnose your life, you start fighting the wrong battles.

That is where many believers get spiritual warfare wrong.

They fight people as if people are the ultimate enemy.

They fight their spouse, their pastor, their coworker, their political opponent, their neighbor, their ex, their “type” of person.

And the result is predictable. Relational damage. Hardened cynicism. A brittle soul. A life that feels like it is always bracing for impact.

Paul had a better way, but you cannot hear it clearly until you step into his world.

Step Into Ephesus

Paul’s spiritual warfare language did not land in a vacuum. He wrote to believers connected to Ephesus, a major Greco-Roman city saturated with spiritual fear, magical practices, and rival spiritual claims. Acts 19 gives you a window into that atmosphere. People used amulets, spells, incantations, and occult scrolls, not as entertainment, but as survival. For them, the unseen realm was not theoretical. It was assumed.1

So when Acts 19 describes believers burning magic scrolls, it is not performative. It is costly. It is allegiance. They were not merely saying, “magic is fake.” They were saying, “we renounce allegiance to other powers, and we place our loyalty under King Yeshua alone.”

That is why Paul’s words in Ephesians 6 are not a dramatic flourish. They are a pastoral correction. He is teaching believers how to stand in Messiah without fear, without obsession, and without making people the ultimate enemy.

Ephesians 6:10 to 12 Side by Side

LEB, Ephesians 6:10 to 12

“Finally, be strengthened in the Lord and in the might of his strength. Put on the full armor of God, for you to be able to stand against the schemes of the devil, because our struggle is not against blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”

CJSB, Ephesians 6:10 to 12

“Finally, grow powerful in union with the Lord, in union with his mighty strength. Use all the armor and weaponry that God provides, so that you will be able to stand against the deceptive tactics of the Adversary. For we are not struggling against human beings, but against the rulers, authorities and cosmic powers governing this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm.”

Paul does not claim humans are never harmful.

He does not deny the reality of evil people.

He tells you that the ultimate struggle is not reducible to human beings.

There are layers behind the layer.

There are influences beneath the obvious.

And that one correction, if you will receive it, can save your relationships.

Because when you make people your ultimate enemy, you lose spiritual clarity and you bleed relational damage.

A Paraphrase That Helps Most People See It

If you only fight what you can see, you will keep fighting symptoms while the deeper war underneath continues unaddressed. You cannot fight a war you refuse to acknowledge.

So here is a hard but healing question.

Who have you been fighting when the real struggle was never that person at all?

The Hebraic Worldview: Not Curiosity, Loyalty

One of the major ways modern believers get spiritual warfare wrong is treating the unseen realm like a hobby.

The Bible does not introduce the unseen realm so you can collect trivia.

The Bible reveals layered reality because loyalty is always at stake.

The Hebrew word elohim (eh loh HEEM) can refer to the one true God, and it can also function as a category word for spiritual beings, depending on context. That is one reason careful reading matters.2

Psalm 82 shows a divine assembly scene, a picture of governance and accountability in the unseen realm.

LEB, Psalm 82:1

“God stands in the assembly of El; in the midst of the gods he judges.”

CJSB, Psalm 82:1

“God stands in the divine assembly; there with the gods he judges.”

Daniel 10 portrays conflict among heavenly beings affecting earthly rulers and timing.

LEB, Daniel 10:13

“But the prince of the kingdom of Persia opposed me for twenty-one days, but behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me.”

CJSB, Daniel 10:13

“However, the prince of the kingdom of Persia resisted me for twenty-one days. But then Mikha’el, one of the chief princes, came to help me.”

Do you see what the Bible is doing?

It is not trying to make you weird.

It is trying to make you loyal.

The central issue is not curiosity about spirits.

The central issue is allegiance.

Who rules?

Who do you worship?

Who do you trust?

Who do you obey when nobody’s watching?

Genesis 3: The Enemy’s Favorite Strategy

If you want the simplest snapshot of spiritual warfare, go back to the Garden.

The serpent does not begin with fireworks.

He begins with words.

He begins with a question that destabilizes trust.

LEB, Genesis 3:1

“Now the serpent was more crafty than any wild animal which Yahweh God had made, and he said to the woman, ‘Did God really say, “You shall not eat from any tree in the garden”?’”

CJSB, Genesis 3:1

“Now the serpent was more crafty than any wild animal which ADONAI, God, had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God really say, “You are not to eat from any tree in the garden”?’”

