10 Ways to Respond to Spiritual Attack

In previous articles in this series on spiritual warfare, I’ve written about spiritual attack on two fronts:

12 Signs of Possible Spiritual Attack on Individuals

9 Signs of Potential Spiritual Attack on Congregations

Maybe you find yourself under attack right now. If so, I want to offer you in this article nine ways to respond to spiritual attack. I encourage you to use this list to evaluate your own responses when you’re in a spiritual battle: 

1. Realize that believers are not intended to be only on the defensive in spiritual warfare. We wear the armor of God (Eph 6:10-17) not only to defend against the enemy, but also to offensively engage the world with the gospel. Just as God initiated seeking Adam and Eve, and He initiated the plan to send Jesus to die for us while we were yet sinners (Rom 5:8), we initiate stepping into the enemy’s kingdom with the gospel. As long as we think we’re only on the defensive, we’re ignoring the victory Christ has already won

2. Enlist somebody to fight the battle alongside you. Find another believer with whom you can share the reality of your battle. If you are married to a believer, let your spouse be one of those partner-warriors. Lean on a pastor from your church. Reach out to a brother or sister in Christ whose spiritual walk you trust. Be honest with others, and pray together. Pray often, even continuing to pray until you have found victory. Sharing the burden of the battle lessens the weight and restores hope.

3. Get in the Word. I cannot say these words strongly enough: you cannot win spiritual battles without consistently and regularly hearing/reading the Word. Jesus showed us its importance when He quoted the book of Deuteronomy at the Mount of Temptation (Matt 4) – and we must follow His lead. Run to the Bible, and focus on the promises of God. Memorize verses that give you hope. Perhaps learning more about my own personal Bible study method that I described in this article can help you get into the Word. Or, reviewing these 15 Verses for the Spiritual Battle might help you, too.

4. Pray even if it’s hard. The Bible never calls us to “feel like praying” in order to pray. Instead, it tells us to pray without stopping (1 Thess 5:17). It calls us to take all our worries to God in prayer (Phil 4:6). Jesus taught us to push away from the busyness of life to pray (Luke 5:15-16). No matter what you’re feeling when you’re under spiritual attack, make the choice to pray – even if the prayer is, “Lord, I’m struggling with prayer. Help me” or “Lord, I do believe; help my unbelief.” Simply talking to God alarms the enemy, especially when we cry out to Him for help.

5. Forsake sin. We are more susceptible to spiritual attack when we’re living with unforsaken sin (in fact, we’re already losing the battle when sin is winning). Both blatant and unintentional sins (Psa 19:12-13) put a target on our back for the enemy. Repentance is thus a non-negotiable step toward victory over spiritual attacks; only when we turn from the devil’s influence can we push back against his arrows. Confessing your sin to God (and perhaps to a trusted believer) is likely in order.

6. Take time to fast. Fasting is a way of saying to yourself and to God, “I long for You, God, more than I long for anything else in my life right now.” Push away from the table for at least one meal, and seek God on your face. Ask Him to grant you victory under spiritual attack so that He is honored, Satan is defeated, you are strengthened, and your joy is more obvious. If you need more guidance, check out this article on why fasting matters so much to me. I assure you that you won’t miss the meal when you sense the presence of God with you.

7. Share the gospel with somebody. It’s amazing how much our heart turns a corner when we look away from our struggles and tell somebody the Good News of Jesus. Evangelism, in fact, is offensive spiritual warfare. It takes our mind off the current battle we find ourselves in and turns our attention to the One who is the center of the gospel story—the One who is the Good News Himself. Even if you spend just few moments telling somebody how good Jesus has been to you, you’ll have those few moments of victory in the battle.

8. Seek reconciliation of hurting or broken relationships. That’s particularly important if the hurting relationship is your marriage, but it matters in all our relationships. Since the Garden of Eden, Satan and his forces have sought to divide the people of God—so we must stand against that tactic. If you know you need to take this kind of step, humble yourself. Confess your wrong. Say you’re sorry. Prioritize strengthening the relationship for the future. Close the door on the enemy.

9. Press on. The enemy wants to rob you of your joy. Don’t let it happen. He wants to turn your face away from God so you focus only on the battle. Don’t give him that room. In the end, he wants you to give up. Don’t do it.

You are already on the winning side.