5 Signs of Spiritual Warfare and Strategies to Overcome It

Spiritual warfare often brings to mind vivid images of Archangels fighting at the gates of Heaven. While your daily life may not involve a physical battle, it is most likely that you are constantly confronted with challenges that reflect elements of spiritual warfare: from temptations to internal struggles about right and wrong, recognizing these battles is key to overcoming them.

As Ephesians 6:12 reminds us, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” This serves as a call to watching over one’s heart and, literally, keeping watch.

If you are aware of the signs of spiritual warfare going on in your life, you can already arm yourself in order to prevent something worse from happening. God’s Word has clear direction on how to navigate these things so you will make faithful decisions, enabling you to live a life founded on strength and belief. But the forces coming against you do not wait until you are ready; they attack daily, even with unrelenting intensity.

5 Signs of Spiritual Warfare

Here are five common signs of spiritual warfare and how to identify them in your everyday life.

1. An Onslaught of Trials and Losses

Consider the story of Job, a righteous man whom the devil tested to try to draw away from God. Job’s trials were severe: loss of all, temptation, and great pain. But his faith in God kept the darkness at bay.

In the same way, spiritual war in your life can be an unending litany of challenges: from job losses to unfair treatment to contact with people who seem to make situations worse. These may be relentless and insurmountable battles, but even then, faith in God can be your strongest anchor.

2. Overwhelming Fatigue

Spiritual warfare is often characterized by relentless exhaustion, much more than physical tiredness. This weariness emanates from the constant pressure and strife in your life, leaving you feeling drained and defeated.

The Bible is replete with such struggles. When the Israelites were exiled by the Babylonians, despair engulfed them, and they felt that God was not concerned about their well-being.

God then sent Isaiah as a reminder of His everlasting strength and care: as recorded in Isaiah 40:27-29: “Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel, ‘My way is hidden from the Lord, and my cause is disregarded by my God’? Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.”

Even when you feel spiritually drained, God’s promise of strength and renewal is ever-present.

3. Intense Fear and Darkness

The world can sometimes feel overwhelmingly dark, amplifying fears and anxieties. Spiritual warfare often targets your mind, manifesting as mood disorders, depression, or heightened anxiety. These attacks may drive you to act in ways that feel foreign to your character.

Elijah’s story is a good example of this struggle. On top of victories and faith, Elijah ran away in fear, being overcome by despair. In 1 Kings 19, the love of God and His patience are shown as He strengthens and restores Elijah. Even in your worst moments, God’s mercy and guidance are not shut off.

4. Temptation

In their essence, spiritual wars quite often deal with temptations. Life’s difficulties and troubles may make the “easy” path of self-reliance and pride more trustworthy than God Himself.

Proverbs 16:18 warns, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” With every temptation, decisions further away from God are made. Being able to recognize the spiritual attack at such instances will be very helpful to resist such options and act contrary to the influence in a direction that your faith leads to.

5. Feelings of Guilt and Condemnation

One other important spiritual warfare weapon is guilt, mostly as a nagging memory of some wrongdoing that haunts you. These feelings might then engulf and overwhelm you beyond your control, leaving you unworthy and condemned.

But God’s Word reassures us that shame and condemnation are not the end of our story. As Romans 8:1 reminds us, “There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” While the feelings of your guilt may be overwhelming at times, they do not define your identity in Christ.

Protecting Yourself Against Spiritual Warfare

God has not left you helpless against these battles. Through His Word, He gives very explicit steps to help overcome spiritual warfare and to make your faith strong:

1. Keep yourself grounded in God’s Word: read the Bible regularly for reinforcement of His promises and guidance.
2. Pray without ceasing: prayer will link you with God, enabling you to seek His strength and wisdom.
3. Embrace Community: surround yourself with fellow believers who can provide support, encouragement, and accountability.
4. Trust God’s Presence: He is always with you, fighting alongside you when the challenges seem insurmountable.

By being present in your faith and relying on the strength of God, you will be able to stand firm against the lies and attacks of the enemy. Yes, spiritual warfare is real, but God’s power and love are more-so, and those powers equip you to overcome anything.