Spiritual Warfare Explained: What Every Christian Needs to Know

In this Everyday Radical episode, David Platt and Austin Huang explore what the Bible says about unseen spiritual warfare.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_01 1:07

Welcome to Everyday Radical, a podcast where we help the everyday Christian follow Jesus and make him known everywhere. We pray that today's episode encourages you to do just that. So let's dive right in. A couple of months ago, there was this TikTok trend about a day that someone had prophesied that Jesus was going to come back. I can say for sure that he did not come back on the day because we were sitting here recording this podcast. So I know that's not new. That's happened since Jesus ascended into heaven. People have prophesied the day he's coming back. Yet he says, No man knows the day or the hour. So this is more of a general question for you. Are we in the end times? And what does that what does that actually mean? Like, what does it mean to be in the last days before Christ returns?

SPEAKER_00 1:58

Yeah. I remember that day too. I remember one of our pastors, we kind of a group chat, and he was like, You guys still here? And uh there, and so different guys start chiming in. But there were uh there's one guy in particular that didn't chime in uh very soon. And he like, I mean, all these brothers, they love Jesus, they're walking with Jesus, and this brother in particular, like if if one of us was gone that day, it would have been this and he wasn't chiming in. They were like, oh no, oh no, like we're all here, but he's not anyway. All that to say, and I don't know why we keep like guessing, like we think we know, like um, so when when Jesus has made it clear, uh, but I do think he has made clear amidst all the questions about the end times, uh, that we are in the last days. But I actually think the last days have been going on since Jesus left this earth. So we've been in the last days for a long time. Now you might say, okay, well, uh, does that mean we're not close to coming, Jesus coming back? Well, I would say we're closer than they were a thousand years ago. We're closer than they were than we were yesterday. Like, so, but we're in the last days. The last days I would understand biblically as the time between Jesus' first and second coming. And uh, and I do think that's not just like a biblical, uh, like theological question to think about. I think it has huge practical ramifications because I think that Christians in the first century and Christians in the 21st century are both supposed to live like it could happen any day. Like this is the urgency. This could, yes, with a with a realization and an expectation. Keep your eyes on the sky. Jesus is coming back at any point. Um man, my thoughts are going. Yeah, I'll I'll I'll take one more step there. At the same time, uh, we don't the fact that we don't know if he's coming back today or tomorrow, uh, maybe this podcast will never be released. Uh, because it will come back. May or not. But if yes, amen. Yes, really. Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly. This is should be our our continual prayer. Um, but if well, because we don't know the day, that means we need to live anticipating the day, ready for it to be today, and faithfully working so that if it's not today, like we're doing what he's called us to do. So I think, I mean, the reality is if if we really took it to its logical end, it could happen today. Okay, liquidate all assets, get the gospel to the nations, but then if it doesn't happen, then tomorrow we have no more assets. We don't have a house, we don't have whatever. Um, so I think there's a tension there that we are are supposed to live in, but we need to make sure we don't lose the first part of that tension that it could be today for any of us at any time.

SPEAKER_01 4:58

I think that's helpful to not to continue to remind ourselves there's not no one knows the day or the hour. And um, but would you say that we do know kind of signs? Are there signs of the end like closer to the coming of Christ? Are there signs that we should be expecting? I know that people are throwing them throwing around the word revival a lot. Um, I'm experiencing a lot of resurgence of like belief in the city of Austin where I live, that people were who definitely did not look like they were ever gonna come to Christ are coming to Christ. Is that a sign of the end? Or is that like where do you stand on all?