Did God really say?

That is an attack on revelation.

That is an attack on trust.

That is an attack on loyalty.

Then the distortion comes. God never said “any tree.” The command is exaggerated to make God sound restrictive. Then the accusation follows by implication. God is holding out. God is not good. God cannot be trusted.

That pattern is still active today.

The enemy does not need you obsessed with demons.

He wants you believing ideas about God that make obedience feel optional.

He wants God to look harsh, distant, small, or untrustworthy.

Because if he can shift your view of God, even slightly, he can shift your loyalty away from God.

So here is the question that matters.

Where have you begun believing something about God that makes Him seem smaller, harsher, distant, or untrustworthy?

What This Episode Is Really Calling You Into

Episode 1 is not trying to answer every mystery of the unseen realm.

It is calling you into something more important.

Awareness without fear.

Loyalty without theatrics.

Obedience without obsession.

Here is your simple one sentence practice this week.

Lord, show me where I am living as if there is no unseen realm.

He will not reveal that to condemn you.

He will reveal it to realign you.

Every place He reveals is not an accusation.

It is an invitation back into covenant alignment under the reign of King Yeshua.

If you want a resource that will keep building your confidence in reading the Bible with the Hebraic worldview and the original context, you can find my book, True Word, Faith for LIFE!, in the Store at Click Here to get my NEW Book!

Engagement Question

Where have you been fighting a person, when the real struggle was never that person at all?

Footnotes

1. Clinton E. Arnold, Ephesians: Power and Magic (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1989).

2. Michael S. Heiser, The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2015).

Bibliography

Arnold, Clinton E. Ephesians: Power and Magic. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1989.

Heiser, Michael S. The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2015.

Shalom b’Shem Yeshua

© 2025 Dr. Shawn M. Greener. All Rights Reserved.

True Word, Faith for LIFE!

STUDY GUIDE, SPIRITUAL WARFARE SERIES, EPISODE 1

Why Christians Get Spiritual Warfare Wrong?

Summary

Spiritual warfare is real, but the Bible frames it as covenant loyalty under pressure, not fear, obsession, or misdirected conflict against people.

In Episode 1, we step into the world of Ephesus to recover the lived atmosphere behind Paul’s language in Ephesians 6:10 to 12. In that city, spiritual fear and spiritual practices were normal. When people turned to Messiah, they were not merely changing ideas, they were renouncing rival allegiances. That is why Paul’s command is not panic, it is standing. He teaches believers to be strengthened in the Lord, to resist schemes, and to refuse the trap of treating human beings as the ultimate enemy. We also trace the Bible’s broader layered worldview through Psalm 82 and Daniel 10, then we return to Genesis 3 to identify the adversary’s primary strategy: deception that targets trust in God’s word and God’s character. The aim is awareness without fear and fidelity without theatrics.

Key Passages, Side by Side

Ephesians 6:10 to 12

LEB: “Finally, be strengthened in the Lord and in the might of his strength. Put on the full armor of God, for you to be able to stand against the schemes of the devil, because our struggle is not against blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”

CJSB: “Finally, grow powerful in union with the Lord, in union with his mighty strength. Use all the armor and weaponry that God provides, so that you will be able to stand against the deceptive tactics of the Adversary. For we are not struggling against human beings, but against the rulers, authorities and cosmic powers governing this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm.”

Psalm 82:1

LEB: “God stands in the assembly of El; in the midst of the gods he judges.”

CJSB: “God stands in the divine assembly; there with the gods he judges.”

Daniel 10:13

LEB: “But the prince of the kingdom of Persia opposed me for twenty-one days, but behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me.”

CJSB: “However, the prince of the kingdom of Persia resisted me for twenty-one days. But then Mikha’el, one of the chief princes, came to help me.”

Genesis 3:1

LEB: “Now the serpent was more crafty than any wild animal which Yahweh God had made, and he said to the woman, ‘Did God really say, “You shall not eat from any tree in the garden?”

CJSB: “Now the serpent was more crafty than any wild animal which ADONAI, God, had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God really say, “You are not to eat from any tree in the garden?”

Narrative Background and Context

Ephesians 6:10 to 12

Author: Paul writes as an emissary of Messiah to believers in and around Ephesus.

Audience: Believers who are leaving former loyalties, former fears, and former spiritual practices.

