Spiritual Warfare Scriptures 

1. James 4:7-8 — Fight Your Battles through Humility and Purity

“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands … and purify your hearts.” 

We must begin our warfare with the right heart attitude. Submitting ourselves to God means coming to Him humbly, admitting we are not capable of lasting victories without Him. In every circumstance, God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). We are all sinners, and we need to “wash” ourselves daily by confessing all known sin (1 John 1:8-9). We want to be clean vessels for God to work through in our battles.

2. 1 Peter 5:8-9a — Be Alert to the Devil’s Schemes

“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith.”

It’s been said that you must “know your enemy!” That doesn’t mean we constantly focus on our enemy, but we should have a basic understanding that he is after us and how he works. Peter warned believers to stay alert because the devil is prowling like an angry lion. He wants to destroy everyone who is a Christ-follower.

We’re also to be sober-minded, which literally means we’re not to be under the control of any dangerous outside force — and that certainly applies to Satan. We need to be controlled by the Holy Spirit, not the devil. We also don’t want Satan to outwit us, so we need to be aware of his evil schemes so we can resist him (2 Corinthians 2:11). One of his tricks is to disguise himself, to masquerade as “an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14), but the light of the Word of God can help us recognize his efforts.

3. Ephesians 6:11-12 — Armor Up to Fight Evil

“Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

In wartime, generals lay out strategic battlefield maps. Perhaps if we could see the battle plans of the devil displayed, we would better understand the high stakes in his war against believers. Paul says our struggle is against so much more than flesh and blood, substantially more than individual people coming against us. It’s a spiritual war with forces we may not understand or ever see. With that in mind, Paul urged Christians to “put on the full armor of God” — both offensive and defensive components. The seven pieces of armor are listed in Ephesians 6:14-18: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the gospel of peace on our feet, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit (God’s Word), and prayer according to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

4. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 — Wield the Right Weapons

“For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

In this sin-sick, dog-eat-dog world, the enemies of our soul don’t fight fair or with integrity. Our enemies use trickery, manipulation, and unprincipled actions to try to defeat us. We need to fight back as the Lord directs us and not wage war as the world does. We are not to trust human ingenuity or plans to achieve victory.

Our weapons are mighty in the Lord, with divine power to: (1) destroy strongholds (erected from a controlling mindset or anything on which we rely), (2) smash crooked, lofty philosophies and speculations, and (3) tear down any lies that might prevent us or others from knowing the truth about God. The Christian soldier is responsible to “take captive” any unruly thoughts, emotions, and willful desires, and turn them over to Jesus, our model in the battle against sin and Satan. 

5. Deuteronomy 3:22 — Believe God Fights for You

“Do not be afraid of them; the LORD your God himself will fight for you.” 

King David said it was the Lord who trained him for battle. There’s something to be said for learning spiritual warfare tactics. But lest we think we are alone in our battles, it’s good to remember that God said He fights for us. Over and over in Scripture, God’s people are told that He fights for them. Therefore, we are strong in the Lord and in His might (Ephesians 6:10). He is the one who guards us against the evil one; His right hand “shatters the enemy” (2 Thessalonians 3:3; Exodus 15:6). He is our avenger (Romans 12:19). Great battles can turn instantly with God on our side — fighting for us — but we must count on His presence and Word (Joshua 1:9; Luke 1:37).

6. 1 John 5:4-5 — Remember Why You’re an Overcomer

“For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.”

Overcomers are Christ-followers who victoriously resist the power, assaults, and temptations of the world system and the evil one. The concept of overcoming includes endurance, which is a characteristic of any successful soldier of Christ. Jesus urged his true disciples to stay faithful even when wickedness increases — to “endure to the end” (Matthew 24:12-13).

How is this possible? Many Christ-followers fail to grasp hold of the blessings and power of being born of God and in Christ. It is in Christ that we are more than conquerors, that we prevail over the enemy, because He is the Overcomer (Romans 8:37; John 16:33). That doesn’t mean we won’t face suffering in our battles; but we don’t need to fear because the One who is in us is greater than the evil one (1 John 4:4). Our faith is in Him, not our own strength or battle-waging skills. With true faith in Jesus, we have the victory (1 Corinthians 15:57).