SPEAKER_00 5:35

I think uh short answer would be, and and part of this uh dovetails into how and how one might interpret, and there's many different interpretations, uh Revelation and other texts that talk about the end times, and and not just Revelation, Matthew 24 and 25, Daniel. So um, so part of it hinges on on understanding those texts, how we understand those texts, which there's uh room for disagreement among Bible-believing Christians about that. But I when I think about like say revival, for example, I um I think that's by God's grace has happened at different points in history. Like I think about Jonathan Edwards, George Whitfield. Uh there was massive turning to Jesus of people, and Jesus didn't come back. And so I I do I want to see that? Yeah. Do I want to be a part of that? Absolutely. Do I think, okay, that means Jesus is coming back? Ah, I mean, this isn't the first generation where God's worked in mighty ways and drawing many people to Jesus. And think about it, um, I mean, obviously, we always have just one particular glimpse on the world, whether it's in Austin. I mean, we we're aware, and maybe there's things happening, but there's also a whole world where a variety of things are different. I mean, just like we talk about on this podcast, whether it's in Nigeria or Brazil or uh Yemen, like, well, what God's work looks like in those places is pretty different right now. Um, so all that to say, when I think about signs of the end times, I do think, now this will kind of start to give away a little bit of my understanding of some of these texts, but Matthew 24, 14, this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come. Like, okay, I actually believe that means the gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come. So I realize there's different, uh, some who would say, well, that was just that was fulfilled even in the first century in a particular way. But I I I I agree with George Ladd, who's a New Testament theologian. He said that single, that word verse is the single most important verse in the Word of God for the people of God today. And he basically said, The fact that the end hadn't come means the task is not yet done. So let's get busy and complete our task and make the gospel known among all the nations. Uh we don't know exactly how nations is defined there beyond the just New Testament word, ethne, but go make disciples of all the people groups of the world. Uh, so I think that's that is part of what I think should motivate us, and it squares with what Jesus said in Matthew 28, 18 to 20, like go make disciples of all the nations, because one day, Revelation 7, all the nations, tribes, tongues, peoples are going to be gathered around the represented around the throne of God singing praises for his salvation. So I know one way to 2 Peter chapter 3, hasten the coming of God or coming of Jesus is to live with zeal for the spread of the gospel among all the nations.

SPEAKER_01 8:40

So and accompanying that, I guess, is the persecution of the gospel that we're Matthew 24, 9 through 14, right before that. And spiritual warfare is is a topic that I feel like is very elusive, like we don't really know how what does it look like. But what biblically, what does it mean that we wrestle not against like flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers? What does that what does that mean? What does that look like?

SPEAKER_00 9:03

Well, and man, to make that connection, because there uh Satan does not want the end to come. Revelation makes really clear what happens to him in the end, and it's not good news. So he does he doesn't want the end to come, so he's working to keep the end from coming. Um, which I just to make the connection there, uh Satan is aggressively, actively, constantly working to keep the gospel of the kingdom from being proclaimed in all the nations. Like the the any effort in our lives to spread the gospel to those who haven't heard it, uh, will be met with the force of hell because there's an adversary who doesn't want that to happen. So now to kind of come back generally, um Ephesians six, yeah, principalities. I it's there's an unseen world, is what Ephesians 6 is like lifting our eyes to. I always think about Elisha and his servant in 2 Kings when the army is surrounding them, it's two of them in a home, the whole Syrian army is around them and threatening to overtake them, and the servant as scared as can be. And uh Elisha's like, open his eyes so he can see. And God opens his eyes to see that there's chariots, like the Lord's chariots and horsemen all around. And because uh Elisha had said, There's more of us than there are of them. And then Elisha was like, Really? What are you talking about? And like, yes, there were, because he had eyes to see that which was unseen. I really think I think I we need eyes to see what's unseen. That there are spiritual forces of evil, principalities, powers. We we don't know exactly how that works, and there's a lot that's written about that in spiritual warfare, uh like territorial powers or principalities or powers who like uh institutionally or this or so. I I think we're kind of pressing there, like biblically, but there are unseen forces of evil that if we could see right now, like you and I, Austin, if we could see right now, would blow our minds, like terrify us. Like I think about Daniel, he saw he saw an angel, like he saw one of the good guys, and he's on his face, like, what's going on what's going on here? I'm so scared. Like he saw a good guy. So that's that's like a reality around us right now. That forever wherever we're listening to this right now, just and so okay, that changes your perspective on life. So there's a there's a spiritual battle, and and so what what is happening? There's a there's this adversary and devil and his demons, uh, spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms that want to destroy us. They want to destroy my life, they want to destroy my marriage, they want to destroy my kids, they want to destroy the work I'm doing. They want to destroy, they want to pull us away from God, they want to deceive us, destroy us, uh, and keep us from experiencing life, enjoying and exalting the glory of God. So uh that's happening, that's a reality in every one of our lives, and not just our lives, the lives of every single person around us. So, well, man, yeah, spiritual battle then necessitates spiritual weapons. So, yes, man, we gotta pray. We gotta be in the word because it's how we fight uh battles uh with our minds, with what we fill our minds with, with the word of God, um, with prayer, all the all the sword of the spirit, all the all the weapons that Ephesians 6 outlines.

