What spiritual warfare looks like

Every Christian is in a battle. The suffering saints were reminded about this from the apostle Peter. “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.” We are told by the apostle Paul to put on the whole armor of God to be able to stand against the schemes of the devil, Ephesians 6:11. We are at war!

A great example of what spiritual warfare looks like is in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah.

Before Nehemiah ever heard the sad news about his brethren, Satan had already waged war. In the days of Ezra, the people returned from exile with a mission: rebuild the temple.

Worship was restored (Ezra 3:3-6), the work began (Ezra 3:8-10), and there was success! But resistance came quickly (Ezra 4:1-5). Discouragement and lies caused the work to stop for 16 years (Ezra 4:24). God’s people overcame only when the prophets Haggai and Zechariah spoke God’s word to encourage the people (Ezra 5:1; Haggai 1:8), helping them refocus and believe victory was still possible.

Nehemiah would face similar attacks. After persistent prayer (Nehemiah 1:5-11), God granted him success (Nehemiah 2:3-8). But opposition came immediately (Nehemiah 2:10, 19-20) and grew more intense during the 52 days of wall-building. His enemies tried intimidating speech (Nehemiah 4:1-3)  and joining forces to fight together against him and the people (Nehemiah 4:8, 11). The people briefly grew fearful (Nehemiah 4:14), but Nehemiah fought back with prayer (Nehemiah 4:4-5), unity (Nehemiah 4:6, 13), and spiritual reminders (Nehemiah 4:14). The result? God frustrated the enemy’s plans (Nehemiah 4:15-23).

But not all attacks came from outside. In Nehemiah 5:1-7, problems arose within the community. The people ignored God’s Law (Deuteronomy 23:19-20; Exodus 22:25), creating a spirit of helplessness (Nehemiah 5:5). Division is one of Satan’s most effective tools. Nehemiah confronted the leaders (Nehemiah 5:8-20) and called for repentance and restitution. Paul gave urged all Christians to walk in unity (Ephesians 4:1-3). Unity is to be a part of the Christians DNA, Acts 4:32.

The attacks intensified as the wall neared completion (Nehemiah 6:1-9). Nehemiah’s enemies tried numerous times to distract and frighten him (Nehemiah 6:2-9), but he refused to be lured away from the work. They even tried to get him to flee in fear (Nehemiah 6:10-15). Still, Nehemiah stood firm—and his enemies recognized that God was at work (Nehemiah 6:16).

The story doesn’t end there. A wall was built, but more work was required—spiritual renewal, repentance, and continued faithfulness to God’s Word (Nehemiah 8-13). Whenever God’s people stop listening to Him, the “bricks” begin to fall. Discouragement, apathy, and division creep in, and worship declines.

The Armor of God is not just something to memorize—it’s something to use daily. We are in a spiritual battle. Satan still uses the same tactics: discouragement, fear, apathy, false teaching, and even division among God’s people. But like Nehemiah, we can be victorious when we pray without ceasing, stand united, stay focused on God’s work, and trust fully in His power.