7.  Colossians 1:12-13 — Operate Joyfully in the Kingdom of Light

“And giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.”

We underestimate the motivational power of operating in the Kingdom of Light, the “kingdom of the Son he (the Father) loves.” No longer in the dominion of darkness, we fight as members of a spiritual kingdom. Peter described this as being called out of darkness into God’s marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9b). Christians are not to live for this world, but to joyfully live in light of eternity and our true home with God. That understanding helps us make better choices and fight our battles in strength. No soldier in the Kingdom of Light gets “entangled,” ensnared, or hindered with worldly pursuits, but rather focuses on eternal realities, desiring to please the “commanding officer,” Jesus (2 Timothy 2:4).

Not all attacks are external. The battle comes from within us when we face temptation, but our spiritual Commander-in-Chief in the Kingdom of Light will make an escape for us, if we ask Him to make the way plain and are willing to take it (1 Corinthians 10:13).

8. John 14:13 — Claim the Authority Christ Gives Believers

“And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”

This promise might appear to some people to be a magic formula for getting what we want. Was Jesus making an invitation to ask for everything we desire, and He would be obligated to give it? No, that could be a recipe for self-indulgence. Rather, Jesus — who knew His crucifixion was approaching — wanted to encourage His frightened followers, and give them confidence in prayer. He knew the struggles they would face. Many would be martyred as Christ-followers. In light of this, Jesus urged them to pray “in His name,” in His authority, for their needs (John 14:14).

Does this Scripture still apply today? Certainly the guiding principle of this Scripture can encourage us to make wise choices in our battles, and help us know how to pray. John 14:12-14 gives some guidelines: (1) Pray with faith that God will act on your behalf, (2) ask in Jesus’ name, and (3) ask with the desire that the Father will be “glorified in the Son.” The Father loves to grant requests to His children because of His beloved Son. We claim His authority when we “trample our foes” (Psalm 44:5).

9. Psalm 91:2 — Run to Your Fortress When Pursued by the Enemy

“I will say of the LORD, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’”

Psalm 91 is a wonderful chapter about God’s protection and deliverance of His children, and verse two is a key verse. A refuge is a shelter from danger or trouble, or a person who offers refuge. David found refuge — a safe place in his battles — in God. He also called God his fortress. In ancient times, fortresses were built around cities to protect the inhabitants from invading armies. In the heat of battle when the enemy pursued them, soldiers fled to their fortress where they could enjoy strong defense and still continue to fight from above the walls. David could call God his refuge and fortress because of his confidence in the Lord. In the midst of battle, it’s important to remember that God protects us from above the walls of our own fragile fortresses. Paul said the Lord is faithful, He strengthens His own, and He protects them from the evil one (2 Thessalonians 3:3).

10. Mark 9:23 — Lean in to Your Faith in God

“‘If you can?’ said Jesus. ‘Everything is possible for one who believes.’”

The context of this verse (Mark 9:17-29) was a boy in the grips of an impure spirit. The evil presence possessed him from childhood, and the boy’s desperate father begged Jesus for help, saying, “If you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” After Jesus zeroed in on that word “if,” he told the man, “Everything is possible for the one who believes.” The father immediately exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief.” Jesus rebuked the impure spirit and it departed.

During the man’s encounter with Jesus, he said the disciples failed to drive out the evil spirit. Jesus confronted His perplexed disciples about the littleness of their faith and the need for prayer in such a tough battle. Jesus explained more, wanting them to expand their understanding of faith (Matthew 17:19-20). In the thick of our toughest battles, we need to lean into our faith in God — not our own wisdom, devices, or strength — and then we need to pray hard! The fervent prayer of a righteous person is “powerful and effective.” Everything good and right is possible for the one who believes.