SPEAKER_01 12:50

So with that being said, I guess a more practical note, how do we discern whether we're actually experiencing a spiritual attack, things that we can't see that are actively going against us? How do we discern between that and just uh consequences of real life decisions that you made? So for example, I think back to I never drank coffee, like ever in college. I drank Red Bulls occasionally, which is arguably worse. But I drank arguably, yes, I drank I drank a a coffee one time and it was like a quadruple shot of espresso. I had no idea, I didn't know what I was ordering. So I got this, and it was like a Cuban coffee. I drank it on an empty stomach, and I have never felt so anxious in my life because I was going off this just like caffeine crash, and so that's an example of what I mean. Like, how do we discern between that is just a consequence of my own actions and a spiritual attack?

SPEAKER_00 13:59

Well, I I would say, um I I do think we have to be careful not to like find a demon under every bush. Okay, right. So at the same time, the adversary is active in our lives, like tempting us, trying to lead us in unhelpful ways. And I don't I don't know. So that circumstance, uh yeah, the adversary loves to use foolishness and sin, which I'm not equating those, like that sounds like a maybe not necessarily a sinful thing to do, to eat drink that coffee, but probably not wise. Like so, but he wants to use foolishness and sin to lead us down unhealthy roads, yeah. And so, but I think the key though is how we respond to all that, not like, okay, what do I label this? But just like the and this is where I think the New Testament and all of God's word points us practically is okay, learn to be wise. That was not wise, like proverbs just are helpful. And I'm not saying there's a proverb about the quadruple shot or whatever you you had, but uh so it's just wisdom and his word that like leads us to so instead of like it's interesting. Uh we did a whole secret church on this on spiritual warfare years back, but uh when it comes to the New Testament saying, here's how you fight spiritual warfare, it's not by like calling out demons and telling them, speaking of demons and telling them to it's by repenting and believing, it's by walking with Jesus, it's by pressing in them, it's by praying, it's by being in his word. This is how we fight sin. So instead of figuring out what principality or power do I need to call out here? How do I need to pray this down? Just like, no, repent. Turn from sin. Ask ask for wisdom and act on the wisdom God gives. Uh, believe in the gospel, believe in his word, uh, live, abide in his love, all the things we know to do. Uh, so that's how we fight spiritual warfare. We don't we don't need to come up with like creative all this stuff out here and how to fight these unseen powers. We had the way we fight unseen spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms is by reading the Bible, praying, worshiping, pursuing holiness, being in community, being in the church. Like uh, I mean the list goes on all the things that God has clearly told us to do. Uh and but then now it's sort of connected back to the end times. Like all of us, I trust in Christ. Like, we want to be ready on that day. We want to be, and this is all the exhortations like just be ready, be prepared, um, be watchful. And what do we how how can we be ready? Be doing what God is said to do, like be walking with him, be worshiping, be praying, be living in holiness, like be doing all the things, and this is and and be making disciples of the nations, like be obedient to him, uh, so that you're ready on that day.

SPEAKER_01 17:11

And I think that's the point that we going back going back to the whole TikTok prophecy, people were getting this spiritual paranoia because of that false prophecy. And that led them to not share the gospel, but to what, hoard toilet paper and canned goods. Did you have you read the Bible? That's not what happens when Christ comes back. It's not, he's not gonna just come and knock on your little bomb shelter in in your backyard. Like, that's not so I I think it's this I I'm afraid of like biblical illiteracy that we just don't know the Bible. And I understand that Revelation is a hard book to read, and there's different interpretations of what specific things mean. But what is like the overall what's gonna happen when Christ returns just to clear the air for anyone who might be anticipating that?