Situation: Life in Ephesus included pervasive spiritual anxiety, temple power, and magical arts. Acts 19 depicts a city where spiritual practices and fear were normalized.

Why the message was delivered: Paul is forming a community that stands under Messiah’s reign with confidence, holiness, and endurance. He is correcting how they interpret conflict so they do not misdirect their struggle toward people.

How the original community would have heard it: They would not have heard the unseen realm as new. They would have heard Paul’s instruction as a reorientation of allegiance. Stand in the Lord. Resist deception. Do not return to fear driven spiritual technology. Live under King Yeshua.

Psalm 82:1

Author: A psalm attributed to Asaph.

Audience: Israel and those who worship the God of Israel.

Situation: The psalm portrays a courtroom like scene of divine governance and judgment, emphasizing that God rules and holds powers accountable.

Why it matters: The text reinforces that the unseen realm is real, but it is not ultimate. God’s reign is not threatened.

Daniel 10:13

Author and setting: Daniel in exile under foreign empire pressure.

Audience: The faithful in a time of political domination and spiritual discouragement.

Situation: Daniel’s prayer and the delayed response portray conflict among heavenly beings affecting earthly timing.

Why it matters: The text depicts layered reality and encourages endurance without panic.

Genesis 3:1

Author and purpose: Genesis functions as a covenant identity text for Israel, commonly associated with Moses, teaching the roots of rebellion and the anatomy of distrust.

Audience: Israel learning what it means to trust and obey God in the wilderness and beyond.

Situation: The serpent targets the woman with a destabilizing question.

Why it matters: The enemy’s strategy begins with attacking God’s word and God’s character to produce a loyalty shift.

Key Hebrew and Greek Terms

Elohim (eh loh HEEM): A Hebrew term that can refer to the one true God, and in other contexts can function as a category term for spiritual beings. Context determines usage.1

Diabolos and “schemes”: In Ephesians 6, the emphasis is not on spectacle but on schemes, tactics, and deception. The battle is often directed at trust, perception, and obedience.

Adversary: The CJSB translation highlights “the Adversary,” reinforcing that the primary mode of attack is opposition through deception and distortion.

Core Teaching Observations

3. The command is strengthening in the Lord, not self powered bravado. The posture is standing, not panic.

4. The goal is resisting schemes. Much warfare is aimed at deception, accusation, and misdirection.

5. “Not against flesh and blood” prevents misdirected warfare. Paul is not denying human evil, he is preventing believers from making people the ultimate layer.

6. The Bible’s layered reality framework shows that spiritual conflict exists, but God’s reign is supreme. That produces calm, not paranoia.

7. Genesis 3 reveals the adversary’s pattern. Attack God’s word, distort God’s intent, accuse God’s character, invite a loyalty shift.

8. How does the setting of Ephesus change the way you hear Ephesians 6:10 to 12?

9. Where have you treated a person as the ultimate enemy when the deeper struggle was not flesh and blood?

10. What ideas about God have made obedience feel optional, unsafe, or burdensome?

11. In Genesis 3, what is the first move of the serpent, and why is that so effective?

12. What does covenant loyalty look like in one specific area of your life this week?

Practical Application

Daily one sentence prayer for seven days: “Lord, show me where I am living as if there is no unseen realm.”

Then do three things.

First, identify one relationship where you have been fighting a person as if they were the ultimate enemy. Ask God for clarity, then choose one act of humility that interrupts that pattern.

Second, identify one lie about God that has been shaping your choices. Write it down. Then write one true statement from the Bible that directly contradicts it. Speak that true statement out loud each day.

Third, choose one concrete obedience step that demonstrates covenant loyalty to King Yeshua, especially in an ordinary area of life: money, speech, media, anger, lust, forgiveness, prayer, truthfulness, or secret compromise.

Father, open our eyes to see what You see. Keep us from fear, obsession, superstition, and denial. Teach us to live faithful, calm, and confident under the reign of King Yeshua. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

Footnotes

13. Michael S. Heiser, The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2015).

14. Clinton E. Arnold, Ephesians: Power and Magic (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1989).

15. Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 1993).

Bibliography

Arnold, Clinton E. Ephesians: Power and Magic. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1989.

Heiser, Michael S. The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2015.

Keener, Craig S. The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 1993.

Shalom b’Shem Yeshua

© 2025 Dr. Shawn M. Greener. All Rights Reserved.

True Word, Faith for LIFE!