SPEAKER_00 18:01

Well, I mean, that's where, okay, there there still are like uh some uh differing views about when Christ comes back, what happens after Christ comes back, uh uh pre-tribulational rapture, post-tribulational rapture, uh millennial reign, pre-mill, post-mill, ah-mill. So there's I mean, there's different views on that. I mean, the big picture is ultimately, ultimately, when the it's all been said and done. Uh Revelation 21, uh, new heaven, new earth, we're with him and with us, like perfect, unhindered, glorious communion with God, free from sin, no more morning, crying, pain anymore. All things have passed away. We're just enjoying him for a new creation. Uh, and Jesus coming back will uh lead to that. So um I I think though, what this is what I actually love about the book of Revelation. It's one of my favorite books that I've taught through. Um, because I think when you look at that book and its context, it is it is Christians in the first century suffering, experiencing persecution. Like in the very beginning, John says, I write this as your brother and your partner in the tribulation and in the uh patient endurance that are in Jesus. Like we're going through it together. We are trying to patiently endure. There's temptations to compromise there with sin. There's temptations to like not trust God amidst suffering, amid people dying. Like, and and John is writing a book to say, not not to say, uh, let me confuse you with some charts about how all this works out in the end, uh, so that you're just debating with each other all the time. He's writing this to say, hold fast, hold fast, stay faithful, don't compromise, fight sin. Fight. I mean, the the picture of Babylon in the end, Revelation 17 and 18, like there's all the glitz of this world that John himself is tempted to like love. Uh, he's like, it's all in a in a single hour, it will be laid waste. It's don't live for this world. This is this is first John like magnified, do not love this world or the things of this world. Like trust in Jesus, keep proclaiming the gospel. It's worth it, it's worth it. Every nation, tribe, tongue is gonna be ground of stone. Even even when you're martyred, uh, there's there's martyrs around the throne.

SPEAKER_01 20:34

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 20:35

And uh, so you've got all these pictures that show like Jesus wins, and he's saying it over and over again in all this imagery. So amidst all the disagreements and discussions about the end times, let's not lose sight of that picture that I think has massive practical implications for the way we live today. Okay, Jesus wins. So keep fighting against sin, keep proclaiming the gospel, leading people to Jesus, trusting in God's sovereignty over all history, including the details of my life, including the trials in my life and the things that I need to patiently endure through because I know they're not the end of the story. Like there's so much there that is so encouraging and hope-giving. And yeah, uh, man, I'm thinking about just thinking about trials in my own life right now. Like I, yes, I need to remember they're not the end of the story. Yeah, and they're not all that there is, there's a bigger picture happening here, and uh, and and one day, like no more tears, no more crying, no more pain. Uh, so I can live with that hope today.

SPEAKER_01 21:36

I the last question that I kind of want to land on, um just setting it up. The book of Joel starts out with this end times picture of like the day of the Lord, this darkness that's coming over. And um it's in chapter one or chapter two. He's like, Why are you why do you want the day of the Lord? The day of the Lord is destruction, it's not, it's not fun and games. Like, there's people are gonna die. Um, so that brings, I think, a lot of people fear, but also as Christians, we have hope, and we say, Maranatha, come, Lord Jesus. Like, that's how literal scripture, that's how it ends, like comes. So, how do we, as Christians, what do we do so that we can proclaim this hope, but also have this sense of urgency that y'all, like, if Jesus comes back tomorrow, it's not gonna end good for you.

SPEAKER_00 22:25

Your bomb shelter is not gonna cut it. Man, that's that's so important. And I I think this is where Revelation, uh, when it talks about God's word like a scroll that's both bit as sweet as honey and bitter, like that's the day of the Lord is is both. Like it is sweet for all who trust in Jesus. And it is terrifying for all those who don't know Jesus. And okay, so just I would just say, okay, let's step into that today in our lives. Like, okay, let's live with truly eager anticipation for that day. Let's not love anything in this world more than we want. That day. Let's not think, oh Lord, come back after this or that. Or I really want to do like, no, there's nothing in this world that compares to like this is Psalm 27, the culmination of it. I I'm going to see your glory. So uh sweet, eternal life, free, and let that bring you encouragement and your trials, all those things. And then at the same time, yes, let's let may that fuel urgency in our lives to share the gospel with those who are not in Jesus today. Um so they can be ready for that day. Like this is this is Ezekiel, like you're a watchman on the wall. And if you know judgment is coming and you and you know the the army's about to invade, you see it and you say nothing. I mean, people will die, but like you, I mean, he says, like you're responsible um not for what that army did, but for not warning them. So man, let's warn people with urgency today. Uh share the gospel with urgency today and and not just around us, like let's work to make this uh day for the nations sweet through the spread of the gospel to them with urgency. Uh again, knowing that this is uh yeah, that one day Jesus is gonna come back to receive the reward. He deserves his praise. So let's live to make him known then, and let's do it with realization that it's not going to be easy, but it's gonna be worth it.

SPEAKER_01 24:40

Amen. Thanks so much for joining us today on Everyday Radical. If this episode stirred your heart for Christ and his mission, our hope is that you would check out some of our previous episodes as well. And do not forget to subscribe so you don't miss out on what's ahead. Let's keep making Jesus known everywhere together. See you next time.